Teaching Reaching and Healing, all with God's Love
Castle Rock, Colorado
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FAITH
LUTHERAN CHURCH Teaching Reaching and Healing, all with God's Love Castle Rock, Colorado |
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Reverend Michael M. Knauff and Georgia Van Hoesen, Pastoral Asstistant |
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| Sunday,
July 8th, 2007 “Relationships not rules” |
Sunday,
September 9th, 2007 "Choices" |
| Sunday,
November 4th, 2007 "All Saints Day" |
Sunday,
November 11th, 2007
"Real or Pretend? " |
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Sunday,
November 18th, 2007
"Being Prepared" |
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| Christmas
Eve, 5 PM Family Service "The Friendly Beasts" |
Christmas
Eve, 5 &7 PM Candlelight Services "Let There Be Light" |
| Christmas
Day "The Power of Presence" |
Sunday,
December 30th, 2007 "Kingdom Language" |
| Sunday,
January 13th, 2008 "The Baptism of Our Lord" |
Sunday,
February 3,
2008 "Transfiguration" |
| Sunday,
February 17,
2008 "Conversation, not conversion" |
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| Good morning boys and girls, how’s your summer going? (allow comments) My summer’s been going well in fact I just got back from a week where our older youth went to to help folks in Montana who don’t have a whole lot of money to fix up their homes, put a coat of paint on, fix doors and windows to keep the cold wind out. It was a good experience and every night when we’d gather at the camp our leaders would ask us “Where did you see God today?” Let me ask you “Have you seen God lately?” Where do you think Jesus hangs out? [Some may answer “in heaven”]- our faith affirms that Jesus has gone to live with his father in heaven. But are there ways that we can glimpse Jesus here on earth still- perhaps something he left behind. I think every time we see love and friendship we’re seeing Jesus. In fact when we’d gather in those evening worship services and talk about how we saw Jesus that day often those sightings had to do with seeing love and friendship being shared. Our gospel reading today talks about Jesus sending 70 people out to little towns and villages to share God’s love and make new friends. And when the people come back they share how they got to see God do great things- cast out demons… change lives. It just goes to show when we do something we might think as small, for example being loving and friendly, great “God things” can come out of that. Here’s something to enjoy and share [unveil the package of lollipops] with a friend- I encourage you to share this and much more love and friendship with someone today and see if you catch a glimpse of Jesus working in our world today. Pastor Mike |
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July 8, 2007 Adult Sermon- “Relationships
not rules”
What would you do if I sang out of tune would you stand up and walk out on me? Lend me your ear and I’ll sing you a song and I’ll try not to sing out of key. Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. Gonna try with a little help from my friends. Get high with a little help from my friends Perhaps you didn’t hear this idea from the three readings from the bible but I did. While life has its great moments, and I’m convinced that the folk proverb “everyone gets five minutes of fame,” is true. Some where, some how in a person’s life the spot light shines on them – even if its only 5 minutes- its something to celebrate but its not the majority of life. Despite our 5 minutes of fame I truly believe life is made up of the moments where we “get by with a little help from our friends.” Think of the chain of people and relationships it took for Naaman to be healed. Naaman wouldn’t be healed if it weren’t for his wife- their servant child- Elijah- Elijah’s servant- Naaman’s servant- and finally most important of all friendships and relationships – God. In our second lesson Paul advises his friends on how to “Bear with one another’s burdens, restore folks with a spirit of gentleness, not think higher of oneself than one ought” all great advice on friendship- because he knows its our relationships not our rules that save us. People were arguing you had to do more than just have a good relationship with God through Jesus Christ- you had to eat right, read right, and get the mark of God on your body. Paul said that’s all well and good but it won’t do you any good if you don’t rely on a relationship with Jesus above all else. What’s gonna get you by is a lot of help from your friend Jesus. In our Gospel Jesus sent out 70 folks to proclaim the gospel. Jesus despite all that we hear about people with a savior complex- doesn’t exhibit the “me, myself, and I” mode of ministry. He didn’t send the 70 out to do the obvious stuff- fix the furnace, change the light bulbs- no this is the big time- proclaim the good news, heal the sick, cast out demons and such. What are we to make of all this? My thought is that we are being told that the church doesn’t happen by solo artists- even John and Paul needed Ringo and George- oops wrong “superstars” Jesus and Paul needed others. Jesus needed Peter, James, John, Andrew, Matthew, and by reading today’s text at least 70 others! Paul needed Barnabus- Timothy, Silas, Lydia and many more. The gospel can not be fully experienced or adequately proclaimed until it is relational. This is an important thing to know as a faithful individual. So many of us want this faith thing to be so personal that we lock others out of our journey. That’s not a good thing, if we’re supposed to experience Faith as a relationship and we close down opportunities for relationships our Faith is going to struggle to grow. It is also important to know as a faith community. You’ve probably heard me say “As we grow bigger we want to grow smaller.” I’m praying God will “increase our territory”- especially when it comes to reaching out into our community and sharing the love of God that makes such a difference in our lives with those that haven’t heard or experienced that love. Yet, as Faith Lutheran grows numerically we want to also grow spiritually and that means relationally. We got to have healthy relationships with one another so we’re not a simply a number in a book, or a face in the crowd but a person that belongs to other people. Belonging seems so constricting but when the diagnosis is the “C” word –cancer- its easier to take when you got friends praying for you. Or when the unexpected death in the family comes to your doorstep you’ve got friends sharing in your sorrow. “I get by with a little help from my friends”- This help from friends extends often times beyond what we think is our realm of influence, it often provides a means of grace that is hard to fathom or gratefully accept. I know this from personal experience. My recent vacation was great. Highlights include 4 days at Lake Tahoe- beautiful before the fires, fantastic views of a pristine mountain lake that goes on forever. 