AtomNine Witnessing Days left until Christmas…to invite others to come and hear the Good News of Jesus
As I prepared for today…I told myself I would not make ONE mention of any issues of pain and tragedy in my sermon…IF…I found a day where there we no issues of pain/tragedy/despair listed on the front pages of the paper. I wanted to stay away from these issues of darkness for today, the day our children (had planned to) lead us in worship…but…I couldn’t find one!! Every day this week, the front pages listed some of these issues of life…that we wish would just go away and not be part of our lives and our world.
Thus…I share with you the headlines from my final draft day…Thursday mornings paper…
Headline on front page: 3 days, 3 crashes, 1 death
Headline on page C1: Victims share tragic stories…
Email from Pastor Merv His daughter Deanna has been diagnosed with breast cancer
and Merv invites our prayers…and I know that God’s people will be people of prayer with and for Dianna and the entire Thompson family.
We know that scarcely a day goes by without us hearing of another tragedy of some sort taking place…and, as we know, the Good News of Jesus speaks to these tragedies.
The Good news of Jesus that our kids are singing about today proclaims loud and clear that while followers of Jesus are NOT immune from these tragedies: Jesus does give HOPE in the midst of despair, and brings light in the midst of the darkness’s of our lives. This we proclaim today.
Today however, as we continue our Advent journey toward Christmas, I would maintain, however, that the greatest tragedy of the year is the one that, unless God’s people step up to the plate, will take place the morning of December 25th.
This tragedy will not be reported on the news…it will not make the newspaper or radio, but what could happen, unless things change radically in the next 9 days, is – In hundreds, thousands, and even millions of homes across this country and right next door to each of us..
People will wake up without knowing the Christ of Christmas!
People will wake up, and, for them, Christmas will be over…finished
Unless this tragedy is averted, for far too many families and people, what happens on Christmas Eve, December 24th, will be the whole of Christmas…
the presents will have been opened…
the meal will have been eaten…
Santa Claus will have arrived…looking a bit leaner this year….
And, for many, the light of the world, Jesus Christ, will not be part of their Christmas picture once again.
AND…closely connected to this tragedy will be a second great tragedy…which will also go unreported:
That, many of those who know Christ: those who are His spokespeople, those He has called to be His witnesses, those he has called to tell others about Jesus, either:
weren’t able to…didn’t get the chance to…were scared to…or didn’t know how to tell the story of Jesus…sometimes even within their own circle of family and friends.
And these two tragedies often go hand in hand…people who know about Jesus, the light of the world, NOT telling others…thus meaning that people who DON’T know about Jesus didn’t have the opportunity to come to know the “Light that shines in the darkness”…the Light of Jesus!!
Every year I look forward to this weekend…the 3rd Sunday in Advent… I look forward to hearing the Sunday School children, with all their energy and enthusiasm, sing of the Good News of Jesus and then belt out “GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN!!” (have to wait until next weekend)
I look forward to this because these children, in all their exuberance, reflect the light of Christ to me in such wonderful ways…and it recharges me…brings refreshment and newness to life!! They bring to me light in the midst of the December weariness!!
Consider…the children are being John the Baptist…in the words of the Gospel,
“They came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through them. They themselves were not the light, but they came to testify to the light!!”
And then consider, Just as the children ARE John the Baptist’s today…the one’s testifying to the light…so too are we the John the Baptists of our day…
We, who have witnessed, in our hearts and minds, by Faith, the birth of the Son of God
are called also to tell this story….
this great story of hope, love of God, forgiveness, Life, Grace.
We’re called to tell it to all of our family/neighbors/friends so that they too can share the treasure of the Christ child within their hearts and know firsthand the hope of the Gospel:
So that they experience the depth of Christmas…the Christmas that extends far beyond the presents and Santa Claus…the Christmas that indeed brings the light of Christ in the dark places of our world today.
It goes without saying that tragedies are taking place all around us and within us…we don’t need to travel far to find brokenness, and darkness, and despair. All we have to do is simply scratch just below the surface in every one of our lives and the lives of those we are called to share the light with…and darkness is there!!
Many of these tragedies are not preventable. They happen…all around us and all the time. I could have picked anyone of the papers I read this week…
Today, in word and in song, we do proclaim that The Good News of the Gospel speaks boldly to these places of darkness in our lives. As was said earlier,
The Good news of Jesus that our kids are singing about today proclaims loud and clear that while followers of Jesus are NOT immune from these tragedies: Jesus does give HOPE in the midst of despair, and brings light in the midst of the darkness’s of our lives. This we proclaim today.
Today, we also lift up the good News of the Gospel that speaks today to that tragedy of people waking up on Christmas Day not having heard about the light that shines in the darkness’s of our lives. However, this is a preventable tragedy…because…
Like John the Baptist…this is part of OUR purpose…this is part of our call…this is, when you think about it…this is what Christmas is all about for followers of Jesus…and I think it’s time to get beyond the excuses that we give to Jesus that we:
weren’t able to…or didn’t get the chance to…or were scared to…or didn’t know how to tell the story of Jesus reasons God’s people too often give as to why we remain silent!!
Think about how different our lives would be, your and mine…without knowing the light of the world, the Christ of Christmas!!
Think back on how it was that you have come to know of the love of God through Jesus Christ!
Each of our stories would be vastly different, that we know…Yet, almost all would contain a single common factor…PEOPLE
PEOPLE, telling the story in a way that we understood. People testifying to the light…reflecting the light of Christ…
Each of us, has had God’s story told to us by another person.
They didn’t keep it to themselves
They told it….
and God worked the miracle of conversion and adoption through their telling and claimed us as His children! In my life I can name these people them…so can you!!
My mother told me the story
Elma Ostagaard, my 6th grade S.S. teacher
Jess Sletten, my 5th grade school teacher and neighbor
Pastor Hagstrom, my confirmation teacher and friend
Bob Swenson, a fellow tenor in the church choir
All were tellers of His Story to me…all gave testimony to the light…
bringing the Christ of Christmas
The hope of the Gospel to me…
I think I heard today that there are now 9 shopping days left until Christmas…I think…
This also means…there are 9 witnessing days left until the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
There are 9 inviting days left to prevent a tragedy for your family member or neighbor…or friend.
Who are you called to be a “witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through you?”
Who is God calling you to speak a word of invitation too…to come to hear of the birth of the Light of the world on Christmas Eve at First Lutheran?
Who needs to hear from YOU a word of HOPE…to hear of the meaning of Jesus in your live…and receive an invitation from you to come and hear…and come to faith?
May I suggest that today’s the day?? Today’s the day for you to proclaim to that someone… today’s the day for you to live out the Gospel?
Let’s finish today by re-reading the Gospel..only we’re going to change it and make it personal for each follower of Jesus today… (man/woman and your name):
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
Only 9 witnessing days left as we prepare…not for Christmas, but for CHRIST…the light of the world!! So people of God…when we leave this worship…GO…
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN…#70
GO and share the GOOD NEWS about JESUS, the LIGHT OF THE WORLD!!!
Thanks be to God. AMEN!!
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