Christmas 2024

                                                 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon is entitled IRS. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

What does Christmas mean to you? That’s a great question. I asked my Google AI, and it provided these answers. Christmas is a time to make memories with loved ones through dinner parties, coffee dates, or baking cookies. Other people say that this a time to appreciate what you have and to give gifts to others. Maybe it is a time for healing, renewed unity, and strength; or a time to bring peace into the world. For Christians, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ as the incarnation, when God became human. Some say that Christmas is a time to remember Jesus’ arrival on Earth and to give thanks for the gift of love, hope, and joy that he brought.

That’s not bad for artificial intelligence. However, AI has its limits, and creativity is one of them. You won’t find any relation between Christmas and the IRS because I just created that myself. There you go, for this Christmas, I am giving you the IRS as a present. Happy?

Let’s break down what the acronym IRS can mean besides what we know it is. By the way, AI also tells me that there are 97 other meanings of IRS with the top ones being I’ll Return Shortly and Inherited Runners Scored. Today, it’s a way to remember Incarnation, Resurrection and Sanctification. Now, I will unwrap those words in that order.

Incarnation. When is the last time you thought about the Incarnation? Its roots are Latin. Incarnationem means the act of being made flesh. The word is composed of two smaller Latin words: in meaning the same in English, and caro meaning flesh. Incarnation is the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ.

The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is the mystery of the Word made Flesh. Martin Luther taught that a mystery is something we cannot explain or simply understand how something happens, but we take the truth at face value. We take at face value the mystery of a small thin wheat wafer and a tiny cup of wine as the true Body and Blood of Christ with, in and under the form of bread and wine.

2,000 years ago, when St. John wrote these six words into his Gospel, he may not have realized that the phrase would be crucial for understanding the birth of Jesus Christ. The words, “and the Word was made Flesh” (1:14), were so vital to Christianity that the Fathers of the Church incorporated them into the Nicene Creed, and we recite it every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. That Creed brings us to ponder how an all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal God could empty Himself into human flesh where He is a weak, finite baby capable of suffering, sickness and death.

If Christmas is a time when we remember Jesus’ birth, we must ask who Jesus is because historical figures pique people’s interest. Whether books were written about Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Washington, Lincoln or Mother Teresa, the ink and the paper would fill this church. Yet, the number of books, documentaries, paintings and sculptures of Jesus Christ far exceed any other historical figure. So, the Incarnation begs us to ask who Jesus was.

Jesus referred to himself as Son of Man, and one day asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” After saying that he was one of the prophets, Jesus pressed them. “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter’s answer set Jesus above all the prophets who were the adopted sons of God; it made Him the natural Son of God. This natural Divine Sonship was made known to Peter only by a special revelation. Flesh and blood did not reveal the true identity to Peter, only Jesus’ Father in heaven. Jesus assumed this important title, the Christ, and admitted that He is the Son of God in the real sense of the word. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior. Jesus is your Savior. Jesus is my Savior.

Now, we all have pictures of our loved ones hanging on our walls, sitting on our desks, posted on our social media pages and embedded in our phones. What about Jesus? Do you have a picture or painting of Jesus in your home? Have you hung a cross or better yet, a crucifix, on your wall?

In our home during the Christmas Season, we position a ceramic nativity set in a prominent place so that we can meditate on the Incarnation. That an almighty, awesome God would take on human flesh within the womb of the Virgin Mary for nine months, and be born as everyone of us is unfathomable. The nativity set helps us appreciate this mystery.

Resurrection. Let’s move on to the Resurrection. In four months, we will celebrate the most spectacular event not only in Jesus’ life, but also in history. How do we fathom the mystery of the Resurrection? The mystery of a man dead for three days raised to new life, eternal life? Again, as Luther said, we cannot understand or explain it, but we can accept it by faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Also hanging in our home is an original painting given to me by an artist, a Sister of Divine Providence, more than 30 years ago. It is a painting of the Crucified Christ. From a distance you see Christ hanging on His Cross. Step closer and you see Mother Mary and St. John the Beloved Disciple, flanking Him. Stand within a foot of the painting, and it reveals to your eyes a myriad of saints and angels surrounding His throne, His Cross. To speak of the Resurrection means that you must speak of Christ’s Crucifixion. The wood of the crib becomes the wood of the cross.

