Morning Worship
Today was the third Sunday in Advent and the theme was "Joy." The third Advent candle was lit. This candle is pink while the others are purple. There is a reason for this candle being pink but I can never remember what it is! Ah, tradition...!
CE Director Miss Kathryn let "Uncle Geoff" give the Children's Sermon today. He used the candy cane to tell the story of Christmas and Easter to the children. He did not make the common internet error of saying that this symbolism was completely intentional for which I was most pleased. He did show how the cane can represent the letter "J" for Jesus, can be a shepherd's crook or, in a pinch, be used to pull Pastor Jim from the pulpit when he tells a bad joke!
Our Children's Choir sang next, full of enthusiasm, singing like I have always wished our non-choir adults would sing (but don't...sigh). Isabella's artificial flower lei (worn by all choir members) was a bit too big for her and twice slipped off her shoulders, over her arms and all the way to the floor. Each time she put it back on by trying to pull it straight up her entire body. It caught on her dress and lifted it up. Of course she was totally oblivious to this and, with the innocence of childhood, never missed a note of the song. I was sitting behind the choir and started to laugh so hard I had to put my hand over my mouth to hold it in. I kept on thinking that the service theme was "Joy" and decided that a few uncontrolled smiles in worship was not necessarily a bad thing.
Next came the baptisms of three-month old Carrie and David. David's father had just arrived for a short R&R from deployment in Afghanistan and had just met his son for the first time last week. Carrie's father was preparing for his own 6-month deployment to Kuwait soon after Christmas. In any case, Cassie was very unhappy to be up in front but, miracle of miracles, when I took her from her Mom she stopped the "boo-hooing" immediately and started to stare at everybody in the church. More "Joy" and smiles from everyone. Usually the babies begin to cry when I take them from their parents for baptism! The baptisms went fine otherwise except that David got caught in my robe sleeve when I tried to hand him back to his mom. For a moment his head (and most of the rest of him) completley disappeared into the tangle. More smiles from everyone and, of course, more "Joy" than could have been generated by anything other than spontaneity.
Next, Charles, a retired minister, told how little he had earned when he served congregations in Missouri, Utah and Alaska. He was greatful for the extra $300 dollars he was now receiving each month as a pension supplement because of our denomination's Christmas Joy Offering and urged us all to give generously this year. As he sat down he added, "Speaking of joy, did you hear about the lady who only had two teeth? She gave thanks to God every day because they "hit!"
I was tempted to use "Uncle Geoff's" big white candy cane to haul Charles right out of the sanctuary! But the theme of "Joy" seemed to be contageous.
My sermon was brief, explaining that "Joy" is central to our faith but not unique to it. What is unique about Joy for a Christian is that we are the only major religion whose adherents are commanded to find Joy even in suffering (James 1:2). Our sense of Joy is grounded in God's victory over sin, suffering and death. Our own suffering and difficulties in life give us the opportunity to put our trust and reliance in Jesus to the test. The suffering itself isn't good, of course, but insofar as it reminds us that Jesus has already "been there, done that" for us, we can rejoice because we are "convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
Later, as I helped lead the adult women's class, each person shared how they have experienced joy in their lives. The birth of children and the raising of children was the most common response. But stories of joy in the midst of miscarriages and other dark moments were also shared. As one of our new Elders put it, "The darker it is the brighter the light (of God's loving presence) seems to shine."
I couldn't have said it any better. So I'll leave it at that.
CE Director Miss Kathryn let "Uncle Geoff" give the Children's Sermon today. He used the candy cane to tell the story of Christmas and Easter to the children. He did not make the common internet error of saying that this symbolism was completely intentional for which I was most pleased. He did show how the cane can represent the letter "J" for Jesus, can be a shepherd's crook or, in a pinch, be used to pull Pastor Jim from the pulpit when he tells a bad joke!
Our Children's Choir sang next, full of enthusiasm, singing like I have always wished our non-choir adults would sing (but don't...sigh). Isabella's artificial flower lei (worn by all choir members) was a bit too big for her and twice slipped off her shoulders, over her arms and all the way to the floor. Each time she put it back on by trying to pull it straight up her entire body. It caught on her dress and lifted it up. Of course she was totally oblivious to this and, with the innocence of childhood, never missed a note of the song. I was sitting behind the choir and started to laugh so hard I had to put my hand over my mouth to hold it in. I kept on thinking that the service theme was "Joy" and decided that a few uncontrolled smiles in worship was not necessarily a bad thing.
Next came the baptisms of three-month old Carrie and David. David's father had just arrived for a short R&R from deployment in Afghanistan and had just met his son for the first time last week. Carrie's father was preparing for his own 6-month deployment to Kuwait soon after Christmas. In any case, Cassie was very unhappy to be up in front but, miracle of miracles, when I took her from her Mom she stopped the "boo-hooing" immediately and started to stare at everybody in the church. More "Joy" and smiles from everyone. Usually the babies begin to cry when I take them from their parents for baptism! The baptisms went fine otherwise except that David got caught in my robe sleeve when I tried to hand him back to his mom. For a moment his head (and most of the rest of him) completley disappeared into the tangle. More smiles from everyone and, of course, more "Joy" than could have been generated by anything other than spontaneity.
Next, Charles, a retired minister, told how little he had earned when he served congregations in Missouri, Utah and Alaska. He was greatful for the extra $300 dollars he was now receiving each month as a pension supplement because of our denomination's Christmas Joy Offering and urged us all to give generously this year. As he sat down he added, "Speaking of joy, did you hear about the lady who only had two teeth? She gave thanks to God every day because they "hit!"
I was tempted to use "Uncle Geoff's" big white candy cane to haul Charles right out of the sanctuary! But the theme of "Joy" seemed to be contageous.
My sermon was brief, explaining that "Joy" is central to our faith but not unique to it. What is unique about Joy for a Christian is that we are the only major religion whose adherents are commanded to find Joy even in suffering (James 1:2). Our sense of Joy is grounded in God's victory over sin, suffering and death. Our own suffering and difficulties in life give us the opportunity to put our trust and reliance in Jesus to the test. The suffering itself isn't good, of course, but insofar as it reminds us that Jesus has already "been there, done that" for us, we can rejoice because we are "convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
Later, as I helped lead the adult women's class, each person shared how they have experienced joy in their lives. The birth of children and the raising of children was the most common response. But stories of joy in the midst of miscarriages and other dark moments were also shared. As one of our new Elders put it, "The darker it is the brighter the light (of God's loving presence) seems to shine."
I couldn't have said it any better. So I'll leave it at that.
posted by Bird of Paradise at 11:07 PM
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