Sermons & Worship from December 2022

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-3; Psalm 33:1-5; Luke 2:8-19 It all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment that was like none other. God became incarnate in a newborn baby. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14a) While creatures of earth walked unaware, Divinity arrived in a stable in Bethlehem. God had come near. No silk. No ivory. No media hype. To think of Jesus in human form seems almost strange. It is much easier to keep…

Christmas Eve Homily Scripture: Isaiah 9:2 Walking into a totally dark room where you have never been before can be very disorienting. It causes you to stop and do two things. The first is to try to allow your eyes to accommodate to the darkness, but what you really want to do is find the light switch and turn on the light. Isaiah had described that same condition spiritually for the Hebrew nation. He prophesied that “the people who walk…

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14; Psalm 96:1-4; Luke 2:1-5 Everything was prepared for the birth of the baby at their home in Nazareth. Joseph had tenderly watched over the welfare of his wife Mary for these long months of waiting for this special birth. Both Mary and Joseph were well aware of the fact that she carried within her the baby promised by God so long ago, the baby who was the promised Messiah. Even though they were both familiar with God’s…

Scripture: Isaiah 33:2; Psalm 89:1-4; Matthew 1:17-25 All of the human emotions that one could experience were being experienced by Joseph. He had recently learned that Mary was pregnant. No explanation; just the fact. What was he to do? He and Mary were betrothed (kiddushin). They had entered into the first part of a two-part process of Jewish marriage. That meant that they were legally bound together, and they were planning their wedding. Joseph was a righteous man, a man…

A Monologue Based on Isaiah 9:6-7; Psalm 30:10-12; Luke 1:26-38 Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you this morning. As you know, my name is Elizabeth. My husband is Zacharias, and our son is John. He has become known as John, the Baptizer, but I’m getting ahead of my story. Zach, that’s what I call my husband at home, unless he doesn’t answer me; then it’s Zacharias. But I digress. It will help you to understand…