Does Christmas Mean Something?

Does Christmas Mean Something?

I was recently speaking with a man from the community who was both repelled and fascinated by the Church and religion. He had a lot of questions, but one in particular intrigued me. He asked, “What were holidays like Christmas originally designed to do for people? Is there a way to dial it back so that holidays actually mean something other than spending?”

I’ve been asked a lot of things over the years, but this question was new and is more important than I think the man asking it realized. At its core, this question is both an indictment of the Church and a plea for some shred of hope. It’s an indictment because, if the Church had been living its mission, the question would be unnecessary. But it also contains the hope that maybe there’s still some way to peel back all the layers and find something that can help us get through this life with a sense of meaning and purpose.

In this sermon, I explore his question and the larger meaning of Christmas.

Pastor Anne

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Preparing the Way

Preparing the Way

I don’t think there’s a time of the year when we are more focused on preparations than the Christmas season. We groan under the weight of baking, shopping, writing cards, wrapping, decorating, and all the things that go along with the season. And in the midst of all that hustle and bustle, there is this strange and annoying man in the Gospel—John the Baptist—telling us that there is yet one more preparation to be made. We need to prepare the way of the Lord. But how?

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The Day the Sun Exploded

The Day the Sun Exploded

The first Sunday of Advent is the first Sunday of the Christian Year, which is structured around the life of Jesus. It seems natural that we would begin the Christian year with preparation for Jesus birth; but the Church has always recommended that we actually start at the end, with a discussion about the end of the world and Jesus’ return. I can be a liturgical rebel, but this week I’m going to go with the flow and start at the end. I spent a lot of time in my younger years focused there, and I learned a few things from that experience.

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Become Thanksgiving

Become Thanksgiving

It is easy to assume that being thankful is a feeling that propels us to express our gratitude by giving back in some way, or at the very least, saying “thank you.” We count our blessings, which often are made manifest by comparing our situation to that of someone less fortunate.

Certainly there are many benefits to recognizing all that we have been given. It is far better to survey the landscape of our lives and feel grateful than it is to feel miserable. And when we recognize all we have been given, that does typically move us to either pay it back or pay it forward in some way.

But I think there’s another layer. I think we can move from saying “thank you,” to feeling deep gratitude and giving back, to finally orienting our lives in a way that reflects our thankfulness without any specific prompting or motivating factor. I think, ultimately, our lives can become thanksgiving..

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Are You Satisfied?

Are You Satisfied?

Do you feel satisfied with your life? Are you content? Do you find yourself thinking “I would be satisfied if only I had X?” Has the goalpost of X ever moved for you? What does being satisfied even mean? The Bible has things to say about all of that in both the Old and New Testaments.

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Born In Fire

Born In Fire

This week’s message invites us to think about an ancient legend in which Christians have often seen a reflection of our own faith: The Phoenix that is consumed in flame in order to be born anew from the ashes. Jesus talks about being baptized by fire. The United Methodist symbol is a cross and flame. How do we understand fire in a Christian context and what might the legend of the Phoenix have to teach us?

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