TLLC Wednesday Evening Sermon

What do you let divide you from others? Lables? Organizations? Political Parties? What are the things that we have in common more than the things that divide us? What has God given us that unites us all?

Is faith something you feel like a crush? Or is faith something more like something you practice?

Epiphany means a revelation or “ah-ha” moment.  The Day of Epiphany (January 6th) concludes the season of Christmas with a celebration of God’s glory revealed in Jesus Christ.  As the visit of the Wise Men attest, that glory and this child are for all nations and all people. In the birth of Jesus, God offers himself for us.  What do we offer in return? At our best, we offer ourselves.

Throughout the Advent season we have explored various names given to Jesus - Light of the World, Branch of Jesse, Son of God, Emmanuel.  On this most holy night Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled as this child is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  On this most holy night we meet this child so longed for, and his name is Jesus because he is born to save the whole world. Tonight we name him as Jesus and claim him as Savior even as his birth names us and claims us as God’s own children.

Advent Series: “More Presence. Less Presents.” “Hold on to Hope”   

This is no time to have a baby!  Israel is being attacked on all sides by nations more powerful than she.  Yet, God sends them a sign of presence - not with mere words. God sends them a sign in the form of a baby, named Immanuel, which means God is with us.  In this busy Advent season we are invited to reach out and hold on to this hope the way we reach out and hold on to a new baby.

What has God invited us into in this season of dark and cold? God has invited us to question and to sit back in awe at the state of all things.

What are we waiting for? When will God arrive, and how do we slow our lives down to meet God

Enticement - Connecting thanksgiving to Eucharist.

--Many forms of giving thanks.

--May all the world be clothed and fed.

Christ the King Sunday/Reign of Christ Sunday :  This Sunday is the last Sunday of the church year and is always designated as Christ the King Sunday.  When we proclaim that Christ is King we let him rule our hearts and give him central place in our life.  Yet, even as we call Christ the King, we acknowledge that he is unlike any king we’ve ever known. It is a reign that leaves us lost for words.

Are you idle in your faith?  How do we move with our faith and not just have it?