"May You Find a Light" Tagged Sermons
WHEN YOU’RE AFRAID, GIVE ME YOUR HAND
Matthew 1:18-25, Isaiah 41:5-10 (NRSV) The theme for the fourth week of Advent is “When you’re afraid, give me your hand!” “Give me your hand” might be counter to how we usually respond to fear, but what if fear can result in connection instead of isolation? Joseph moves through his fears of rejection and shame in order to stand in solidarity with Mary, shielding her from harm. Their bond makes them each stronger. We don’t live out our callings in…
INSISTING ON HOPE THIS ADVENT
Luke 1:5-13, Lamentations 3:55-57 (NRSV) “In the time of Herod …” places Jesus’ birth in a world shaped by political unrest, societal uncertainty, violence and fear. In this context, Luke introduces us to Elizabeth and Zechariah – an aging childless, priestly couple whose life is centered on a deep longing and faithful waiting. This intense longing and waiting creates a particular kind of fear. Although it invokes an “inner shaking, a disruption of body and spirit,” it is not a failure.…
