Sermon - 2017-12-10
Today, we continue our journey in Advent. The journey is one that involves us to realize that God is doing something within our life. To wake up and get out of the darkness and the distractions of our life. Advent opens our eyes to the bitterness of this world but to the realization that God is renewing the Earth and we are able to to be a part of it. Some of this is done through hearing what God is doing and calling us to be. Some of this is done by an examination of yourself. Still, some of this is done by how we are in a community of people.
Last week as we talked about Hope, it is something that wakes us up to realize that God is indeed in our life. The ways in which God is part of our life and do we become aware of that. Indeed, God does need to break into our lives in order for us to realize where to go and what to do. Yet it is through this gift of Hope that we continue to return back to being God’s People. For it is only through God that we are able to bear witness and understand the simplicity and the complexity of this world.
Which brings us to today. Today we go from looking at the Hope for ourselves and the world to directing our focus upon what seems for many of us as impossible to accomplish, Peace. Being a people of Peace. Often times, we view peace as the absence of war, the absence of turmoil, and the absence of need. Yet, this is a limited definition of any word when we go and describe it by what it is not. One of the key aspects then of peace is that we must strive to understand. To understand God, to understand one another, and even understand ourselves. To take the time and understand God, one another and ourselves is what it means to be in community with one another. However, one thing that we need to understand is that there still will be a conflict. There will be differences of opinion, of how to get to a destination, what is the best method but what truly matters is the motivation and the destination that we as God’s People are striving. This is important for all of us as we strive to learn and understand God’s Will for us. It is through our discussion and understanding that we are able to see the greater picture of God that we need to realize.
So the question is not how do we end the conflict? The question is how we have healthy discussions to achieve this understanding. That when we struggle with understanding, that we do not turn to anger, revenge or temptation but rather we turn to forgiveness, to hope and to love. Now it is this forgiveness that we must always be mindful of because it is the foundation of peace. One of the reasons that we struggle so much with peace is because we struggle with forgiveness.
Now we make it part of the worship service, we begin each worship service asking for forgiveness of what we have done and what we should have done but didn’t. However, this season, we have taken it out of the worship service. Some of you may have noticed and some of you thought, oh look, something shiny in the candle. Now here is where I truly want you to understand the role of forgiveness and God’s presence. For we have not taken YOUR forgiveness away from you. No, what we have done is got you back to the heart of forgiveness. YOU receive and hear YOUR forgiveness when you come to the altar and receive the body and blood of Christ. It is through HIM that YOU have received forgiveness and thus you are able to forgive others in your life and the community around you.
So today, as you come forward to receive that gift of Christ. Come, knowing that your sins are forgiven. That Christ himself brings you hope and peace. These seemingly impossible things are only able to be given to you by our Savior and Lord, God’s True Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Last week as we talked about Hope, it is something that wakes us up to realize that God is indeed in our life. The ways in which God is part of our life and do we become aware of that. Indeed, God does need to break into our lives in order for us to realize where to go and what to do. Yet it is through this gift of Hope that we continue to return back to being God’s People. For it is only through God that we are able to bear witness and understand the simplicity and the complexity of this world.
Which brings us to today. Today we go from looking at the Hope for ourselves and the world to directing our focus upon what seems for many of us as impossible to accomplish, Peace. Being a people of Peace. Often times, we view peace as the absence of war, the absence of turmoil, and the absence of need. Yet, this is a limited definition of any word when we go and describe it by what it is not. One of the key aspects then of peace is that we must strive to understand. To understand God, to understand one another, and even understand ourselves. To take the time and understand God, one another and ourselves is what it means to be in community with one another. However, one thing that we need to understand is that there still will be a conflict. There will be differences of opinion, of how to get to a destination, what is the best method but what truly matters is the motivation and the destination that we as God’s People are striving. This is important for all of us as we strive to learn and understand God’s Will for us. It is through our discussion and understanding that we are able to see the greater picture of God that we need to realize.
So the question is not how do we end the conflict? The question is how we have healthy discussions to achieve this understanding. That when we struggle with understanding, that we do not turn to anger, revenge or temptation but rather we turn to forgiveness, to hope and to love. Now it is this forgiveness that we must always be mindful of because it is the foundation of peace. One of the reasons that we struggle so much with peace is because we struggle with forgiveness.
Now we make it part of the worship service, we begin each worship service asking for forgiveness of what we have done and what we should have done but didn’t. However, this season, we have taken it out of the worship service. Some of you may have noticed and some of you thought, oh look, something shiny in the candle. Now here is where I truly want you to understand the role of forgiveness and God’s presence. For we have not taken YOUR forgiveness away from you. No, what we have done is got you back to the heart of forgiveness. YOU receive and hear YOUR forgiveness when you come to the altar and receive the body and blood of Christ. It is through HIM that YOU have received forgiveness and thus you are able to forgive others in your life and the community around you.
So today, as you come forward to receive that gift of Christ. Come, knowing that your sins are forgiven. That Christ himself brings you hope and peace. These seemingly impossible things are only able to be given to you by our Savior and Lord, God’s True Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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