Carols: Hark the Herald Angels Sing, 12/20/15

Sermon 12-20-15 carols Hark the Herald angels sing- Luke 2:8-15

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" 

The original hymn was composed as a "Hymn for Christmas-Day" by Charles Wesley, included in the 1739 John Wesley collection Hymns and Sacred Poems.^[4] The music which we adore and sense as holy today was secular at the time.  The song was originally sung to the tune of 'Christ the Lord is Risen Today'. In 1840, Felix Mendelssohn composed a cantata called 'Festgesang' (Festival Song) to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press

'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' tells the story of the angel that appeared in the sky to announce Christ's birth, and shortly thereafter was joined by a huge amount of other angels singing out praises: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men'" (Luke 2:13-14).

One of my favorite moments with this hymn comes from
It's a Charlie Brown Christmas.....
Snow is falling..."Christmas time, is here, happiness and cheer, yuletide by the fireside...

Charlie Brown: I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel.
I just don't understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I'm still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.

Linus Van Pelt: Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy's right. Of all the Charlie Brown's in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest.

A number of insults... find them
He thanks Violet for a Christmas card that she did not send

Psychiatric help needed...
Do you think you have pantophobia?
Lucy Van Pelt: The fear of everything.
Charlie Brown: THAT'S IT!

Charlie Brown is going to direct our Christmas play
Lucy Van Pelt:Here he comes! Attention, everyone, here's our director. [Charlie Brown enters, while everyone applauds]
Charlie Brown: [sarcastically] Man's best friend.

There are questions about the meaning of Christmas

Charlie Brown goes out to find a tree...
Do something right charlie Brown...
Linus Van Pelt: [after Linus and Charlie Brown discover the little tree] Gee, do they still make wooden Christmas trees?
Charlie Brown: This little green one here seems to need a home.

[Charlie Brown and Linus return with the puny little tree]
Violet: Boy, are you stupid, Charlie Brown.
Patty: You were suppose to get a good tree. Can't you even tell a good tree from a poor tree?
Violet: I told you he'd goof it up. He isn't the kind you can depend on to do anything right.
Patty: You're hopeless, charlie Brown.
Frieda: Completely hopeless.
Lucy Van Pelt: You've been dumb before, Charlie Brown, but this time, you really did it.
[pause; then everyone burst out laughing]
Lucy Van Pelt: [laughing] What a tree!

My daughter chimes in at this point and indicates that I am like Charlie brown….NERD

Charlie Brown: I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn't have picked this little tree. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don't know what Christmas is all about?[shouting in desperation]
Charlie Brown: Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?
Linus Van Pelt: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about?
Linus tells the story... "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping over their flock by night.
Linus Van Pelt: That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown..

Then Charlie Brown, fresh with Christmas spirit, heads out to decorate his little tree

Charlie Brown: I've killed it. Of! Everything I touch gets ruined.

the kids come out, they fix up his tree...
Everyone: Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!
Kids sing, Hark the Herald Angels Sing....

and so Christmas comes, even for Charlie Brown

In the biblical Christmas story the Charlie Brown's are the shepherds.

low social standing

regarded as untrustworthy outcasts

Shepherds were men whose vocation had become despised

men who were not regarded as members of the synagogues because their work kept them busy in the fields - blue laws [remember them??]

It's not the kind of job you dream about when you're a kid!

and to th0se people God makes an announcement-THOSE PEOPLE

What God is doing is upside down, backwards, brilliant, comforting
God comes to the least of these.
To the losers, the pathetic, depraved, spiritual zeros.

Those at the end of their rope, the bankrupt, the empty, the lepers, the lame of the world

In almost every church or religious group there are people that think that if we are going to be really good God people, we should not hang around with THOSE PEOPLE. But we should hang around with those who look like us...

not the...the unpopular, unbeautiful, immoral, odd ducks
not the...illegal immigrants

How many of you were cheerleaders, popular in high school? I was not- I was Charlie brown...are you sure that you want to hang around me?

