Category Archives: Advent/Christmas

The End of Advent: Lighting the Christ Candle

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The Christ candle is traditionally lit during either a Christmas Eve service or perhaps on Christmas Day.  Christmas just happens to be on Sunday this year.  What ever you do this weekend is fine with me as long as you remember that Christ is the gift and God is in the manger.

Today is Christmas Eve, the last day of Advent.  Tomorrow is Christmas, the first of the 12 days of Christmas, which culminates in Epiphany.  An epiphany is a great discovery or revelation of prolific truth.  The January 6th Epiphany celebrates the wise men finding Jesus.

Advent is the season of waiting and preparation.  If we’re being technically correct in our worship (and I’m not one that cares as much as some do) we should have been singing Advent hymns up to this point, such as O Come Emanuel.  It is now time to sing Joy to the World, proclaiming that the Lord is come.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

(Luke 2:10-14 ESV)

Can I Interest You in Hebrews?

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Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.  (Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)

Jesus alluded to this truth in the parable of the tenants.  Colossians 1 describes the preeminence of Christ in all things, calling him the images of the invisible God.  Galatians 4 describes how God sent his son “when the fullness of time had come.”  Ephesians 2 elaborates on Christ making peace by the blood of his cross.  But this passage in Hebrews has a poetic quality to it.  This one paragraph encompasses all of these other references in one beautiful synopsis.  It’s about Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment.  It tells the reader who Jesus is and what he has done.  It describes the incarnation, ministry of Jesus and his current office as high priest.

I find this short passage simple, beautiful and powerful.  This is just the opening statement; have you read the rest of Hebrews lately?

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

In Luke 2 the sky was filled with the heavenly host proclaiming the gospel of peace to a few lowly shepherds.  Last week, Joy, was about the shepherds.  They found the baby as the angels had said, and went out of Bethlehem rejoicing and praising God.  This week we celebrate Peace and light the Angels’ Candle. Continue reading →

The Third Sunday of Advent

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The third week of Advent is about Joy and we light the Shepherds’ candle.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV)

Continue reading →

Christmas Card Theology

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I wrote a post two years ago with the same title.  It’s very short, here’s a link.  In that post I begged the question what if everything we know about Christmas we learned from reading Christmas cards?  You know, details such as exactly 3 wise men were at the manager with the shepherds on the night Christ was born, and that angels are beautiful women with blonde hair, hymn books and choir robes.  I worked that into a sermon last year and it’s a shame I don’t have all those pics online somewhere.

Well, here’s a Christmas card that I like.

Continue reading →

The Second Sunday of Advent

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The Second Sunday of Advent is about Faith, and we light the Bethlehem candle.  Matthew 1 describes the encounter Joseph had with the angel Gabrielle, who told him that Mary’s child was of God.  In faith Joseph took Mary as his wife.  Luke 1 tells how the same angel spoke to Mary, explaining that the Holy Spirit would come up on her and that the child she would carry would be the Son of God.  In faith Joseph and Mary make the journey to Bethlehem, believing God and waiting for the Promise. Continue reading →

The First Sunday of Advent

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Advent is a season of waiting and preparation for the nativity of Jesus Christ.  I have been pleased to see many friends doing the “30 days of Thanksgiving” thing on Facebook.  I’m more encouraged by 30 days of Thanksgiving than by 60 or even 90 days of Christmas.  If you watch some classic movies, from say the 40’s or 50’s, you’ll see Dad bringing home a tree on Christmas Eve!  The family decorates the tree, hang their stockings, then celebrate Christmas the very next day.  Part of the beauty of Christmas is waiting for it to arrive. Continue reading →

Christmas Creep

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Have you seen it yet?  Most retailers are geared up for Halloween, but you get the distinct feeling that Christmas isn’t too far behind.  Except for the fact that it’s still three months away.

I’m not referring to your weird uncle (everybody has a weird uncle).  Christmas creep refers to the gradual tendency for Christmas celebration (retailing) to start a little earlier each year.   Continue reading →

Things Change: A Sermon on Epiphany

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Today is January 2nd, and we are nearing the end of Christmastide or the Twelve Days of Christmas.  Western Christians (i.e. Roman Catholics and most Protestant faiths) celebrate Epiphany on January 6th.  Let’s continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus by recognizing that when Jesus arrives, thing change.

Colossians 1:15-20 is a short passage that describes who and what Jesus is.  While the following sermon does not provide exegesis of these verses, they describe not only the incarnation but also the purpose of it.  The birth of Jesus is the meeting of heaven and earth; it changes everything.  Let’s start simple and work our way up. Continue reading →

Merry Christmas!

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God is in the manger.  Merry Christmas.

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.   For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”      Matt 2:10-14