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CAROLERS ASSEMBLE
"O HOLY NIGHT" flutes, piano, Eric, HYMN: # 1 "0 Come All Ye Faithful" The text to the Carol O Come All Ye Faithful was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles) and was intended to be a hymn, it is attributed to John Wade, an Englishman. (http://www.carols.org.uk/o_come_all_ye_faithful.ht) Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful By: John F. Wade Oh, come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant! Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him Born the king of angels: Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord. Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God In the highest: Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord. Yea, Lord, we greet thee, Born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be glory given! Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing! Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord. SCENE I: Luke 2: 1-7, Morgan WaIler Luke 2:1-7 New International Version (NIV) The Birth of Jesus 2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Carol #2 "Once In Royal David's City" The words to the carol Once in Royal Davids city were written by Mrs. C.F. Alexander ( 1818 - 1895 ) and makes wonderful use of the English language to paint a picture of the events of the nativity. Mrs. Alexander wrote many poems for children, chiefly on religious subjects and was the wife of the Bishop of Derry. The music to Once in Royal Davids city was composed by H.J. Gauntlett. This carol is believed to have first been published in the early nineteenth century. (http://www.carols.org.uk/once_in_royal_davids_city.htm) 1 Once in royal David's City Stood a lowly cattle-shed, Where a mother laid her Baby, In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child. 2 He came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all, And His shelter was a stable, And His cradle was a stall; With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Saviour Holy. 5 And our eyes at last shall see Him, Through His own redeeming love, For that Child so dear and gentle Is our Lord in heaven above; And He leads His children on To the place where He is gone. SCENE 11: Luke 2: 8-16a, Thorton Westley 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah,the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Carol #3 "Angels We Have Heard On High" Words: Traditional French carol, "Les Anges dans nos Campagnes" Translated from French to English by Bishop James Chadwick (1813-1882); Appeared in Holy Family Hymns (1860) and The Crown of Jesus Music (1864, adapted by Henri Friedrich HÄmy). Music: "Gloria (Barnes)," an adaptation of the French carol melody “Les anges dans nos campagnes,” arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes (1887-1958). (http://www.thebluegrassspecial.com/archive/2010/december10/anderson-bleak-midwinter-december-2010.php) Angels We Have Heard on High Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing o'er the plains, And the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains. Refrain Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be Which inspire your heavenly song? Refrain Come to Bethlehem and see Christ Whose birth the angels sing; Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Refrain SCENE Ill: Matthew 2:1-12, Trevor Lamb Matthew 2:1-12 New International Version (NIV) The Magi Visit the Messiah2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Carol #4 "As With Gladness Men of Old" Words: William C. Dix, 1860. He wrote this hymn on the day of the Epiphany, while sick in bed; it was first published in his Hymns of Love and Joy. Music: Dix, Konrad Kocher, Stimmen aus dem Reiche Gottes, 1838 (http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/s/aswithgl.htm) As with gladness, men of old Did the guiding star behold As with joy they hailed its light Leading onward, beaming bright So, most glorious Lord, may we Evermore be led to Thee. As with joyful steps they sped To that lowly manger bed There to bend the knee before Him Whom Heaven and earth adore; So may we with willing feet Ever seek Thy mercy seat. As they offered gifts most rare At that manger rude and bare; So may we with holy joy, Pure and free from sin’s alloy, All our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King. SCENE IV: Matthew 2: 13-18, Diane Galipeau Matthew 2:13-18 New International Version (NIV) The Escape to Egypt13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. Carol by Carolers: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen was first published in 1833 when it appeared in "Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern," a collection of seasonal carols gathered by William B. Sandys. The lyrics of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen are traditional olde English and are reputed to date back to the 15th century although the author is unknown.. It is believed that this particular carol was sung to the gentry by town watchmen who earned additional money during the Christmas season. