Sermon Archive -- Advent -- Rev. Timothy LH Bernard
December 2, December 9, December 16
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December 2 -- Advent 1, Year A -- Rev. Timothy LH Bernard
FIRST READING: Isaiah 2:15
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2In days to come
the mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
3Many peoples shall come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem
4He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
5O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
PSALM: Psalm 122
SECOND READING: Romans 13:1114
GOSPEL: Matthew 24:3644 Glory to you, O Lord
[Jesus said to the disciples,] 36"But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.
40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ
Sermon
My overall theme for preaching this Advent is hope. This week it is hope for peace in our world. The coming weeks will be hope for a change in our spirit, hope for healing, and hope for a savior.
My sermons are going to be based off of the readings from Isaiah. I want us to focus on the readings that were prevalent prior to Jesus' birth, so that we can get a better sense of what the people of Israel were hoping for from a savior; the Messiah.
Also, the book of Isaiah has been referred as the "5th Gospel." More of Isaiah is referred to in the New Testament than any other book, except maybe the Psalms. Its words are so rich and carry much meaning and hope. Again, today's sermon is hope for peace in our world.
The prophet Isaiah says:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths."
One of the purposes of worship is education. God will teach us through the lessons, through the liturgy and hymns used in worship, and through the sermon, what God demands of us as God's faithful people. What we learn is not just to mull around in our minds, we are to take it to heart so that we change our ways, change our behaviors, so that we follow in the footsteps of our Lord.
And what is it that we are to learn? Isaiah teaches us that we are to no longer learn war any more.
People are taught to fight and taught to hate. War is learned. I want to share with you a true story where from the midst of war, peace broke out. It is from the book, Silent Night, by Stanley Weintraub.
It was Christmas Eve in 1914 on the World War I battlefields in Flanders. The Germans had shipped thousands of small table-top trees to the trenches, including candles clamped to their branches, to be placed on the parapets about the trenches. This was to boost the morale of the German troops as the German troops had been taught that they had the superior culture as they had invented Christmas. As the German, British and French troops were settling in for the night, the Germans sang out "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht," (Silent Night, Holy Night) and lighted their trees. Curious British and French soldiers crawled out of their trenches and into 'No Man's Land.'
No Man's Land was the 60 or 70 yards of land that was used for scouting and raiding parties to traverse. In the weeks leading up to Christmas it became littered with bodies. Reclaiming the bodies could cost more casualties. Standing up in No Man's Land would cost you your life. And yet, the hymn drew them out of their trenches and into this dangerous territory. When the German's finished singing, the English sang a reply, and then the French.
Eventually, the Germans made makeshift signs that said, "We no fight. You no fight," and they stood up waving a white truce flag, risking their very lives, and walked into No Man's Land. The truce was recognized and men from both sides left their trenches and met in the middle of No Man's Land. They shook hands, exchanging gifts of plum pudding for sausages, beer for tobacco. They even exchanged belt buckles as the German belt buckles were especially prized for they said, "Gott mitt uns," or 'God with us.' They laughed and joked with one another. They showed each other pictures of their families.
Some of dead had been lying in No Man's Land for 2, 3 and 4 weeks, because they could not be reached without certain death to others. At daybreak on Christmas day, they worked together to bury the dead. At one joint memorial service the 23rd Psalm was recited in both English and German.
Once No Man's Land was cleared they decided to play soccer. The soldiers had few real soccer balls, so they played with things like a cap filled with straw. The enemies played with great enthusiasm, eager to compete in a non-deadly way. The distance between the opposing trenches was often about the width of a standard soccer pitch or field. Somehow, the men played around shell holes, barbed wire, and ditches. The truce was not universal, and soldiers could be fraternizing and playing soccer while a mile away others were engaged in heavy fighting.
An element of danger remained in being in "No Man's Land.' The Officers did not like what they saw taking place with their men. Sometimes they ordered their troops to fire, so soldiers would shoot over the heads of the enemy. However, bullets could ricochet, and in one instance the Germans apologized for a death they had inadvertently caused. This apology, however, was a cold comfort for the 39-year-old postal worker's wife and three children.