5 days in Yosemite national park the birthplace of our natural park system- the first set aside land as a park in our nation because of the magnificent overwhelming Sequoias. They are so massive and so ancient that they make the forest still. And in that eerie stillness you half way expect at any moment a mammoth dinosaur to come sauntering by to nibble at this primordial plant. Every where we set up camp it was grand. The “to and fro” not so grand- On the way to Tahoe we blew a tire on the pop up in Glenwood springs, the license plate of the pop up fell off in god forsaken stretch of Utah and we had to hunt it down in radiant heat and cobble it back on. I ran out of gas 20 miles outside of Reno because the gas gauge still doesn’t work and all the exits east of Reno have no services. Now picture all this with running commentary from the back seat by three teen age boys. I can see I’m making people feel a lot better about their vacations ( But wait there’s more! When we headed home as we were passing through Reno just before entering into the no man’s land of Nevada the transmission went out on the red van. “Ka-bleweee.” It was right about then that my prayer life became very active! I’ll spare you the unrepeatable parts of my conversation with God but I did get to the point where I asked “God, how am I supposed to handle this one?” I said, and in reply I heard “You don’t Mike, I will provide.” So I replied “Oh yeah? how?” and a little song came to mind “I get by with a little help from my friends… “ It just so happen that 30 year friends of Ben and Carolynn Bartell, my in laws, had recently retired to Reno. We had thought of calling them when we passed through town the first time just to say “Hi” but had already lost enough time on the way. So now we called them. They were thrilled to hear from us and insisted that we stay with them while the car got fixed. The whole time this very irritated voice in my head kept grumbling “I don’t need no help- I’m German, I’m American, I’m Stubborn, prideful, intelligent, and resourceful. I’ll get by on my own…” to which another part of me heard “I don’t think so Tim,… I mean Mike.” I kept grumbling, “I’m not gonna be the uninvited guest at some shirt string relative’s friends place for 4 whole days! I’m not a charity case!” I found out “oh yes I was.” I couldn’t stand being so graciously welcomed, hosted, housed, and loved by the Mendes. My family… they loved it. The Mendes were putting in a back yard since the developer only did the front yard, the guys helped move rocks and received an invitation from the neighbors next door who admired their work and had an in-ground pool and two svelte teen daughters. My guys were adjusting just fine! Karen Mendes loves Star Trek and is a Star Gate fan with DVR and 58 inch large screen plasma TV My sci fi guys were in love with their new grandma. ( The Mendes’ have both been around the world working in various embassies as a government officials- jade sculptures from japan, dolls from china, rugs from Isreal, paintings from Italy my wife loved it. I, the kindly senior pastor and energetic youth director from Castle Rock… sat and fumed. They piled on the grace even more by loaning us a car, serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and giving us tours of the local area. During one such tour I actually thought God led me to a slot machine- I get it God… put in a quarter to get out a car- doesn’t work that way- that wasn’t the lesson God wanted me to learn… to feed slot machines. The lesson was simple but hard to learn. In Life, relationships are what matter, not cars, not money, not machines, not schedules, not status or products.[repeat] By the time I left we had visited the Bonanza recreation site - little Joe was my hero- - it was closed but you could peak at it. I visited Virginia City- you know the dusty town that’s in all the old westerns’. I’d hung out in the mind boggling meca of buildings dedicated to the god of chance called casinos. Let me tell you its great for people watching better than malls hands down. I’m sure I’ve got 10 more sermon illustrations just from one session of people watching. We’d played cards, laughed, swapped stories, and made good friends. I get by with a little help from my friends- the friends you make… make the world a small inviting place [repeat] instead of a dark and scary place. The world can be an intimidating place when you receive the “c” word without friends, or the unexpected sorrow without belonging to others. I made a new friend and renewed friends but most importantly I renewed my friendship with Jesus. I rediscovered that my friend Jesus listens any time, in any place and to any mood I’m in. And Jesus responds in ways I hardly ever anticipate. As we left Reno, the only radio station I could get in the canyon was an oldies rock and roll station- just as I felt that cold cloud of depressing thoughts return about money, cars, machines, schedules, another song came on: “Think of your fellow man. Lend him a helping hand. Put a little love in your heart… and the world will be a better place for you, for me, you just wait and see-“ I smiled “thanks for thinking of me Jesus.” That’s relationship- we want you to be in relationship especially with Jesus. You’re half way there… a thousand things cried out for you to be somewhere else but you’re here. God somehow said to you “I want to see you,” or “Hey why not come over this Sunday and bring the kids.” Just being in God’s house lets God start working on you. But it can get better than that- our congregation offers small groups, fellowship times like the one coming up next Sunday night, bible studies- like Pr. Joe’s weekly lunch at Pegasus or breakfast at Mimi’s. All of these are tailor made to build relationships with God and others. Its not wowie! Naaman wanted wowie he complained because Elisha didn’t come out and do a dance or something just said take a bath. But Naaman didn’t complain when the mundane worked. If the result is good stuff do you really care that there’s no big fan fare? People wanted the main man “Jesus”- but if his servants healed the sickness or removed the demon do you really think they complained? It all starts when we realize life isn’t about rituals or rules but relationships. I could use you help friends to end this message… when I point to you can you echo what I just sang back to me… thanks. Think of your fellow man lend him a helping hand put a little love in your heart and the world (echo) will be a better place (echo) and the world (echo) will be a better place for you (echo) and me(echo) you just wait and see. God loves ya and so do I. Pastor Mike |
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Today starts our Sunday School education program and we hope you are as excited as we are to begin another year of learning about God’s great love for us. I wonder as you came to church … Did you notice all that construction going on out front? Yea, there making the road wider but while they do that you really have to pay attention to the signs so you don’t get in trouble. In fact I brought a sign with me- This one uses yellow color to let us know caution is needed. It also shows two arrows that let us know that traffic can go one of two ways, this way and this way. It also shows an obstacle in the way, something big enough that cars have to go around like a pond, or a cement wall. If you don’t pay attention to the sign you could end up in trouble and plow right into a cement block or pond. If you don’t slow down and use caution you could end up going the wrong direction totally. This sign reminds me to slow down, be cautious, and make sure I know where I’m going. Today is Rally Sunday a day when we start our Sunday School education program. It’s a way of slowing down during the weekend and making sure we are going the right direction- God’s direction. God’s direction leads to love and life and laughter- going against God’s direction can lead to hate and death and disaster. I’m glad your parents and family care about you enough to slow down on the weekends and help you learn the signs for following God. I hope you will make it a point to be here at church so you can learn how to follow God’s ways everyday not just Sundays. Lets pray- God we love you very much, help us to watch for signs of your love and care, and help us to follow you in all we say and do. Amen. Pastor Mike |
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Adult
Sermon Sunday, Sept 9 2007
Grace and peace be unto you from God our