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen continues to be enjoyed. The lyrics to this simple carol are reputed to be one of the oldest carols. (http://www.carols.org.uk/god_rest_ye_merry_gentlemen.htm) God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember, Christ, our Saviour Was born on Christmas day To save us all from Satan's power When we were gone astray O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy In Bethlehem, in Israel, This blessed Babe was born And laid within a manger Upon this blessed morn The which His Mother Mary Did nothing take in scorn O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy From God our Heavenly Father A blessed Angel came; And unto certain Shepherds Brought tidings of the same: How that in Bethlehem was born The Son of God by Name. O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy "Fear not then," said the Angel, "Let nothing you affright, This day is born a Saviour Of a pure Virgin bright, To free all those who trust in Him From Satan's power and might." O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy The shepherds at those tidings Rejoiced much in mind, And left their flocks a-feeding In tempest, storm and wind: And went to Bethlehem straightway The Son of God to find. O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy And when they came to Bethlehem Where our dear Saviour lay, They found Him in a manger, Where oxen feed on hay; His Mother Mary kneeling down, Unto the Lord did pray. O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy Now to the Lord sing praises, All you within this place, And with true love and brotherhood Each other now embrace; This holy tide of Christmas All other doth deface. O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy "Good King Wenceslas" by Carolers The words to the carol "Good King Wenceslas" were written by John Mason Neale and published in 1853, the music originates in Finland 300 years earlier. This Christmas carol is unusual as there is no reference in the lyrics to the nativity. Good King Wenceslas was the king of Bohemia in the 10th century. Good King Wenceslaswas a Catholic and was martyred following his assassination by his brother Boleslaw and his supporters, his Saint's Day is September 28th, and he is the Patron Saint of the Czech Republic. St. Stephen's feast day was celebrated on 26th December which is why this song is sung as a Christmas carol. (http://www.carols.org.uk/good_king_wenceslas.htm) Good King Wenceslas looked out On the feast of Stephen When the snow lay round about Deep and crisp and even Brightly shone the moon that night Though the frost was cruel When a poor man came in sight Gath'ring winter fuel "Hither, page, and stand by me If thou know'st it, telling Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?" "Sire, he lives a good league hence Underneath the mountain Right against the forest fence By Saint Agnes' fountain." "Bring me flesh and bring me wine Bring me pine logs hither Thou and I will see him dine When we bear him thither." Page and monarch forth they went Forth they went together Through the rude wind's wild lament And the bitter weather "Sire, the night is darker now And the wind blows stronger Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer." "Mark my footsteps, my good page Tread thou in them boldly Thou shalt find the winter's rage Freeze thy blood less coldly." In his master's steps he trod Where the snow lay dinted Heat was in the very sod Which the Saint had printed Therefore, Christian men, be sure Wealth or rank possessing Ye who now will bless the poor Shall yourselves find blessing SERMON: "The Years Teach What the Days Do Not Know" 1. Forsake Not the Gospel 2. "a diamond you were born" 3. Build You Own Creed (Include Tolerance) 4. "Revision" is not a bad word 5. The Great Moral Imperative - "BIG SIX Topic: "The Years Teach What the Days Do Not Know" Text: Luke 10: 25 - 28 References: RW: Emerson, Jesus, Churchill Vol. II p 228, Terry Tuffs -- INTRO: As most of you know, tonight is my last Christmas Eve service as minister of Rockburn Church. Because my energy level and general health are in decline, I must retire to something less demanding. Of course, we'll still be living in Rockburn and most likely, be affiliated with this church. We'll certainly be around. We have no other plans. Not going anywhere. Therefore, this is in no way a "farewell" sermon; rather it is a kind of legal opportunity to summarize some of the themes of the last seven years. Here are five of them: but do not fear a sermon of great length. If anything, 1 shall err on the side of simplicity. My five themes tonight are:
I. Forsake not the gospel of Jesus The word "gospel" means "The good news”, and implies good religion as the affair of the heart as well as the head - not the dictates of the hierarchy or the tyranny of tradition. Liturgy and tradition have a role in faith and practice. Thus, by themselves there is little motivation, little forward motion. The ship remains on course, but dead in the water. Observe the present day apostasy. The gospel is the religion of Jesus of Nazareth, and is described in the four gospels of the New Testament. (Avoid the ideas of St. Paul for the moment). The gospel is one's personal dedication to the life and teaching of Jesus as you understand them. They require considerable study ... figures of speech, like parables ... ~ hyperbole like "whatever you ask in my name" ... allusions to the Old Testament... the culture of that day ... always using one's intelligence. In our church we follow certain liturgies, such as "The Lord's Prayer", but always have gospel music ... "Amazing Grace", "Shall We Gather at the River", "When I survey that Wonderous Cross", and many, many more, old and new. It is the gospel that provides forward motion for the ship of faith. Without the gospel- dead in the water. II. A diamond you were born Few Christians realize that Jesus never called anyone a sinner. It is St. Paul who