Not all soldiers approved of the friendly Christmas mingling. One highly decorated German veteran strongly disapproved. His comrades thought his behavior was odd because he refused to attend worship services and didn't smoke or drink with the others. He shouted at the men, "Have you no German sense of honor left at all?" The disgruntled man was Corporal Adolph Hitler.
The generals, of course, were not pleased with these events. Men who have come to know each other's names, and had seen photos of their families back home, were much less likely to want to kill each other. Apparently, war seems to require a nameless, faceless enemy.
In many areas the truce held for at least a second day. For the British, December 26th was Boxing Day, when one remembered the servants and the poor. For the Germans it was "Second Christmas," a more ceremonial Christmas day.
Also, the truce held for a while longer because it was clear - contrary to nationalistic propaganda - that the enemy was not a monster. The units that had laughed and sang and drank with the enemy were quickly rotated out of the front lines by their headquarters, as they were now considered unreliable; they could no longer kill. Still, the truce held in some places until New Year's Day. Then as new troops arrived bringing with them no memory of friendships with the enemy, the new soldiers caused the war to resume. The war continued for three more bloody years. Yet the story of that Christmas Eve lingered a night when the angels really did sing of peace on earth.
The author of this story reports that, "peace is harder to make than war." How true. And so we continue to putting more and more energy and resources into making war, than for making peace. And yet, sometimes all it takes for peace to break out is the swapping of a few family photos, sharing a meal or a few laughs, playing a game or two; things that 'de-demonize' us, and restores us as humans once again.
Peace in our world is not only my hope, and the hope of many in our country and world, this Advent season. It is the longstanding hope of Isaiah, who hoped that one day:
we shall beat our swords into plowshares,
and our spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall we learn war any more.
Peace is harder to make than war, and yet, peace is what is required of us. As the hymn clearly states: Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Amen.
Information for this sermon came from:
A Christmas truce, a New Year's prayer by Jim Wallis
Christmas on the Battlefield - The 1914 Christmas truce.
an interview with Stanley Weintraub by Kathryn Jean Lopez
Silent Night The WWI Soldiers' Christmas Truce
A sermon by Rev. Terry Burke Jamaica Plain, December 19, 2004
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December 9 -- Advent 2, Year A -- Rev. Timothy LH Bernard
FIRST READING: Isaiah 11:110
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.
9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples;
the nations shall inquire of him,
and his dwelling shall be glorious.
PSALM: Psalm 72:17, 1819
SECOND READING: Romans 15:413
GOSPEL: Matthew 3:112 Glory to you, O Lord
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"
4Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11"I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
My overall theme for preaching this Advent is hope. This week it is hope for change in spirit. Last week I preached on hope for peace in our world. The coming weeks will be hope for healing, and hope for a savior.
My sermons are going to be based off of the readings from Isaiah. I want us to focus on the readings that were prevalent prior to Jesus' birth, so that we can get a better sense of what the people of Israel were hoping for from a savior; the Messiah.
Also, the book of Isaiah has been referred as the "5th Gospel." More of Isaiah is referred to in the New Testament than any other book, except maybe the Psalms. Its words are so rich and carry much meaning and hope. Again, today's sermon is hope for change in spirit.
Have you ever cut down a maple tree leaving only a stump? We often think we have killed it and leave the stump alone thinking it is dead. We come back in the spring and all around the base of the stump we find shoots making their way toward the heavens. There was life in what we thought was certain death.
And a shoot shall rise out of the stump of Jesse. The family tree of Jesse produced King David, King Solomon, and others. But the descendants became more and more corrupt. More importantly they disregarded the faithful foundations that had been handed down through the generations. The family tree of freedom, liberty, solidarity, and hope, had been cut down and nearly destroyed. But there was a remnant, a small but holy people who kept the faith. The remnant of Israel held out hope for a wise leader, who was equitable in his judgment, and fair to all parties; one who looked out for the poor and the oppressed and who sought peace in our world. The remnant of Israel believed that from the barren stump of Jesse, from the cut down and devastated people of Israel, there would rise a new leader, a new king, but more than a king - a messiah - one anointed who would lead the people into the peaceable kingdom. The remnant of Israel having such strong faith gave the whole house of Israel hope.
