Sunday, April 26, 2020

Reverend Phil Amerson, preaching
Rediscovering the Essentials
Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

 Phil Amerson writes, “Twenty-five years ago Marcus Borg published the book: “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time”.  In it, Borg challenged the easy images and assumptions many contemporary Christians have about Jesus of Nazareth.  The gospel lesson we are using in worship at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church this Sunday, Luke 24:13-35, is the compelling story of two of the earliest Jesus-followers.  They have witnessed the horror of the crucifixion but have missed the resurrection.  Traveling away from Jerusalem toward a place called Emmaus, they are joined by a stranger.  Upon arriving "home" they invite this fellow-traveler to their table and "met Jesus again for the first time." The story is so familiar for many of us.  Today, what might it help us see for the first time?  In this season of pandemic and fear, eager to get back to business-as-usual and back to something "normal," who and what might we re-discover to be essential?  Where is our true home? What might our eyes be opened to see for the first time?”

 We are very happy that Phil will be preaching for us this Sunday. He has served as pastor of Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis and First United Methodist Church in Bloomington. In addition to other academic posts, Phil has also served as president of the Claremont School of Theology and of the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on the campus of Northwestern University. In retirement, he continues his writing and speaking, and he shares life with Elaine in downtown Bloomington. We are fortunate that Elaine and Phil connect with the St. Mark’s community.

 Phil’s sermon this Sunday is titled, “Rediscovering the Essentials”. In addition to his sermon, we will sing hymns and read scripture, pray and have a children’s moment, and hear a musical piece from Brandan Sanchez.

To worship with us, join the service by visiting the St. Mark’s website at www.smumc.church. The stream will go active by 10:25 for the 10:30 service. The recording of the service is available under the video archives, also accessible by visiting the website, about an hour after the service ends.

 We look forward to connecting with you this Sunday!

Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020

Reverend Jimmy Moore, preaching
Matthew 20:1-10
A Primer on Finding Easter

“We need a little Easter, right this very minute.” Of course, the words of the actual song say “Christmas”, but I think you’ll acknowledge that we’re facing an Easter unlike any we in the Christian community have ever known. On a typical Sunday morning, we glory in the sanctuary adorned with stunning flowers, with many of our fellow worshippers dressed to the nines, the joyful singing of “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”, and the profound Easter affirmation, “Christos Anesti! Christ is risen!” And to know we won’t be able to experience that in with the full congregations that we have come to expect makes us more than a little sad.

 But this year, this is the Easter we are given. It is an Easter in which most of us are largely confined to home, an act of service that we pray will slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Some among us are undergoing considerable risk to provide medical care and emergency and essential services to our community. And we are cut off from many we hold dear, those whose presence is really part of the relational air that we breathe. Maybe now, more than ever before, for all of the difference of this year, we need a little Easter, right this very minute.

So Sunday, on the Livestream that you will find by clicking on the “Watch the Livestream” button on the St. Mark’s website, you will enter into Easter Worship. Brianna Murray will sing a solo and some of our singers will help us sing Easter Hymns. The sermon, arising from Matthew 28:1-10, is titled “A Primer on Finding Easter”. And we will celebrate virtual communion together. (Our Bishop has granted permission for us to celebrate communion virtually. At your home, you are welcome to use bread and juice, or whatever you have at home, as we celebrate the sacrament together.)

 We look forward to celebrating the Resurrection of Christ with you this Sunday!

Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020

Reverend Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
Matthew 21:1-11
Choosing which Parades to Follow or Lead

What parade might you be following, or leading, in these days? That may seem an odd question, when reality for many is lots of closeness (or closed-in-ness) at “home” and distancing everywhere else. In our Christian tradition, we will be celebrating Palm Sunday this week. We recall Jesus, seated on a donkey, traveling slowly along the dusty roads with many following or joining the parade (Matthew 21:1-11). He did not choose a tall, majestic horse that would distance him from the people who were shouting “Hosanna” and placing “palms” and garments on his path. Rather, Jesus was close enough to see the faces, make eye contact, and hear the voices of those he passed. As he was entering into those last days ahead, which we name Holy Week, Jesus focused on connecting with all the people along his path.