Last month, we remembered all those who died over the past year. For some, death is the end of life. Many people do not believe in an afterlife. For them, there is no hope or future; no punishment or hell; no heaven or an unmerited reward. There is nothing further in the mind or heart of the unbeliever. Sad, but true.

But for the believer, the Christian, the Resurrection means that you will be raised on the Last Day. On that Day, all the dead will be raised and all will be judged by the Glorious Christ. On that Day, all apparent contradictions will be perfectly and happily resolved. On that Day, your sufferings and trials will make sense, for God will make all things new.

Folks, the resurrection of the dead is one of the neglected portions of the Apostles’ Creed. Even though we recite this Creed often, we may miss out on the inexpressible, glorious hope which God promises us. Just as Christ has been raised from the dead, we too shall be raised to new life. That is Christ’s promise to you, and God does not break His promises. And finally, we move from Resurrection to Sanctification.

Sanctification. Martin Luther’s Large Catechism explains the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe that the Holy Spirit makes me holy by the Christian Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.” In this life, we need the Church, through which our sins are forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ. Daily contrition and repentance is necessary to start new, to start fresh. And so, every day we recall our sins and our Baptism. We ask God for forgiveness and accept His free gift of grace, the forgiveness of our sins.

Again, Luther in the Large Catechism: “We will come forth gloriously and arise in a new, eternal life of entire and perfect holiness.” Daily, we grow in sanctification, but still contend with sin. One day, our struggle against sin, death, and the power of the devil will be over. We will no longer fight against the infernal foe, but shall shine like the stars, at peace for all time.

On this Christmas Day, throughout this Christmas Season, and beyond the celebration of Epiphany, how do we live lives of sanctification? Well, we’re off to a good start. We are gathered here to worship our Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. We are challenged, comforted and enthused by God’s Word; nourished and strengthened by Christ’s Body and Blood; forgiven of our sins.

In about thirty minutes, we will leave here to return to our homes and love our family members and neighbors by exchanging gifts and breaking bread. However, that feeling may last no longer than this sermon. The so-called “magic” of Christmas lasts no longer than the happy ending of a Hallmark movie. Before New Year’s Day, most of us are back to the old grind, personifying the Old Adam. So, what’s the solution?

Friends, there is no “solution.” There is only sanctification. There is only practice. Daily, you must submerge yourself in the Word longer than you immerse yourself in Wordle. Daily, you must truly forgive your spouse, your children, your parents and your neighbor because God has forgiven you. Daily you must go beyond being a believer; you must practice being a saint. Daily you must be more than a group or believers or simply a sole congregation; you must practice what you profess and be a communion of saints. Because God has sanctified each and every one of you, you must make Christmas today and every day for at least one person or many people by loving God and loving neighbor.

Nine days ago, Cindy and I did something that made a lot of people happy if only for a few minutes or an hour. We brought Maggie to church and then Cindy took her Christmas caroling. In comparison to hearing God’s Word and receiving Christ’s Body and Blood, Maggie’s presence does not compare, but for those residents at the Beaver Falls Personal Care Home, taking Maggie there made many people feel loved. Unfortunately, most of you do not have a Maggie, and you may not want to take your dog to a personal care home.

So, in the spirit of Martin Luther, who often railed about people’s bad behavior in his Christmas sermons before he reminded them of their daily duty to love God AND neighbor, let me conclude with this. When you love God and neighbor, you properly celebrate Christmas (Incarnation), Easter (Resurrection) and life (Sanctification) every day. That said, I pray that you enjoy not only a Merry Christmas, but also a Christ-filled life. Live Christmas daily, and may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

ADVENT 4

 

Do you think that there are angels? The word angel means messenger, and most people do think that there are angels. The Bible teaches that angels were made by God during the six days of creation, although it doesn’t say on which day.

