2018 Christmas Prayer

God who has created and is creating,

on this Christmas night we give thanks for the wonders you have created:

for sunlight shining on fresh snow,

for the excited giggles of children hanging their stockings,

for the warmth of family and friends gathered around a table,

for twinkling stars and moonshine in the crisp winter air

for all the gifts we have received that make life full.

We wait with hope for what is being created, for the wonders we have yet to see.

Creator, open our eyes to see what you are doing in our midst,

open our souls and hearts

that we would embrace the Kingdom proclaimed by the Babe in the manger.

God of hope and promise, as we sing the old songs and tell the old story,

we know that the world is not what it could be.

Too readily we see the darkness and shadows of the world.

Renew and restore our hope,

open our eyes to see the possibilities,

reveal to us the ways that people like us are choosing to make a difference,

shine light on the places where the promise of Christmas is becoming reality.

God of peace, tonight we celebrate the birth of one called Prince of Peace.

Tonight we remember angels proclaiming “Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all”.

Help us be people who make peace in our own circles.

Help us push our leaders to make peace in larger circles.

Help us find peace within our own lives when we are troubled or anxious.

God of joy,

sometimes we get too busy for joy.

Sometimes we get too worried for joy.

And yet if we turn in another direction we might find it.

Reach into our hearts and souls and open the doors where we have locked joy away,

that we would be able to sing wholeheartedly “Joy to the World the Lord is come”!

God of love,

God who loves the world so much you will never give up on it,

God who in love chose to live among us as one of us,

sharing our triumphs and our failures, our joys and sorrows,

over and over you teach, encourage, command us to love.

May we truly love you, each other, and ourselves and put that love into action.

God who has come in Jesus, the Word-Made-Flesh, to reconcile and make new,

tonight we celebrate the birth of Jesus, of Emmanuel, God-With-Us.

Tonight we celebrate that in love you keep breaking into the life of the world,

into our own lives,

to bring renewal, redemption, and re-creation.

Tonight you once again proclaim the beginning of a new era,

one where the Kingdom will be real and growing in our midst.

Tonight you call us to come and see the Babe in a manger

and see in his face:

the promise of peace, the eyes of love, and our cause for joy.

As we run with the shepherds to see if the angel story is true,

may we be full of delight, of excitement, of hope for the world, hope for us.

Having seen the child, may we live as if the world,

and we as well, have been changed because of this night.

God of Christmas,

this night there are also prayers in our hearts that we can not or dare not put into words,

and so we lift them up in the silence of our hearts

...time of silent prayer...

All of these things, spoken and unspoken, hope-filled and anxious, joyous and sorrowful, we pray in the name of the baby who lies in the manger,

who we call Saviour and Messiah,

who will grow up to teach us all about what it means to live and love in the Kingdom,

and who will teach his friends to pray saying the words we now sing...

A WEdding Sermon

M and A, now I talk to you about relationship. To be in relationship is at the heart of human experience. We all have a variety of relationships in our lives. Our earliest is that of child and parent, then maybe a sibling. Then there are other family members: grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins... As time goes on we move out into the world and develop friendships with people outside the family circle. Some of these become deep and life-long, others are just for a period of time until one or the other moves on. Each of these relationships teach us something. We learn who we are as we relate to others, we learn how to relate to others, we may even learn about who we want to be when we grow up. Both of you have relationships like these in your lives.

But then for many people there is another relationship. This is the relationship where you choose one special person with whom you will share your life more deeply than with any other. This is the relationship where we choose to make ourselves more vulnerable than any other. In this one we pledge ourselves to each other, we make vows to support each other come what may, we promise to put this relationship in a place of prime importance and grow a place where both of us can grow and blossom and shine. It is this relationship that we are here to celebrate to day.

Today as you stand in front of your family and friends you will make promises to each other. Today marks the beginning of a new part of the life you share. After today many things will be the same as they were yesterday. And one thing will be different. Your lives will be joined together, interlinked, in a stronger way. We have all come to witness this happen. We have all come to promise to support you as you grow a marriage together. We have all come to celebrate this commitment, this life you share.