This Sunday, we are invited to explore together (via live-stream) what this means for us as a community, nation and world. In this difficult time, we also see metaphorical parades of people who remind us of deep goodness, faith and hope. Last Sunday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo shared that soon after a call went out for help, over 76,000 retired doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals volunteered. Across the globe, more are leading and joining the essential “stay-at-home” parade. There are parades of voices of advocacy, those of encouragement and care, those delivering groceries to neighbors, and others sharing music, stories and things that warm our hearts and help us smile.

On this Palm Sunday, everyone is welcome to be part of a virtual “Palm Sunday Parade”. Everyone is invited to find, or make, something palm-like. It could be something from nature, palms drawn (or cut out from construction paper), or something else creative.  If you are willing, send a photo of you and/or others with you at home - with your “palms”- or just a picture of yourself.  We will put these pictures together in a slideshow and create a virtual parade of palms!  It will be nice to see each other’s faces.  (Please note that these will be shown, and recorded, on the live stream of the worship service on YouTube.) Please send any pictures (in jpeg format, if possible) to Mary Beth Morgan (marybethmorgan@smumc.church) by noon on Friday (4/3) if you can.

We are also looking forward to a children’s moment, and are fortunate to have, in music leadership, Stephanie and Patrick Conklin who will offer the duet, “Jerusalem: The Holy City” by Charles Parry, and Heather Orvek will play piano. We look forward to worshipping together, via live stream, on Sunday!

Sunday, March 29

Reverend Jimmy Moore, preaching
Luke 10: 1-6 and Galatians 6: 17-18
That’s Gonna Leave a Mark

“Ouch! That’s gonna leave a mark.” Most of us have said this, or something similar to it, when we experienced a painful bruising. Our bodies bear a visual witness to many of the hurtful things we have experienced. And those bruises and wounds and scars are part of the story of our lives, both in terms of what caused the pain and how we have healed from them. And as everyone knows, there are scars and bruises that are not visible to sight, because they have happened in our personal hearts and in the souls of our community. What wounds do you carry today? How will much of what we are experiencing today, including the coronavirus phenomenon, mark us for a very long time to come. How do we respond?

 This question arises as we move through the season of Lent at St. Mark’s, a time we are calling “Holy Curiosity”. During Lent, the sermons are shaped by responses to questions from our congregants. In this sermon, the question came, “Could a Christian of very great spirituality & devotion to Jesus, such as St. Francis of Assisi, be actually afflicted by with the stigmata?” Francis was the first, but other devout Christians have claimed that when the contemplated deeply the suffering of Jesus, that they too would develop wounds in their bodies that mirrored his. As theologian Ivan Illich would have it, “Compassion with Christ... is faith so strong and so deeply incarnate that it leads to the individual embodiment of the contemplated pain.”

 Whether one believes that kind of thing is even possible, it is true that we all carry various kinds marks of our experience, and in some cases, of our devotion. For example, we’ve seen pictures  of marks left by masks worn by health care professionals to keep them safe in treating COVID-19 patients. Those wounds are part of our story, and our stories are shaped by and shape our faith. We’ll explore this in our Live Stream worship on Sunday. The sermon is titled “That’s Gonna Leave a Mark,” rising from Luke 10: 1-6 and Galatians 6: 17-18. We will sing, pray, have a children’s moment, read scripture and have a sermon. We look forward to our online time together at 10:30 on Sunday morning.

Sunday, March 22

Reverend Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Through the Seasons of Our Lives, How Might We LIVE?

More often, these days, I am hearing (and reading) personal stories and memories that begin with the words  “I remember when . . .”.  These come from our young children to our senior adults, and those of ages in-between.  They recall times of not being able to leave home because of weather, war, unsafe air quality, illnesses  . . .  Often, those stories include how they lived their lives during these difficult times.  Almost without exception, memories include people who gave of themselves to care for them and others, helped them to feel safe, created new adventures and experiences, and nurtured faith, wonder and hope.

In this Lenten Season of “Holy Curiosity”, we have invited all of you to send us questions to help guide our sermons.  This week’s sermon title is Through the Seasons of our Lives, How Might we LIVE?  This comes from a reflection and questions from one of our wise senior members.  She reminds us that in our Lenten journey, we are moving towards the final season of Jesus’ life on earth. What ways might we follow Jesus’ example of how to live, even in those days?  We will also explore a scripture passage from the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 30:15-20), which is often considered to be the end of Moses’ farewell speech to the people of Israel, in which they are encouraged to embrace life.