echoes the Old Testament theology of inherited sin as the traditional explanation for the absolutely rotten behaviour of some people. You were born a diamond, not in sin. "Sin" occurs where one has learned the moral distinctions between right and wrong, and knowingly chooses the wrong. Mistakes and the stupid things we may do are not sin. Just human nature. Accept that you are human. Don't apologize to God for the way He made you. There are also some impossible cultural environments ... the fate of some, e.g. Nazi Germany, 1930's. Even disfonctional homes in our own land. You were born, and are now a diamond, however imperfect a gem. Some stones require more cutting and burnishing than others. Some are unable by any effort to shine first rate. Our adopted son, Tommy, was born with foetal alcohol syndrome; and there are many, many others around us, born badly marked. Scarred gems they are, which call for understanding and care and patience. That said (and I know I over simplify), you are each an unique, irreplaceable gem "of purest ray serene". A diamond in the workshop of a jeweler is cut into shapes, graded by size, priced for clarity, and polished for brilliance. In the workshop of life, it's sometimes a long process, even a lifetime. But a diamond in the workshop is still a diamond. III. Dare to assemble, and live by, your own creed Your Creed is that collection of principles which compose your philosophy of life. It includes your religious ideas, moral values and your feelings toward others and the world about you. Your Creed may begin with a single experience, such as being "born again", or it may evolve in other ways. But it must include the humanism of Jesus. (Humanism is putting people always in priority). Use the established Creeds of the church, but only as guidelines. They are mere human documents no matter their longevity or pontificial pronouncements. Our own "Westminster Confession" is 400 years old, forged in the chaos of British history by politicians and quarrelling Scot and British devises/clergy. The "Apostles Creed" is 1600 years old and was directed by Emperor Constantine, debated by bishops who themselves never agreed on the final product. Do not fear revision. Most Christians must with simple, cognitive honesty modify at times their personnal Creed ... sometimes dramatically ... sometimes often. Then again, the dare is not for everyone. Love must supersede all Creeds. IV. In your search for knowledge be gentle with the views of others. They too, have walked many miles. Other beautiful and intelligent persons may see some things differently. This is "liberalism" but not saidhere, publically, due to much misundertanding of the word. Some people of conservative think "liberal" means permissive. Not so "liberal"means simply "tolerant of other views". V. There is one great moral imperative. "Love the Lord thy God, and your neighbour as thyself." It is interesting that this commandment was first recorded in the Old Testament by the author of Deuteronomy. Then it got lost, smothered by over 400 lesser rules and regulations. It is the wisdom of Jesus that he lifted ONE above all others and proclaimed "this is all you need" (Luke 10: 28) ... the genius of a Reformer. A living poet and song writer Terry Tuffs, has put this Great Imperative into the song we are using for our finale tonight, sung by Norm a Rennie and the Carolers. Key Verse : "This old world was over weary with worry and neglect. We were all losing the point between cause and the effect. So Jehovah sent a baby on a long and lonesome-trek to try to teach us all to treat each other with respect." No where in recent times has the human condition been better explained nor the solution more simply said. It is all the theology we really need. Good night and thank you for seven wonderful years! Harley Bye Dec 24, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ODDS AND SODS Big Six "I wrote this for a Christmas show I was to be part of in Ottawa one winter but I couldn't get in to the performance due to snow. A few years later, CKBY manager Ted Daigle called me up to participate in a yearly release of Christmas carols called Christmas In The Valley. I had recorded a Regney / Shayne tune called Do You Hear What I Hear? (which changed to Is This Your Beer Or My Beer? when the session got started) so this time I asked the producer, Ted Gerow, if I could do one of my own. He had a listen and was really supportive and the song was released on volume 7 of the project. The disk was distributed by the Mac's Milk convenience store chain and the money went to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Royal Ottawa Health Care Foundation. When I did the annual radio interview with Wayne Rostad for the broadcast of the music, Wayne went nuts on the song and ended up using it for the closing tune for the CBC TV broadcast ('96, '97, & '98) of his Christmas special called Christmas In The Valley. Thanks Wayne." Oh it ain't a big production just to conjure up a miracle Just Heaven and the Earth and the magic in between But once the fire is lit the consequence becomes historical. It ain't a big production, though, and this is all you need: Chorus ONE star shinin' in the Heaven's, TWO shepherds watching from the fields, THREE wise men come to worship in the manger, Taking in the glory as the magic is revealed. FOUR days fleeing into Egypt, FIVE days walkin' back again, SIX angels guiding from the Heaven's. Hallelujah children 'cause He's comin' back again.This ol' world was over weary with the worry