Old Brick Presbyterian Church - PCUSA

01/31/2026

Service is canceled for Sunday, February 1. Stay safe and warm.

01/18/2026

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY JAN 18, 2026

First reading
Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm
Psalm 40:1-11
Second reading
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Gospel
John 1:29-42

SERMON BY: Pr. Libby Pfaff

Calling the people of the church of Phillipi to follow the example of Jesus, Paul declared:
Though he was in the form of God,
[Jesus] did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself
by taking the form of a slave
and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)
The Gospels tell us of the life of Jesus, the Messiah and Teacher, being born under the most humble of circumstances, unwanted in the dark, in a barn, to a single mother, undocumented and unknown. Nonetheless a threat to an insecure king who acted out his fear by ordering a massacre; Jesus and his family surviving due to the defiance of foreign Magi, escaping as refugees to another country. Growing up ordinary, among the ordinary; teaching, healing, feeding the most ordinary; the unclean, the hungry, the unwanted, the unwelcome. Nothing like any king or emperor or warlord or politician of his time or since, he begins his ministry in the Gospel of John, not by asserting his authority, or flashing his power, but by inviting strangers into participation of his work.
After so many generations of colonization; of being a conquered people; enslaved, exiled, oppressed, taxed…when a people so beaten down dreamed of a Messiah, they imagined a great warrior like Saul or David who would have vast armies to cut down and destroy their enemies. To rule them and hold them together as a unified people, unchallenged, forever.
But this dream is a perversion of God’s justice. As Jesus came, as the Christ, for all people of all nations; of all languages and customs; of every skin color and identity known and beyond. As we can read for ourselves throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, in the New Testament, in the bloody years that followed; wars, martyrdom, schism upon schism…worldly systems of power and dominance, ruled by those who commit the greatest violence, yell with the loudest voices, crushing any and all who threaten or oppose them—they do not work! No government, kingdom or empire has ever withstood the passage of time! David’s reign—the golden era to which generations of the people of God reminisced—was not such a great time for most people and even the good times were shortly lived. “The good ole days” was always a fantasy. But it’s easier to wish revenge on our enemies than to be builders of peace.
No. The kingdom of God is not of this world. For it does not rely on arbitrary hierarchies of value; nor upon rank or wealth or privilege. And to partake, we must do the opposite of what the world demands us to do: we must forgive our enemies. We must tear down walls. We must humble ourselves. We must see our salvation as a pathway to freedom: freedom to love those who see us an enemies. That our hearts would not be worn down by the prejudices of this world, nor of resentments against our neighbors.
Where does the Christ abide? Come and see. Witness for yourselves, walk among the least of these of the earth; touch the untouchable; eat with the unclean; feed one another from the same loaf of bread; show kindness and mercy to the forgotten; do not seek to straighten what God has made crooked; do not dare call filthy what God has made clean.
Come and see. Come and see the inversion of our expectations. Come and see that God gives no preference to the powerful. Come and see God level mountains (Isaiah 45:2), elevate the lowly and show us the way to perfect justice. Come and see. Participate in God’s work on earth. Be a part of the new creation. Live in defiance of the mercilessness and injustice of this cruel world, whose greatest power—that of violence—is futile in the face of creation. For that is what we are called to do. To laugh with those who laugh and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15); sharing all things in common with one another that no one falls through the cracks (Acts 2:44-45).
We were created to be creators. And our greatest tool is reckless love. But somewhere along the way, lost in the delusion of our own importance, trying to build our own respective towers of Babel, we forgot about that and mentally and spiritually aligned the way of God, with the ways of this world. Human behavior is frustratingly predictable. As a species, we fall into the same patterns again and again. We are living in truly terrifying times and the worst of it all? We did it to ourselves. We took one another for granted. We took our ideals and visions for granted and gave way to a belief in our own infallibility. And now? Government authorities in our country have declared that there is no morality except their own morality; no law but their orders. After the recent murder of Renee Nicole Good—and it was murder—the official response, words emblazed on DHS podium: one of ours, all of yours. Implying murder of anyone resisting tyranny is fully justified in their eyes. Masked goons are patrolling our cities, snatching people off the streets without just cause, throwing them in detention centers without so much as notifying their families. How many of have been disappeared to places unknown? How many have been killed? How many non-white faces, shot in the streets, did not warrant national coverage?
A poem, called Deja Vu, appeared this week in the Presbyterian online publication “Justice Unbound.” Maddison Fritz writes:
Tell me we’re not doing this
Searing news cycle déjà vu
Sensational but stale
There’ll be scandals on at nine
With raids and strikes
On the nightly news
Have we learned nothing?
Can anyone actually change?
What does this do to your soul?
Kýrie, eléēson
Tell me we’re not doing this
Another senseless killing
Of one most innocent
At the unchecked hands
Of political power shepherded
By the most religious teachers
On a hell-bent power trip
To “save the name of God”
From the blasphemy of a
Bruised-reed-tending
Messiah
We are always doing this—again
Overwhelmed by the never-ending onslaught of bad news; not seeing a way forward. Watching those who have the power to stop the insanity do nothing…it’s hard to see the light in the darkness. It’s hard to see the reflection of God’s image on the faces of so many angry, greedy and violent neighbors. It’s hard to have hope or believe there is a way out. We know, as we have witnessed the predictable patterns of unholy history, that things will get worse before they get better. And we have no way of knowing how much worse. Most of the time, I suspect we feel pretty powerless. I know I do.
Two thousand years ago, when Jesus began his ministry, he first served a people who had endured unimaginable oppression at the hands of one invading force after another. They had no more sense of national pride, the kingdom split by their own rulers; their cities conquered by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and now the Romans. Their ancestors had survived exile and slavery only to become captives in their own land. There was no freedom. Any one of them could be labeled a “trouble maker” and be arrested, imprisoned, sold into slavery or worse. They had to pay a special tax to practice their religion. They could not say anything publicly against the emperor or against the soldiers occupying their land. They were to take whatever they could get and be grateful. There was no way out. There was nothing any of them could do. Their pride was crushed.
And yet…these were the chosen people of God. The very people to whom God, through the prophet Isaiah, commissioned:
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6b)
Take Jesus’ invitation to heart as he addresses the disciples’ question: where do you abide? Come and see. Turn off your TV, switch off your devices and walk amongst your neighborhood. Go into the basement of this very building and see neighbors feeding the hungry. Go down to NRVCS and see the unhoused, the sick, those suffering with addictions being given care and empathy. Go down the Four Corners on Saturday afternoon and see activists holding their signs and supporters honking their horns. Check out Radford’s animal shelter and see volunteers caring for the discarded creatures of the earth, happily cleaning cages and cleaning floors. See the mountains of donated items given by so many who have the least to give.
Witness for yourselves: the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. Come and see. Witness, be enlightened, be transformed and become participants. The only way tyranny wins if it we give up.
Writing to the church in Philippi, Paul addressed a people likewise overwhelmed by the struggle against worldly powers. To them he advised:
If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy, 2 complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and agreeing with each other. 3 Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. 4 Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. 5 Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
7 But he emptied himself (Philippians 2:1-7)