Our brains think - God does not bless people like this
God blesses those who work hard and keep their noses clean.
God blesses those who can earn it.
and when our brains think that way...it is too easy to be full of ourselves. We become the Pharisees.

This is how religion functions...what good thing must I do to be worthy of God's blessing?

But spirituality is different than religion

Think about who gathers with Jesus later in his ministry?

Prostitutes and tax collectors and sinners. People that did not fit in, the sick, the poor, the lame.
So much so that he is accused of...hanging with the undesirables
Luke 7:3 John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath the devil. The son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

How about the story of the banquet from Luke 14:15-23
Man throws a feast. Invites his friends
They all have excuses...bought a cow, got married
21The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' 22Sir, the servant said, what you ordered has been done, but there is still room. 23Then the master told his servant, Go out tothe roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.

the cool people back out….Who ends up attending? Those who most of us would never invite to a great banquet.

Imagine the Hilton Garden Banquet Room filled with the homeless, the poor, the sick, those who have nothing. and they are feasting, they are dancing.

And God is throwing the party.

sometimes a group might throw a spaghetti dinner to raise money, what if we raised the money for the ministry and let the homeless come to eat. they would never forget it.

But this is what God says in the announcement to the shepherds:
You are blessed for no reason of your own deserving.
You are blessed because I have something to say, and what I want to say is that I love the little people.
Those who need me.
Those who have no other hope in this world then to put their trust in me.
I will entrust them with the message of love and they will spread it.

There is no test of their righteousness.

No proof that they are good God followers
That angels show up and God makes a statement to the world - an announcement
he is drawing a very wide circle

Peace on earth good will to men on whom my favor rests
On whom my favor rests
Those who did not think they were something
Those who are not full of themselves
Those who are not so busy running all over, keeping up with the Jones's
Those who are open, and have time, and maybe that is all that they have
Those who are ripe for the message

Wesleyan revival took place among the least of these

There is something about the message of God's grace that just rushes out to the poor in spirit..

Everyone in this section who has done the unthinkable. God is with you.
Everyone in this section who has really goofed up their like, God is with you.

God is on the side of everyone who there is no reason that God should be on their side.
This is counter intuitive
No wonder they call it good news.

Now maybe you are sitting here and you drive a great car, own a great home, and have never messed up your life..   you might be thinking, is the kingdom not for me?  I am not saying that…. Even with a great car, and a great house, the kingdom is for you the moment that you recognize that you need a savior, and that joy is found not in houses or cars, but in the savior

I have an idea---for Christmas
Find the weakest person in your world, the one that no one wants to hang with and buy their lunch. Give them a gift card to Panera. Ask how they are doing. If you are in high school, go sit at their lunch table.

reach into your world and make an announcement.

So lets end this sermon
If this announcement happened today, where would it take place
Not Lee's Summit, not WCC, probably under a bridge somewhere

but we are sill the partakers when we come to understand that we can't earn it. We can't deserve it. It is a gift to the lowly of heart.
good news. God loves you.

And to those who are particularly broken inside
If you are there and you are tired of pretending...
you may have a nice house and a nice car,
but inside you relate to the shepherds, the broken, the sick, the fed up
Peace on earth. God is with you. God's favor rests on you. Good news to you.

Lets Pray- God help us to see your blessing.
Deliver us from the religion that makes us think we can earn it. Let us rejoice in your announcement. Let us rejoice in your love

Carols: O Come All Ye Faithful, 12/13/15

Sermon Dec 13 carols – o come all ye faithful  Luke 2:8-15

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Christmas.  A time for stability.  Joy.  Merriment.  Family.  Remember the good old days.  Lights.  Trees.  Presents.  Love.  Its all  good and I am safe.  Nostalgia- Merry Christmas

What if Christmas isn’t a time of my human comfort but is rather a time of change and movement?

The shepherds said, Lets to to Bethlehem.