Christians hearing these words of hope for a Messiah, have a challenge: Our challenge is to remember that the messiah has already come in the person of Jesus Christ and we must live accordingly. It's always easier to anticipate the messiah who will come rather than living with the messiah who has come. Inherent in that sentiment is that we are accountable to the Messiah who has come and that we are to change our ways. The most fundamental way we can change is to change our spirit.
In both Hebrew and Greek, the word for 'spirit' is the same as wind, air, and breath. We cannot see the wind, only its effects, the same is true for our spirits; we cannot see the person's spirit, only its effects. Early on, people thought that a person's spirit was their personality. Each person's personality differs, so does each person's spirit. I want to suggest that a person's spirit is more than their personality. I believe that a person's spirit is that great store of strength we rely on to lift us. Our spirits help us see new possibilities growing out of stumps, which gives hope to others no matter how bleak the situation and will eventually lead to joy.
In our hymnal is the blessing based off of Isaiah, (if you want to look it up you can. It is on page 236 in the hymnal.)
Stir up in Tim
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might
the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord
the spirit of joy in God's presence.
Christians have appropriated this prayer from Isaiah and have used it as a part of our baptism, and confirmation, liturgies. During those services we pray and hope that the individual blessed would have a changed spirit. We hope that they join the holy remnant of our tradition of faith who rejects sin, rejects the forces of evil and violence that defy God, who then turns around, repents, and receives the Holy Spirit.
So how does God create in us a clean heart, and impart a new and right spirit within us? The Word of God Jesus Christ, the Messiah uses words and deeds passed down to us through the holy scriptures to demonstrate the spirit needed for a strong community. The words of scripture grow in us, and become that shoot rising from our stumps of brokenness, sin, grief and despair. I see these words of Isaiah, these words from our hymnal, as words that demonstrate the growth the Holy Spirit expects in you and me.
Stir up in us the spirit of wisdom and understanding. Often we think it is wise to avoid conflict, avoid getting involved; avoid the tough stuff when difficulties arise. Christians are tapped into the cross of Christ. The cross is foolish and a stumbling block to many, but for us, the cross is wiser than human wisdom. We are cross-wise. We are to use the cross-wise faith and enter into difficult situations, be the mediators or sometimes even side with the oppressed. Our wisdom comes out of deep love; we care, so we boldly enter into difficult situations, not to be nosey, but to understand. We enter into broken relationships seeking understanding. That means that we go in with our ears and minds open. Our initial goal is to grow in understanding of the situation and how everyone feels. We are to listen, speak and share to grow in better understanding.
But sometimes we need more help and so we look outside the situation to the larger community. This is where our shoot continues to grow through the spirit of counsel and might. Counsel means that we are secure enough in who we are to know that we do not have all the answers, but are willing to seek them out. We are willing to seek counsel. We are willing to seek other's thoughts and opinions. Seeking others and asking for their input gives us strength. The spirit of counsel and might is not a physical might, or physical strength, where we will go in and bully, but it is a spiritual strength that demands that we turn to God, so that we can continue boldly growing upward and moving forward.
And so we do. We turn to God seeking the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. The root word of knowledge is know; we need to know what God's will is. To do that we need to study scripture, we need to think and pray. Even while we are at work, or school, we need to spend time offering prayers to God, asking God for the continued strength to make it through the day. We will learn what is God's will, then we will grow in our fear of the Lord.
Now this fear is not the same as being afraid. A synonym for 'fear' is 'awe.' We are to grow in awe of our Lord. We are to grow in our gratitude for all that God gives to us air, water, food, lakes, trees, animals, families, friends and more. Those are all things seen, but God also gives the things unseen: faith, joy, love, peace, hope and more. This is truly awe-full. The word awe-full has changed its meaning. If I said that something was awful, most people would think it is terrible, that it was bad news. Originally, awe-full meant that we were filled to the brim and overflowing with awe, or gratitude. We were profoundly respectful and reverential. We were humbled by the sublime majesty. Fearing the Lord means that we are awe-full, that we are so filled with awe that we bow in humble recognition of who God is and what God has done.