I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
let your steadfast love and your faithfulness
keep me safe forever. (Psalm 40:9 & 11)

01/18/2026

HAPPY SUNDAY

12/30/2025

12/25/2025

It's Christmas day and the world starts all over again, we start all over again. Let's do better this year. Peace be with you.

12/14/2025

✨NO CHURCH TODAY, DECEMBER 14TH✨

OLD BRICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 14, 2025

Robert Morris Billy Ratcliff
Commissioned Pastor Music

Prelude:
Welcome to God’s house. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it and let us always remember that worship begins and ends with God.

Lighting Of The Advent Candle: Joy

Isaiah is with a people that are in bo***ge, but he reminds them that God will soon restore their joy. He says to them: The people that walk in darkness have now seen a great light. You that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon you has the light shined. You will have joy according to the joy in harvest. And with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation. Sing unto the Lord; he has done excellent things. I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. For unto you a child is born, unto us a son is given, (Isaiah 9:2-6). Suddenly a fearsome and terrifying light caused some shepherds to be sore afraid. But then they heard these words from the angels; fear not but go and see. From this awesome experience, they took courage and sought out this gift of God and returned with great joy, shouting praises from their hearts. Today we light the candle of joy along with Isaiah, the angels and the shepherds who announced to the whole world these tidings of great joy.

Lighting of the Candle:

Prayer:

God of the prophet, surround us with your love. Calm our hearts, relieve our greatest fears, and help us to live a life that is filled with your joy. Amen.