Father and Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. “Choose this day who you will serve” our reading from Deuteronomy says. “Anyone who does not choose to carry his cross is not worthy to by my follower” Jesus tell us. Each and every bible reading we have for today talks to us about choices, which, for most of us, is a good thing. Choices are what we are all about in America today. The more choices the better, right? One hundred zillion cable channels and “have it your way” is the American ideal of choices. I remember a film years ago “Moscow on the Hudson” with Robin Williams and its commentary on our obsession with choices in America. It showed Robin Williams before he defects from the USSR to the United States jumping in a line just because it was there. See consumer goods were so rare in Russia at that time any line of people was a sign that something could be purchased. Robin waits in line for over an hour to choose between a three pairs of shoes left on the shelves none of which are his size- he buys one pair anyway! After living in the Soviet Union for 40 years he breaks out to America. After finding a place to stay his friend asks him to do him a favor and go down to the corner store and get some coffee. The store it turns out doesn’t have just one can or one brand it has an entire aisle of coffees, moca latte, decaffee, rich bold, smooth aromatic. Robin Williams piles the cart high with coffee only to pass out at the end of the aisle exhausted from trying to make a choice on what kind of coffee to buy. We’re fortunate in America to have choices. We are different from most of the world. For a large disadvantaged portion of the world’s population choices for them have to do with survival and not surviving. In America we have the luxury and the challenge of choosing between good and better. All this talk of choices leads me back to our texts for today. Jesus puts in front of us today the hard choice of choosing God over family. That seems incredibly objectionable. Yet, despite the moral majority’s ranting on family values and that supposed “biblically defined family.” It is not family value mandates that will save us. Think about it! Choosing family over Christ means you have someone who will find a place to bury you when you die instead of a savior who will resurrect you. Choosing family over Christ means you’ll have someone to park your remains in a plot or a vase but not give you a savior with a home in heaven. One’s a good choice the other is a better choice. In general it’s not a good choice to choose something temporal over something eternal. But yet we do it all the time. We choose the quick fix, over the long term solution. The other night I attended a family birthday celebration there was a great spread steamed broccoli, fresh beans from the garden and a plate of home made cookies. I know what is good for me but I fill up my plate with cookies instead. I know a portion of my paycheck should go to savings so I can buy that couch but the sale says “12 months same as cash.” In some ways those choices between survival and not seem easier than the hard choices between good and best. That final choice between whats good for me, myself, and I versus what is best for me as a Christian are not easy. Making the “best choice” is often the “Hardest choice” and that’s not easy. My brother Pr. Joe is leaving and it is a difficult choice and we will wish him well with tears in our eyes. But he’s trying to follow God’s lead which is not always easy, and often there are bumps in the road, detours, and obstacles that make it hard to see where we are going but we trust that God is leading in the right direction. But Pastor Joe is not the only one in this room that God is giving signs and hints to. The fact that you are here says that you are hoping to receive a sign from God, an affirmation of your direction, or a nudge to reexamine a wrong choice. Perhaps God is calling you out about your choices in career. If so consider taking advantage of our Men’s group’s new ministry of career sharing (details are in the bulletin). Perhaps God is calling you out about your choices of dealing with anxiety. If so consider participating in our Sunday Adult forum “Healthy congregations” where we will be learning how to be a nonanxious person in a highly anxious world. Perhaps God is calling you out about your sexual purity, or mental integrity, marital relationship or alcohol dependencies. Consider finding the help you need with local programs like Lutheran family services, Samaritan Counseling Center that offer Christian based counseling and services. The fact is a wise man once said, “We’re only as sick as the secrets we keep.” It’s a difficult choice to share a secret hurt or pain but that is the best choice to begin healing. It’s a hard choice to choose what is best when it comes to the unhealthy secrets that lie to us telling us it’s a good thing to keep this unhealthy secret. The better course is to tell the secret and get help, but its not easy. Jesus in out text today challenges us to make a difficult “best” choice of putting God first, choosing God above all else. That is the best for our lives in the long run. I deal with many parents who ask how can I raise my kids the best way possible. My response is if you want your kids to grow up happy and well adjusted- love your spouse. Its not about the good schools, and the good athletic programs. The best choice is modeling being able to love someone despite their flaws. Loving your spouse not only brings stability, it tells the child at an early age- the world does not revolve around you. It’s a tough choice but it’s the best. What if I’m a single parent or product of a messy unhealed divorce and “loving my spouse is out of the question?” Love God in a way that the kids can see that is your first priority and they are second. Find a tangible way to serve God through church or task force or habitat for humanity that tells them service to others is important. I’m not saying find a ministry relationship that excludes your children, in fact involve them in this relationship so that they can learn from you an outward rather than inward focus. If you want a healthy family- choose God first, not soccer, not career, not dollar signs- God. It witnesses to there is more to life than money or winning athletic contests. It shows that there will be something there worth while even if the money runs out, the health wears thin and the accolades fade. You will always and forever have God. Choose this day who you will serve. We don’t set out to serve Satan but its so easy to make a good choice for ourselves and reject the best choice for God and when we do that we start serving Satan. Not many people set out to turn away from God and God’s family the church- but they do with small “good choice” after “good choice” until they are too busy to be bothered with God. I like the acronym for BUSY- “Buried Under Satan’s Yoke.” When we are “buried under Satan’s Yoke” we are to busy to pause to ask God, “What are you doing in my life?” “God, how can my life glorify you?” “Is a “good way” to approach this problem by making the best choice to follow and trust you God?” God wants the best for us and God will never abandon us even when we make the choices that abandon God. God will search us out, find us where we are at, accept us where we are at, take us back, clean us up, and send us on. God loves us that much. So… slow down, use caution, look for God’s signs and follow God to the path of life, light, and salvation. Amen. Pastor Mike |
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| 23rd Sunday after
Pentecost Faith Lutheran Church, Castle Rock Guest Celebrant: Pr. Emily Cardin, New Beginnings Church Readings: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 Ephesians 1:11-23 Luke 6:20-31 Sermon props: A nice perfumed hanky, boxes of Kleenex, soiled tissues, and a baptismal napkin |
| Children’s Sermon |
| Have you all heard the song,
“Jesus Loves Me?” Should we sing it now? How many of you know how
to “sign a song?” Can you show the others the signs for this song