and neglect. We were all loosing the point between the cause and the effect So Jehovah sent a baby on a long and lonesome trek To try to teach us all to treat each other with respect Chorus ONE star shinin' in the Heaven's, TWO shepherds watching from the fields, THREE wise men come to worship in the manger, Taking in the glory as the magic is revealed. FOUR days fleeing into Egypt, FIVE days walkin' back again, SIX angels guiding from the Heaven's. Hallelujah children 'cause He's comin'back again.He put the sun up in the sky to drive away the night, He put the boots to Pharoh for the Israelite, He can make a flower bloom in a heart that's choked with weeds. It only takes a miracle and this is all you need: Chorus ONE star shinin' in the Heaven's, TWO shepherds watching from the fields, THREE wise men come to worship in the manger, Taking in the glory as the magic is revealed. FOUR days fleeing into Egypt, FIVE days walkin' back again, SIX angels guiding from the Heaven's. Hallelujah children 'cause He's comin' back again. W.T. Tufts SOCAN (ref : http://www.terrytufts.com/live_rasp.htm) Closing- Candle "To teach all to treat each other with respect Just as one candle lighting another, no energy is lost. Treating each other with respect costs us nothing but spreads so much. This is why, tonight, we light these candles as a symbol of the love and respect we receive and give one another" "SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT" # 5 (please remain seated) Kevin Harvey will sing the first verse, everyone on verses 2 & 3 When singing ends ,please extinguish your candle The origin of the Christmas carol we know as Silent Night was a poem that was written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr. On Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small alpine village called Oberndorf it is reputed that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. Joseph Mohr gave the poem of Silent Night (Stille Nacht) to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber and the melody for Silent Night was composed with this in mind. The music to Silent Night was therefore intended for a guitar and the simple score was finished in time for Midnight Mass. Silent Night is the most famous Christmas carol of all time! (http://www.carols.org.uk/silent_night.htm) Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ, the Saviour is born Christ, the Saviour is born Silent night, holy night Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth " HYMN: # 6 "Joy to the World" The words and lyrics of the old Christmas carol 'Joy to the World' were written in 1719 by Isaac Watts (1674-1748). The father of John Watts was a Non-conformist and so extreme were his views that he was imprisoned twice. His father's influence over Isaac was demonstrated when he choose to attend Nonconformist Academy at Stoke Newington in preference to a University. Watts was ordained as a Pastor of an Independent congregation. (http://www.carols.org.uk/ba27-joy-to-the-world.htm) Joy to the World , the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing. Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love. BENEDICTION & SUNG "Amen" The End. Thank you for sharing this Christmas Eve Celebration. May God richly bless you now and in the New Year. by Nancy Campbell    Happy Christmas   Joyeux Noël        Psalm 98:4 21 st Century King James Version 4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth! Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise! Hymn : I heard the Bells vs 1 and 2 I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to men. And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along the unbroken song Of peace on earth, good will to men. Why do Churches have bells??? Most Churches have bells. People ring Church bells to celebrate something happy, to announce good news. Bells are used to tell us that something good is coming. Santa even puts jingle bells on his reindeer. Church bells ringing remind us that God is calling all of us. We are all called to Church to hear the happy news the angels shared long ago. The good news is that Jesus was born. Today our choir is going to sing like the angels and our band is going to play their musical instruments like the angels long ago. Luke 2: 13-14 When Jesus was born the angels sang "Glory to God in heaven. Peace to all men and women- On earth who please God." The angels were so happy about Jesus birth because God loved us so much God sent this little baby to grow up and teach the whole world about peace and love and happiness. God wants us all to be happy and live a good life, and Jesus is still changing the world even today beginning with you and me. Hymn Hope is A Star verses 1 and 2 1. Hope is a star that shines in the night, leading us on till the morning is bright. Refrain: When God is a child there's joy in our song. The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong, and none shall be afraid. 2. Peace is a ribbon that circles the earth, giving a promise of safety and worth. Children's prayer Dear God, thank you for Jesus and this Christmas time of year when we come to Church and celebrate Jesus Birthday and ring out the bells and sing. Hymn Ding Dong! Merrily on High Ding dong merrily on high, In heav'n the bells are ringing: Ding dong! verily the sky Is riv'n with angel singing. Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis! E'en so here below, below, Let steeple bells be swungen, And "Io, io, io!" By priest and people sungen. Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis! Pray you, dutifully prime Your matin chime, ye ringers; May you beautifully rime Your evetime song, ye singers. Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!  Sermon : Children's story : The littlest angel A long time ago. There were no decorated Christmas trees, no Christmas presents, on choirs singing. But there were angels in heaven. I would like all the children to help me with the sound effects for this story so listen very carefully, and see what the actors are doing. The story is about the Littlest Angel, The littlest angel is at the top of the steps near the singers in the choir, and for our story today, all the singers in the choir are also angels. The littlest angel had just got her wings and was just learning how to fly. Angel Gabriel (Eric) Stood up and in a ringing voice made an important announcement. Tonight, we fly to earth, to sing songs of great joy, for a very special Prince is being born, a Prince of peace for the whole world. The littlest angel jumped up and down. What a great way to celebrate! The littlest angel put her hand to her head,and thought maybe the other angels would not let her go, she could not fly fast enough to keep up. She got an idea, she would get a head start, if she left now, so she could get there at the same time as the other angels. Maybe she could even stop and pick some special star flowers with golden centers, and very white petals, to give as a gift to the new baby. So off the little angel went down to earth. All angels have a very good navigation system. The littlest angel knew she could land close to the town of Bethlehem where the baby Prince would be. But, when the little angel landed. It was starting to get dark. She looked around. Where was the town of Bethlehem. Then she looked down and saw thetown and the dirt road going to it. Now the littlest angel had 2 star flowers in her hand which she had already picked. All of a sudden, the littlest angels stopped and listened : she heard a mother dove cooing sadly from a high tree branch near her. Everybody say coo, coo, coo. Oh no, her baby had fallen from the nest and was too young to fly. The littlest angel put down the 2 star flowers and gently picked up the little bird and flew up to place the baby back in the nest. Suddenly, the little angel stopped /a bell rang through the quiet night. What was that? The little angel picked up 1 flower and started to walk on the path again. This time she stubbed her toe on a stone in the road. The little angel started hopping around holding her injured foot. Everybody say ouch, ouch, ouch! All of sudden, the littlest angels stopped and listened she heard a lamb baaing. Everybody ~ baa, baa, baa. She looked down and there was a lamb in the bushes, beside the path. The little lamb had hurt it's foot too. The littlest angel put down her star flower. She picked up the little lamb and put it over her shoulder and continued down the path. Come with me to Bethlehem the little angel said to the lamb. Suddenly, the angel stopped, another bell rang out through the quiet night. What on earth was that sound? The lamb was starting to get so heavy. How much farther was it. All of a sudden the little angel looked up and saw the brightest star she had ever seen shining over a stable. (shine light on star) Could that be the place? There in the stable sat a young woman holding a newborn baby in her arms. A man wearing robes sat looking at the baby. The littlest angel set the lamb down in the stable near the mother and baby. Where it could rest its sore foot. The littlest angel held up her hands to show she did not have a gift for the baby. But Mary looked up at the littlest angel and told her you already gave two great gifts tonight.Each time you heard the bells ring out / it was because you helped / one of God's creatures / that needed help. Your I good deeds caused the chimes of love to ring out tonight. Because of this / I want you to visit earth every year on my baby Jesus'birthday and bring this music to people of good will. Doh! The littlest Angel was so happy. such a big job for one so little! She flew back to Heaven as fast as she could. And every Christmas, if you listen very closely, you'll hear this magical bell ring out - that is, if you've been kind and good throughout the year.! That means that when you can /to do good things 0 to help God's creature's and to help other people all year long. Christmas Bells (to the tune of Jingle Bells Christmas Bells, Christmas Bells Ringing through the air Telling of the birth of Christ To people (or children) everywhere Oh! (repeat) Down in Bethlehem Came a little baby boy In a stable dark and dim Bringing hope and joy Bells on churches ring To celebrate that night That Jesus came new life to bring He's The Way, The Truth, The Life ... Oh! Christmas Bells, Christmas Bells Ringing through the air Telling of the birth of Christ To people (or children) everywhere (repeat)  In an old Calvin and Hobbes comic strip – there’s a conversation taking place between Calvin, a curious young boy and his long suffering stuffed tiger, Hobbes. In the first frame Calvin speaks to Hobbes, saying: "Live for the moment is my motto. You never know how long you got". In the second frame he explains "You could step into the road tomorrow and WHAM, you get hit by a cement truck! Then you’d be sorry you put off your pleasures. That’s what I say - live for the moment." And then he turns to his friend and asks: "What’s your motto?" Hobbes replies: "My motto is - look what’s coming down the road." 