We will be worshipping together by live-stream again this Sunday, and not in person.  We will pray together, engage in a children’s moment and sermon, be moved by music shared, and have an opportunity to bless gifts of self and resource we offer.  We hope you can join us on the Live-stream by going to the home page on our website at www.smumc.church. Scroll down to find the link for Live Stream. Or, bookmark this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRug8vCO_eMZv7FepvZBrww/live.

Sunday, March 15

Reverend Jimmy Moore, preaching
Whose Feet Are You Washing"?
John 13:1-15

Sometimes it is very clear that science and faith, often thought to be at odds, are actually working in significant harmony. In accord to the knowledge we have, and as a faith response, we are all doing our part to make sure that we are keeping each other healthy. We are washing hands often and for twenty second, using hand sanitizer when we cannot wash hands, keeping some “social distance” from others, and staying home when we are sick. And at St. Mark’s this Sunday, we’ll take the additional step of worshipping only via a live stream on the internet. That means we will not worship in person, nor we will we have breakfast, Sunday School or scheduled small groups. These are interesting days to be sure.

Handwashing, of course, has multiple understandings, both literal and metaphorical. Obviously, we wash to make sure that we can eat safely and not pass along communicable diseases. Historically in faith communities, the washing of the hands has served as a ritual purification that happens before and after a meal, on waking in the morning or upon returning from a cemetery. Then, of course, the governor Pilate famously “washed his hands” as if to declare that he was entirely innocent of the death of Jesus.

But what about the washing of feet? Sunday’s sermon, which is included in the live stream worship service, flows from the foot washing passage in the Gospel of John, ironically chosen weeks before the focus on healthy precautions of sanitary cleaning. The sermon arises as a response to one of the questions Mary Beth and I have received as a part of our Lenten theme of “Holy Curiosity”. The questioner asks if we are ready to undertake a church wide social justice project. The sermon will be titled, “Whose Feet Are You Washing?”

On the night Jesus was betrayed, he shared with his disciples a Passover meal. Following the meal, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, to their great surprise.  This was an act usually relegated to a servant in the house as an act of hospitality, to remove the grime from the feet from guests who almost certainly had walked dirty and potentially unsanitary streets. On Sunday, we’ll talk about what it means for us to “wash feet” during a time when we are encouraged to maintain social distance from the other. We hope you join us in worship on the live stream. There will be music, scripture readings, prayers, a children’s moment,  and we’ll find creative a ways to have an offering.

We hope to connect with you through the livestream. Click on this link at 10:25 AM on Sunday.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRug8vCO_eMZv7FepvZBrww/live

Sunday, March 8

Reverend Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
John 20:24-29
Wisdom from the Patron Saints of Questioning and Doubt

What do Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Zechariah, Thomas, Martin Luther, C.S. Lewis, Mother Teresa, Pope Francis, and Anne Lamott have in common? They, along with many others, are people of faith who have also been willing to share questions others might keep hidden, as well as their doubts. In doing that, they may help give us courage to do the same. 

 In this season of Lent, as we explore Holy Curiosity, we have invited all of you to send us questions to guide the sermons. This Sunday, we explore a three-part question we received: What if this is all there is? What if “thy will be done on earth” is the whole deal? Would it make a difference in how we conduct our lives? We will do so reflecting on the story of Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, who became known as Doubting Thomas (from John 20:24-29). What wisdom might be gained from the patron saints of questioning and doubt?

 In worship this Sunday, we are very fortunate to have the music leadership of the Chancel Choir and organist, Heather Orvek, under the direction of Gerry Sousa. All are welcome, on Sunday morning, to get some breakfast anytime between 9:00-10:15am, join others around tables, or participate in a Sunday School class. In this flu season, may we commit to stay home if we’re sick (knowing prayers will come our way), wash our hands well and often, and greet one another with a “holy wave,” nod, or elbow bump. If this will be your first Sunday at St. Mark’s, or you have been here for decades, we look forward to sharing this time together on Sunday!