while we sing it? Jesus loves me this I know, For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak and he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me… Yes, Jesus loves me… Yes, Jesus loves me… The Bible tells me so. Where did you learn this song? Who taught it to you? Mommy? Daddy? Grandma? Grandpa? Well, I think that people who share God’s love for us are saints. Some people who have taught us about God’s love are alive, but some have died and gone to heaven. Some of the grown-ups here today have loved ones who have died….mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, other relatives and even special friends who have taught them about God’s love for us. I want to give each of you a tissue to help you remember a person you love and someone you appreciate being in your life. When I give it to you, you tell me that person’s name and hold up your tissue. OK? Then later, I will ask you to do it again. Now, in you listen closely, you will hear one special prayer today when I will ask for your help. It will happen at the end of the big people sermon. Here’s how it will go… You will hear me say these words: LORD, listen to your children praying. There are some special children here today who want to say thank-you to you for someone they love. We remember these people now as we say their names out loud and as we hold up a tissue. Do you think you can do that later? Maybe someone you are with will help you remember. Besides, I have asked the ushers to hand out tissues so that everyone can help with today’s prayers. So take your tissue with you and go back to your seats. And don’t forget to listen for the prayer at the end of my sermon. Thanks for coming up. |
| Sermon |
| Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ……. As you can probably tell, today is All Saints Sunday. And we celebrate the baptized people of God, living and dead, who make up the body of Christ. This made me ponder if we would know a saint if we saw one. They manifest godliness and the fullness of Christian virtue, say the church’s tomes. But what do they look like? Years ago, I recall reading a poetic definition of a saint. Says poet Frederick Buechner, ”In His Holy flirtation with the world, God occasionally drops a handkerchief. These handkerchiefs are called saints.” (Frederich Buechner. Wishful Thinking, New York: Harper & Row, 1973, p.83). What a lovely romantic image – We see a gentle God who seeks the world’s attention, and ultimately it’s affection, by dropping something into our world that carries a whiff of God’s perfume. Perhaps the idea of a handkerchief is a little outdated. I only remember seeing handkerchiefs at weddings and funerals. So maybe the image of the poem is right on. Perhaps God’s kingdom was planned as a marriage all along, when a new Jerusalem will appear, dressed for a wedding, and the Lord of the dance will go on. This little handkerchief I am holding has special meaning. My father-in-law gave it to me at my mother-in-law’s funeral. Now that woman was a saint! She not only raised 3 boys and a girl and was a working Mom, but she also raised at least one of her sons to be a good husband. This handkerchief also reminds me of other times I saw Jim’s dad carrying this handkerchief. One time was when Jim’s sister got married. Talk about tears! It was one of the few times I saw Jim’s dad cry. I can still remember the lovely sound of the wedding bells and music although occasionally it was difficult to hear over the almost loud wails of Jim’s dad! So is a handkerchief a good symbol to represent a saint? And who is a saint anyway? I read a good definition of the word saint in my Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism. Wouldn’t that amaze Martin Luther….. a dictionary including numerous entries from someone still considered an important person today…..a whole dictionary of words and phrases put together to shed light on the many and varied concerns of the church, from its earliest manifestations in the 16th century (and before) to its latest decisions on the eve of the 21st century when the dictionary was published. Here’s what it says about saints: “Persons considered holy or especially close to God.” It goes on to explain that by the late Middle Ages, the place of saints in the Western church was clearly distinguished from the place of ordinary Christians. Saints were those believers whose faith and behavior were so evidently exemplary that they were supposed to have compiled merit above and beyond that which they themselves needed to be justified. This merit was available, then, to be used by lesser Christians for their own salvation. Saints were considered valuable intercessors with God, an understanding that in mission fields allowed for the transfer of devotions from pre-Christian worship of gods to Christian veneration of saints. The Reformation’s concentration on justification through faith made this conception of saints untenable, and Protestants returned the word to its New Testament and creedal use, describing all the baptized. But Lutherans have not entirely eliminated the category of exemplary believer. Although they have not been given the title of saints, their gifts often give them authority in the church. I think we all have had some excellent mentors who guide us in the understanding of our faith. I leave it up to you to name them in my closing prayer. I still like the poetic image of a handkerchief, but then I come back to this world in which we live, where handkerchiefs seem to have been replaced by the hopefully biodegradable tissues like the ones I had the ushers distribute. “The quaint image of a handkerchief or a Kleenex takes on a different look when a signer for deaf people interprets Buechner’s poem. The sign for “handkerchief” is passing a hand across the face as though wiping one’s nose. Given the lives and fates of most saints, this rendering proves all too true. Saints have proved disposable as the tissues we soil and toss away. Their lives are stained with the tears God sheds over the rivers of blood we have spilled. Of them Jesus said, “Blessed are you who weep.” (Drop a tissue.) God also shares the starving of children whose eyes grow vacant and can’t even cry. When God drops a cloth wrung ragged in a vigil over these little ones, there appears a saint in our times…Mother Teresa, whose heartbreak bears dimensions of God’s own. Of these little ones, Jesus said, “Blessed are you poor.” (Drop a tissue.) We easily overlook the saints God drops along our way. When we do see them we avert our eyes. They embarrass us. We’d rather God offered other signs, not these tear-stained rags that tell the truth of our terrible fragile humanity.” (Sundays and Seasons, 2004, pps. 334-345) Even tissues would be considered a luxury item in Pastor Emily’s church behind the prison walls. There the women are not entitled to Kleenex and have to use re-cycled hard brown paper to dry their tears. And that after all, is one of the uses of Kleenex. The quaint image of a handkerchief sounds different when we consider the purpose for which they were created. I ask you to think about places you may have encountered saints and may have averted your eyes. (Hold up soiled tissues when describing these scenarios.) Perhaps it is when you see a homeless person begging for food? Perhaps it is when you see a person crying out in pain, like in a mental institution or a drug-rehab center? Perhaps it is working in a disaster relief program, where even potable drinking water is at a premium? Perhaps it is in a prison where we all know the real sinners are or they wouldn’t be there, right? Perhaps it is in a school where you see what looks like freaky hairdos and fashion statements that offend you? Perhaps it is at a weight watchers meeting where people may be able to financially buy food, but are frequently starving in an effort to be healthy and acceptable to society. We never know when we might come face-to-face with a saint. But we do seem to know when we are confronted by enemies, those who hate us, those who curse us, and those who abuse us. Jesus is quite clear on how we should interact with these people. It is not a subtle suggestion, but rather a command to “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” While Jesus comes across in a stern manner in this Gospel, the Apostle Paul offers hope and a prayer to the Ephesians. “I have heard of your faith in the LORD Jesus and your love toward all the saints……I pray that the God of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him….”