Sermon Notes

The Hard Road to Jerusalem (PDF)

Entering A Narrow Gate, A Constricted Road

Jesus’ words have often been wielded in later history as a command to strict doctrine, a puritanical life-style, making discipleship like boot camp. In every element of Jesus’ sermon he helps up break through to see a life that is more wonderful, more authentic, and more challenging than puritanical piety – beyond the righteousness of the Pharisees.

Salt of the Earth, Light of the World (PDF)

God’s Glory for the World

In his six “antitheses” (5:21-48) Jesus marks out the transformative character of his message of God’s kingdom rule, a righteousness beyond the law, beyond that of Scribes & Pharisees.

Here Jesus is speaking to his disciples and crowds on a hillside and points to what is at stake. God’s goal is his whole creation, nothing less. These motley disciples are “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.” Jesus speaks of facts, not possibilities: “you are….” They may not know it, but the stakes could not be higher – the hope of the world.

But I Don’t Want to Love My Enemies! (PDF)

Climax of Contrasts

This is the last in the series of Jesus’ antitheses: “You have heard…but I say…” It ends with the amazing words: “You shall be perfect….” It starts with the equally surprising, “Love your enemies…” Often thought of as over the top, unrealistic, impossible ethic.

As with others Jesus starts from a known practical standard: proper love and hate, universal practice. The law doesn’t command hate, but many texts are about destruction, overthrow, thwarting of enemies. Israel had many enemies. Roman oppression! So also individuals. You don’t have to command people to hate. Fear, frustration, difference, etc. lead to it. Wisdom helped to appropriate responses: love good people; hate bad, hateful people.

The Other Cheek & the Second Mile (PDF)

Entering A Narrow Gate, A Constricted Road

Jesus’ words have often been wielded in later history as a command to strict doctrine, a puritanical life-style, making discipleship like boot camp. In every element of Jesus’ sermon he helps up break through to see a life that is more wonderful, more authentic, and more challenging than puritanical piety – beyond the righteousness of the Pharisees.

Jesus calls us to seek/enter the Kingdom of God. We watch him/follow him as he comes to the gate of Jerusalem to begin the final confrontation that will ultimately inaugurate that kingdom through his own crucifixion and resurrection. What gate does he enter? How?

Luke 2:22-34

The Long Wait

Luke wants us to know that Jesus’ story is not only something new, but very old. It is not a new religion or philosophical idea but the unfolding of the ancient story of Israel and all the world. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to temple for dedication, a rite symbolizing a whole people shaped by deliverance and dedicated to God. The sacrifice of the poor.

In the Temple – grand, beautiful, wealthy, powerful, built by Herod the Great – the young couple and baby encounter Simeon and Anna, two elderly people who embody the long story. They go back before Herod swept through. They are rooted in the long times of expectation, disappointment, and hope: “the consolation of Israel,” “the redemption of Jerusalem.” Some would look at the temple and say all was good, they knew better. Israel was still in exile, the nations still in darkness. Broken people, broken nations.
Their only peace was Roman conquest. Israel’s glory was a temple built on bloodshed.

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Luke1:35-55

The Gospel Before the Gospel

Luke is introducing us to the greatest event in history – the greatest event imaginable – the creator of the universe becoming one of his own creations, to live and die for them. The great event unfolds in utter obscurity, but among people with hearts to accept it.
Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph – unknowns; but people with minds/hearts open to God, living with expectation in His great story/promises, open to God’s “New Thing.”

The Gospel has many strands, reflecting the complications of human life. One that Luke especially wants us to see is the elevation of women. Within a society that was filled with structures that disempowered women, God shows that he had made women with strength, intelligence, and spirit, and He empowers them from the beginning to the end. The emphasis on women is one sign of God’s distinctive way of doing things, turning the values of the world on their head. But the world’s values returned, subordinating women. Read the rest of this entry »

Advent Wreath Services - Introduction

As we approach Christmas and its celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, we join with Christians across the ages who have striven to pause in the midst of life’s flurry to deliberately let the significance of the Incarnation sink in.  In order to spend intentional time in such meditation in each worship service leading up to Christmas, the Manhattan Church adopted the lighting of candles within an Advent wreath several years ago.  Since this was a new practice for us, considerable time was spent in providing historical background and discussing the wreath’s symbols in these early services. Now that we have been on this journey for some time, though, the need for such protracted discussions has waned, and while some of the material of the past will be included, most will not.  However,  because our membership is so transient and several new members become part of our community in any given year, we thought it best to make available online these “denser” Advent services from past years in order for those who have not had the benefit of their fuller history to obtain more information on this beautiful practice.  In addition, as more families use an Advent wreath in their homes, providing these meditations in written form can provide a basis for their practice. Read the rest of this entry »