http://traditores.org/2012/08/advice-from-a-stuffed-tiger/
You never know what’s coming: We never know what’s on the way and what might happen. So my talk today is based on one word, "come." One instance of the word "come," can be translated as "advent." Advent also means a coming into place or an arrival. For us in the Church, it has also come to mean the coming birth of Jesus, and, in the words of Jeremiah from today’s reading, “the Righteous Branch that will spring up”. Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the Church calendar. And an advent always has a sense of adventure to it. Life itself is full of comings and full of adventures. Life itself is an adventure. It is in this spirit that we approach the word, "advent." Advent is the Latin equivalent for the English word, "come." In fact, the word, “adventure” is just an extension of the word, “advent”. The word has a fundamental place in the season; remember the opening hymn of the worship today, "O come, o come, Immanuel." We sing about Emmanuel at Christmas because we remember that we have a God who cared enough to come to us through his Son. So, just for a minute, come with me to Valleyfield during the summer Regattas: It’s now time for the professional class races, and we are standing in the grandstands, surrounded by thousands of other folks, and you and I and all of us are waiting with bated breath. We can hear a distant thunder, a distant roar, and our senses begin to tell us that those are the sounds of the powerful racing boats: And the sound gets louder and louder and soon in the horizon, you can see black specks moving towards you faster and faster. And the specks gets larger and larger as they come closer and closer and and before you know it, these little specks have become sleek flashes of speed thundering across the water: There is an anticipation, an excitement as they come fully into view. There is a sense of great adventure to it all. The word “advent” means coming; something off in the distance coming closer and closer and clearer and clearer as it approaches. There is an excitement, a sense of adventure, as you wait as it approaches. We have no control over what is coming at us: That is part of the excitement. That is part of the adventure. Or, perhaps as a historical example you could come with me back in time three thousand years, to the land of Egypt, where you and I are common peasants. In the distance, the entourage of the Egyptian Pharaoh, is coming. You and I are waiting with anticipation. We have never seen anything like this in our whole lives. We are waiting for this grand parade, the greatest parade our little eyes have ever seen. And soon, in the distance, there is a speck and then a cloud of dust and soon come into view the camels, the chariots, the horses, the gigantic elephants with royal figures riding them, and finally.....finally.....the Pharaoh himself in all his splendor. Advent means coming...something off in the distance coming into view, coming into clarity, coming closer and closer, so you finally can see it. And there is an excitement, a sense of adventure to it all. Advent and adventure are closely tied together. That is why they are part of the same word. You see, the word advent isn’t primarily or essentially a ‘churchy word referring to the four Sundays of Advent or the four Advent Candles or the Christmas season. These are all true, but just a little short in scope. The word “coming” in the Bible means, among other things, coming into focus....coming into sight.... Like the boats or the entourage of an ancient king, off in the horizon, coming closer into view. Here at Rockburn, the autumn has been spent discussing the Old Testament. Our Old Testament reading today comes from the prophet, Jeremiah. Jeremiah grew up during the reign of King Josiah when Judah was at peace and when king, priests and people were engaged in a revitalization of Moses’ faith and worship. Jeremiah was uniquely situated to speak bold words of hope because of both his proximity to the events in Jerusalem and his status as something of an outsider. He lived two miles from Jerusalem in Anathoth and was, therefore, not a power structure "insider." Yet, standing apart, he did not lack awareness of the nation's situation. As the son of a priest, his lifelong apprenticeship meant he had knowledge of both politics and faith. The prophet made enemies among his own people during his long career. His prophecies were laden with doom filled images and visions of suffering and strife for his people. Today's passage is from one of the points where he's imprisoned in Jerusalem, which itself is under siege. Yet, in these passages, Jeremiah has a hopeful message. As Advent begins this year, we immediately hear God's assertion: "I will fulfill the promise I made... I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up... Jerusalem will live in safety." Jeremiah speaks about assurance. He gives us a message that we need in order to absorb what will follow throughout Advent. Don’t forget, many of the images and stories during the season are filled with forboding: Luke’s Gospel warns us of “signs in the sun, moon and stars. On earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.” He tells of people “fainting in terror” at things that are coming. Jeremiah himself speaks of famine, death