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Connecting Through Tradition - Anne Alexis Harra
Listen to this week's sermon from LIFT Worship from Ms. Anne Alexis Harra for the Fifth Sunday of Epiphany, February 6, 2022.
Learn more about LIFT, Living in Faith Together, at stmartinec.org/lift
Today's Readings:
Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-38 Psalm 24:7-10Readings were taken from God's Word, My Voice: A Children's Lectionary
Today, we are celebrating The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, or Candlemas. We celebrate this day to remember the beautiful ancient traditions that Mary and Joseph followed. One of those traditions is Jesus' actual presentation in the Temple. In ancient times, babies had to be presented in the Temple as a way of formally introducing them to the world. And this happened 40 days after a baby was born. So, 40 days after he was born, Mary and Joseph took him to the Temple for his presentation!
This story is so rich with tradition that I began to think about the different traditions we have. Traditions we have here at St. Martin's, traditions we have as people who live in Philadelphia (Go birds!), traditions we have in our own families. Because this day had such a beautiful story full of tradition and history, I'd like to share one of our family traditions with you.
Every year on Christmas Eve, everyone in my dad's family piles into my Aunt Linda & Uncle Rob's home. The little ones wear red and green Christmas outfits, there's always a ham in the oven when you first walk in so it always smells really good, and my Aunt Linda has a biiiiiig bowl of her Christmas punch ready to share. Throughout the years, our party got bigger as our family got bigger. My aunt and uncle moved to a new home, and so did the party! Before my aunt and uncle took it over, my grandparents and their friends would have a Christmas Eve gathering! This party has been a tradition for our family for over 40 years.
I love this tradition of gathering at Christmas because it makes me feel really connected to people in my family, even when I haven't seen them for a while. I am afforded opportunities to connect with my grandparents, even if they aren't here anymore, through our shared experience of this tradition. That is a really special thing to me.
So when we look at our story again, we see traditions. We see Mary & Joseph connecting with their ancestors through these traditions, like I connect with my grandparents. But, they are also connecting to God through this sacred routine. And when we connect with God, we connect with people all over the world in different times and places. God provides us connection through things like traditions, or storytelling joyful people like Simeon the Prophet in the Temple.
So I wonder, what traditions do you have? They don't have to be exclusively Christmas, but they can be. If you are a caregiver, think back to your own childhood. What traditions did you love? What traditions have you had to let go of over the years? If you are a child or a younger person, I wonder what traditions make you feel close to others? I wonder where you find those special connections, or special relationships, with people. And to everybody watching, virtually or in person, I wonder what traditions you can initiate or begin as a way to invite God's Light into your lives?
Friends, thank you for letting me share one of my most beloved traditions with all of you. It has been a joy and I hope you'll think a lot about tradition and how you can connect to God in that special place this week. Amen
Permission to podcast/stream music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-701187 and CCLI with license #21234241 and #21234234. All rights reserved.
Video, photographs, and graphics by the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Episcopal Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin's Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118. 215.247.7466. https://www.stmartinec.org
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By St. Martin-in-the-FieldsListen to this week's sermon from LIFT Worship from Ms. Anne Alexis Harra for the Fifth Sunday of Epiphany, February 6, 2022.
Learn more about LIFT, Living in Faith Together, at stmartinec.org/lift
Today's Readings:
Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-38 Psalm 24:7-10Readings were taken from God's Word, My Voice: A Children's Lectionary
Today, we are celebrating The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, or Candlemas. We celebrate this day to remember the beautiful ancient traditions that Mary and Joseph followed. One of those traditions is Jesus' actual presentation in the Temple. In ancient times, babies had to be presented in the Temple as a way of formally introducing them to the world. And this happened 40 days after a baby was born. So, 40 days after he was born, Mary and Joseph took him to the Temple for his presentation!
This story is so rich with tradition that I began to think about the different traditions we have. Traditions we have here at St. Martin's, traditions we have as people who live in Philadelphia (Go birds!), traditions we have in our own families. Because this day had such a beautiful story full of tradition and history, I'd like to share one of our family traditions with you.
Every year on Christmas Eve, everyone in my dad's family piles into my Aunt Linda & Uncle Rob's home. The little ones wear red and green Christmas outfits, there's always a ham in the oven when you first walk in so it always smells really good, and my Aunt Linda has a biiiiiig bowl of her Christmas punch ready to share. Throughout the years, our party got bigger as our family got bigger. My aunt and uncle moved to a new home, and so did the party! Before my aunt and uncle took it over, my grandparents and their friends would have a Christmas Eve gathering! This party has been a tradition for our family for over 40 years.
I love this tradition of gathering at Christmas because it makes me feel really connected to people in my family, even when I haven't seen them for a while. I am afforded opportunities to connect with my grandparents, even if they aren't here anymore, through our shared experience of this tradition. That is a really special thing to me.
So when we look at our story again, we see traditions. We see Mary & Joseph connecting with their ancestors through these traditions, like I connect with my grandparents. But, they are also connecting to God through this sacred routine. And when we connect with God, we connect with people all over the world in different times and places. God provides us connection through things like traditions, or storytelling joyful people like Simeon the Prophet in the Temple.
So I wonder, what traditions do you have? They don't have to be exclusively Christmas, but they can be. If you are a caregiver, think back to your own childhood. What traditions did you love? What traditions have you had to let go of over the years? If you are a child or a younger person, I wonder what traditions make you feel close to others? I wonder where you find those special connections, or special relationships, with people. And to everybody watching, virtually or in person, I wonder what traditions you can initiate or begin as a way to invite God's Light into your lives?
Friends, thank you for letting me share one of my most beloved traditions with all of you. It has been a joy and I hope you'll think a lot about tradition and how you can connect to God in that special place this week. Amen
Permission to podcast/stream music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-701187 and CCLI with license #21234241 and #21234234. All rights reserved.
Video, photographs, and graphics by the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Episcopal Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin's Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118. 215.247.7466. https://www.stmartinec.org