Sometimes a parent will catch their child getting a little too excited and need to ask them to use their “indoor” voice. Each of us have many different voices and we don’t always use them in an appropriate way. In contrast God has a lot of different ways in which He can speak to us, and He always gets it right. In our Gospel lesson we see Jesus teaching in the synagogue, healing a man possessed by an evil spirit, healing Simon’s mother-in-law, healing more of the sick and diseased, casting out demons. In each one of these situations He uses a different tone of voice. If we listen carefully God may use different voices with us, sometimes challenging us to live better lives, and then at other times comforting us with an accepting voice that says we are ok just the way we are. God can speak to us in a variety of ways. Are you listening?

The audio podcast for the Sunday, January 23, 2022 Worship service of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minnetonka, MN. Recorded by Pastor James Disney with music by Sue Blom. Produced and Edited by Aimee Munson If you enjoy listening we encourage you to visit our website at www.blcmtka.org to learn more about our Church and to support this podcast.

Pastor James Disney

Music by Sue Blom

Produced and Edited by Aimee Munson

Jesus was invited to a wedding and there he turned water into wine. It was the first of his many miracles. Through that moment we see that God has this incredible ability to turn one thing into another. He can turn bread and wine into His body and blood. He can turn a bad day into a good day. He can turn a hopeless situation into one in which we are blessed. It is our privilege to invite Him into our moments. As Psalm 65 says, “Your miracles and wonders inspire songs of joy.”

Our celebration of Christmas now turns into Epiphany when the Magi followed a star that led them to Bethlehem. There they found the Christ Child, Jesus, and worshiped Him as King.

As we consider the mystery of just how that guiding light might have worked, we can celebrate that God has arrived in our midst to guide us. He is a real guiding light. Wise men and women still seek Him because the True Light that enlightens all things has come! Today we bring Him the gift of our worship and rejoice in His glorious guiding light.

After waiting and waiting Simeon and Anna were blessed beyond measure.  There in the great temple their eyes beheld the salvation of God, the baby Jesus brought right to them. Seeing Jesus inspired in them a heartfelt song of thanks and praise to God.  One day we will see Jesus face to face, and even now we are in the presence of the sacred mystery: God is with us, our Emmanuel. God bless you with joy, thanks and peace.

On this sacred and magical night a beloved service of lessons and carols has been celebrated at King’s College in Cambridge, England for nearly one hundred years. Though our version will have different music we honor this grand tradition by reading from the original  lessons, and beginning and ending our service with a version of King’s College prayers.

Mary, the mother of Jesus is visited by the angel Gabriel who tells her she will give birth to the Savior of all mankind. Maybe the most amazing thing Mary receives is the ability to accept and rejoice in this with composure of soul and peace of mind. She sings, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” Our Advent prayer is to welcome our Emmanuel, God with us, and sing with Mary her humble song of joy for the glory of God.

Some people are preparing for one day of celebration on Christmas. But we are preparing for an eternity of celebration and rejoicing. The Creator of the whole universe heard our deepest yearning and desire and came himself to answer us. Perhaps the whole season of Advent is embodied in the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."  Since the seventh century these prayers have been sung in the days of Advent.  They recount the promises God gave to His people before the coming of the Savior Messiah. They propel us forward to the day of Jesus' coming in glory on the Last Day. In this service we will pray these O Antiphons as our prayer for the day.  In this we rejoice today and forever!

A man named John the Baptist came out of nowhere to point toward Jesus. John made the radical claim that this carpenter from Nazareth was the promised Savior of all mankind. The way of God was opening. He would fill the world with His love. With His love everything can be saved and rescued. We celebrate that God has shown us His way of love. The way is clear for us. God reveals himself in all of His Glory.