(Eph.: 15-17) I think his words still speak to us today. By picking up God’s soiled tissues and lifting them gratefully before God, we offer ourselves in grateful thanks. That, of course, is precisely what God has hoped for all along, as we witness most clearly in the life of Jesus, from whose cross God tries so desperately to draw us into His kingdom. Now that I have pondered the image of handkerchiefs and disposable tissues, I think a more appropriate image to portray a saint might be a baptismal napkin. What do you think? You may be wondering about the tissues I had the ushers hand out to you as you came in. Hopefully after hearing the childrens’ message, you started to get the idea. I am hopeful that we can all hold up a tissue during my closing prayer in which we thank God for someone we love. Please pray with me… LORD, listen to your children praying. There are some special children here today who want to say thank-you to you for someone they love. We remember these people now as we say their names out loud and as we hold up a tissue. (Pause) Lord, we pray that you grant us grace to follow our loved ones living and dead, in lives of faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you have prepared for those who love you: through Jesus Christ our LORD, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Georgia |
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REAL OR PRETEND? SANTA CLAUS- actually what we think of jolly old elf that flys around with reindeer is pretend- however there was a real St. Nicolaus that brought gifts to poor children as a way to celebrate the birth of Christ. He’s really what started all these stories about Santa Claus. ABRHAM LINCOLN- president of the United States- Was he really honest- did he actually walk several miles just to return some pocket change to someone who had paid too much at his store? Yes the story is true and so is the person. ONE EYED CYCLOPS- no pretend, sailors went to JESUS RISEN FROM THE DEAD- a lot of folks say pretend, however about 2 million people around the globe say real. Folks who knew Jesus went from scared hiders to brave proclaimers because they saw Jesus alive again. Yes the story is true and the person is real. Do we come to church to pretend or to be real? Be real, really believe Jesus rose again, really believe God loves us and made us special, really believe we can be forgiven. Recent text study commented how one of our colleagues in the Metro East Conference wrote an Easter article explaining why he didn’t believe in the literal physical resurrection of Jesus. How can that be an optional part of Christianity? Maybe that explains why Jesus in our gospel today seems pretty emphatic answering the question of the Sadducees who did not believe in a literal physical or even spiritual resurrection. Not only Jesus says does Life go on…but it ain’t life as usual- there is no need for marriages and blood lines to encourage people to love. There is no need to repopulate since everyone there lives forever so there is no need for sexual reproduction. Instead of select loving relationships on earth all who are in heaven are in a loving relationship. Jesus seems to be indicating some of the beautiful descriptions of heaven given by the prophets before him- (Isaiah 25) 6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. No pain or sorrow- a feast of fat things- now that’s heaven for me, no calorie counting or cholesterol levels- but seriously no death, no sorrow, no pain, God wiping away our tears. If we as Christians are going to accept the propositions that there is no heaven and no resurrection, we might as well be communists. Folks attending communist burials of family never got over the message given at funerals “some idiots… like Christians… believe there is more to this life than pushing up daisies- well they are wrong. Whatever good our comrade did is done, that’s why its important to serve well and make sure communism survives to meet the needs of real people right now.” Is that what we want life to boil down to perpetuating a political system? Is that what life actually amounts to- the years you are upright and taking nourishment? “One and done” is a harsh message to listen to when we know there is something more. (I Corinthians 15:12-26 in fact Jesus has been raised) As Peter Stienke, the author of our Adult Forum study on “Healthy Congregations- how to be a non-anxious presence in a high anxiety world” said after studying a church in constant turmoil: “The problem is they’ve come to equate Christianity with a powerful preacher, inspiring music program and vibrant youth ministry.” The thing was when he gave them the reason they were having so many conflicts the congregation stared at each other thinking what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with that is… it is a definition built on sinking sand. Preachers, programs and ministries are not the equivalent of Christianity- Christ is the sure foundation. Powerful preaching, inspiring music and vibrant ministry can’t be the core- the core must be Christ from which all things are made new. When Preaching, music, and ministry are the center of a church and not Christ that church is proclaiming the gospel of success not salvation. We at Faith need folks that are here for the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ or we will be on shaky ground indeed. We will be pretending rather than real, we will be focusing on being successful rather than faithful. We will be sadly mistaken rather than greatly awakened. Our lessons have a common theme of assuring the faithful not to be mistaken God will deliver on God’s promises. Our lessons have a common theme of alerting the faithful to not be mislead that God’s promises are only feel good promises not confirmed realities. Our lessons have a common theme of alerting the faithful to not be suckered into Christianity being a collection of “nice thoughts not to be taken seriously” but instead to “run with perseverance the race so we might win the prize.” On the day of the funeral when the theological rubber meets the road- we can say with faith and confidence- this is not the end, this is the gateway to eternal life. Its not “one and done”- but death undone by one,… one lord, one faith, one baptism. One reality- that salvation comes from one alone- Jesus Christ our Lord and savior. Amen. Pastor Mike |
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I’d like you to help me do something this morning. Would you help me put this puzzle together? Thanks. What to do you think it will look like? It’s not always easy to see how it will all come together You know the church is a little bit like a puzzle when we all come together it works out quite well and we can see God’s love and the picture he has of how all these different pieces, people work together Sometimes people don’t share their gifts and it’s harder to get a vision of what the church is to look like. Just like if someone took their piece of the puzzle and hid it. The people at the church in Thessalonica weren’t sharing their gifts and Paul said that’s not good. Everybody who claims to be part of God’s family should do their part to help the family. Paul reminded those folks that everyone needs to contribute their part of the puzzle or it doesn’t come together well I’m glad to see several of you adding your pieces of the puzzle by being here this morning, I know others of you share your gifts by giving to the foster care bags and your classes have almost raised $100 already. Others share your gift for singing and I’ve seen you here for the pageant. Thanks for sharing those gifts and making the picture of God’s vision for this church a little clearer. Any time you can share those gifts of love and joy that come from Jesus you make the picture that much more complete and beautiful thanks for coming up. Pastor Mike |