Week One: Hope

Worship Leader:

Today is the first Sunday of Advent.  Advent means “coming,” and in this season we prepare for the coming of Christ.  One of the ways we prepare for his coming is by making an Advent wreath and lighting its candles.  These remind us of some of the gifts Christ brings to the world: His hope, peace, joy and love.

Team Member:

The Advent wreath includes many symbols to help us think about Christ and His gifts.  The wreath itself is in the shape of a circle.  A circle has no beginning and no end.  This reminds us that there is no beginning and no end to God, and that God’s love and caring are forever.  With this circular wreath we are reminded that our lives here and now participate in the eternity of God’s plan of salvation, and we hope to share eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven

Team Member:

The wreath is green to symbolize life, because Christ came to give us new life through His passion, death, and resurrection. Three candles are purple, symbolizing Hope, Peace and Love; the pink candle symbolizes Joy and comes halfway through the season when we rejoice because our preparation is half-way finished.

Team Member:

The flame represents Christ, who entered this world to scatter the darkness of evil and show us the way of righteousness. The progression of lighting candles shows our increasing readiness to meet our Lord, and our prayer that His light be spread throughout the world, starting with us.

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Week Two: Peace

Worship Team Leader:

Today is the second Sunday of Advent.  Advent means “coming,” and in this season, we prepare for the coming of Christ.  One of the ways we prepare for his coming is by making an Advent wreath and lighting its candles.  This remind us of some of the gifts Christ brings to the world: His hope, peace, joy and love.

Worship Team Member:

The Advent wreath includes many symbols to help us think about Christ and his gifts.  The wreath itself is in the shape of a circle.  A circle has no beginning and no end.  This reminds us that there is no beginning and no end to God, and that God’s love and caring are forever. Thus, we are reminded that our lives, here and now, participate in the eternity of God’s plan of salvation, and that we hope to share eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Worship Team Member:

The wreath is green to symbolize life, because Christ came to give us new life through His passion, death, and resurrection. Three candles are purple, symbolizing Hope, Peace and Love; the pink candle symbolizes Joy and comes halfway through the season, when we rejoice because our preparation is half-way finished.

Worship Team Member:

The flame represents Christ, who entered this world to scatter the darkness of evil and show us the way of life and righteousness. The progression of lighting candles shows our increasing readiness to meet our Lord and our prayer that His light be spread throughout the world, starting with us.

Read the rest of this entry »

Week Three: Joy

Worship Leader:

Today is the third Sunday of Advent.  Advent means “coming,” and in this season we prepare for the coming of Christ both in our celebration of His birth and His promised return at the end of time.  The origin of the Advent Wreath is in pre-Christian Germany and Scandinavia where the people gathered to celebrate the return of the sun after the winter solstice (which will occur this week). The circular wreath made of evergreens with four candles interspersed represented the circle of the year, its four seasons, and the life that endures through the winter.

Chorus Member:

Later, Christian families adapted the practice to provide a more spiritual focus in the weeks just before Christmas.  They wanted to help their children think more about the story of Jesus instead of the gifts the children wanted to receive.  Each week, a different gift brought by Christ was focused on – Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

Chorus Member:

For us, the lighting of the Advent candles represents the promise of the coming of Jesus, the light of the world. As the light of the Advent wreath grows, we share in the expectation of Isaiah, of John the Baptist, and of Mary for the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Savior. We look forward to the coming of Jesus who pierces the darkness of sin by the light of his love.

Chorus Member:

As we pass the halfway point in our waiting this week, we light the rose colored candle of Joy, rejoicing that the Lord’s coming is even more certain than the rising of the sun.

Chorus Member:

Different families and individuals are lighting the candles of our Advent wreathe in our services in these weeks of waiting.  They serve as symbols of this entire family of faith reaching out to Christ in hope, peace, joy, and love.  This morning, the [assigned] family will light the Advent Wreath.

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