The Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 20th Sermon

I had to edit my sermon on the 'fly' this last Sunday.  A couple of things were added at the last minute, and I also added a skit to the children's message since Ryan & Emily were back for Christmas and able to help out.  It wasn't a problem and I am happy for the spontaneity that we have at times.  This may rank as one of my shortest messages given in a full-length service.  But, with everything and my 'edit' we only ran over about ten minutes or so, hopefully, no roasts were burned as a result.

This past Sunday was, of course, the 4th Sunday of Advent, and here at Woodlawn Christian, we lit the 'Love' candle.  The first three candles, the hope, the peace and the joy are all predicated upon this fourth and final candle.  Without God's all abiding and unfailing Love, how could we have our faith or hope in God, as a result we would not have any form of peace, and without that faith and peace how would we find joy.  Of course, Love is the basis of this relationship that we have with our Savior.  Without love, we would all be lost.

I have attached the advent reading for this past Sunday as well.

It's Christmas Eve and with that, I will simply wish everyone the very best.  May God bless you in the coming year and may you each feel His genuine hope, peace, joy and love in your hearts.

In His Glory,

Roy

Fourth Sunday in Advent: The candle of 'LOVE' 
December 20, 2015

Reader 1
Listen to the Gospel according to Luke:
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
(Luke 1:26-38)

Reader 2
Advent is about love. Francis Bacon once wrote: “A crowd is not company, faces are but a gallery of pictures, and talk is but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love.”
We are social beings. That is our blessing and our curse. We long for each other. We long to touch, to share, to bare some part of ourselves, to be understood, to invite others into our lives. We all long to lessen the loneliness that lurks in the background of even our most crowded moments.

We are born alone and we will ultimately die alone, but in between we desperately want to be known, to be understood, to belong, to find some kind of acceptance just as we are—some intimacy of soul. And so we reach out with fragile, delicate efforts of love.
But love is dangerous. We can hurt each other. Hearts can be broken. Rejection can come. If you try to belong, you can be excluded, and that can hurt more than being alone.
Love, and the vulnerability that comes with it, can be the riskiest business of all. But there is no love without such risks. Like hunger and thirst, the longing for love is implanted deeply within us, and God offers us many opportunities to care, to reach out, and to love.

(Candle-lighter: Light 4 candles)

 Advent Hymn “One Candle Is Lit” #128 All

Reader 1: 
There is some part of this gift of life that can’t be stored up or locked away. Some part of this spirit that God has placed in us will die if we do not spend it or share it or give it away.
Love is always a risk, but it is a risk upon which the very heart of our life depends. To love is to touch the heart of God. To look into the eyes of another and recognize our common soul is to see the face of God. Even to feel the ache of a heart broken for love is to discover God’s grace.

Reader 2:
Let us pray:
Leader: Your love, O God, is great, and the risks you have taken were supreme.
People: Teach us the way of love, and help us to walk in it.
From the depths of your creating love, you made us male and female.
Leader: Teach us the way of love, and help us to walk in it.
In the goodness of your covenant, you created us a community of your love.
People: Teach us the way of love, and help us to walk in it.
In the fullness of time you sent us Jesus, a man of love that risked all for the sake of the world.
Leader: Teach us the way of love, and help us to walk in it.
In your resurrection power, you have revealed your love to all humanity.
People: Teach us the way of love, and help us to walk in it.
Help us, O God, to reveal your love as we discover anew the tremendous power of the Christmas story and meet again the Christ-child, born anew among us.
Amen.