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Adult
Sermon Sunday, November 18, 2007
There
was a time when I took more risks than I do now. I used to climb roofs
with regularity working my way through college as a painter and
roofer. Now, I bring my college son home for the job of stringing
lights on our house, too risky for an old geezer like me. {:-)"Being Prepared" I remember back when Debbie and I were newlyweds moved into our first house at my first parish in a small town in upstate New York. One, evening toward bedtime, I needed to make a last run to the kitchen. It was late and dark and my errand was a quick one, so it wasn’t necessary I thought to get out of my "jammies" and into dress clothes. What I had on was enough for a momentary run to the kitchen. I slipped down the stairs and made my way to the Fridge for quick pit stop. It was at that moment that I heard a familiar and disheartening sound: the doorbell. Someone had come to the front porch late at night just as I was modeling my Fruit of the looms. I resolved then and there not to slip into the kitchen without being fully robed, regardless how late in the evening. It was an embarrassing moment, which reminded me that I had to be vigilant about what I wear on the first floor of the house regardless of the time of day or night. That’s not paranoid; it prudent. Every once in a while I confess that I make short runs in my car without wearing my seatbelt. Short means about two blocks. But usually I wear my seatbelt for even the short run, between my home in Founder’s and the church. Believe you me that short run with all its construction now is anything but simple. For all intents and purposes, I wear my seatbelt all the time because one never knows what someone else is going to do or when I may make a mistake. Vigilance has become the standard because one never knows. That’s not paranoid; it prudent. When Debbie and I go to bed at night, its our standard routine to make sure the doors are locked. Every door to the house is locked every night. Granted, it’s a safe town and a safe neighborhood, but one never knows which night someone is going to go down the street and try all the doorknobs. Vigilance has become the standard because one never knows. That’s not paranoid, it’s prudent. Jesus in our Gospel today talks to us about not being paranoid but yet being prudent. Jesus said of the temple, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” Jesus was asked when this would take place and he replied, “Beware that you are not lead astray; for many will come in my name and say, “I am He!” And “The Time is near.” Do not go after them... You will be hated by all on account of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.” (Luke 21: 6-19) Knowing that persecution will come our way need not make us paranoid- it should prod us to prepare. But how do we prepare without being paranoid? This past week the paper had a good article on what to put in your car to be prepared for winter weather- small shovel, working flashlight, warm blanket, snacks, etc. All prudent advice which was different from another mailing I received from Colorado Disaster Preparedness Services which was a booklet (150 pages!) of disaster preparedness. I figured if I bought all the items that would have me “prepared” for every disaster I’d be $10,000.00 in debt and have to move my family out of our “prepared” house to fit everything in, that’s paranoid! When the persecution Jesus promises will arrive, that could be our moment of paranoia and panic but Jesus says it can also be our opportunity to effectively testify to a lost world. Jesus says we don’t need to be paranoid about this time; we will not need to prepare our own “air tight” defense. Jesus promises that he will give us words and a wisdom that none of our opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. During the Revolutionary War, a loyalist spy appeared at the headquarters of Hessian commander Colonel Johan Rall, carrying an urgent message. General George Washington and his Continental army had crossed the Delaware River that morning and were advancing on Trenton, New Jersey, where the Hessians were encamped. The spy was denied an audience with the commander, because the Colonel was too busy and instead wrote his message on a piece of paper and insisted it be delivered to the Colonel. A porter took the note to the colonel, but because Colonel Rall was involved in a poker game, he stuffed the unread note into his pocket. When the guards at the Hessian camp began defending themselves in a futile attempt to stop Washington’s army, Rall was still playing cards. Without time to organize, the Hessian army was captured. The battle occurred the day after Christmas 1776, giving the colonists a belated Christmas gift: their first major victory of the war (Today in the Word, MBI, October 1991, p. 21) The theme of Jesus’ teaching is to be watchful. But watching and waiting are not passive activities. The root word for “wait” is the same as the root word for “watch.” Waiting means to watch, to pay attention to what God is doing around us. Waiting means to be alert and awake, not sleepwalking through life as we tend to business as usual. A good example of active waiting comes from an expedition to the South Pole. While on a South Pole expedition British explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. Yet, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, Shackleton said to his men, “It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!” They replied, “We never gave up hope, whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other. ‘The boss may come today.’” The prepared follower of Christ is aware that “our boss may come today” or any day. Will Christ arrive to find us in a state of readiness? Will Christ arrive to find us doing the work of the faithful disciples? The coming will be quick and when we least expect it. By the time Christ arrives, there will be no time to prepare. The time to prepare is now. By the time we sense the coming, Jesus Christ will already be here. That is why it is prudent to be prepared and often preparation is a matter of routine. Making sure we regularly “click it for Christ.” By that I mean like the routine of regularly buckling up for safety when we go down the road we need to regularly “click into Christ” and his comfort and safety before we take the wheel of our life. We need to make it routine that we “click into Christ” with regular prayer and faithful worship. Another way to be ready is to always try to “clothe ourselves in Christ” and not parade around in our altogether. As Paul says in Romans 13: 11-14; “Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us they lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.” Taking Paul’s advice and clothing ourselves in love and peace, grace and forgiveness means we’ll never have to be embarrassed or caught unawares when the world comes knocking at our door. Another prudent preparation is to not simply dismiss messages because they are inconvenient or annoying. We hear all this buzz about Christmas and its not even Thanksgiving! We might be tempted to say to ourselves; “Oh boy might as well tune it out.” But yet if we tune out Christmas we tune out the message of “Christ’s Mass”- the coming of Christ. Let’s not tuck that away but rather take the warning of Christ’s arrival seriously not for consuming but for serving our fellow man. Christ will come when the distractions of wars, earthquakes and persecutions clamor for our attention. Sounds like conditions are right today- are we paranoid or panicked? Whether we are prepared or unprepared is up to us and just a few prudent practices can make the difference for not only welcoming the arrival of the Christ child but also Christ the King upon his return. Pastor Mike |