This leads us to the spirit of joy in God's presence. Recognizing who God is and what God gives to us daily ought to lead us to joy. It is a joy to serve. It is a joy to give. It is a joy to love. It is a joy to seek peace. It is a joy to worship. Joy is not happiness. Joy is contentment in knowing that what you are doing is good, and right, and holy. There is a sacred quality to joy that happiness just can't touch. This is the joy we want in our lives. After all who wants faith to be drudgery? Who wants to attend something that brings you down and no longer gives you joy? Who wants to be involved with something that robs your spirit and depresses your soul? Nobody. God wants faith to be joyful.
Did you notice that through this prayer for our spirit, we move from entering into broken relationships and bleak situations. God's Holy Spirit grants us the wisdom to seek greater understanding, this understanding asks that we seek counsel; receiving counsel gives us the might, the strength to persevere, and the strength to grow in knowledge. As we grow in knowing God, we become overwhelmed with awe and gratitude for God, which then imparts in us the spirit of joy in the Lord. This is good news. This is great news! These words of hope rise in us, much like a new tender shoot rises from the base of a stump. It grows and grows, demonstrating that there is life, full and abundant life all around us.
Now don't we all hope for a change in spirit knowing that it leads to joy? Amen.
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December 16 -- Advent 3, Year A -- Rev. Timothy LH Bernard
FIRST READING: Isaiah 35:110
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus 2it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.
3Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you."
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
8A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God's people;
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
9No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
PSALM: Luke 1:46b55
SECOND READING: James 5:710
GOSPEL: Matthew 11:211
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" 4Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."
7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written,
'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.'
11Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Sermon
Before there were CT scans and MRI's, biopsies and colonoscopies;
before there were doctors and nurses, lab technicians and therapists;
before there were hospitals, sweat lodges, and sanitariums;
before there were tonics and potions, shamans and healers;
there was God.
God was, from the very beginning,
intimately connected to creation
and the creatures God created.
God was present
as the source of strength
and a foundation of support
in times of tragedy and grief,
in times of illness and disease,
in times of brokenness and pain,
in times of sin and separation.
It was God to whom the people turned first for healing.
All of life was in God's hands,
so healing was more about God
and our relationship to God
than anything else.
It is to God we turned in times of sickness, illness, and death.
Today, we often turn first to the medical community,
and only pray to God
if it is "serious."
We seek alternative cures
when the news from the medical community
is particularly "bad,"
but still we may resist inviting God into our lives.
This is not to say
that I do not appreciate the medical community;
far from it.
I believe God works through doctors, nurses,
therapists and technicians,
and all who care for the sick and dying;
they are agents of God's healing grace.
What concerns me is that we worship
the "God Of Last Resort."
we neglect
our God,
and our prayer life
until there is little hope remaining.
I believe that God has always healed, still heals, and will continue to heal
individuals, families, communities and nations.
This is our true, and only, hope.
Today's first lesson from Isaiah speaks to the reliance upon God for healing.
As the Israelites had once lived in exile, now they were free.
They were free to return to their homeland, the place of their ancestors.
Some elders in the community remembered their homeland,
and longed for it.
They told stories of the land,
painting verbal pictures of its beauty
for their family members born in Babylon.
For many, they were too young,
had never seen the homeland,
or even knew that they belonged somewhere other than captivity,
but they longed for "home" nonetheless.
Today, they are on a journey home.
It is a journey of hope and healing.
As they walk they encourage one another,
pray for each other,
strengthen one another to take
one
more
step
moving forward toward the goal.
Along the way,
they recall God's healing words of hope.
They pray that God would indeed:
3Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Help us, O Lord, return to our land,
return to our homes, so that we
can serve you, and make your name
great among the nations.
They say:
to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come and save you."
Help us, O Lord,
protect us
and lead us so that we
can serve you, and
make you known
in all the lands.
And to those in need of healing,
they trust
that there will come a day,
a great and glorious day, when
the eyes of the blind shall be opened,