They do not have a body, but angels are powerful, intelligent spirits. Good angels guard and protect God’s children (Ps.91:11ff), but evil angels hold unbelievers captive (Luke 11:21f; Eph.2:2). Believers, however, can resist the temptation of evil angels through the power of God (Eph.6:10-17).

There have lots of books and songs and movies and shows about angels. As Lutherans, we sing about angels. Our songs include: The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came; Angels from the Realms of Glory; and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Do you know any of those? Maybe your parents know them. … Some people say that they have seen angels and talked to them, but none of them has ever had a conversation with an angel like Mary did.

In the Gospel of Luke, the Angel Gabriel greeted Mary and told her that God chose her to give birth to a baby. Mary believed the angel and asked how this would happen. Gabriel told her that she should name her baby, Jesus. Jesus would be her son, and the Son of God.

 As important as angels are to God, do you know who is more important to God? You! God made you even higher than the angels. God loves you so much that He gave you His Son as your Savior. So, while it’s important to believe in angels, it is even more important to believe in Jesus and carry Him in your heart like Mary did because Jesus gives you life with God in Heaven.

And now, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

3 M's of Advent

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon title is Magnificat, Martin and Mentor and my focus is our Gospel (Luke 1). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Magnificat. Luke’s canticle of Mary’s prayer, known as the Magnificat, is based on the first word of the Latin translation. The English translation reads, “My soul doth magnify the Lord.”[1] In Latin, “Magnificat anima mea Dominum.” To magnify comes from the Latin word magnificare. It means to increase the size. As Luke understood the word, he wrote “to declare the greatness of.”[2]

Hannah’s prayer and many other Old Testament passages inspired the form and content of Mary’s Magnificat. In 1^st Samuel, we read, “Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart exults in the Lord…’”[3] Both canticles declared God’s holiness at their beginning and end.

The Magnificat’s opening statements focus on what Mary experienced personally. God’s choice of her to be the mother of Christ began a pattern of divine action that recurred throughout the Gospel. In other words, in this classical statement of God’s activity: the lowly are raised and the lofty are brought low.[4] As a mighty challenge to the existing structures of power and oppression,[5] the Magnificat states that God bypassed those at the center of power in favor of the marginalized and the lowly, including the lowly yet blessed Mary.[6]

Moving on from her own experience to that of her own people, Mary announced this reversal in values, echoing the Beatitudes and a major theme of Luke’s Gospel. Israel’s devout, poor and lowly clung to the ancient promises and longed for the time of salvation. The Magnificat ends with Mary acknowledging that this longed-for era arrived, and invites Israel to join her in her song and make her experience of salvation their own; for to speak of what God has done is to announce what God will do.[7]

In summary, the passage notes two characteristic Old Testament ideas. First, God comes to help not the rich and powerful but the poor and simple.[8] We read this throughout the Scriptures, but the Prophet, Zephaniah, expressed it best. “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.”[9]

The second idea is that ever since Abraham received God’s promises, Israel has been God’s favored one. Recall the passage in Genesis which reads, “The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ … And he brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars. …So shall your offspring be.’”[10] Deuteronomy repeated the promise. “You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. … because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers.”[11]

Mary’s Magnificat simply described the mighty arm of God that scattered the proud and arrogant, and remembered His promises.[12] And so, we move from Magnificat to Martin.

Martin. Among other things, Martin Luther criticized the Catholic Church in the 16^th century for its promotion of devotions to the saints. His complaint was with misguided, ignorant, greedy priests who preached something other than pure Gospel which careless or self-seeking bishops promoted or tolerated.