Call to Worship:

Call: The day of God is coming; lift up your voices. Cry out with the strength God provides.
Response: We await God’s coming day with anticipation. We seek the peace and patience God provides.
Call: Comfort, comfort my people, says God. Speak tenderly to my suffering people.
Response: We will prepare the way for One who is coming. We look forward to baptism in the Spirit.
Call: God will feed us like a shepherd. God will gather us in gentle, caring arms.
All: God’s hand is upon us in blessing; We are welcomed by God’s steadfast love.

Invocation:

Let us bow our heads in prayer: Lord with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your grace and mercy help and deliver us; And now with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray as our Father has taught us: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Amen.

Gathering Hymn:

Apostle’s Creed:

Let us now confess the faith of our baptism, as we say together the Apostles Creed found in the back of our hymnal. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified, dead, and buried, he descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Gloria Patri:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, World without end. Amen, Amen.

Prayers Of The People:

All: Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer.
Servant: Almighty God, in Christ you taught us to pray, and promised that we would receive all that we ask in his name.
Response: Hear our prayers.
Servant: Hear now our prayers: for the church, universal, for this congregation, its mission and ministry, for all those affected by violence, for the healing of the earth, for peace and justice in the world, for nations and leaders, for our President, for our local community, for the poor and oppressed, for the bereaved and lonely, for all who need healing.
Response: Hear our prayers.
Servant: Guide us, O God, by your Holy Spirit that all of our prayers and all of our lives may serve your will. Eternal God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, accept the prayers of your people, and strengthen us to do your will, through Jesus Christ.

Call to Confession:

According to the richness of God’s grace, we have forgiveness; let us now confess our sins before God and each other:

Prayer of Confession:

God of glory, we confess that we have not recognized you in our midst nor listened for your voice. Our faith is fragile, and our iniquity goes unrecognized amid our massive self-concern. We have lived as if we have no need to account for the life we have been given. Our church is focused more on our own survival than on its mission in the world. We come to you today with sincere repentance for our neglect. We have failed to prepare the way for Christ’s entry into our everyday environment. Pardon and change us, in Christ name we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin, and alive to all that is good. We have confessed our sins. God has forgiven us, because Christ died for us. Amen.

The Peace:

Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind. Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another. The Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Response: And also with you.

Offering:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21) With gladness, let us now present the offering of our life and labor to the Lord.

Doxology:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer and Dedication:

Bless these gifts, gracious God, and bless all those who will be served because of them. We bring these offerings because we hope for more in the days ahead. We hope for a stronger church, a more compassionate world, and a time of peace. Shape us, through our giving, into people more faithful to your Word and a people full of joy and good news. Blessed are you, God of all creation; through your goodness we have these gifts to share. Accept and use our offerings for your glory and for the service of your kingdom. We dedicate them along with our lives and all that we are. Blessed be God, forever. Amen.

Announcements:

Two Cents/First Sunday/$72.36-Communion/Second Sunday-Food/Last Sunday-Christmas Eve/6-Christmas Carols/December 18

Toys/food-local money-Kingsport-Galax-Clara-NC service

Joys & Concerns:

“Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Let us bow our heads: O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers, mercifully hear our prayers and grant to all your servants, the help of your power, that their sickness may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; Almighty God, we entrust all who are dear to us, all those on our prayer list, and all those in our hearts, all those that you know that we do not, to your never-failing care and love.

Morning Prayer:

Merciful God, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation. Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Scripture:

Lord, open our hearts and minds, by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the scriptures are read and your word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you have to say to us today. By your Spirit tell us what we need to hear, and show us what we ought to do, to obey Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

An Old Testament Reading Isaiah 35:1-10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped, then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Responsive Reading Psalm 146:4-9

4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! whose hope is in the LORD their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, and food to those who hunger.
7 The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The LORD loves the righteous; the LORD cares for the stranger; he sustains the orphan and widow but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The LORD shall reign for ever, your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Hallelujah!

The Epistle Reading From The Book Of James 5:7-10

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

A Reading From The Gospel Of Matthew 11:2-11

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.

