12/07/2014 - God is Dangerous = John 1.1-14

9:00am - Worship Service

                                      Welcome to Worship

Prelude               “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly”         Trinity Ringers

* Call to Worship & Lighting the 2^nd Candle on the Advent Wreath 

Leader:  We come today seeking God’s peace in our lives and for our world.  We are reminded from the prophet Isaiah that “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. With righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. 

People:  The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.” (Isaiah 11:1-4,6-7)

 (The 2^nd Advent Candle is lit)

Leader:  We light this candle for peace to remind us to await the coming of God’s peaceable kingdom in the coming of the Christ child.

People:  This is the Lord for whom we wait waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

 *Opening Song        “Blessed Be the God of Israel”         UMH 209

Kid’s Time

Invocation  

Pastor:  O Lord, open our lips

People:  and our mouth shall show forth thy praise

Pastor:  Praise the Lord

People:  The Lord’s name be praised.

Pastor:   Loving God, you are dangerous, but you are good.  You don’t call us to safety but to live out your story in the lives with bravery and trust in your faithfulness.  Thank you for stepping down into our world to save us and to love us.  Give us wisdom as we worship you this day. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Mighty God, we thank you for breaking into our world to bring down systems of injustice and bring your reign of peace, grace and hope.  Help us to boldly follow you and go where you send us to be your hands and feet in this world.  As we waiting in this season, work on our hearts, making your home.  Amen.

* Statement of Faith                                                  Isaiah 9:2-6 - On Screen

* Hymn                                 Gloria Patri                                  UMH 70

Introductions / Sharing our Concerns / Sharing our Joys

    Community Prayer/Lord’s Prayer

    Choral Response                                                         Chancel Choir

Scripture Lesson                                                            John 1:1-14, 16

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.  He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

Message               “God is Dangerous”      Rev Malcolm Stranathan

Receiving God’s Tithe and our Offering

  Offertory Anthem      Christmas Medley                                         

Kid Zone & Mt Christian Preschool

*Doxology

*Hymn                “Of The Father’s Love Begotten”            UMH 184

*Sending Forth

Postlude “Then Shall Your Light Break Forth” – Harris    Deb  P.  

Enter to worship God, Leave to serve God’s people

* You are invited to stand in heart or posture.

Celebration and Praise   Worship with a Beat! - 11:00 am

Welcome

Announcements

Advent Candle Lighting

“Here I Am To Worship’

Song Celebration

‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’

‘Whom Shall I Fear’

Prayerful Conversations

 John 1:1-14, 16

“God is Dangerous”

Rev Malcolm Stranathan

Reflection

 ‘We Won’t Be Shaken’

Announcements

Sending Forth

‘Go Light Your World’

Songs sung during the service are used by permission with License No. 1415942.

Movie clips are used by permission with License No. 501045180

Bulletin cover and MS PowerPoint art and graphics designed by Lori Stewart, 2014

THROUGH OUR SERVICE

		This Sunday – 12/07	Next Sunday – 12/14
Acolyte	9:00	Julia Baskett	Nellie Squirlock
Kid’s  Time	9:00	Pastor Malcolm	Carol Messerly
Counters		Andrea Smolen, Rob Messerly	Roz Norman, John & Nancy Coonts
Greeters	9:00 11:00	Lynn Jacobson & Jackie Derr Mark Coffin	John & Nancy Coonts Mark Coffin
Liturgist		Dave Ball	Jon Lindberg
Power Point	9:00 11:00	Lori Stewart Sharon Waligora	John Salmans Sharon Waligora
Projection	9:00 11:00	Sam Hergert Sam Hergert	Sam Hergert Hannah Shrader
Sound	9:00 11:00	Help Needed!! Bill Ray	Sam Dennis Bill Ray
Ushers Captains	9:00 11:00	Steve Reyda Gary & Patricia Heinz	Steve Reyda Gary & Patricia Heinz

Sermon

We are on week two of our Church-wide Advent series called Under Wraps. Last we talked about how God is Expectant.  We learned in our worship and the small groups meeting on Sunday morning and throughout the week how in the birth of the Christ child everything changed between us and God.   God expect to change the world through this child.    As Christ’s followers, God expect a change in us and we left asking ourselves what we are expecting in this season of Advent to do in preparation of Christmas day.  How will we prepare for Christ’s coming? 

I have to admit that a sermon title that says, “God is Dangerous” doesn’t sound like a very “Ho, Ho, Ho … Happy” topic for the Advent Season.  And yet look how much God put everything on the line, how God bet the whole house, God wasn’t willing to hold back even his own Son to spare humanity.  John 3:17 states that God sent his son into the world, not to condemn the world but so that the world might have life through him.   God sent his Son into our world, the divine Word, wrapped up in human flesh (this is where the title of “Under Wraps,” comes from, the divinity under the wraps of human flesh.  It is a pretty bold move!     God sends all of God's love and grace in the form of a vulnerable child.  And yet, this child would be a threat to the principalities of this realm and the enemy that is embroiled in a battle against God’s reign.  God the Father and God enfleshed in Jesus of Nazareth didn't lay down his life so that we should live out our lives by playing it safe or being timid rather the God who is dangerous encourages us to trust in God as we step into the places that make us uncomfortable.  The places that if we trust in God and we step out in faith, we ultimately find that God already preceded us. 

But we get ahead of ourselves.  Today reading from John sounds very similar to some other verses found elsewhere in the bible.  Anyone want to guess?  ….   In the opening verse of Genesis 1, we hear how the “earth was a formless void, and how darkness was upon the face of the deep and how suddenly the Spirit of God moved across the deep water and then God spoke, “Let there be light” and there was light. without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. “ to “Let us create human beings in our image, let us create them male and female”   The language is highly liturgical and it said to be from a Priestly set.   