and terror that would be visited upon the world. Indeed, this promise of a “Righteous Branch” was spoken to address a very dire situation. The armies of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, were advancing on Jerusalem. The streets of Jerusalem would soon be filled with the corpses of her people (33:4-5), and Jeremiah himself was imprisoned by King Zedekiah. The worst had not yet happened, but it was inevitable. Any reasonable person could see that the city was doomed. Jeremiah's many prophecies of judgment – the same prophecies that had landed him in prison- were coming true. Yet now, in the midst of catastrophe, the prophet finally spoke words of promise! What vision does the reading give us today? On the one hand, it says that God's word is about something very serious. On the other hand, we are to hear this seriousness from the position of ultimate security. We begin the new church year with the extremes of fear and stability set before us. Jeremiah lived during a time of great insecurity for the Hebrew people: The powerful Assyrian nation threatened to overrun them. Look at a map of the region in that period and you will see little Judah squeezed between the huge nation of the Assyrians to the north and the Egyptians to the west and south. During Jeremiah's life, the rulers of Judah had to deal with whether to make alliance with Egypt to avoid destruction from the north. What does a prophet do when threats arise? In the answer to that question lies the power of this reading. A prophet does not turn to the easy answer. Jeremiah's prophetic voice bypassed most conventional answers to the threat against his people and pointed to a future solution in which the Lord's own righteousness would reside with the people: "I will cause a righteous branch to spring up for David.... to execute justice... in the land." "The days are surely coming..." he said. We might hear in Jeremiah's speech the cadences of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who thundered to the nation marching in 1963 for civil rights: "I may not get there with you... but I have seen the Promised Land..." The days are surely coming. Jeremiah is one of the great prophets of the Old Testament: And a prophet is someone who holds out a vision for us to cling to even, and especially, when we cannot grasp it’s meaning: Often, when we are in the midst of a situation, we have difficulty looking beyond it. The way to the future can dissolve into panic over the present. The horizon shrinks to concern for our sheer survival. This is sometimes when ends and means get confused. What does a nation do when threatened? Remember what the United States did after that horrible September, 2001. Remember the fear of that time. Some people have argued that the U.S. embraced the restrictions of liberty in the name of immediate security and freedom. True or not, it’s easy to see how quickly one can lose sight of the big picture and longer goals in the midst of tragedy, chaos and despair. In Jeremiah's time the forces arrayed against stability and security were also formidable: the Assyrian power was at its height, a great threat to the people of Israel. Jeremiah spoke the word of the Lord under three different rulers of Judah, warning against listening to the wrong voices. And, in the end, his warnings went unheeded. When he was about 35 years old and seasoned as a prophet, Assyria was finally defeated by a coalition of peoples including the Babylonians. But this did not usher in a peaceful time for Judah; everyone, including Jeremiah himself, was exiled to Egypt. In our reading, Jeremiah’s words, “join together the resolve of heaven and the future of the earth." The strength of his proclamation regarding the coming of the “righteous Branch” lies in the fact that these words speak from the perspective of ultimate power about a savior, come to earth in flesh. And his statement is the heart of what stands against all the destruction and failure: God's promise to bring rescue and safety. It is the promise that holds us, because it is the only antidote to the very easy and very dangerous possibility of slipping into blame and violence when we, as ourselves or as a nation, are in trouble. It is exactly when our problems are most murky and complex, when the future seems most bleak, that we should turn to the word of the Lord for vision. The old hymn “Oh Lord, How Shall I Meet Thee”, says: He comes to judge the nations, A terror to His foes, A Light of consolations And blessed Hope to those Who love the Lord's appearing. O glorious Sun, now come, Send forth Thy beams so cheering, And guide us safely home. Here is the image of that righteous Branch, coming this season: Coming this Advent. And the word “coming”, in the Bible, primarily refers, to the coming of God into our lives. That God is forever coming down into our little worlds in which we live. That God is forever coming to save us and help us. And we’re all familiar with the greatest story ever told: God’s coming to earth as a baby... the coming of God from the far distances of heaven.....God, far, far out into the horizons of time and history.... God coming closer and closer to the Earth and then becoming clearer and clearer: Finally arriving in flesh as the Christ child. We celebrate the testaments telling us that God did not remain in the