Sermon: The Least

Thomas Merton once wrote…"You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope"…John the Baptist reminds us of all “the possibilities and challenges”…and what courage…faith …and hope…can accomplish…so today we’ll talk about John…the wilderness…and a little about patience…some say it’s a virtue…and I have a very patient wife that reminds me that it may be one I need to work on…but in this season of Advent we’ve been invited to take on a spirit of both patience and anticipation…a bit of an oxymoron… today we are told…“Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord”…and we’re reminded that God’s realm is near at hand…but the wilderness may not be the place to be patient… the Bible considers the wilderness a holy place…a place where God…and angels…can be found…Jesus was tempted in the wilderness…Jesus would often go into the wilderness to pray…Moses…Abraham…and the Israelites came out of the wilderness…it’s an in between place…it’s a place where miracles happen…but there’s not one single miracle mentioned that John preformed…maybe John was not in the miracle business…maybe he left that to Jesus…but he used what he had…his voice…we all have a voice…and maybe that is a miracle…John was a voice from the Wilderness…a voice from a place where God has traveled with people since the beginning of time…last Sunday John was calling on anybody who would listen to “repent for the Kingdom of heaven has come near” …that was John’s singular message…and it should be ours…but that message is conveyed better by how we live…not by what we say…we are called to try and live our lives as Jesus did…but I think sometimes we are also called to live as John did…he did not ask…he demanded… he was hard headed…determined…and impatient…he never hid his faith…he never apologized or backed down…he had a mission to prepare the way for the coming of the kingdom…and to share the good news that all the walls…all the people…all the stuff… standing between us and God will fall…and he did it…but today John finds himself in prison…he’d done his part…he challenged the authorities…both the Roman…and the Jewish…he pointed to the way…but knowing that his life was about to end…maybe doubt had begun to creep in…could he have been wrong about Jesus…had his ministry been a failure…he even asks…“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another”… John may have had his moment of doubt…but I think in the end John knew it had not been a failure…he knew what awaited him…and he waited patiently.

John the Baptist and Advent reminds us that we live in expectation of eternal peace …but we have to travel the way of the cross to get there…and the symbol of our faith… the cross…is a symbol of agony…pain…and love…are we willing to travel that path… John lived in expectation…do we…he wound up in jail…would we…he was killed for his faith…will we live for ours…when John was asked who he was…his response was that… “He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him”…what is our response when we are asked…witness is an Advent calling…doing is an Advent calling…it’s a calling to let go of what the response might be and just do it because we have to…because we cannot not do it…so what would we do for Jesus…anything…how many hours in the day go by that we never even think about Jesus…how many days go by …how many little blessings happen…that we don’t thank Jesus for…for many of us the answer is too many…next time somebody asks you what a Christian is…tell them that we are the voice from the wilderness…that we are called to set the path straight…or call them a brood of vipers…and see what happens…it won’t go well…but it would be interesting…I think Jesus might even smile as He watches how that goes…I don’t think many of us have the courage to do that…I’ve never said that to anyone and I say a lot of things that upset people…but again I would suggest that maybe the best way to do that is with our actions…not our words…John answered God’s call to prepare the way of the Lord with his words…and his actions…and even from the depths of Herod’s dungeon he keeps expecting…he keeps calling out…and Jesus keeps answering him…we all have our moments of doubt…we all have our personal dungeons that we find ourselves locked away in from time to to…our personal wilderness moments…moments of depression…anxiety …addiction…doubt…but we have John as an example on how to keep going…an example to keep calling out to Jesus…knowing that He will answer…knowing that we will be released…with patience…when I question how to live my faith…I turn to Jesus…when I question how to do works of faith…I turn to them both.