But first, we must distinguish between Luther’s criticism of certain practices and his thoughts on Mary, Mother of Christ. While Luther attacked externalism in religion, the absence of sincerity in worship, and the gap between professing lips and unfaithful hearts, he was not against Mary or singing the Magnificat.

Luther believed it was a fine custom to sing the Magnificat in all the churches daily at vespers. Note that the Lutheran Service Book includes the Magnificat in Evening Prayer. (Anglicans and Roman Catholics include it as well.) Note further that we proclaim this Gospel on the Feast of the Visitation (July 2).[13]

In Luther’s words, the Magnificat’s opening reminds us that God “does nothing but exalt the lowly and lower the exalted. He breaks whatever is whole and makes whole whatever is broken.”[14] “Great things are nothing less than she became the Mother of God, for on this there follows all honor, all blessedness, and her unique place in the whole of mankind, among which she has no equal, namely, that she had a child by the Father in heaven.”[15]

When people praise and honor us, Luther wrote, “we ought to profit by the example of the Mother of God and at all times arm ourselves with [the Magnificat] to make the proper reply and to use such honor and praise correctly.”[16]

At one point, Luther reflected, “It needs to be pondered in the heart what it means to be the Mother of God. Her sole worthiness to become Mother of God lay in her being fit and appointed for it, so that it might be pure grace and not a reward.”[17]

Finally, with Philip Melanchthon, Luther cited the purification account in Luke, writing, “She was purified according to the Law of Moses in keeping with the custom of all women. Although she was not bound by such a law, nor was there need for her to be purified, she submitted herself to the law voluntarily and in unbound love. She was not justified by this work, but having been justified, she did it freely and without coercion. [We do not] act for the sake of being justified, since, having been justified by faith, we ought to do all things freely and cheerfully for others.”[18]

Martin Luther said much more about Mary and the Magnificat, but as I move from Martin to mentor, remember that last phrase: do all things freely and cheerfully for others.

Mentor. The story of Mentor comes from Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus, King of Ithaca, fought the Trojan War and entrusted his son, Telemachus, to a teacher and overseer named Mentor.

After the war, Odysseus wandered vainly for ten years trying to return home. Telemachus, now grown, searched for his father. Mentor accompanied Telemachus on his quest. After father and son reunited, they cast down would-be usurpers of Odysseus' throne and Telemachus’ birthright.

The word Mentor evolved to mean trusted advisor, friend, teacher and wise person. Mentoring is a fundamental form of human development where one person invests time, energy and personal experience to assist another person’s growth and ability.[19] Examples of mentoring relationships include Socrates and Plato, Haydn and Beethoven, Freud and Jung. In the Bible, we see these relationships between Jesus and His disciples, Barnabas and Paul, Paul and Timothy, Naomi and Ruth, Elijah and Elisha, Moses and Joshua, and Elizabeth and Mary.

The essential qualities of a mentor are personal credibility and experience. Mentors look for “teachable moments” that expand or realize the potentialities of the people they lead.

The most common mentoring techniques in business include accompanying, sowing, catalyzing, showing and harvesting. Mentors ask the key questions: “What did you learn?” and “How useful is it?”

I could say more about mentoring. It is my last point for this reason: As mature adults, we see ourselves as mentors to younger protégés. We value the benefits of mentoring younger adults in the corporate, collegiate and clerical spheres, among athletes, actors and artists, for musicians and military personnel. We even value reverse mentoring – learning from younger people how to program our smart phones and computers.

I am sure we agree that everyone benefits from mentoring, but have I incorporated mentoring into my spiritual life? As I grew in age, did I grow in wisdom and grace? Can I grow in wisdom and grace without seeking advice or guidance from a spiritual mentor? Can young adults and teens grow in wisdom and grace without spiritual mentors?