At Christmas everyone is going somewhere

Angels go to the shepherd’s field

Shepherds go to the manger – lets go to Bethlehem

Wisemen make a long journey

[in a little told part of the Christmas story] Joseph, Mary & baby go to Egypt

God is moving the story of the world along

Everyone seems to be going somewhere

And people are changing.

Not just mobile, but things are changing for them

Their world story is morphing

Angels change [this might be a stretch]  I don’t know, but I bet they became more popular after singing in the honors choir

Shepherds changing…. They saw the messiah.  A story that they had all grown up with was not complete

Wise men………..kings of the east……. Leave their thrones.  Leave their comfort leave their families and follow the star

Commercial – wise men from the east  --East- from the east.  Not like us.  Not jews.  Inclusive nature of the story.

          Young and old, rich and poor, jew and gentile.

Back to changing - Mary gives up her simple life of a teenager.

Joseph becomes the protector of Gods son.

Scared into it by an angel…….

This story changes people. That is the whole point.

Lets go to Bethlehem

Change is difficult, we don’t like it

And at Christmas? What about my nostalgic feelings? Christmas is about me and mine, not about me changing.

And so we run into the first enemy of change. People have to want to change I like my life the way that it is.  Go ask someone else to change. Three steps for change:

1.   Leaving the old Shepherds, wisemen, joseph and mary changed But we don’t want to change How many counselors does it take to change a lightbulb? We want to encounter the baby and stay the same In fact, many of us spend our lives praying to the baby so he will keep us comfortable. Christmas invited us to change.  To bow the knee In  order to want to change, we have to become submissive. In many Christian circles that is a bad word. I am not referring to wives submitting to husbands.  I am referring to the notion that if we would be a person of God, we must submit our will to his. The American sinners prayer.  Dear God I know I am a sinner.  Forgive me.  Jesus may your blood cover my sin.  And now back to my life, AMEN A prayer of conversion is a prayer that puts God’s will before mine. Not my will but thine be done. It means that I will listen instead of always talking It means that I submit to the story instead of ignoring the story It means that I will submit to the story instead of insisting that the story submits to me. In the biblical story everyone, almost is in submission to God’s purpose.  Sherpherds don’t argue.  They go.  Angels go.  Wisemen go.  Mary welcomes the job.  Joseph finally gets it.  The only person who is not submitted in the Christmas story is Herod. Why?  He is in charge.  He is on top.  We don’t need another king. Do we ever sound like our lives are saying  we don’t need another king? I have me. When I refer to submission and think of our lives, I am thinking of whether or not we are listening to the holy spirit.  Whether or not we are willing to be led. Take the dog on a leash. Do we stay by the side of the master? Or do we pull and tug and drag him along? Mom and barney the st Bernard Maybe we put the collar on for special occaisions, only to take it off when we want to go on our merry way. Changing who we are begins with a willingness on our part to change. 2.   The neutral zone – learning to be comfortable in a chaotic world The stock market is down?  Must be the end. War in the middle east?  Must be the end……. Friend, the world is chaotic……… and your life is going to feel that way from time to time. Point is not a life of comfort, the point is that God is with us Emmanuel Being willing to change Being comfortable in the wilderness Embracing the new The moment we do this, we hold on tight……. 3.   Embrace the new- don’t get stuck.

The moment we arrive at a level of comfort it is probably time to change again

What got you to this point may not be what gets you to the next

Peter rollins story of the 2^nd mile church

If you feel that God is troubling the waters of your spirit, it’s a good thing and it is probably a sign that the holy spirit is working on you.

We are invited to go.  To come to the manger.

So there is this hymn, this Christmas carol

"O Come, All Ye Faithful" has been attributed to various authors, including an Englishman, John Francis Wade (1711–1786),

Some question over authorship - over fifty competing versions available

So many translations that you cant discover the original

No one knows its true shape

We are a conglomeration of stuff

A patchwork of good

Who are the faithful?

They worshiped.

They went…….. everyone in this story is going somewhere

When they got there, they worshipped.