Sunday, March 1

Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
John 2:1-11
Miracles, Yes

“Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood.” So writes Mary Oliver at the beginning of her delightful poem, “Mysteries, Yes.” At St. Mark’s, we are using the Season of Lent to ask some important questions. So one of mine is “Where in my life and in our world have I seen marvelous mysteries that defy explanation and understanding?” What about you?

 In our Lenten emphasis which we are calling “Holy Curiosity”, we are doing a couple of things. In our Ash Wednesday services, we invited folks to do a prayer called the “Examen” every day. In the prayer, we ask two questions, “Where have I seen God this day?” “Where have I seen brokenness today?”

 But the other thing we have done is invite folks to send us questions that they would like to see us craft into sermons. So this week, one of our members has asked that we preach on the challenges of the interface of science with some of the really hard to believe miraculous stories of the Scriptures. If one reduces it to an either/or categories, one must either ascribe to the miraculous detail of every story, or one must adopt philosopher David Hume’s sense that a miracle is impossible because it would be an violation of a natural law. But what if there is a third way to welcome these stories…one that acknowledges the mystery of life and faith? We’ll try that this Sunday with the story of Jesus at a wedding where the water became wine. The sermon is titled “Miracles, Yes”, and rises from John 2:1-11. We will celebrate Holy Communion, and the Chancel Choir will sing. We hope to see you this Sunday.

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Dancing Into the Rhythm of Lent
Rev. Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
Matthew 17:1-9
Transfiguration Sunday with Jazz in Worship

When you hear the word “Lent,” what comes to your mind?  It might include “giving something up” or fasting, fish and Fridays. One of my early school memories was an assignment to bring a shoebox to school on Ash Wednesday. During Lent, we were to give our teacher any candy or sweets that we obtained, which she would then keep in our shoeboxes until after Easter. I imagine the intention was to introduce us to spiritual disciplines in a tangible way.  It also had the added benefit of helping our math and calendar skills, and we were counting down, and marking off, the days until Easter.

Even as we grow older, there can still be a yearning to “get through Lent” and to Easter.  Yet, the Lenten season offers an opportunity to be savored.  Lenten comes from an Old English word meaning “spring.”  Lent extends to us an invitation to embrace the springtime for the soul, and for reflection, prayer, repentance, wonder and openness to possibility and awe. 

The scripture passage we are exploring, on this last Sunday before Lent, tells the story of the Transfiguration (from Matthew 17:1-9).  It invites us to be open to mystery and awe, to listen deeply to Jesus’ words, to be willing to go up to the mountain and to come back down, and to be present. As Barbara Brown Taylor notes, sometimes “faith has more to do with staying fully present to what is happening right in front of you than with being certain of what it all means.”

In worship this Sunday, we are very fortunate to have the music leadership of IU Jazz professor, Pat Harbison, and three incredible student musicians, We will also celebrate welcoming new members.  All are welcome, on Sunday morning, to get some breakfast anytime between 9:00-10:15am, join others around tables or participate in a Sunday School class. If this will be your first Sunday at St. Mark’s, or you have been here for decades, we look forward to sharing this time together on Sunday!

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Anger: Brief Madness or Healing Energy
Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
Matthew 5:21-26

It’s hard to know what to do with anger, isn’t it? The poet David Whyte writes that anger is “the deepest form of compassion…” But he also says, “What we call anger is often simply the unwillingness to live the full measure of our fears or of our not knowing…” Dealing with anger, our own or another’s, is one of the most impactful spiritual and relational decisions we make. Anger can fuel our need for personal change or change within the community. Left unattended, anger (or what we call anger) can also sever our relationship with ourselves and with others.

 Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers, once told a story about a time that he left work after a bad day, and he was in a bad mood. He stopped by to see his grandsons who were playing with a hose in the back yard, supervised by a baby sitter. Fred told the boys that he did not want to be sprayed, but as the play went on, one of the boys, Alex, began to spray closer and closer to him. Fred said in a stern voice, “Alex, that’s it. Turn off the water.” Alex did so, but was very sad. Fred said he became more sad as well. Later that night, he called Alex, and apologized, telling him that he had carried his bed feelings from work into that back yard. Alex said, “Oh, Bubba, everybody makes mistakes sometimes.” (You can watch the video by clicking on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33AFCyblVzk)

 We’ll explore this powerful theme of anger and restoration in worship on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “Anger:  Brief Madness or Healing Energy” arising from Matthew 5: 21-26. The Chancel Choir, led by Gerry Sousa, will lead us in worship. We hope to see you this Sunday.