Serena Pace, the Director of Christan Education at Grace Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas, addressed spiritual mentoring that addressed the problem of teens and young adults leaving the Lutheran Church.[20] Pace concluded that younger people benefit from an older person who walked similar life patterns. “An older person can share life experiences from a credible standpoint and offer wise counsel and guidance.”[21] Mentors extend beyond pastors and church workers to mature men and women who have walked life’s roads and traveled its journeys with the Spirit.

Mature men and women can offer wise counsel and guidance, but only if they themselves continue to seek counsel and guidance from others who journeyed before them. That is why we turn to Martin Luther and Mary’s Magnificat. That is why Martin turned to Johann Von Staupitz, Mary to Elizabeth, the disciples to Jesus, Paul to Barnabas, and so on. In every age and culture, young men and women need an older person who walked similar life patterns.

After high school, I was not sure what I wanted to do. I attended Penn State for a year, and then a vo-tech school before getting a job at Babcock and Wilcox where I worked for four years. During that time, I discerned my call to ministry. I could see myself as a preacher, but was not sure how to get there. Mentors guided me to finish college with a degree in Philosophy, and then Masters degrees from Christ the King Seminary, Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh. The last landed me positions as a professional development director.

Throughout my years in the seminary and ministry, I sought spiritual guidance and counsel from men and women who practiced and pondered their faith. More than a decade ago, I realized this truth: older people are much more interesting than younger people. Why? Because they have more life experiences.

I have spent more than 40 years listening to people in their 80s and 90s tell me about their life experiences. Now, I benefit not only by listening to seasoned men and women who walked with God, but also by reading about sinner-saints who journeyed with the Holy Spirit.

To whom do you turn? An elderly relative living out her days in a nursing home? A retired pastor with decades of education and experience? The writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer or C.S. Lewis? Do you turn to Martin Luther or Mary Mother of God when life presents situations that challenge your integrity and loyalty – not for intercession, but for wise guidance? Can Martin or Mary mentor us?

As the Gospels, the Cross of Christ and the Magnificat served as mighty challenges to the existing structures of power and oppression in another age and culture, do they serve the humble and oppressed who pin their hopes on God’s promises today?[22] As Mary invited a new Israel to join her in song, do we dare to sing with Mary, Zechariah and Simeon what God has done for us? Do we celebrate with them the arrival of a longed-for Kingdom?

The Magnificat is a commentary on Mary’s status as a feminine servant, in her submission to the word of the Lord as a representative of those characterized by humility. We know that God’s selection of Mary and her submission were not hindered by, but in fact were facilitated by, the lowliness of her condition.[23]

As mentors or servant-leaders, we keep that lowliness in mind. Christian leadership cannot assume the ways of human power for it affects the quality of Christian nourishment at the Lord’s table.[24] Brothers and sisters, having been justified by faith, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, we ought to do all things freely and cheerfully for others.[25] When we do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.[26]

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[1] Luke 1:46.

[2] Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Editors, The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Expanded Edition, Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press (1977), 1242.

[3] 1 Samuel 2:1ff.

[4] Fred B. Craddock, Luke. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press (2009), 30.

[5] Brendan Byrne, The Hospitality of God: A Reading of Luke’s Gospel. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press (2000), 26.

[6] Byrne, 25f.

[7] Craddock, 30.

[8] Alexander Jones, General Editor, The Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, Inc. (1966), 93.

[9] Zephaniah 2:3.

[10] Genesis 15:1-5.

[11] Deuteronomy 7:6-8.

[12] Arthur A. Just Jr., Luke 1:1-9:50. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (1996), 85.

[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnificat#Lutheran_Service_Book_.282006.29

[14] Edward M. Plass, What Luther Says. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (1959), #2094.

[15] Plass, #4006.

[16] Plass, #3425.

[17] Plass, #4006.

[18] Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon, Christian Freedom: Faith Working Through Love. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (2011), 74f.

[19] http://www.learningservices.emory.edu/mentor_emory/mentorstory.html.

[20] Serena Alexandria Pace, Young Adults Leaving the Church: The Tie to Intentional Spiritual Mentoring Among Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Teens Through Youth and Confirmation Ministry, Portland, OR: George Fox University (2013). See http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1112&context=dmin.