O come let us adore him

To worship is to say – you are good.  You are worthy.

You matter.  I give myself to you.  To worship is to leave the world of myself and bow at the manger.

Conclusion

Are you Trying to make it the perfect Christmas?

I hope my families feels good about themselves.  I hope they get what they want.

Trying to make a perfect Christmas?

Stop.  Its not your job.  Its not what Christmas is about

Relax.  God has already made a perfect Christmas

What do you want for Christmas? What we want for Christmas is irrelevant.

That question indicates that we don’t get it.

Christmas isn’t my birthday or my child’s birthday.

What does god want?

What does god want of me?

What do I want for Christmas?

Dinner w my kids

What does your pastor want?

For you to love God more and more.  For you to love others.  To reach out to those in need

To make it a habitual exercise of your life.

To move away from self and ever towards God

O come, all ye faithful…..come and behold him……

Carols: Do You Hear What I Hear?, 12/6/15

Sermon 12-6-2015  peace on earth Luke 2:8-15 KJV

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” PEACE ON EARTH, GOODWILL TO MEN

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Peace is an obscure idea……..World peace aka miss congeniality

Peace/war as relates to nations

Peace with others on the block

Peace in your heart

THEY ALL GO TOGETHER.  THE ARE INTERRELATED

Whats going on in Syria?

Russians –Iranians –hezbollah -Turks –Kurds -Shiite muslims  -Sunni muslims – Yasitis -Isis –French –Germans –British -americans

Peace on earth.  Good will to men.

 When I was a kid – cold war.  Crawl under desks.  Go to the basement.

Doug Hayes family built a bomb shelter in the front yard

Humans have a long history of hurting others perceived as enemies

PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS

Jesus was born into a time when nations slaughtered nations.  Only the strong survived.  This empire, that empire, the Greeks, the Persians, oh here come the Egyptians, THE BABYLONIANS, the hitities, the jebusites, the phillistines and finally the Romans.  Kill or be killed.  Take whatever you want.

Even the Jews are killing and taking in the conquest of Canaan.  In the New Testament, when they are talking about and praying for the restoration of the throne of David, what they are saying is this:  "We are tired of being the little guys.   We are tired of being beat down.  We want to be on top again.  We don't want to be subjugated.  We want to subjugate others."

Jesus was born into a mind set of national violence.  Winner take all.  And in the middle of this setting, the angels make a profound announcement to the shepherds.  Peace on earth, good will to men.  Not just that the wars will stop, but we are going to begin a new way of treating each other.  Good will to men.  No longer an eye for an eye.  The cycle of violence and retribution is coming to an end.

Goodwill.  Grace.  Love.  This is the work of Kingdom people.  This is what we are to be about.  No more hatred.  No more one upping.  No more who is the greatest.

Peace on Earth.  Good will to men.

Humans have a long history of hurting others perceived as enemies

James and john wanted jesus to rain fire down on the villages

Peter sliced off malchus ear

Sampson, the cycle of violent retribution

Sampson

Life story is a litany of retribution- a cycle of revenge
Title Samson’s life - Revenge. I will show them.

• disagreement over a riddle

.Is going to take a goat as an offering.
• Father gives his wife to another.
• 300 foxes – lit torches – burned up their crops
• Philistines burn girl and father to death
• Since you have acted like this…..i swear I wont stop until I get my revenge on you.
• Slaughtered many of them
• They come to take him prisoner. To do to him as he did to us.
• 3000 men of Judah go to Samson. They are rulers over us… look what you have done…We have gone from 1 goat and one father to 3000 men.
• I merely did to them, what they did to me.
• Samson is bound with 2 new ropes. And handed over.
• Spirit comes upon him. He does not use it for good, but uses the power/ gifts to hurt others
• Finds jawbone… strikes down 1000

Delilah story…..gouged out his eyes…. Put him to work

Party temple of dagon.   Receives spirit, topples the pillars, kills a bunch.

