Sermon - 2019-12-22

Today, we are here for the last Sunday of Advent.  It is finally coming closer and closer, the day that we have been longing for and preparing for.  The day that has been inspiring our actions and mindsets for the past month or longer. It is no wonder then that we are gathered together today to celebrate with great joy and great anticipation for the arrival of Christ.  

For many of us, we are still worried about the to-do list that has been on our mind for the past month.  Does everyone have a gift under the tree? Is everyone going to be there for the family meal? Will there be enough food? (Or will this be the first year that we will not have three days of leftovers, ok unless you have teenagers). Our minds may still be focused on this.  Which is why in the midst of Advent, we are called week after week to focus.  

Now we have gone on this journey of finding hope, discovering the secret of peace in our lives, and then understanding a love that does not need words but one that we so often struggle to share.  Today our focus is on the joy in our life. No, I am not talking about the gifts under the tree that we are excited about because no bow would fit on this gift. I am not talking about the people that we will share this holiday with because one year, they will not be with us.  

Truly, I am talking about a promise and gift that is everlasting.  A gift that no one can take away from us but that we must be reminded of the precious, holy, and fragile gift that it is.  I know many of us have heard this before but that is because it is true. The joy of Advent and Christmas is one that has echoed in the halls of churches for thousands of years.  It is a message that unites people from many nations and many languages.  

This gift of Joy comes to us, not because of our own actions but because God moved in our lives.  God sent us joy, a reason to celebrate, a gift that surpasses our understanding. Yes, God gave us the gift, that we may return to the great joy in which we have been longing for. But like receiving the sweater that our Aunt made for us, we look at God and wonder “well, now what am I supposed to do?”.  It has been through this journey that I hope you have been able to realize the connections of the Biblical story and your own life. That these events that have taken place affect us and can help us better understand this life we are living. This season is one that can help us realize what God is calling for us to understand.  Christ becomes our motivation to have hope, peace, love, and joy within our daily life. Christ is the one who has changed us through this journey and life.  

 Many people comment that they are amazed at the transformation people to experience this time of year.  That people are so friendly, caring, and are willing to do so much for one another. Why can’t we do that every day?  The reality is, we can, we are called to. 

I pray that this Advent has been different for you.  That your heart and mind have been opened from simply your to-do list so that you may truly hear the story that we are longing for, the ways you can apply it to your life and that it all may grow deeper in your heart today and every day of your life.  Amen.