How Does a Weary World Rejoice?
The Second Sunday of Advent - "We Find Joy in Connection"
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church and the second Sunday in the season of Advent. This week we are celebrating Peace Sunday and considering how we find joy in connection. Our theme this Advent looks into the wonderful passages in the Gospel of Luke leading up to Jesus’ birth. Together we are wondering “How does a weary world rejoice?” We thank you for joining us and hope you are blessed by this service of worship! God’s grace and peace be with you!
Prelude - “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” [by R.H.Richard] Sarah Park
THIS IS THE DAY!
This is the Day (This is the Day)
that the Lord has made (that the Lord has made)
We will rejoice (we will rejoice)
And be glad in it (and be glad in it)
This is the Day that the Lord has made
We will rejoice and be glad in it!
This is the Day (This is the Day)
that the Lord has Made!
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church on this Peace Sunday. We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
Thank you for joining us here in the house and online. Welcome to everyone!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
We have Advent Calendars in the entranceway, as well as Advent Devotionals
Poinsettia Orders & payments are due today, following Sunday Classes. If you don’t have a form & would like to order one, please see Sandi Kossick after worship.
Though we are weary, we rejoice….
We believe that joy is a sacred gift,
existing on a plane deeper than happiness,
stemming from the truth that we belong to God.
We believe that joy is not meant for isolation.
Joy is meant to be shared, weaving us together in laughter and in hope.
And when joy feels impossibly out of reach,
we believe that part of being sacred community is leaning on one another.
So together we might say to each other:
I will share my joy when yours runs out.
You will share your joy when mine runs out.
And in doing so, we will both see God.
Amen.
Advent Candle Lighting - Beth Voynovich & Laura Parker
*Opening Hymn - When God is a Child #132, v.2
2 Peace is a ribbon that circles the earth,
giving a promise of safety and worth. [Refrain]
[Refrain]
When God is a child there's joy in our song.
The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,
and none shall be afraid.
Prayers of the People & The Lord’s Prayer - Ryan Lind
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Katie Baird
Offertory
Music: “O little town of Bethlehem” [by L.Hl.Redner] - Sarah Park
The Doxology - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel #119, v.4
4 O come, Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind;
bid envy, strife and quarrels cease; fill the whole world with heaven's peace.
[Refrain]
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Offering PrayerKatie Baird
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
- What do you think of when you think of Peace?
- Away in a Manger
- Nativity Set-up
Special Music- The Advent Sky [by Edward Broughton] Jan Green
Prayers of Preparation - Rev. Chad Delaney
Family of faith, one of the ways we find joy in a weary world is through connection. The time we spend in prayer is one of the ways we find a connection with God. In our prayer of preparation today, we come before God with our full, messy, honest selves. And in the midst of that messiness, God tells us that we are loved, claimed, and forgiven. May this truth bring us peace in our hearts and our lives. Let’s pray together:
ONE: God of laughter, God of open front doors and family reunions, we confess
that we often doubt good news.
ALL: We move through this world waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for life to fall apart, waiting for our humanity to get the best of us.
ONE: Instead of leaning into joy, we lean into scarcity.
ALL: We lean into fear. We lean into isolation.
ONE: Forgive us for forgetting that joy is amplified when shared.
ALL: Heal the wounds we have from past hurts, and teach us how to throw open our doors like Elizabeth. Show us how to find joy in connection.
ONE: We come before God with the truth of our lives and God meets us there
ALL: We are claimed. We are loved. We are forgiven. And we are sent to serve. Amen.
Communion
Meditation - Katie Baird
Communion Hymn - I Wonder as I Wander #161, vs. 1-4
1 I wonder as I wander, out under the sky,
how Jesus the Savior did come for to die
for poor ordinary people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.
2 When Mary birthed Jesus, 'twas in a cow's stall
with wise men and farmers and shepherd and all.
but high from God's heaven a star's light did fall,
and the promise of ages it did then recall.