Tomorrow you continue to build the relationship and life you share. On my GPS unit you can choose your destination but then you can add stopping points along the road as a “via point”. Today is one of those via points on the journey, a layover perhaps as you continue to the destination. Mind you this is a journey with no set destination, rather a series of destinations will appear along the way, just as there have already been a series of destinations to get you to this day. The journey of marriage is one where you continue to learn more about each other and yourselves as you live through what life decides to put in your path. In the process we trust and pray that your relationship will grow stronger and deeper as time goes by.

On the table behind me are 4 candles. 3 of them we have lit already, one we will light in a little bit. The words we attach to these candles can help you along the journey that will be your marriage.

HOPE – what would life be without hope? Hope is that thing that pushes us to keep trying when the road gets challenging, the hope that individual challenges are temporary and the relationship is lasting. Hope is that thing that gives us a dream, or a series of dreams, as we look to the future. M and A, may there always be hope in your marriage

PEACE – Peace can mean many things. Sometimes it means quiet or calm. Sometimes it means one side has conquered the other. In marriage we look for a different kind of peace. We look for the peace that comes, not from the total lack of conflict (because we know that doesn’t exist). The peace of marriage is based on the fact that conflict is resolved and both people win. Peace in marriage comes also when we can sit quietly with our beloved and be comforted and warmed simply by their presence. A and M, may peace be the norm in your marriage.

JOY – At this time of the year we hear a lot of talk about Joy. From a theological and practical point of view I think we get Joy wrong. For me joy is not just happiness. Joy is deeper. Joy comes from that deep place of trust and appreciation Joy in marriage comes from seeing each other and ourselves with clear eyes, flaws and all, and realize the depth of our relationship, how much we would miss without each other. A and M, in the life you share find joy in each other, produce joy for each other.

LOVE – The candle we have yet to light, possibly the most important candle we will light this afternoon., the candle of Love. None of the relationships in our lives are always easy. The deeper the connection, the greater the vulnerability there is and that makes love so much more important. In marriage we put our lives in the hands of another, on purpose, knowing that this is a risk. We are able to find the comfort to do that because there is love. If there is a magic bullet to marriage (to life in general) it is love. M and A, may the love which has lead or drawn you to this place continue to lead and draw you forward in the years to come.

A and M, you have invited us to be a part of this special day. You have invited us to add this to our celebration of Christmas Love. We thank you for the invitation. And we come to witness your commitment, to promise to support you in the life you share, and to celebrate with you today. In the Scripture passage we just heard it reminds us that a threefold cord is not easily broken. I have noticed (not being inclined or allowed to actually braid hair in my house) that if you try to braid two strands together it does not work well. But add the third strand and you add stability and strength. May God be present as the third strand in the cord that is your marriage, there to add support and strength when the others feel stretched to breaking May God bless and keep you always. Amen.

Christmas Eve Reflection 2018

The Revolution Starts Tonight...Again

Tonight the world is changed. After tonight the world will never be the same again.

Sounds a little naive doesn’t it? I mean will the news headlines on Thursday really be all that different than they were yesterday? Probably not. But still I believe that tonight the world is changed. Why? Because I have heard the angel proclamation and because I have heard the song sung by the pregnant Mary.

Jesus is born and Jesus comes to change the world. And so, because of this night the world will never be the same again. If we are honest, which of us could say that is a bad thing?

After all, most of us have a list of things we would make happen if we had a magic wand that gave us the power to order the world as we think it ought to be. Yes I know that power would be incredibly dangerous but doesn’t it sound tempting sometimes? What would you change? What would be on your grown up Christmas List?