infinite distance of heaven but came down here to earth, near to your life and mine. Through the stories and the histories, we can clearly see the Presence of God in the face of Jesus: The “righteous Branch”, with rescue, safety, and shelter for all. There is an excitement, anticipation, and an adventure to it all. But in between the coming of God as the baby Jesus and the coming of God in all his glory at the end of history, God also comes to us daily. That God of today, of here and now, is so very important in every single thing: Every grand act and piece of minutae in our lives. The Grace we offer at mealtime: How many of you say this prayer, or one like it? “Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed.” We join hands with our loved ones around the table and we ask God to come and be our guest with us at our meal. And God does come, to be our guest, with every kind word and bit of love around the table. There’s an old song and prayer: “Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart Lord Jesus.” Have you ever sung or prayed that song? Asking God, the Lord Jesus, to come into your heart today and stay there. We need His Spirit to come upon us and remain on us....not just for a few minutes or a few days, not just for the bad times, not just for the tough times, not just for today, but for always. Come in today. Come in to stay. When our mother, father or a loved one dies, we ask God’s chariot to come and take them home to heaven. When we get ready to die, if we are able, we ask for God’s chariot to come and take us home to be with Him. The old song says “…the chariot’s a coming and I don’t want to be left behind.” I love the quotation from Peter Pan: "Death is going to be an awfully big adventure." If you think that this life is and has been an adventure, just wait for all the wonders, all the advents yet to come. God coming to us..... Coming at his birth, coming at the end of history and coming into our daily lives, is very important: Do you what the last prayer in the Bible is? It is the second to the last line of the book of Revelation. Revelation, chapter 22: verse 20. “Amen. Come Lord Jesus. Amen. So be it. Let it happen. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” This is our insistent, our persistent, our consistent prayer: “Come Lord Jesus. Please come. Come with your love. Come with your compassion. Come with your wisdom and strength. We need you to come.” So I’ve said, and you’ve all probably realized that his message is all about Advent, and specifically the word “come”. OK, trivia time: You almost certainly don’t know this, I know I sure didn’t, but the word itself, "come" occurs 1462 times in the Bible: I found this tidbit on the internet, so you know it has to be true. 1462 times: I tried to count them myself, in the interest of veracity, but I came up a little short. I found twelve of them…. And then figured the computer was probably right about the other 1450. A lot of these references refer to God's coming to us; but a great bunch of them also refer to US coming to God. We are invited to come to God’s mountain. We are invited to come to God’s peace. We are invited to come to that place in our lives where we convert our warring swords, our warring words, our warring dispositions….. into plowshares, into peace, into the possibility of walking in the light. To come to Christ and be his disciple means to deny yourself and focus on the needs of others. Not on your own needs but the needs of your neighbor. When you come to Christ, you pray each morning: "Lord God, use my life in any way that you want today. Bring people to me or I to them who need your love." When you say this prayer and mean it, life becomes a big adventure. God sends all kinds of different people and different situations to us. This way of living is a great adventure. When we come to God, it is an advent, and again, the word advent means adventure. It is an adventure to pray and talk with God every day and give your life to the Him in prayer. It is an adventure to read God’s Word and find out what God’s Word actually says. It is an adventure to sit quietly and listen to your wife or children or grandchildren, and learn who they are and what they feel and what they are thinking. It is an adventure to focus on someone else rather than your own life. It is an adventure to learn about them. It is an adventure to go to visit a church in Haiti or work in downtown Montreal at a mission or to volunteer for a local charity or raise money for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. It is always an adventure. You don’t know what God is going to put in front of us. It is always an adventure when we come to God. Life is not boring, not senile, not sleepy. So remember, when we come to God, we’re on a great adventure. We never know who God will bring to us today, who God will bring right in front of our eyes and our ears and our love to take care of. We never know what purpose God has for our lives today. It is always an adventure to come to God. The day is coming. Our prayer is always the same: Come by here, Lord Jesus. What adventures. What advents. What possibilities. “The day is coming”…… Please, please, come by here. |
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Previously:
April 2021
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