3 If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
a star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,
or all of God's angels in heaven for to sing,
he surely could have it, 'cause he was the King.
4 I wonder as I wander, out under the sky,
how Jesus the Savior did come for to die
for poor ordinary people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.
Prayer - Rev. Nancy Humes
Words of Institution - Rev. Nancy Humes
Music: “What can Wash Away my Sin” [by R. Lowry]
Scripture - Luke 1:24-45
24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25‘This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.’
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He 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. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ 34Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ 35The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 38Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
Sermon - We Find Joy in Connection - Rev. Chad Delaney
Human beings are interested in weird and wonderful things.
For instance, has anyone here ever been to the BugFest? BugFest 2023 took place in Raleigh, NC in September. Why do people go? Because they love bugs. It's the biggest of its kind in the country and people travel from all over…There you can go to the Cafe Insecta and try some bug cuisine. You can watch the Arthropod Olympics and watch Stag Beetle Battles. And you can hang out with people who also love bugs.
Or has anyone been to the International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship which draws hundreds of people every year to Eau Claire, Michigan. Or maybe the Roswell UFO Festival or The International Hedgehog Olympic Games or the World BoardGaming Championships?
It would have been fascinating to be part of those initial conversations for BugFest. So uh…do you like bugs? Yeah, me too. Have you ever thought of watching Stag Beetles battle each other? Uhhhh YEAH?! And there it went. There’s something within us that isn’t just content to be excited or happy about something all by ourselves…it is fun to be with others who feel the same.
As human beings we gather for all sorts of reasons. We want common experiences of adventure and purpose. We gather as church communities rallying around the call of the Gospel. We take group tours and hikes and go laser tagging. We have groups of support for grief and divorce, for battling addiction and other diseases. We go to concerts and football games and knitting groups. We read books together, do crafts, participate in online communities and social media…do hotdog eating contests.
We are relational creatures…humans gather, congregate, meet, assemble, rally, converge, and flock, get together. This is how God made us. Now…Some of us want MORE of this than others…but it is a need for all of us.
Now, let’s get to the story. As you’ve seen so far, the story leading up to Jesus’ birth is not without a fair bit of drama. We read about Zechariah last week and his skepticism about the Angel’s message. He and his wife Elizabeth struggled for so long to have a child. Having children was the first command in the Bible (be fruitful and multiply) and in that time was essential for survival. The stigma against them in the community was great and they have felt it for years. Our relational connections can bring great joy to us and great pain. When the Angel Gabriel showed up Zechariah was shocked, asked questions, and was struck mute until his son John was born.
Now, we catch up with Elizabeth and see her response to this whole situation. Her response? She went into seclusion for 5 months. Zechariah went mute, Elizabeth got scarce. She isolates herself from a community who has disparaged and shamed and “othered” her. Maybe she is on bedrest. Perhaps she is exhausted, frightened, weary, wondering….yet…she still rests in this grace she has received from God. 25‘This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.’ It is sad what our fellow human beings will drive us to.
Meanwhile in Galilee, Mary, too, gets a visit from the Angel Gabriel. I wonder if Good ‘ole Gabe drew the short straw on delivering news to unexpectant women that they are expecting. Gabriel gets a similar response…terror, questions, and then finally acceptance. It is a lot to take in as Mary gets the big news that her son will be GREAT, will be son of the Most High God, and will Reign over the house of Jacob forever. Gabriel also gives her a heads up that her relative Elizabeth is also miraculously with child. A lot is happening and their lives are changing quickly.
What is going through your minds in those moments if you are Elizabeth? If you are Mary? What do you even do? Elizabeth is older and has isolated herself for 5 months pregnant with a child who will prepare the way. Mary is super young and finds out she’s going to be the mom of the Son of God. And it is in this moment that Mary, this extraordinary young woman, who springs to action.