I think we probably all have our own picture of the Baptizer…but we really know very little about him…or his relationship with Jesus…were they friends…did they hang out with each other…I like to think so…but some scholars suggest John grew up in a monastery…after all…his father was a Priest…a very old Priest when John was born… and somebody had to raise him…right…we really just don’t know…maybe He was an Essenes…many scholars suggest that he was probably a Gnostic…which would make him a heretic…in fact there is still a practicing religion today called Mandaeism that follows the teachings of John…and claims that Abraham and Jesus were false prophets…I say all that just to be clear that John was much more than what we are told in our Bibles…I will leave the why of that statement to you…but Jesus and John are clearly joined together in the Gospels…one begins the process …and the other finishes it…but what Matthew wants us to know is that the Kingdom of God is close at hand…and that John is more than a prophet…he is the messenger who was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah…and yet Jesus says…“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he”…in spite of all he accomplished…he is the least of those in the kingdom…it seems that as the realm of God comes in its fullness…John has to recede into the background…even his own miraculous birth…his mother was old and barren…seems to get overlooked…John prepared the way…but now it’s time for him to take a back seat…and let Jesus come forward…to use a Buddhist quote poorly…John is the finger pointing to the moon…not the moon itself…he knows who he is…he knows his role…and he’s content with that… John stands on the divide between the old and the new covenants…he’s the last in the line of messianic prophets…and he’s the first to know that all the prophesies are fulfilled in Jesus…the blind see…the lame walk…the lepers are cleansed…the dead are raised…and the poor have the good news preached to them…it had to be difficult to be the forerunner …and then let go…we all have an ego…we all like the light to shine on us just a little…but that was John’s calling…his work however isn’t done…it’s been passed to us…we are now called to be the voice crying out…and Jesus’ work was passed to us as well…He’s still inviting us to participate with Him in this work…to be His voice…John and Jesus both faced human judgment and if we pick up that cross we will face human judgement too… knowing that…will we…John’s last days were spent in jail waiting until the executioner came for him…is that what he expected…is that fair…if he knew how it would end… would he have still done it…didn’t he…haven’t we…waited long enough…what’s all this endless waiting and expecting about any way?

It’s all about the way of the cross…as Christians we live in expectation…and hope… because Christ has already done the hard part for us…our salvation is paid for…as resurrection Christians we believe the cross did that for us…all we have to do is walk each other home…we’ve all been given the ticket to get there…but we have to take the ride… and sometimes it’s a very bumpy ride…we have to make that leap of faith…and every day we have to make it again…we have to take up our cross and follow Jesus…but that cross gets really heavy sometimes…and we get so tired…we want to put it down…to walk away …but John never walked away…Jesus never walked away…that’s what He expects from us…and that’s what we must embrace…the Christian way is either simple…or it’s impossible…it’s simple if we do things God’s way…simple but not easy…but it’s impossible if we do things our way…the what’s-in-it-for-me way…always on the lookout for the big payoff way…always ready to trade our good deeds for God’s blessings way… and God has expectations too…I will say this again…maybe all the things we ask God to do…He’s asking us to do…He doesn’t want or need us to just throw Him a bone and do good stuff every now and then…we’re not called to be part time Christians…or to be Christians just when it’s easy…He wants it all…He doesn’t want scraps from our table… He wants all of us…and all we have…He wants Christians like John…Christians that don’t give up…Christians that don’t give in…are we that kind of Christian…can we be that strong…can we be that patient…in Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis spelled out God’s expectations for us…“I have not come to torture your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. Hand over your whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you myself: my own will shall become yours”…that’s what John the Baptist did…he gave himself to God…and God’s will became his own…like John…we can find fulfillment if we listen to what God expects of us…and accept it…then ask Him again…and again… and keep asking…we need to seek His will every day…and as God’s expectations become clearer…we need to take a really hard…honest look…at the way we live…then get to work putting our expectations in line with His…“No half-measures are any good”… and what better time to do it than now…this is Advent…this is the season of great expectations …God has been very patient with us from the beginning…let us be patient…but determined…and let us get to work…I will close once again quoting Thomas Merton… “The Advent mystery is the beginning of the end of all in us that is not yet Christ”…Peace and Amen.

Communion:

This is the table not of the Church, but of the Lord. It is to be made ready for those who love him, and for those who want to love him more. So come, you who have much faith, and you who have little. You who have been here often, and you who have not been here for a long time. You who have tried to follow, and you who have failed. Come, not because it is I who invite you, it is our Lord. It is his will that those who want him should meet him here. Help us Lord, to approach this table with reverence and godly fear, as we share together in the bread and the cup. Come forward and take the elements. Lord, we remember how on the same night that You were betrayed You took a piece of bread, and blessed it and broke it, and gave it to Your disciples and said, “eat this in remembrance of Me.” We also remember how You then took the cup and told them, “This is the new covenant in My blood, do this in remembrance of Me.” Lord, we partake of this bread and drink this cup in remembrance of what You did on our behalf, on Calvary’s cross, and praise and glorify Your holy name. Amen.

Sending Hymn:

Benediction: All Rise

Be people of peace. Let peace live in your heart and share the peace of Christ with all you meet. Share peace by acting out of compassion and not fear. Share peace by listening to all sides of the story. Share peace by praying for our world. In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share peace. As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share peace and hope with those you meet. The sermon is over but the day has just begun. Let us all go out and do good stuff, today and every day. Amen.

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