[21] Pace, 120.

[22] Byrne, 26.

[23] Just, 83.

[24] Eugene LaVerdiere, Luke. Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, Inc. (1980), 23.

[25] Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon, Christian Freedom: Faith Working Through Love. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (2011), 74f.

[26] Philippians 4:7. Lutheran teaching on Mary: http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=m&word=MARIOLOGY; and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther%27s_Marian_theology; Luther on the Magnificat by Donal Flanagan http://www.esbvm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Flanagan01.pdf and Works of Martin Luther, The Magnificat: Translated and Explained 1520-1521  http://www.godrules.net/library/luther/NEW1luther_c5.htm 

ADVENT 3

 

Who remembers what color I talked about last week? Blue. This week, I am going to talk about the color Pink.

Pink comes to us from a flower with a great big word that I cannot even pronounce (Caryophyllales). It is also known as a carnation. Pink is usually pale red. We find in our world pink flowers and plants, pink flamingoes, elephants, salmon and pigs. Some people drive pink Cadillacs and others wear pink carnations on their white sport coats. My wife loves pink sunsets.

Since today is the Third Sunday of Advent, we lit the pink candle on our wreathe. Pink symbolizes joy and happiness because we are getting closer to celebrating the birth of Jesus. Christmas is only 10 days away! Can you feel the joy?!

In St. Paul’s Letter this morning, we heard him write about joy. He told people to rejoice. Jesus even told people to rejoice. He said, “Rejoice …  and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.”

When we are joyful, our faces show it. We smile and laugh. Sometimes, we jump around and dance, or sing and clap our hands. As Christians, we do this because we rejoice that God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – love us and are with us here and now. We feel them in our hearts, and we feel so joyful.

St. Paul tells us that we must also rejoice when we are suffering because we know even though we face trouble, we prayerfully thank God for His gift of salvation. So, pink reminds us to rejoice and pray.

And now, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Again!

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon is Paul, Pink and Prayer, and my focus is Philippians. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”[1] Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

At our most recent Pittsburgh Pastoral Conference, Pastor David Fleming cited a few words from the famous English author, philosopher, Christian apologist and critic, G.K. Chesterton. Chesterton once wrote about the abounding vitality of children who want things repeated and unchanged. “They always say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never gotten tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”

Now, the only person I know who figured out a way of dealing with a small child who asked her parents to play again The Wheels on the Bus is my brother, John. Back in the day when cars had cassette players, he created a cassette with a continual loop for my niece, Simone. It played her favorite songs over and over again. That said, the word “again” was one of Paul’s favorite words as well. Today, I again make three points, three P’s: Paul, Pink and Prayer. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, the Advent wreath’s Pink candle and Prayer.

The Philippian community was the first church Paul founded in Europe. It stood behind Paul’s work by financially supporting his mission. Paul wrote in chapter four, “No church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.”[2]

In short, Philippians is a letter of friendship.[3] Positive expressions of quiet joy pervade the letter: “I hold you in my heart. … I yearn for you with all the affection of Christ Jesus. … I am glad and rejoice with you all; likewise, you should be glad and rejoice with me. … My brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown.”[4]

Reading Philippians in English, we do not grasp fully the emotion that underpinned Paul’s message. To appreciate the force of his language, we must understand how the topic of friendship fascinated the Greeks. They defined friendship simply as fellowship, and agreed that friends hold all things in common, including material and spiritual goods. Friendship was a form of equality, and the spiritual unity between friends was so close that you considered your friend “another self.”

