In just 17 more days - NEAR the Arctic Circle, people will gather in Skarsvag, Norway at the one church in town for Christmas Eve. The temperature is forecast to be MINUS 4 degrees. They are expecting more snow that night. They will also be expecting the presence of God - who will be here also. They will look forward to the birth of the Christ Child once more just as we will. It’s going to be cold. It’s going to be exciting.  

Hear the voice of John crying out in the wilderness.  Prepare the WAY.  Jesus is Coming.

This morning, we remember the hope of God’s love as we baptize Jackson. In so doing, we will proclaim to him, and ourselves, that our starting point with God is not “sinner in need of redemption” but “beloved child of God.” It is an important reminder and definition of who we are. It does not mean that, at times, we won’t fall short. We will. We will sin, and we all need God’s redemption. But it does mean that no matter how often we fall, God still loves us and welcomes us back into his redemptive grace and power. 

Sherlock Holmes often said to Dr. Watson, “When you haveexcluded the impossible, whatever REMAINS, however improbable, must be the truth.”  Christ remains. He is the WAY,the TRUTH, and the LIFE.  2,025 years later we have gathered here this morning to worship and the fact that we are here means that we are next in the order of the story.  And it is a story of hope.  We believe and people are fed.  We believe and the love of God is spread.  We believe and we gather at thisaltar rail and faith is made real.  So, rethink what you think.  Watch more Sherlock Holmes and read one of the Riley Page mysteries. Believe in God.  And let’s change the order!

On this Celebration Sunday, we encounter passages that speak of dreadful portents, destruction, famines, plagues, persecution, and rejection. And yet, we do not fear. We understand that the reordering of the world always requires disordering. In times of great disorder, we remember that the worst things are never the last things—disorder can never be the end—because, at our very essence, we are resurrection people.

We catch a glimpse of glory divine in this part of the Kingdom of Heaven we call the Church of the Ascension. And it is definitely a Heaven that we can believe in now and forever.

In the spirit of that prayer, and in the light of this Feast of All Saints, I hope we turn our attention—as our ancestors did—to the relief of those in need. Our feeding ministries—Beans and Rice, Food Boxes, Angel Food and dinners for New Beginnings—have all been affected by rising costs.  We continue to serve those in need and have seen an increase in the numbers of those who come to us for food.  Our response in these times must be one of love, humility, and generosity.  We will continue to meet the rising demands placed on our food ministries and we need your help to do so. 

Most of us value generosity.  We strive to be generous people, and we admire those who embody generosity in the world.  We recognize those who are generous with their time and money as well as those who are generous of spirit.  Wethink of them as kind and unselfish, always willing to lend a hand and help out when someone is in need.  Generosity,typically, feels good.  It lifts us up whether we are the ones giving or witnessing the generosity of another. We evensay things like, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

None of us journeys toward healing or faith alone. Naaman had a king, servants, and soldiers who stood by him. The Samaritan leper had a community of fellow sufferers who stayed with him in his pain. When healing came, it came from God—but community prepared them to receive it.

I wonder if this is not exactly what we are called to be as the church: a people who walk with others, especially when they are struggling; a people who remind others of their dignity when the world tells them they are unworthy; a people who offer shelter and encouragement and hope, so that when God moves in someone’s life, they are ready to receive it—not with suspicion, but with gratitude and faith.

Because the truth is, faith makes us well—and community makes us whole.

Faith is not about what we have—it’s about what we hope for.

Suffering, sorrow, anger, and frustration can absolutely make us question God—even make us question our belief in what God is doing, or not doing, in the world. But those things don’t have to limit our faith. If we are willing to trust God enough to walk through our pain, we will find God there—in the struggle—as our strength, our redeemer, a sure presence in the darkest of times. And our faith will be increased.

I hope we will always be asking God and ourselves WHEN can we help next – WHAT can we do next – WHERE will we put our faith in the God who calls us to the Heavenly Banquet. 

Let’s proclaim that WE BELIEVE enough to believethat God will always use the hearts and hands of Ascension to make a difference in this part of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let’s BELIEVE – EVERY day - that someday is TODAY.