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| Children’s
Sermon Today we celebrate a Sunday where we declare Christ is King! So I want to ask you, “What does a King do?” (accept answers) Kings can own lots of land and live in fancy places and make other people do their work. Sounds like a very bossy person doesn’t it? But Kings don’t have to be that way. Jesus Christ is our King and he does own all of heaven and earth and lives in a great place called heaven but he doesn’t boss people around or look down on them because he’s a special king. He is a loving king. In fact he loved us so much he was willing to die for us on the cross to take away our sin and show us that there is life after death. Jesus is willing to serve us, to listen to our prayers and help us get back on the right path when we chosen to go the wrong way. That’s the kind of King I want “how bout you?” Good so you’ll help share the news the Christ is King right? Thanks for coming up |
| Adult
Sermon Christ the King Sunday is a festive Sunday of the church year. It is the New Year parade for saying good bye to the old and hello to the new according to the church’s calendar. It is the victory celebration for our champion. Our first couple of bible readings seems to have it right. Jeremiah seems to say “When our king returns you’ll get what’s for! Our psalm boldly proclaims “If we got God on our side nobody can touch us!” The writer of Colossians gives a detailed account of Christ’s stats and they surpass any hall of famer, while it is not the greatest amount of passing yards in history, or most homeruns in a single season, Jesus is truly record setting: glorious strength, enabled us to share in the inheritance of saints, rescued us from the power of darkness, transferred us to the kingdom of God, firstborn of Creation, created all things visible and invisible, Head of the body the church, reconciled all things through the blood of his cross. If he were a goalie Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek combined wouldn’t have 1 percent of the saves he has! You read these lessons and you get kind of pumped up: “Go God! Go God! You da Man!” Then we hear the gospel lesson “PSSSSSSssssssssssssss” We messed up what kind of lesson is this for a day like this “Christ the King Sunday!” Liam Neilsen delivers a potent line concerning true power in his academy award role as Schindler in “Schindler List.” Schindler’s list is a story about the conversion of a self-centered German business man who became rich using Jewish Labor in WWII only to become a dedicated secret advocate of saving Jews and stopping the war. In the movie Schindler deals with a demented Nazi warden of a concentration camp. When I say demented I mean it this man considered it a rush to shoot Jewish prisoners from his balcony. Schindler, when asked by the Nazi Warden why he is so content and successful promises to tell him a secret. The Warden greatly interested leans forward to hear Schindler basically say “Forgiveness” The warden laughs at this but Schindler insists, any body can beat somebody up, make them cringe, kill them you don’t have to be in a position of power to do that. But someone that says “I forgive you and make it stick, now those people have true power. Only kings and queens can grant pardons.” Our first three lessons give us the normal everyday description of the power of a king, to establish, create, or judge, condemn and destroy. It is only the Gospel that gives us the true description of the Christ our King who has the power to forgive and make it stick, the power to pardon and make it last forever. Through his blood we have been cleansed of our sins! By his sacrifice we have been redeemed from the powers that enslave us! Through Christ we can be freed from the enslavement of our eating habits, from our smoking habits, our sexual habits, our drinking habits, our consumer habits, our relational habits. Through various 12 step programs hundreds of thousands of people around the globe have claimed Christ as their higher power and been freed from their addictions. Christ’s forgiveness can and does free us from all of that! Through his life we have been liberated from our prisons of self-centeredness! Through his love we have been embraced. No one has loved you more than this one- who has died FOR YOU, no one has more passion and compassion for you than this one who gave his body and blood FOR YOU. When we share the bread and wine of communion it is a restatement of the love he has FOR YOU in his body and blood. Through his blood we have been cleansed, by his sacrifice we’ve been redeemed- through his life we have been liberated, in his love we’ve been embraced and by his resurrection we have been saved!! We gather today to proclaim Christ is King not in spite of his cross. We don’t say, “Well all things considered that was just a minor set back. We proclaim Christ is King because of his cross! In his cross we see the true power to be able to say, “I forgive you…” mean it… and make it stick. How often are we like the demented Nazi who after two days of forgiveness can’t stand it anymore and just have to strike out at somebody anybody!? It is seldom that human forgiveness is true or lasting. Just think of how we ask for forgiveness…(surly) SORRY!! Its the same way we grant forgiveness, “Yea, well don’t let it happen again!” We proclaim Christ is King because he truly forgives, and that makes him the most powerful. We proclaim Christ is King not simply because he has everything but more importantly because he was willing to lose everything for our sake! One of the earliest creeds on record was shorter than even the Apostles Creed. It had two forms “Christ is King” or “Jesus is Lord.” It is interesting to look up the origins of the word “Lord.” Lord comes from the Greek word Kyrie, we still call our opening prayers the Kyrie because we say “Lord, have mercy” (Kyrie Elieson). “Lord” is the English rendering of this Greek word “Kyrie” and the English word “Lord” comes from a combination of two words “Hlaf” meaning loaf and “weard” meaning keeper. “Lord” in other words is the keeper of the loaf, the keeper and distributor of the necessities of life. Lord then was a term for the one who gave and sustained life in a day and time when bread and water was what many had to live on. When we say, “Jesus is Lord” we are saying, “Jesus is our life giver.” He is the keeper and distributor the bread of life. Jesus gives us the basic essentials of what makes our life worth living: love, grace, peace, purpose, and forgiveness. Through his death and resurrection he gives us the bread of life, the sustenance of salvation, and asks us to share our “daily bread” with others. Christ asks those who have tasted his goodness to be his “bread keepers.” As Christians we are empowered to share the bread we have received, not just at the communion table but in our community as well. We, the ones who have come to know salvation and forgiveness in Jesus our Lord are to be the bread sharers. We are the ones who need to continually proclaim the king is Christ. Too many pretender Kings are demanding the loyalty of our friends and family. Kings that demand obedience even slavery to their whims but then do not give life but take it. How many have seen marriage relationships sacrificed at the altars of careers? Is that truly life giving? How many have seen parent child relationships sacrificed at the altar of pleasure- skip you if it feels good for me? I could go on about the false kings and queens we’ve declared in our society- pleasure, popularity, money, status, technology, intellect but none of them is as sustaining, forgiving, and life giving as the true King who died on the cross for us. Jesus is King and we are his subjects empowered to proclaim locally, nationally, and globally through the breaking of the bread and the sharing of our bread that Jesus is Lord, Christ is King! Go in peace serve the Lord… Pastor Mike |