As their pastor and friend, what prompted Paul to address his friends so warmly? Chapter one tells us that the Philippian Christians experienced considerable antagonism from their fellow citizens. That prompted Paul to write, “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict … that I still have.”[5]

Paul urged the Philippian Christians to close ranks and find a deeper unity through unselfishness. At the same time, reflecting on his own fate in prison, he offered them the image of suffering on behalf of the gospel. As friends, they shared mutually in a suffering that deepened their friendship.[6]

Paul knew if Christians were to persevere despite pressure and persecution, they had to pray to God. Paul advised his friends to pray, which would strengthen the community and their resolve to endure suffering from their neighbors. That is why Paul wrote, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.” Prayer strengthened the Christian community.

In another letter, Paul encouraged Christians to give thanks in all circumstances, but not necessarily for all circumstances. Paul never instructed Christians to rejoice, pray and give thanks for the evil that confronts the church. That would be akin to us giving thanks for the smallest sin or a nuclear holocaust. Sin is not God’s will. However, if Christians in 1^st century Philippi gave thanks to God for salvation through Christ, He would strengthen them to endure difficult circumstances. In short, Paul proposed a simple answer: rejoice, pray and give thanks. And now, our second point, the Advent wreath’s pink candle.

Gaudete! Rejoice! Gaudete is Latin for rejoice and refers to the importance of Christian joy in the midst of a penitential season, the message of Paul’s letter. Like Lent, Advent is a penitential season.

The tradition of Advent candles originated in Germany. A pink candle surrounded by three purple or blue ones symbolizes joy amidst penitential waiting. Today, we light the pink candle because it is based on the joy in our epistle.[7]

We use different colors to teach and symbolize various feasts and seasons, and to evoke emotions. For example, white symbolizes light and purity. We use white during the seasons of Christmas and Easter. Red expresses the fire of the Holy Spirit and the blood of the Passion and martyrdom. We use red on Pentecost, Palm Sunday and Reformation Sunday. Green is the symbolic color of hope and serenity. We use green on the Sundays after Epiphany and Pentecost. Again, violet recalls penance. Black is the somber color used for Good Friday and funerals, in some churches. Pink or rose, which has never enjoyed frequent use, serves as a reminder, by using an unusual color, that we are halfway through a penitential season.[8]

Color effectively expresses the specific character of the mysteries of our faith and gives a sense of the Christian's passage through the course of the liturgical year. If that makes no sense, imagine a white funeral suit, a black wedding gown or the Steelers in orange and brown.

Lighting a pink candle during a penitential season symbolizes Christian joy even when we do penance or suffer persecution. We rejoice in the midst of penance or suffering because we know that in spite of trouble or persecution, we prayerfully thank God for His gift of salvation. So, pink reminds us to rejoice, pray and give thanks.

Our third point, prayer. There is a lot to say about prayer. Martin Luther himself said much about it. In his Large Catechism, he wrote, “That we may know what and how to pray, our Lord Christ himself taught us both the way and the words.”[9]

Luther confessed praying was more difficult than preaching. He offered advice on where to pray[10], how to deal with distraction[11], how to overcome the temptation to skip prayer[12], and how to deal with feeling unworthy, which, he urged, we must overcome.

Luther reminded pastors to encourage people to pray as Christ and the apostles prayed. He wrote, “It is our duty to pray because of God’s command. They are delusional who say, ‘Why should I pray? Who knows whether God pays attention to my prayer?’”[13] To such people, Luther said, “We have God’s promise that He will hear us.”[14]

To quote Luther, “People who are experienced in spiritual matters have said that no labor is comparable to the labor of praying. To pray is not to recite a number of psalms or to roar in churches…but to have serious thoughts by which the soul establishes a fellowship between him who prays and him who hears the prayer and determines with certainty that although we are miserable sinners, God will be gracious, mitigate the punishments, and answer our petitions.”[15]

God answers our petitions. … Now, my friends, tell me the difference between what Martin Luther believed in his heart and what you believe in yours? Does God answer every petition? Do I have the confidence to tell my children and grandchildren that God answers petitions? What do I mean when I say God answers petitions?

