Rosedale United Church

This is Music Sunday, this 3^rd Sunday in Advent.  With an abundance of instrument and voice, we celebrate the music of this Season.  There is no sermon but there is scripture, and dramatization and readings and lots and lots of music! 

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Reading

Luke 1: 26-33

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.”

 

Reflection

So came Light and shone.

 So came Peace and gave rest.

So came Love and brought Life.

Laurence Housman

 

Dramatization:  I am Mary of Nazareth and I am pregnant without a husband – I yet live.  I yet live and have not been shunned or exiled or punished.  Here I am, barely a woman, pregnant and not by the one to whom I am to marry. Confused and afraid, I steeled myself – I tried to put armour on my soul and spirit – for the meeting with my intended – when he saw that I was with child.  He turned and he left – I feared so much that I would be dismissed disgraced.  But no – I am this morning full of renewed promise and expectation.  Promise of marriage to one who did not do what the law would say or what pride would dictate – he did not disgrace or shun me.  He did the opposite – he graced me with his forgiveness, he embraced me with his understanding and he let me live with this child within.  I am so full of hope and expectation – and glorious abundant extravagant love –

Keeping Christmas

There is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day and that is keeping Christmas. 

Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people and to remember what other people have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you and to think what you owe the world; to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance and your chances  to do a little more than your duty in the foreground; to see that your fellow people are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy; to own that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life but what you are going to give to life; to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seed of happiness – are you willing to these things even for a day?  Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desires of little children; to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts; to try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for your good thoughts, with the gate open – are you willing to do these things even for a day?  Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world – stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death – and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love.  Then you can keep Christmas. 

And if you can keep if for a day why not always?

Henry van Dyke

Reading

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.  But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
 ”Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”  When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Reflection

Dramatization : I am Joseph  – I can’t quite believe I did this– I was prepared, indeed resolute, to put her from me – to release her from her promise – she was with child – how could I keep my pride, curb my anger, protect my position if I followed through with this charade?  She was tainted and unclean.  And then a voice came to me – a still small voice – that showed me just what was possible – what was possible if I could forgive.  What was possible if I could forgive her – and I was filled with the possibilities and with glorious abundant extravagant love for her and for this unborn child – this one whom she tells me is to be called Emmanuel. And I slept so well that night so peacefully and restfully and I woke and set out to see my beloved.

 

 

If Every Day Were Christmas

If the spirit of Christ were with us every day….some revolutionary events would occur:

Selfishness would die a death of starvation

Avarice would be hung higher than Haman.

Foolish pride would go down in crushing defeat.

Senseless strife and silly bickering would shame each other to death.

The prayer of Jesus for the unity of his followers would be answered.

Racial and religious animosities would be drowned in a sea of brotherhood.

War with all its horrors its brutality its devilishness, would be an utter impossibility.

‘Peace on earth’ would become a glorious reality.

Edgar De Witt Jones

 

Reading

Luke 2:18-24

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among humankind!”

 

Reflection

 

Dear God they shone in Palestine

Like this and yon pale moon serene

Look down among the lowly kine

On Mary and the Nazarene.

The angels called from deep to deep

The burning heavens felt the thrill

Startling the flock of silly sheep

And the lonely shepherds on the hill.

Robert J. Renison

 

They were all looking for a king

To slay their foes and lift them high

Thou cam’st a little baby thing

That made a woman cry.

George Macdonald

 

 So came Light and shone.

So came Peace and gave rest.

So came Love and brought Life.

Laurence Housman

Reading

Luke 1: 46-55

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the humbleness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. The Lord has shown strength with his arm; to scatter the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.  God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;   God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. God has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”  

 

Amen.