Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:8-20

In the name of the one, holy and living God:
Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifying Spirit. Amen.

“Mary treasured all these words
and pondered them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19)

This one line of today’s scripture invites us to engage a holy pause…
a pause for which I am grateful.

The chaotic, busy, noisy hubbub of Christmas preparations,
which at Wal-Mart began before Halloween this year,
have subsided, at least for an hour this morning… as we gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

A birth, perhaps chaotically engaged as Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem while nine months pregnant and then scrambled to find a place – ANY place – to actually give birth to Jesus and lay down for a rest. Continue reading →

Isaiah 9:2-7
Luke 2:1-14

In the name of the one, holy and living God:

in whom we live and move and have our being. Amen.

In those days when Barak Obama was President and Donald Trump was President-Elect, and while Pat McCrory served as Governor, some immigrant farmers were working in the fields, and an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people; to you is born this day a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord….

Do not be afraid. Continue reading →