Long before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah lived in a time of troubles. In his lifetime he would see Jerusalem captured and the temple destroyed. But he also saw hope: “the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. On those who dwell in a land of deep darkness light has shined...for unto us a child is born, for unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God...Prince of Peace”. Years later another man preaching under the name of Isaiah would say to people in exile “A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain...Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” Both Isaiah’s knew that God was going to transform the world. As people of faith we share that promise and that hope. Tonight we celebrate that hope coming to fruition. For on this night is born to us in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

In the poem that Sharon read earlier the Rt. Rev. Dr. Richard Bott (to use his full title, most of us just call him Richard), Moderator of the United Church of Canada sets the Christmas story against our current news and writes:

There is no Silent Night,

when a little one is ripped

from their parent's arms.

The keepers of the sheep will not hear the angels'

"Glory to God in the Highest,"

over the guns of war.

The Wise Ones

will not be able to see the star,

when the skies are filled

with the LED signs,

proclaiming, "more, More, MORE!"

The Christ-child is born,

in bus shelter,

in prison cell,

at border fence,

in shelled-out hovel.

(There Is No Silent Night by Richard Bott)

Richard’s verses show clearly the broken-ness of the world. They remind us how the priorities of the world have fallen away from the priorities of God’s Kingdom. Christmas has always come into such a world. Sure the exact details have varied over the centuries but the reality of broken-ness has not. And yet I started out by saying that tonight the world is changed. And I do believe it. Tonight the healing of a broken world begins... again.

Luke tells us that before Jesus was born Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who also happened to be pregnant. While she was there Mary uttered what is nothing less than a revolutionary manifesto. In fact, over the course of the 20^th Century those verses that Pat read a few moments ago have been banned by various oppressive governments. Wouldn’t want too many people hearing about the God who “has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly” and “has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty”. Mary sings of the God who will do such things. When her son is grown and starting his ministry Luke tells us that Jesus reads these words from Scripture “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” and then followed that up by saying “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”. In Jesus the revolution proclaimed by Mary is begun. In Jesus the world is being changed and repaired, new priorities are being set. This is Good News which shall be for all people. Tonight Jesus is born and the revolution begins again, anew.

This is the power of Christmas. The power of Christmas is not in sweetly sung carols, or in candles shining in the darkness, or in carefully worded prayers. The power of Christmas is not even in families and friends gathered for parties and special meals. The power of Christmas is in the God who loves the world so much that God will not give up on us. The power of Christmas is in God breaking into the world to change it, to bring on the Kingdom of God. The power of Christmas is in God sneaking into the hearts of God’s children to change them and bring on the Kingdom of God. The power of God is to start a revolution – even if it seems to take a long time for the revolution to take effect.

This evening we have lit candles. And each candle has had a word attached. I think that each of those words ties in to the revolution the Christmas brings.

HOPE: At the beginning of any revolution there is often a lack of evidence that it things will actually change. Often it seems that the status quo will win out. Hope is what keeps us looking for signs that the change is happening. Hope is what will make the revolution keep going.

PEACE: The revolution of Christmas is kind of odd. Normally revolution means violence and killing and destruction. The change proclaimed by Mary in her song and then by Jesus in his life will come by the victory of a deep peace based in justice where all have what they need to live together in peace -- “and the wolf will lie down with the lamb”. The Kingdom is not going to be won by armed conflict (which may be why the revolution has to start again every year with so little evidence of progress). It brings true and abiding peace.

JOY: Than angels proclaimed to the shepherds on the hillside “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people”. When we are reminded that God is at work in the world it fills our hearts with joy that we are not forgotten. Joy to the world! The Lord is come!

LOVE: In the poem that Susan read earlier we hear the words:

Welcome to Love, we’re no longer alone.

In joy and sorrow, to day and tomorrow,

Love will be with us. Love’s here to stay.

Sing every morning: “It’s Christmas today!”