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Changing the World with a Shaker of Salt
Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
Matthew 5:13-20

“Take this with a grain of salt.” Has anyone ever said that to you? When we say that, we usually mean that whatever we are saying is better taken conditionally…that there could be other facts that could impact what we are saying. But the phrase originated with Pliny the Elder, in the late first century, who when describing a remedy for poison, urged that the concoction be taken with salt. The implication was that the salt would help the medicine go down by limiting any harmful effects. We expect salt to help us out.

In his book, SALT: A WORLD HISTORY, Mark Kurlansky turns his attention to salt, the only rock we eat, to describe the ways that it has shaped civilization from the very beginning. Our very physical bodies need salt to survive. Salt has served as currency, impacted trade routes, and inspired revolutions. It allowed cultures to move beyond seasonal availability of food, and speaking of food, many of us are deeply disappointed if our food is too bland, lacking some salty flavor. These, of course, are only a few of the uses of salt.

 For all of that, and perhaps because of that, it makes it difficult to know what Jesus meant when calling the disciples “the salt of the earth”. At the least, two things are true. For those listening who might have supposed that the great thing that was needed was for someone to come in and make things better, Jesus says, if effect, “…you are the salt of the earth. You are those who can impact the world for good.” And second, rather than relying on the great powers of Empire, wealth and weapons, the reign of God comes through the domestic graces: loving gesture, gracious speech, lively community, and prophetic calls.

 This will be our theme at St. Mark’s this Sunday morning at the 10:30 worship service, where the sermon is titled, “Changing the World with a Shaker of Salt”, arising from Matthew 5:13-20. The Chancel Choir, directed by Gerry Sousa, will lead us in worship. We hope to see you.

Sunday, January 26, 2020

The Journey from Curses to Blessings
Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
Matthew 5:1-12

Have you ever felt cursed? As baseball season approaches, Cubs fans are reminded of the Billy Goat curse, which originated when William Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat tavern, brought his goat, Murphy, to game four of the 1945 World Series. Murphy’s odor was a problem for some fans, and Sianis and Murphy were asked to leave Wrigley Field. As he left, a miffed Sianis was heard to utter the words, “The Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” This was widely interpreted to mean that the Cubs would not win a world series in Sianis’ lifetime. Indeed, they did not and the ‘curse’ was not lifted until the Cubs won the series in 2016. Still, Cubs fans are known to live with the dread expectation that if something can go wrong with the team, it will.

That’s sports, and we can laugh about that. But in broader human life, many feel that they are cursed…that they are born under a bad sign. Many carry the sense that nothing good will happen for them, and the unhappy legacies they and theirs have known will only continue. And too often, we can join in the continuation of the woes of others by pronouncing our own curses on them, or just as unfortunately, neglect bringing blessing to their world.

Blessing seeks to undo the cursed sense that we can carry. In the teachings of Jesus, the “beatitudes” are intended to reverse the power of curses, of the expectation that certain behaviors flow from and bring about the deep displeasure of God. In Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, unlike Matthew’s version, woes (curses) are included, indicating that there are indeed some behaviors that merit deep divine displeasure. But in the Jesus’ teaching, much of what has been considered to be woeful can rather be understood as blessings. But both Matthew’s and Luke’s versions represent that is called “the great reversal”. So, if someone thinks that someone’s poverty, to name one example, is an indication of the absence of blessing, Jesus flips that, and teaches that it is rather the poor who are blessed.

So, therefore being an intentional community or person who embraces blessing has the power to effect dynamic change. We’ll talk about this in worship, as the sermon is titled “The Journey from Curses to Blessings”, arising from Luke 6:17-26. We hope you join us.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Beloved Child of God
Rev. Mary Beth Morgan, preaching
Matthew 3:13-17

One of the great gifts of serving as a pastor is being a part of the celebration of baptisms.  Each baptism is special, unique and sacred. When we have a babies or young children who are going to be baptized, I am especially attentive to what might make them feel more comfortable. Giving each child an opportunity to feel the water beforehand can help.

 A few months ago, one of our delightful young ones became immersed in the experience - literally. As we baptized her, she splashed and bathed herself in the baptismal waters, and us as well. It was a reminder that we are part of one larger family as beloved children of God, and are called to bless one another. This Sunday, we enter into the story of Jesus’ baptism, in the Gospel according to Matthew (3:13-17). All will be invited to Time of Remembrance of Baptism and Blessing. If baptized or not, each of us is a beloved child of God, and we are called to live in that knowing in the ways we care for one another and affirm the blessing of each person. The Chancel Choir will lead us in music during worship.

All are welcome, on Sunday morning, to get some breakfast anytime between 9:00-10:15am, to join others around tables, or to participate in a Sunday School class. If this will be your first Sunday at St. Mark’s, or if you have been here for decades; we look forward to sharing this time together on Sunday!

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Discovering How to Be Human:
On Finding an Epiphany When You Need One
Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12

Could you use an epiphany or two these days? One night this week I had occasion to be out “in the country” late in the evening. It was a clear night, and all of a sudden, though it had been there all along, I noticed above me a heaven full of stars. A majority of Americans are surrounded each evening with so much artificial light that we cannot see, at least with regularity, the wonder above us. With its radiance and the unpredictable poetry of the constellations, this was a moment of “Epiphany”, speaking not just of the physical universe, but of sometimes hidden wonder of life. Instantly, I started breathing differently.  I had no words, but if I had found them, they could have said it no better than Maya Angelou in her poem, “Touched by An Angel,”

 We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love’s light
We dare be brave
And suddenly we see that love costs all we are
And will ever be.
Yet it is only love which set us free.

This Sunday in worship we mark Epiphany Sunday. The Gospel Lesson for the day is Matthew 2: 1-12, and tells the story of the Magi, who were like astrologers but at the very least, we can say that they were connoisseurs of epiphanies. They sought them, and with all of their experience, the Gospel writers want us to imagine that when they saw this star, some new longing overcame them. They were led by star to the sacred story, and by dream to go home a different way, away from the fear and death of the powers and toward liberating love.  Nothing was the same after their Jesus sighting?

So could you use an epiphany just now? Has the way seemed endless and unnecessarily meandering? Are you having a difficult time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, or for that matter, at the entrance to the cave. Then let’s muse on this in worship on Sunday at 10:30. The sermon is titled “Discovering How to Be Human: On Finding an Epiphany When You Need One”. We’ll celebrate Holy Communion and the Chancel Choir will lead us in worship. We hope to see you this Sunday.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Advent Dreams, Advent Actions: Their Watch of Wondrous Love
Rev. Jimmy Moore & Rev. Mary Beth Morgan, co-preaching
Luke 2:1-7

Barbara Brown Taylor writes that according to the Talmud, every blade of grass has its own angel bending over it, whispering, “Grow, grow.” That is, there are loving and watchful energies encouraging love and blessing surrounding all of us, and all of creation. We might ask, “What do those angels look like? If we could notice them, it might help us be encouraged.” Some of us probably picture them as the winged creatures of much Christian art. Others of us smile as we remember George Bailey’s guardian angel Clarence Odbody in “It’s a Wonderful Life”, who needed to help George in order to earn his wings. But perhaps we really are looking for them in the wrong places.

The stories in the Gospels that tell us about the birth of Jesus had angels dancing all over them. Matthew tells us of the angel that visited Joseph, and declared to him that God was active in Mary’s life and that he should not be afraid to marry her. In Luke, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, has a conversation with the angel Gabriel, who had already appeared in stories in the Hebrew Bible. Zechariah wonders how he and his wife, in their advanced years, will have a baby. And later, Gabriel has a conversation with Mary, who is more ready than Zechariah to receive the great news she is given.

In the beloved carol, “O, Little Town of Bethlehem” we sing the lines, “While mortals sleep, the angels keep, their watch of wondering love.” The loving watch, the carol suggests, opens a path to understanding, and an anticipation of the grace and love that is waiting to emerge. And if we are blessed, and patient, we can notice it, and even encourage its emergence. “Grow, Grow.”

We’ll discuss this “wondering love” in worship this Sunday. Mary Beth Morgan and Jimmy Moore will co-preach the sermon, “Advent Dreams; Advent Actions: Their Watch of Wondering Love”, arising from Luke 2: 1-14. The Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa, will lead us in worship. We hope to see you in worship this Sunday.