Advent Peace: From Generation to Generation: God Meets us in our Fear
Prelude - “Come, Thou Almighty King” [by F. De Giardini] - Sarah Park
From Generation to Generation we have gathered in this space…
We believe in a God who knows our fears.
We believe in a God who says, “Be not afraid.”
We believe in a God who kicks off his shoes
and wades into the muck of our lives with us.
We believe in a God who stitches herself to our heels,
and invites us to dance.
We believe in a God who hemmed stars into the night sky
so that we can find our way home,
and who sends us friends with open doors,
so we can find our way to love.
We believe in a God who finds us in our fear
and does not leave us alone.
Thanks be to God for a love like that.
Amen.
Advent Candle Lighting - Katie Baird
Evie Brant, Everett Baynes, Travis Brant, Nora Brant
Worship Leader (Katie Baird):
The folks who put together our Advent Theme this year sent out surveys to over a hundred people, from the ages of two to 100 years old and each week in Advent we’ll get to hear some of their answers. Thank you to all the volunteers today who will read the responses. For the second week in Advent--the Sunday of Peace-- those surveyed were asked the question, “What are you afraid of?” From the voices of different generations, hear their answers:
Baynes: Not being enough.
Travis: Not making enough of a difference.
Evie: Falling down.
Nora: That we will forget we belong to one another.
Baynes: Climate change.
Travis: My child having to learn gun violence drills at school.
Evie: Spiders.
Nora: Not having someone to take care of me; not having someone who knows my stories.
Baynes: Struggling with my mental health
Travis: Ending up alone.
Evie: Nightmares.
Nora: Stopping short of following God’s way.
Travis: Today we light the candle of peace, because we so desperately need God’s peace in the midst of all we fear.
Baynes lights the candle.
Nora: May this light be a reminder that Christ is coming. God was with generations before, God is with us today, and God will be with us
tomorrow. Even now, God is on the way. Amen.
*Opening Hymn - O Come, O Come Emmanuel #119, v.2
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death's dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Prayers of the People - Pam Auble
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Katie Baird
Offertory
Music: “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” [by R. H. Prichard]
The Doxology #46
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below;
praise God above, ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Offering Prayer - Katie Baird
Children’s Moment - Away in a Manger #147, v. 1-3
1 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
2 The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky, and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
3 Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, and fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.
Special Music - "There's a new Kid in Town" - Vince Meier
[Words and Music by Don Cook, Curly Putman, & Keith Whitley]
Prayers of Preparation - Rev. Chad Delaney
ONE: Patient God, in times of anxiousness, we have sometimes made decisions from a place of fear rather than love.
ALL: In times of uncertainty, we allow fear to take the place of reason, fanning unhealthy fires in our lives.
ONE: Too often we tuck your words, “Do not be afraid” in the back room and give fear the front row seat.
ALL: Forgive us for giving fear the microphone.
ONE: Silence in us the voices of scarcity, shame, rejection, and hatred,
ALL: Grant us your peace, re-center us in your love. With hope we pray, Amen.
Communion
Meditation - Drema Herron
Communion Hymn - “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” #124, v.1
Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly-minded, for with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.
Prayer & Lord’s Prayer - Drema Herron
Words of Institution - Rev. Chad Delaney
Music: “Alas! And did my Saviour Bleed? ” [by R. E. Hudson]
PRAYER of ILLUMINATION
Holy God, whether it’s through angels or music, friendships or sermons, study or nature—when you speak, we long to hear it. In a world as chaotic and broken as ours, we could use your words of peace and healing. With gratitude we pray, amen.
Scripture Luke 1:26-40
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, favoured 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 favour 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 for ever, 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.
Sermon - “God Meets us in our Fear” - Rev. Chad Delaney
Turns out that around ~10% of people deal with specific fears. Let’s see how well y’all know your phobias….
- astraphobia, fear of thunder and lightning
- ophidiophobia, fear of snakes
- alektorophobia, fear of chickens
- pogonophobia, fear of beards
- nephophobia, fear of clouds
- Angelophobia, fear of angels
Well, we don’t know if Mary was specifically afraid of angels, but there is a reason that most angels (please read messengers of God) in the Bible start with the greeting…“Do Not Be Afraid.” But it is understandable to have some concern right? Most of us would wonder--What kind of message is God bringing? Is it good news or bad news? Because of this message…what will my future be?