(No Longer Alone by Miriam Therese Winter)

The work of Christ is the work of love. The work of changing the world that begins tonight is the work of love. Love is the prime motivator of Christian faith and ministry. Love is what God is about in Jesus -- “for God so loved the world that God sent God’s only begotten Son”

CHRIST: Jesus is the instigator of the revolution. Within Christian theology Jesus both announces and initiates the coming of God’s Kingdom. Jesus teaches us what it means to live as citizens of that Realm, Jesus shows up how to do it. And when we sometimes (often? usually?) have trouble remembering how we are to live Christ proclaims God’s forgiveness and reminds us ‘if at first you don’t succeed: try, try again’.

A Catholic hymn-writer named Rory Cooney wrote a hymn based on Mary’s song. The chorus says:

My heart shall sing of the day you bring

Let the fires of your justice burn.

Wipe away all tears for the day draws near,

and the world is about to turn.

(My Soul Cries Out/ Canticle of the Turning by Rory Cooney)

Every year when we hear the angels speaking to the shepherds on a hillside, every year when we visualize Mary laying her child gently in the manger, we are reminded that God is starting something new in the world. Jesus was born long ago. Jesus is born tonight. The revolution of God’s Kingdom began long ago. The revolution begins again tonight. Are we willing to join in the revolution? Or as Richard says in his poem:

Are we willing to meet the Child;

and, in meeting,

change our world?

Are we willing to change the world,

and, in changing,

meet the Child?

(There Is No Silent Night by Richard Bott)

Jesus is born! The world has begun to turn! Nothing will ever be the same again! Glory to God in the Highest! And on Earth Peace, Goodwill toward all.

May it be so. Amen.

For December 9, 2018 -- Advent 3 -- The Life of Christmas Present

CALL TO WORSHIP

The God of our Past, our Present, and our Future

invites us to worship as we prepare for Christmas.

We come closer to the birth of Jesus

the excitement is building, our preparations continue

As we prepare ourselves, we sing, we pray, we reflect

opening our eyes and hearts and souls to God’s presence.

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE

Joy! God sometimes Joy is hard.

Sometimes we look at the world around us and find nothing to be joyful about.

If we are honest we know that the world is a troubled place

That is why we know we need you, why we need Jesus to be born in our world again.

God as we sing about Christmas help us remember the Grace that Jesus preached.

The Grace that helps us reform and reshape our lives and our world. Joy to the World, Jesus is coming!

Amen

COMMISSIONING:

In this season of Joy and Hope we get ready for the coming of the Prince of Peace

We go from this time of worship to prepare our homes and our hearts.

As you continue to prepare for the amazing birth that is a fortnight away be sure and secure in the knowledge that the God who breaks into the world as a Baby is with you everywhere you go.

In trust we will walk with God: Parent, Child, and Spirit. Amen.

For December 2, 2018 -- Advent 2 -- The Remembrance of Christmas Past -- Blue Christmas Ritual

CALL TO WORSHIP

The God of our Past, our Present, and our Future

invites us to worship as we prepare for Christmas.

Here we come to be reminded who we are and whose we are.

Here we open ourselves to God’s presence and listen for God’s voice

As we sing and pray and remember,

may God be with us, may God fill us with the peace that passes understanding.

BLUE CHRISTMAS PRAYER

God of Christmas promise and possibility,

we know that sometimes Christmas is less than joyful.

We remember the pain of the past and of the present,

we acknowledge that this pain is a part of our Christmas, is a part of who we are.

God who walks with us in joy and in sorrow, when the way is easy and when it is hard,

as we remember our past be with us we pray. Strengthen us as we go forward.

God who is always present, we lift up our memories, the happy and the sad,

And we are thankful that we are not alone.

We pray in the name of Jesus, whose birth we await. Amen

COMMISSIONING:

We have gathered, we have sung, we have prayed.

We have remembered the joys and sorrows of the past that has shaped us.

We go out to continue to get ready for the birth of a baby

a child who will lead us in the way of peace and love.

We go out trusting that the God who offers us the peace that passes understanding

is with us wherever life may lead. Thanks be to God.

FOr November 25, 2018 -- Advent 1 -- Bah Humbug

CALL TO WORSHIP

We come into the season of preparation.