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Relax, the world may be in the Christmas rush but here at Faith we invite you into the “Christmas hush.” We invite you to silence your worries for a moment and drink in the peace of Christ which passes understanding, This time of year for our church is not so much concerned as to whether or not your house is ready for company but is your heart ready for God’s presence, not so anxious about if we’ll get all the gifts in time but will we take time to receive God’s gift of love in a manger. So as you enter speak to God, as you worship let God speak to you and as you leave speak to one another with God’s love and peace. Hi, I brought a kitchen timer with me today to talk about time. The other day we were baking cookies and we used this to make sure we didn’t burn them. But it was hard to wait when you could smell them cooking. I wanted to just take them out of the oven as soon as I smelled those great smells but then the cookies would have been ruined. Its not easy to wait till something is just right but its important. Speaking of time do you know what time of year it is? Most people say Christmas because they can’t wait till it gets here. But what day is Christmas on-? December 25th. Is today December 25th? No we have to wait till that day. Do you know that the church has a name for the four weeks before Christmas- that time when its so hard to wait. Yep we have a name for it Advent. It is a time of watching and waiting so that things turn out just right. Do you know any Advent songs? I know one it’s called “O come, O come, Emmanuel.” It’s a song by people waiting for Christ in the manger to come to earth and save them. Its sounds like a song from a long time ago, because it was written a long time ago and it talks about patiently waiting for the right time for God’s son to come to earth. It also sounds like a prayer because it is a prayer for God’s son to come at the right time. Let’s sing it as our prayer while we watch and wait for Christmas. Oops times up. Pr. Joe had a good joke about being able to tell a joke- now I need your help. You ask me “What’s the most important part of a joke?” (get the congregation to repeat it, and give them a hassle about not doing it well. When they finally get it interrupt them and say “timing.”) As we start this first week of Advent the society around us is already well on its way to the Christmas rush, Christmas frenzy, Christmas chaos and we here at church are still slowly making our way toward the Christ child in the manger and the Christ the King who will come again in glory. We don’t seem to be in a rush and I think that is a good thing. Our Gospel lesson has Jesus talking to his disciples about folks that seem to be in a rush to get to the judgment day, that final day of the earth when God will judge all creation and bring what we have known to a close. People want to know if we are in the “end times.” They want to know what time it is? The Greeks had a very helpful way of talking about “time.” The had the word “Chronos” which means sequential time, the time kept by a clock, first its 1 pm than 2 pm than and so forth. They had another word for time “Kairos” that meant something totally different. This is the kind of time, that a kitchen timer is trying to catch. It refers to that optimum time, a time of opportunity when the cookie is warm enough in the center to be baked but not so done on the top or bottom to be burned, just that right moment. It’s a tricky time to catch. In Pirates of the Caribbean The folks in our gospel were asking Jesus for the Chronos time when the judgment day would come so they could put it in their day timer. Jesus response was to say, it’s not a “chronos” event it’s a “kairos” moment: “about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” The apostle Paul in our second lesson also indicates be ready for the “kairos” moment “besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers, the night is far gone the day is near.” We as Christians entering another holiday rush are being asked to make ready not just for the chronological date change of Dec. 24th to Dec. 25th but the kairos moments that come with welcoming Christ. Perhaps that is why so many folks enjoy preparing for Christmas by helping others, not just filling stockings and wish lists for family but actually taking time to serve others through donations of warm clothing, serving in soup kitchens, sponsoring a needy family. When we beat our “swords into plowshares” and “lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” we are reading ourselves for the kairos moment of Christ’s arrival. This is what I think Jesus was pointing toward when he warned people be ready for the day and hour you do not expect. Jesus warns us to prepare ourselves not by being chronologically correct but Kairos ready. The folks he gave as examples: the folks in the days of Noah, two in the field, two grinding meal are all examples of folks who are chronically correct. It’s time to harvest so lets go to the field. It’s time to get dinner ready so lets grind the meal. They are “on time”, Chronos time but many of them aren’t Kairos ready. They aren’t ready for the unexpectedness of God’s intervening in history. They totally miss it or are swept away. The ones that get it and get to stay (by the way “Left Behind” fans this verse goes directly against the idea that the “good folks” get raptured and miss out on all the suffering) are the ones that seem to know something more than there chronologically correct compatriots. They don’t know the day or hour any better than their friends but they have something there friends do not. These folks are like Noah, open to God’s timing, open to God’s calling, open to God’s radical rearranging of our priorities. Noah set aside his tidy little farming calendar to accept God’s challenge to be a sailor of the seas in the As we gear up for Christmas check your calendar, your watch, your day timer, your list of things to do are they only keeping track of chronos events- this then this then this? Or do they allow for “kairos” moments with family, friends and your faith? Do the events you’ve got planned allow you to live honorably as in the day, not in reveling drunkenness, licentiousness, quarreling and jealousy? Or are there some moments that allow you to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and his armor of light? Its advent, its time to wait, watch, and prepare. I hope you have a great sense of timing this year for the coming of God’s son. Amen. Pastor Mike |
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Throughout this advent season we are taking a look at “the stories behind the best loved songs of Christmas” based on Ace Collins’ book by the same title. Tonight we are looking at the story behind “What Child Is This?” William Chatterton Dix was assuredly not thinking about “Greensleeves” when he sat down with pen and paper to record his thoughts of Christmas in 1865. Dix was an insurance man by trade, but a poet at heart. Serious about his writing, he studied other poets, read classic literature, and spent a great deal of time in college working on his creative craft. The Englishman was even named after Chatterton, one of |