Hurting back may be the human way, but it is not Jesus way and it is not the way of peace.

We take revenge because according to our time table, justice has not been served.
Apparently there is no higher accountability, so I will take action.
When we take revenge, we are saying, god I don’t like the way that you do your job so I am going to take action. The punishment that I feel should be coming, is not coming, so I am going to do the right thing.

But revenge is rarely the right thing

1. Revenge always escalates the situation
What starts with foxes and crops to bodies. Revenge always escalates.

2. Revenge is intoxicating. The crowd will often applaud when you take revenge, but the hearts of good people know better. Your heart knows better.

3. We become shaped – owned by the things that we refuse to release

Good people excuse their bad behavior because of some past hurt. We allow that person to totally change our moral compass

4. revenge never brings about the end- you may feel that you are ahead, but you will never feel that it is over

Jesus offers a new way- the old is gone the new is here

He teaches us to change our ways……

Paul wrote….ROMANS 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e] 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

and Jesus sets the example……….1 peter 2:23
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

When Jesus suffered, he made no threats.
He entrusted himself to God- and turns others over to god as well.
Father forgive them

Do you want to start the process of being a peacemaker?

1. Peace begins when we admit that our way, may not be God’s way.

2.  peace begins when we surrender the right to revenge- We need to stop telling the stories. Then maybe someone will stop remembering the person in that way

3. Peace begins when we  understand that something has to happen in our hearts between God and us. things change when we realize that what needs to happen is not something between me and the person, but between me and God

4. Finally peace comes when we are able to wish them well. [I agree not to be the instrument of gods wrath, but I hope that someone else gets them.]
Love your enemies, pray for those who use you
We cannot pray for someone and hate them at the same time.

I read this somewhere......"Leaders don't inflict pain, they bear it."  I would add to that:  healthy people don't inflict pain, they bear it whenever possible.

Bearing pain puts an end to the cycle of retribution.  When we decide not to hurt back, we take the high road and begin the process of forgiveness.  On the cross Jesus said this:  "Father forgive them...."  He said this after he was put on the cross...... Father forgive them...

Today instead of hurting back, absorb the pain.  Take it in.  I know it may not be fair, but it may be just what is needed to heal the breach.

Do You Hear What I Hear?':  Dec 6 Do you hear what I hear? lyrics (edited for time) Said the night wind to the little lamb Do you see what I see, way up in the sky little lamb, Do you see what I see A star a star dancing in the night with a tail as big as a kite Little lamb to the shepherd boy, do you hear what I hear Ringing thru the sky shepherd boy, A song a song high above the trees With a voice as big as the sea Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king Do you know what I know In your palace wall mighty king do you know what I know A child shivers in the cold Let us bring him silver and gold Said the king to the people everywhere Listen to what I say Pray for peace people everywhere Listen to what I say The child, the child Sleeping in the night He will bring us goodness and light In October 1962 – the Cuban Missle crisis Noel Regney a composer was asked to write a Christmas song………. During a time of national fear. “En route to my home, I saw two mothers with their babies in strollers. The little angels were looking at each other and smiling. All of a sudden, my mood was extraordinary.” A glimpse of these babies filled Noel Regney’s heart with poetry. The little ones reminded him of newborn lambs. Thus, the song begins, “Said the night wind to the little lamb....” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” carried a beautiful message close to people in all walks of life. It became a popular Christmas carol, “a song high above the tree, with a voice as big as the sea.” But the message of peace was lost on many people. “I am amazed that people can think they know the song and not know it is a prayer for peace,” Noel Regney once told an interviewer. “But we are so bombarded by sounds and our attention spans are so short.” Let us hope and pray that, when it is sung in churches worldwide during the Christmas season, this song of peace will remind us that “The Child, The Child sleeping in the night” came to “bring us goodness and light.” So you want to talk about Christmas Peace on earth/good will to men Peace for nations Peace for neighbors/relatives Peace in your heart They all go together…….. Peace on earth, goodwill to men and women.