A time when we open our hearts, where we get ready for a baby.

As we prepare for Christmas God calls us to reflect

reflect on the world around us and our place in it.

God has called us to this place to worship, to reflect on our world, to get ready for the birth of Christ.

Come, let us worship together.

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE

God, you send us many messengers as we try to understand what it means to be your people.

You remind us that our choices have consequences, that sometimes we do indeed reap what we sow.

Will we listen?

Will we take advantage of the choices your offer?

In grace and mercy you give us the opportunity to change how we are living.

Will we heed the warning? Will we be open to being changed?

...time of silent prayer...

The God we meet in Christ is Gracious and Merciful. God allows us the freedom to choose a path, but in Grace God allows us to change course when we chose a less helpful path. We are forgiven and led to wisdom.

Thanks be to God who helps us sow things we actually want to reap. Amen. 

COMMISSIONING:

We go out to continue living and working and serving.

We go out to continue to prepare for God’s breaking into the world.

As we go we remember that choices matter

and so we commit to make good choices.

Go with God: known as Creator, as Christ, as Spirit at work in the world.

Amen.

Advent Candles 2018

November 25, 2018 – Advent 1 (Bah Humbug) -- Hope

Sermon Title: Marley or Lazarus

Scripture: Galatians 6:7, Luke 16:19-31

1. It is time to prepare, time to get ready.

2. Ready for what?

1. Well somebody special is a month away from being born.

2. You mean it is only a month to Christmas?

1. Yep. You know what the Christmas story always brings me?

2. The urge to sing carols?

1. Well yes. But more than that it brings me hope. The fact that God keeps caring for the world, that God loves the world so much to become part of it makes me hopeful for the future. And so I always light a candle to remind me of that hope. (light one candle)

2. Let us pray...

God we need some hope in our lives. Help us trust in your promise this Christmas.

Remind us that things can get better, that the world can change, that we can change.

Even when things seem terrible help us see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Help us live as people of hope. Amen.

December 2, 2018 – Advent 12 (The Remembrance of Christmas Past) -- Peace

Sermon Title: Carry Forward the Past

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-2, Revelation 21:3-5, Luke 4:17-19

1. The day is coming, it is getting closer

2. It’s almost Christmas!

1. Christmas always make me hope for good things (light one candle)

2. Do you know what I am really hoping for this year?

1. A new phone?

2. Well maybe. But I hope that we can learn from our past mistakes. I hope that God will help us find a way to live together in peace and justice. It has to happen some year right? (light a 2^nd candle)

1. I hope so, some year, maybe next year?. Let us pray...

God you promise us that some day there will be peace throughout the world.

Peace between countries, peace within families, peace in our troubled hearts.

We haven’t learned how to do that yet. Help all of us be people who bring peace into our lives.

Help us change the world around us as we wait for Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.

December 9, 2018 – Advent 3 (The Life of Christmas Present) --Joy

Sermon Title: See the World Today

Scripture: Deuteronomy 15:1-11, Luke 1:46-55

1. Don’t you love how joyful everyone is at Christmas?

2. Joyful? How can people be joyful? Have you watched the news lately?

1. I know, there is lots of trouble out there. But still I always find a sense of joy in the air.

Maybe it is the carols, or the bright lights of the decorations. Something just makes the world seem better.

2. If you say so. Some days I find it hard to have hope (light one candle) that there will be peace (light 2^nd candle) and Joy seems far away.

1. I try to remind myself that there is more happening than the news tells us about. There are people giving to The Salvation Army, there are people collecting gifts for their neighbours, there are people planning to serve meals to the community. And that lights up my life and brings Joy to my heart (light 3^rd candle)

2. I hadn’t thought of it that way. I guess maybe there is some good news out there. God is at work after all. Let’s pray about that...

God of joy, sometimes it is hard to be joyful.

Sometimes all the bad news piles up and we have trouble seeing that you are at work around us.

