Pastor Mike's message for Christmas  Eve, December 24, 2021.

Special music by the Chancel Choir for Sunday, December 19.

Prayers of the People by Ed Roberts.

This is the fourth and final week of Advent. In just a few days, Christmas will be here, and we will celebrate the arrival of the Christ child! You might recall last year at this time we were much more hampered by the pandemic, and we were not able to visit friends and relatives. We were honing our Zoom skills and looking for ways to cope with restrictions that prevented us from keeping our traditions in the same manner we had practiced them for many years before. Things were upside down for us.

In our passage for this week, we will reflect on Mary’s song of praise, “The Magnificat,” where she describes how God often turns things upside down. The powerful are brought down, and the lowly are exalted; the hungry are filled, and the rich become empty-handed; and the proud are scattered, and yet she finds favor from God as a lowly servant. Our situations are constantly changing, yet we can always count on the promises made by God. The principles of love and compassion will always serve as steady guides in our changing circumstances, and we can rest assured that we will receive grace and mercy as we grow closer to God. Join us in worship on Sunday as we celebrate the great things God is doing in the world.

It’s always exciting, in my opinion, to hear about new innovations. There are new ideas coming out all the time that generate excitement for the problems they solve or the new efficiencies they promise. But to make use of those innovations, we often need to change the way we do things. We may need to think differently about how we go about our daily activities in ways that, in hindsight, may seem like common sense.

In this week’s passages, we celebrate the prophecy of Isaiah that foretells of the joy we will experience when we find the Holy One of Israel in our midst, and we will reflect on the teachings of John the Baptist that explain how we are expected to change our ways. The promise of salvation creates excitement for the new way of being that can dramatically change our lives. Yet, there are expectations of gratitude, kindness, and fairness in our daily walk that come with this salvation. Join us on this third Sunday of Advent as we celebrate the joy of the coming Christ child.

Special music by the Chancel Choir.

Prayers of the People by Debbie Pallack.

Self-sufficiency has been an admired quality for Americans from our earliest days. People who moved to the North American continent from other countries had to learn how to survive in a different land while being relatively isolated, and a person’s ability to withstand that isolation served as a source of pride. The benefits of freedom came with the challenges of survival, sometimes with little support. I think one of the ways this mindset has continued in our culture is through the high value we place on individualism.

However, we also recognize the value of community. We understand that even the most resilient people depend on others in some way, including Christ. This week we will reflect on the support given to Jesus by John the Baptist as Jesus started his ministry. John, a very different kind of person from Jesus, was prophesied by Isaiah to “Prepare the way of the Lord,” and “make his paths straight.” God, the creator of the universe, can do anything, yet God chose to set up a relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus as a means of accomplishing the mission of Christ. Looking at both sides of this relationship, we might conclude that there is no shame in asking for help, and we are all called to support each other in building the kingdom of God on earth.

Anthem by the Yuma 1st chancel choir.

Prayers of the People by Terri Strome.