To say, “God answers my petitions,” means I reflect deeply on my relationship with God. In Luther’s words, it is to have serious thoughts by which the soul establishes a fellowship between him who prays and him who hears the prayer. I must reflect deeply on my relationship with each Person of our Triune God.

Is my relationship authentic? Are my petitions as authentic as those in the Psalms? Read Psalm 5, 43 or 51. Is my spirit like Jesus’ when he taught us to ask for daily bread? Read Matthew 6 and Luke 11.

When I surrender absolutely to God the Father and His will – as Jesus did – not only at the hour of my impending death but throughout my life, I know He will provide my daily bread and every other worldly need.[16] When I surrender unconditionally to God and his incomprehensibility – which I can do only in faith, hope and love – all my petitions are answered.[17] On the other hand, if my prayer is not imbued with the spirit of Jesus’ words – Let your will be done, not mine – then it is not prayer at all, but a projection of a vital need into a void, or an attempt to influence God to execute senseless magic.

An authentic relationship with God does not mean I am free of needs and anxieties. However, when I place myself before God in prayer, for what do I ask?[18] Daily bread? Health? Love? Success? Strength? Trust? Gratitude? Protection from evil and abuse?

Whatever the outcome of my prayer, do I give thanks to God in the circumstances I find myself? If I am pressured and persecuted for my faith, do I still thank God for the gift of salvation through Christ? …

Given the rancor that touches family and community, do I pray in the spirit of the Psalmist who begged God, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”?[19]

I close with a story that I have told before, but I am going to repeat it again for the back-story of this song has affected people’s lives because it touches on rejoicing, prayer and thanksgiving. In 1967, Bob Thiele and George Weiss wrote a political song to calm our fears from the violence of the race riots that spread across a hundred cities from Newark to Los Angeles. They wrote it with one man in mind, and hoped his grandfatherly image would convey the song's message. In 1968, the song made it to #116 on the US pop chart, selling 1,000 records, but reached #1 in the UK, making Louis Armstrong the oldest male to top the UK Singles Chart, at sixty-six years and ten months old.[20] The song? What a Wonderful World.

Armstrong's appeal transcended race, but since the ‘50s, he was accused of subserviently providing entertainment for white America. Naturally, Armstrong disagreed.

As he introduced a live performance of the song, Satchmo stated, “Some of you young folks been saying to me: ‘Hey, Pops - what do you mean, What a Wonderful World? How about all them wars, …, you call them wonderful?’”

“But how about listening to old Pops for a minute? Seems to me it ain't the world that's so bad but what we're doing to it, and all I'm saying is: see what a wonderful world it would be if only we'd give it a chance.”[21]

Of course, Armstrong was speaking of love. Love comes in every color of the rainbow and fills the heart of every person created by God.

As we await the coming of Christ, take time today to reflect upon the joy that pink and all the colors of the rainbow evoke. Think about Paul’s passage: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. … In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.” Finally, petition God to create in you a clean heart and a right spirit. When you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Psalm 122.

[2] Philippians 4:15-16.

[3] Luke Timothy Johnson, The Writings of the New Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress Press (2010), 325ff.

[4] Philippians 1:7; 1:8; 2:18; 4:1

[5] Philippians 1:27-30.

[6] Brendan Byrne, The Letter to the Philippians, The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall (1990), 793.

[7] LCMS Website – FAQs – Worship/ Congregational Life – Church Year

[8] http://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/ZLITUR61.HTM

[9] Book of Concord, Page 441.

[10] Ewald M. Plass, What Luther Says: A Practical In-Home Anthology for the Active Christian. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (1959), 1082.

[11] Plass, 1083.     

[12] Plass, 1084.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Plass, 1075.

[15] Plass, 1088.

[16] Karl Rahner, The Practice of Faith: A Handbook of Contemporary Spirituality. New York: Crossroad (1986), 88.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Rahner, 89.

[19] Psalm 51:10.

[20] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_a_Wonderful_World

[21] Smashed Hits: How political is What A Wonderful World? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16118157.