But then we find out that some people with difficult lives still find a way to celebrate,

and we start to see the world differently.

Help us see where you are at work changing the world. Help us find the joy that lies waiting to be discovered, even if only for a moment. Amen.

December 16, 2018 – Advent 3a (Practise Christmas) -- ???

Sermon Title: Pageant Sunday

Scripture:

(blow a coach whistle) Ok. Are we all ready for Christmas?

Maybe?

Is maybe good enough? Only 9 days to go people! Got your Joy to the Worlds tuned up? Everyone know the story? Got your Silent Nights quieted down? We have to practise these things folks, especially that last one!

We’re good to go coach!

Good to hear. But lets run through it just in case. Start with the candles...

(candles are lit as they are called out) Hope...we have hope light

Peace...we have peace light

Joy...we have joy light

Love...we have love light

Christ ...we have... hey should we light this one yet?

Good call. Normally we wouldn’t. But this is our practise run.

Christ ...we have Christ’s light.

Now let’s pray:

God we are almost ready. We are excited and hopeful. Jesus is almost born!

As we remember the story, as we practise for the big birthday that is coming, remind us what it is all about. Help us be as excited as the shepherds, to sing Glory in excelsis with the angels, to trust you like Mary did. Amen.

December 23, 2018 – Advent 4 (The Hope of Christmas Future) -- Love

Sermon Title: Shadows That Can Be Changed

Scripture: Isaiah 2:2-5, Isaiah 7:10-16

1. Christmas is here! Well almost.

2. Isn’t it great?

1. So far we have talked about hope (light one candle) and peace (light 2^nd candle) and joy (light 3^rd candle) but there is one candle left.

2. That’s the candle of love. I think it is the most important one.

1. Why?

2. Christmas is all about love. God loves the world so much God gives us Jesus. God challenges us to love all of our neighbours. With love God gives us another chance to change our lives. Love is a source of heat and light in life (light 4^th candle)

1. Let us pray for more love in the world.

God we remember the song “what the world needs now is love sweet love” and we know it is true.

Sometimes we find it hard to love the people around us. Sometimes we are hard to love.

But you love all of us. All of the time. And then you give us a chance to change the future by changing the present. Thank you for that.

Help us to be like Scrooge and promise to do better, to love better, in the future. Amen.

For November 18, a College Sunday Service

CALL TO WORSHIP

As people with questions

we gather for worship

As seekers on a quest

we gather for worship

As those called to learn what God wants us to be

we gather for worship

As siblings in Christ we gather for worship, greeting each other with words and signs of Christ’s peace.

OPENING PRAYER

God made known in Jesus of Nazareth, of whom we sing

Jesus, teacher, brave and bold...teach us to serve you everywhere

In this time of worship we open our hearts, our souls, our minds, our selves,

trusting in your presence among us.

God who sends teachers to show us the way,

help us to learn from each other and from you.

We pray in the name of the one we call Teacher, Guide, and Christ, who taught his friends to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR AND ASSURANCE OF GRACE

God you call us to be ready to learn,

and sometimes we think we have already learnt what we need to know.

You call us to teach,

and sometimes we think we have no wisdom to pass on.

You call us to lead and be led.

and sometimes we would rather go off by ourselves on our own path.

God, when we fail to heed your call to teach, to learn, to lead

speak to our hearts, encourage us, chasten us, forgive our headstrong ways.

...time of silent prayer...

God teaches us about grace, about forgiveness, about second chances by offering these things to us over and over again. God offers us wisdom when we are ready to receive it. In Christ God gives us Teacher, Mentor, and Guide.

Thanks be to God. Amen

COMMISSIONING:

We are, each one of us, students in God’s school of life and love

we go from this place to continue learning.

We are, each one of us, teachers in God’s school of life and love:

we go from this place to share the wisdom we have received.

As we continue to learn and to teach we trust that God: Parent, Son and Holy Spirit, 3-in-one is with us

In whatever classroom we find ourselves. Amen.