The vast majority of us don’t necessarily have a specific phobia that we deal with, but we totally get the idea of carrying fears with us in our lives about the future. Every year Chapman University in California conducts surveys of thousands of Americans asking them what they are afraid of. They were asked to give their level of fear about 90+ different phenomena. Among the Top 10 fears of 2022 were: #7 Not having enough money for future, #6 Pollution of drinking water, #5 US involved in World War, #4 People I love dying, #3 Russia using nuclear weapons, #2 People I love becoming seriously ill, #1 Corrupt government officials (62%)
None very surprising and all very real. In Mary’s time the list would likely be far different, but we know having Fear is part of what it means to be human. It serves an important and vital function in our lives and it can be paralyzing and destructive. What happens when we are afraid?
Dr. Jud Brewer is a Neuroscientist and has made a career of exploring fear, worry, and anxiety over the last 20 years and how we respond. In addition to the classic fight or flight--we can perseverate -- (this was a new word, but familiar concept)--to continue ruminating on the same point of worry over and over and over again often to an irrational point. Have you ever done that?
Another one is avoidance and procrastination. All the fear and worry bothers our brain to the point that the brain will try to stuff away the worry by occupying you in other ways. Hey instead of thinking about or talking through the stuff bothering you, why don’t you eat a bunch of stuff you shouldn’t, watch television, shop online? Do these instead of worrying…isn’t that better?? Of course, these are only temporary gap-fillers rather than alleviating our fear.
In the passage Mary offers a different example.
Notice that Mary begins with curiosity. The scripture says she was perplexed and wondered what kind of greeting this could be. Amazingly, her very first words in Holy Scripture form a question to express her wonder at how all this could be possible.She doesn’t lash out in anger. She does not turn and run. She doesn’t avoid. In the face of fear, Mary is curious.
Notice also that Mary takes a healthy action. In verse 39, she makes haste to go and visit her cousin Elizabeth who is also with child. Instead of remaining alone and ruminating on what is happening, she reaches out to connect with someone who loves her, will listen, and who understands. There Mary can talk about her fears, her hopes, her dreams for what might be. So often we stuff down our fear and anxiousness and don’t address it. In our silence it can eat at us from the inside out. It is good to share that space and remember we aren’t alone.
And, as people of faith, we can see here Mary’s extraordinary trust in God. She says, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” God never promised that life would be easy or without struggle…but has always promised to meet us in our fear. I wonder if Mary remembered in those moment when:
God said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
God tells the people through Isaiah, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
There is a reason that “Do not be afraid” is the most common phrase in the Bible. It's something that we all need to hear in the midst of all the fears, worries, and anxieties of life whether a first century young and pregnant teenager or 21st century youth trying to navigate school life. A parent trying to guide their kids. An older adult making decisions about their life and health. We are all looking for peace in the midst of the storms of life…not a false peace, but one filled with life and faith, of assurance and courage. The Apostle Paul would say, “Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation with prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Church Family, there are terrors in the world--no two ways about it. We will experience fear and uncertainty...it is part of the human condition. In the face of it we may want to flee, we may want to wring our hands, we may want to stuff it away and ignore it. Instead, may God fill us with the peace that passes all understanding as we navigate the difficulties of life. May God fill us with resilient faith, curiosity to discover a way forward, and faith-filled action to do what is healthy and life-giving.
In faith, we remember that from generation to generation, faithful people have said, “yes,” despite their fear and apprehension to do what God has called them too. From generation to generation, God continues to show up in the midst of our fear and uncertainty and confusion never leaving us nor forsaking us. From generation to generation, our ancestors in faith have accepted the invitation to bear God’s Good News to the world---may we move beyond our fear and do the same. May it be so… Amen.
*Closing Hymn - “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” #153, v. 1-4
1 It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold;
"Peace on the earth, good will to all from heaven's all-gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.
2 Still through the cloven skies they come, with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hovering wing;
and ever o'er its Babel-sounds the blessed angels sing.
3 And you beneath life's crushing load whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way,with painful steps and slow,
look now, for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing!
4 For lo, the days are hastening on, by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years, shall come the time foretold;
when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.
Benediction - Rev. Chad Delaney
Isaiah 43:1-2
But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
God’s Grace and Love astound you and surround you now and always. Amen.
Postlude - “Tis so Sweet to Walk with Jesus” [by A. B. Simpson] - Sarah Park