"O Come O Come Emmanuel" 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…
EVEN IN OUR FEAR, WE ARE CALLED FORWARD
Luke 1:26-39 (NRSV) When the angel Gabriel breaks into Mary’s life, she responds with confusion, resistance, and fear – and with good reason! The text says that she is “greatly troubled!” And yet, Mary steps forward anyway, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” But notice, Mary’s yes is not immediate and not naïve, it is rooted in her vulnerability, trust, and even survival. The Rev. Dr. Boyung Lee describes…
WHEN WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF HOPE, GOD IS AT WORK
Matthew 11:1-11, Isaiah 43:19-21(NRSV) At this point in the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist is no longer the courageous prophet crying out in the wilderness, but he is now a prisoner of conscience held by Herod for inciting a rebellion, this new religious “movement” that was threatening the authority of the empire. John has been silenced, and in his despair, he pleads with the disciples to ask Jesus the following question: “Are you the one who is to come, or…
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.…