So here’s what happens! The scripture says that Mary, with haste and extraordinary courage, decides to hit the road, travel a great distance to be with Elizabeth. Over the River and through the woods to Elizabeth’s house we go. And once she arrives…together they hold the very FIRST gathering of the “An Angel visited me, told me I was pregnant with an important baby, and I’m cool with it '' Conference of the Year Zero.
It was just the two of them, but they had a blast. They each did a keynote speech. And everyone got a t-shirt and a stress ball. They also voted unanimously that they wouldn’t ever hold this conference again But, in this uncertain time with change all around them, a mix of fear, excitement, trepidation, and joy…they needed each other. Elizabeth could have stayed in seclusion. Mary could have decided not to make the trip. But in these hard and beautiful moments…they said Yes to sharing their lives with each other.
As Rev. Cecilia Armstrong reflects on their meeting:
Two pregnant women meeting and sharing their experiences with one another. One is young and one is old. One is married and one is not married yet. One is carrying the Word of God and one is carrying the one who prepares the way. They were both separate when they got news of God’s plans for their lives…“Perhaps Mary’s arrival is what pulls Elizabeth out of her seclusion, allowing her to experience joy and delight…—even if they each cannot feel joy for themselves, they are both holding joy for each other. From that connection, joy grows.”
This gathering of souls electrifies both of them. Mary’s arrival ushers Elizabeth out of her seclusion. Mary seeks and finds comfort in Elizabeth who blesses her and affirms her. Even Elizabeth’s baby gets in on the action…he leaps for joy when he hears Mary’s greeting.
Perhaps, as the church, we can remember what a gift it is, what Joy it brings, what Peace it gives to all…when we gather together. Is there someone you can reach out to that has been in seclusion? Is there someone you can say “Yes” to that is reaching out?
With this epidemic of loneliness surrounding us, people can feel isolated and alone. We feel alone in our struggles with depression and anxiety, alone in our mission and call, alone in interests and hobbies, alone in our work as entrepreneurs or volunteering or parenting…so this gathering here in this place, these people, these souls coming together…matters.
Of course, people will find connections in all sorts of different ways, but as a congregation let’s make this time count every week. May this weekly conference of the “Open Minds, Open Hearts, and Open Arms People” make space for all to make connections and build relationships. Perhaps you feel more like Elizabeth…in seclusion and finding ways to heal and move forward. Perhaps you are like Mary -- excited, nervous, and looking for connection. Perhaps you are somewhere in between. Wherever you are, God will meet you there and you are welcome here. May seeds of connection be planted in this space today…let’s continue to love and lean on one another. May the Holy Spirit continue to nudge us and weave us together in love. In our connections may we experience the Grace of God and find Joy and find the Peace that passes all understanding. May it be so… Amen.
*Closing Hymn - “There’s a Song in the Air” #159, vs. 1-3
1 There's a song in the air! There's a star in the sky!
There's a mother's deep prayer and a baby's low cry!
And the star rains its fire while the angel choirs sing,
for the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king!
2 There's a tumult of joy o'er the wonderful birth,
for the virgin's sweet boy is the Lord of the earth.
See, the star rains its fire while the angel choirs sing,
for the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king!
3 We rejoice in the light, and we echo the song
that comes down through the night from the heavenly throng,
and we welcome the glorious gospel they bring,
and we greet in the cradle our savior and king.
Benediction - Rev. Chad Delaney
Stay for fellowship and Sunday School
Come next week for COOKIE SUNDAY and our Children’s Pageant. We’ll hear the story and sing carols.
Family of faith,
As you leave this place, you go into a weary world—
so speak tenderly.
Do the good that is yours to do.
Choose connection.
Hold onto hope.
And remember that Christ took on flesh for you.
You are God’s beloved.
So go rejoicing.
The world needs it.
Amen.
Postlude- “Standing on the Promises” [by R. K. Carter] Sarah Park