John’s reading is on par with the priestly liturgy of Genesis, …

“in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God … All things came into being through this Word. “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”  

Whereas Genesis is focused on the nature of this God is who and why is creating, John’s gospel is attempting to tell us about who God is wrapped up in Jesus of Nazareth.  First and foremost, this God who comes to us, this is the word, the Logos, of God who predates created order and is eternal with God the father.  God is that is sending his son to us, and prior to being wrapped in human flesh the Word of God was present, from the very moments of creation and even before… 

The moment that God came “under wraps”   was in a little suburb of Jerusalem called Bethlehem.  It was long foretold that from this little town, a great king, the Messiah, would rise up.   We even have a hymn that speaks of this prophecy (perhaps you know it).

O Little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight

“The hopes and fears of all the years” … Few of us will ever know what it is like to live in an oppressive reality, where kings governed ruthlessly, or where foreign emperors with their soldier garrisons and governors would impact our everyday lives.   By the first century C.E. and centuries previously the people of Israel were ruled by bad kings or  were occupied by foreign powers.  People were often on the look out for Messiah, someone who would throw out the occupy force and bring about peaceable kingdom as spoken of in Isaiah 9.    

God expected this child born of Mary in the city of David, also called Bethlehem  … to change everything.  God dangerously placed “ultimate cosmic power, in an itty bitty living space” of a child and in the Gospel of Matthew, we hear what happened when some gentiles from the east, Magi, wisemen, astrologers see a great portent in the heavens which they perceive to be a sign that the new king has been born to the Jews and so they come to investigate and bring gifts and seek out the child in the palace of the current king Herod who fears the news that new king has been born to the Jewish people.   If not for an Angel that warned Joseph to take the mother and child into Egypt until it was safe, they may have met a terrible fate for the child was a treat to the existing king and as we know that when King Herod felt threatened he did ruthless things. 

When that child would grow up, he threated those in authority, religious or political, Jesus taught in a way that threatened “the way things were done” he was not militaristic as some wanted to see in a messiah, but he succeeded to speak against injustices, to challenge the rule of law if it meant to oppress another, and he advocated for the least, last and lost.   We sometimes prefer to think of Jesus a meek and mild but he was also the one who turned over the money changers tables in the temple …

We sing a song on the most holy of nights, we light candles and we take the light from one candle and we pass it to others and then to more until the entire room, while we sing in hushed voices …  

Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.  Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!

I’d like to think that verse two really captures the night that it wasn’t really a Silent night anywhere that night.  A woman gives birth in stall, surrounded by the noise of animals mooing, baaing, and bleeting.  Not to mention behind a inn that was full of patrons.  (for there was no room for them in the inn)  Bethlehem and was full of people all there for a census.  Meanwhile out in the country side, shepherds are suddenly scared by a celestial sight of light streaming, an angel declaring “fear, not followed by a proclamation of “for Unto us is born this night” and then chorus’ of angels that I can only picture puts Handel’s Hallelujah choir to shame …    

The reality of “Christ the Savior is born” means that those spiritual forces opposed to God’s reign had to be equally afraid along with a discordant clamor taking place.   We don’t talk about spiritual battles but the author of this chapter writes, “Jesus is dangerous, all right, He is dangerous to the forces of darkness because he came to usher in a new era when sin would lose it grip on humanity and death would no longer have the last word.  Jesus is born into this world to bring light to the darkness.” ( Under Wraps Study Manual, pg 36)  and later on the page…

“Jesus comes not only to thwart the spiritual battles we fight daily but also to turn the battle on its head for Jesus won the battle at Calvary. … and while the last gasp of evil has not yet been heard … Christ continues to make advances for the kingdom and calls us into battle with him.  As we fight for the purposes of God, we need to remember that good is never a lost cause since the battle has already been won on the cross.” 

 Break forth, O beauteous heavenly light, And usher in the morning;
O shepherds, shrink not with afright, But hear the angel’s warning.
This Child, now weak in infancy,Our confidence and joy shall be,
The power of Satan breaking, Our peace eternal making

God is dangerous and being followers and at times we are called out of our comfort zones to take a chance on behalf of God’s kingdom. 

    Were in good company. 

Abraham and Sarai left their homeland and followed God to a new homeland. Lots of dangers along the way.

Joseph spoke the word of God eventhgouth it made him unpopular with his brothers and in the end it was the salvation of Israel.

Hundred of years later when Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites, God called Moses to go in and bring the people of Israel out of slavery.

Jeremiah was too young when he was called to be a prophet for God but God gave him harsh words to preach and he remained faithful his entire long life.

Mary said yes to be the bearer of God’s divine son into this world.

Jesus was obedient, even unto death and yet was raised and now sits at the right hand of God to intercede for us.

Saul persecuted the church, had a radical conversion and became the greatest pastor evangelist expanding the kingdom for gentiles.

BIG than life people whose names we know but each started a very ordinary people in their own right.  Their dangerous faith is a witness for us 

    The author of our study asks us, “Do we have a dangerous faith?” 

Understanding that each of us are gifted by God’s Holy Spirit is God calling you to use your gifts to help another, to serve in our community, to speak against an injustice, to step out in a bold new adventure.   

 Don’t hesitate, in this season of Advent let us cast our worries and care, our timidity and “joyously and triumphantly” give praise to the one who calls us to live our lives to the fullest   for God’s kingdom and call.

O Come All Ye Faithful,  Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.  Come and behold Him,  Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord