Tag Archives: Advent

January 3, 2024 · 5:46 pm

The Grandmothers: Bathsheba

Part four in this four part series on the women in Jesus’ genealogy

Bathsheba was a survivor. Her story is told in two distinct and independent passages. In the first, which we share today, she is a voiceless victim of King David. The second comes in the first two chapters of 1 Kings, when David is near death. In this passage, she is a clever strategist who ensures her son Solomon becomes David’s heir.

The difference in Bathsheba in these two passages is striking, which has led commentators for centuries to describe her in one-dimensional either/or terms. Either she is a plotting seductress or she is a naïve patsy.

As Baylor University scholar Brent Nesler wrote, “If Bathsheba is interpreted as intelligent and resourceful in 1 Kings 1–2, she is thereby assumed to be slyly complicit with the king in 2 Sam 11. If Bathsheba is interpreted as naïve in 2 Sam 11, she is assumed to be oblivious to the machinations of men in 1 Kings 1–2” (Journal of Biblical Literature, 142, no. 1, p. 91-109).

In the story we shared today from 2 Samuel, Bathsheba falls victim to King David. The first sentence of the passage tells us all we need to know about David. “In the spring, when Kings go off to war, King David sent… his servants.” Kings are supposed to lead the people to war, instead he sent others off. His power has already corrupted him. When he sends for her, she has no agency to say no. Some have argued that the phrase “When she came to him,” implies her consent, and paint her bathing seductively to entice him.

This is utter nonsense. A little later in the story, David calls for Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. The Scripture uses the same phrase as before: “When Uriah came to him.” This doesn’t imply Uriah’s consent, it reflects the fact that when a King asks someone to come to him, they come. Or die. Another important fact of the story is that Bathsheba’s actions are never condemned. David is the one that faces the punishment of God. It is David that the prophet Nathan calls out. Bathsheba, in the first story, is a voiceless victim.

Yet something changes in her. The next time we find her, the nation is on the verge of civil war. David’s different sons are vying for the crown. In fact, another has declared himself King. David, old, and mired in inaction, is about to let his kingdom crumble into chaos. Instead Bathsheba emerges with Nathan. The two make sure that David names Bathsheba’s son, Solomon, as the heir.

The stability of the nation is saved. Bathsheba is saved. Solomon becomes king and goes on to build the Temple (with his own set of pitfalls and failures).

Bathsheba is neither a foul temptress or a voiceless patsy. Instead, I propose something more complex happened with Bathsheba. When reading her story through the lens of trauma recovery, something wonderful is revealed: She healed.

She is a victim of abuse who survived, healed, found her strength, and asserts her control and self-determination. Bathsheba, the last grandmother mentioned (but strangely not named) in Matthew 1, is a survivor. She falls prey to powerful men, but rises up and finds her strength.

Bathsheba, when understood properly, is a model for so many women who have been traumatized. We don’t get to hear enough of her story, but she is remembered by Matthew. She is an important part of the line that brought us not only the Temple, but Jesus himself.

These are Jesus’ remarkable grandmothers: Tamar the persistent widow, Rahab the Canaanite strategist, Ruth the loyal and courageous friend, and Bathsheba the one who rose up. Their stories must be told and retold. All of them Gentiles, reflect that Jesus came from the world to save the world. He came from strength to reveal God’s strength. It is a strength forged in courage, loyalty, faithfulness, and love; not violence, coercion, or fear.

Jesus was born on Christmas as the Word of God made flesh. He was born to a woman and a man who adopted him as his own. He was born as a part of a long line of survivors. He was born into a long story of God and God’s people who were both flawed and righteous. He was born to save the world though love.

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December 20, 2023 · 12:32 pm

The Grandmothers: Ruth

Part three in this four part series on the women in Jesus’ genealogy

According to some ratings statistics, the Hallmark Channel has been the top entertainment network on basic cable in the fourth quarter of the year for several years. They are not the top network the other three quarters of the year. The difference? Hallmark knows Christmas.

The Hallmark Channel website claims that they have a new original movie every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night starting on October 20. That’s 31 new original movies. Well, original might be a stretch. Everyone knows that these movies are all basically the same story. And we’re all okay with it.

The fact that they are full of cliché, trite story lines, predictable plot points, and catalog-model attractive actors, is why we watch. We know what to expect. Like a big platter of Christmas fudge and hot chocolate, there’s not much sustenance, but it feels good to consume.

The Book of Ruth could be read critically. We could question the agency of Ruth. We could wonder about Naomi’s motivations. We could ask what “uncovered his feet” means. We could ask Boaz why he apparently allowed his men to assault other women in his fields. We could lament that the child born to Ruth is called “Naomi’s.” We can bring up issues of trafficking, abuse, patriarchy, and exploitation. These are all worthy questions of the text, and I’m thankful for scholars like Wilda C. Gafney who challenge these kinds of texts—but right now, as I ponder the Grandmothers, I’d rather see the story of Ruth as a Hallmark Christmas Movie.

Let’s plug in the characters. A hard-working woman (Ruth)who has experienced grief and a lot of bad luck. She has a dear friend (Naomi) who is older and wiser, but their bond is secure. New in town, the woman gets a job for a man of integrity (Boaz). He makes sure she is safe and shows he cares about her with little gifts and benefits. Eventually, the older friend arranges a romantic setting for Ruth and Boaz to take the next step in their relationship. They fall for each other, but they have to conquer one more obstacle (the unnamed redeemer). In the end, Boaz and Ruth marry, have a child, and Naomi joins their household. They live happily ever after as the snow falls in town square and the Christmas lights twinkle.

This could honestly be the next Hallmark movie, but there’s one more character who isn’t named in the story. He casts a pall over the entire story, revealed not by any character, but by how Ruth is described.

Over and over she is called Ruth the Moabite. The reader cannot forget where Ruth came from. Like all the women in this Advent sermon series, she is called righteous. Her integrity, friendship, courage, and loyalty leads to the joyful climax of the story—King David is her great-grandson. The righteousness of the Moabite wife leads directly to the birth of King David.

And this stands in direct tension with the other unnamed character—Ezra. The work of Ezra-Nehemiah was probably written at about the same time as Ruth. Though the story of Ruth takes place far before Ezra, they stand as contemporary voices from post-exilic Judah. As the exile ends and the people return to Judah from Babylon, they have a problem. How to rebuild? How do they put life back together. Some have been there in Judah the entire time.

Ezra-Nehemiah poses the twin projects of rebuilding the city wall and the Temple. They are also adamant that the only way to restore the people to their former greatness is to close ranks, stick to their own, and be pure. Among these purity laws is the ban of marrying outside of Israel. Moabites are among the groups specifically named to avoid.

Ezra-Nehemiah and Ruth pose competing understandings of how to move forwards as a people. Ezra-Nehemiah reminds the people of the Law, the rules they must follow, the duty they have to worship, and to protect themselves. Ruth tells a story of love, friendship, and embracing “the other.”

Ruth is more than an a Hallmark Movie. The story is a reminder that when people are in relationship, walls are broken down. Divisions that we put up to protect ourselves crumble. Relating to outsiders is a more fruitful way to be a people of God. “The other” will always be among us. Ezra-Nehemiah thought the answer was to avoid and isolate. Ruth comes back saying love and embrace.

When the writer of the Gospel of Matthew decided to tell the story of the savior of the world, he reminded us of the women that made it possible. He reminded us of Ruth the Moabite. He reminded us of a Hallmark-worthy story of friendship, courage, loyalty, and love. He reminded us that the path to the Kingdom runs through a love story. It seems appropriate that Jesus, the one who told his disciples to “make disciples of all nations,” had a Moabite Grandmother.

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December 13, 2023 · 5:31 pm

The Grandmothers: Rahab

Part two of four in this Advent series on the women of Jesus’ genealogy.

“Rahab the prostitute” is named twice in the New Testament as a model of faith in action. Both James 2:25 and Hebrews 11:31 praise her and cite her as an example of someone who should be honored. She is named in Matthew 1:5 as one of the mothers in Jesus’ genealogy.

Rahab’s inn seemed to serve as a part of the wall that surrounded Jericho (this was a common way to build ancient cities, with the “wall” being a combination of large buildings and walls forming the perimeter of the city). She received Israelite spies who were sent by Joshua to learn about the city’s defenses. This was the first stage of the Israelite’s occupation of the “Promised Land”

Rahab’s actions are incredible in this brief story. It can be argued that she manipulates three parties, all of whom are much more powerful than her. First, she manipulates the Jericho guard. When they confront her, she sends them on a wild goose chase to find the Israeli spies. Second, she manipulates the spies themselves, keeping them relatively safe but still in a precarious spot when she negotiates for the lives of her and her family. Last, she manipulates God’s plan.

The Exodus tradition is clear about how the Israelites should occupy the land. “I will hand over to you the inhabitants of the land, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods.” (Exodus 23:32). Yet Rahab’s story continues in Joshua 6:25 “Joshua let Rahab live, her family, and everyone related to her. So her family still lives among Israel today.”

In other words, Joshua made an agreement with a Canaanite, in direct opposition to God’s decree in Exodus, and this agreement helped lead the Israelites to victory. From the very first battle in the occupation, there were Canaanites who were spared. The agreement between Rahab’s family and the Israelites allowed them both to prosper.

This reveals a deeper tension that is found throughout the Hebrew Bible. There are elements of Scripture that suggest that the Israelites must be pure. They must take total control of the Land and completely destroy all of their enemies. There are truly disturbing calls for genocide found in the stories of occupation. These flow from the promises made to Abraham that are eternal. The covenant of the Land is described as unwavering and pure. The Land belongs to Israel. Period.

But Deuteronomy provides the giant “If.” The ‘if’ is found many places, but is pronounced In the final speech of Deuteronomy. “Now if you really obey the Lord your God’s voice, by carefully keeping his commandments… then the Lord your God will set you high above all nations” (Deut. 28:1). “But if you don’t obey the Lord your God’s voice by carefully doing all his commandments and his regulations… all these curses will com upon you” (Deut. 28:15).

The promises made to Abraham were made for a purpose. Five times in Genesis it is repeated that Abraham is blessed for a reason: to be a blessing to all (Gen 12:3, 18:18, 22:18, 26:4, 28:14). Deuteronomy backs up this claim, if Abraham ceases to be a blessing to all, then the promises made will turn to curses.

This is an element of the Biblical story that many ignore. As people of God, our unwavering support should be on the side of justice and peace. Drawing direct lines from the Biblical story to modern national politics and wars is a always a fraught endeavor. Within the Bible is a strong tension between isolation from and care for “the other.”

There should be a tension in all of our convictions about what is happening right now in Gaza. Multiple things can be true. Israeli people should feel safe. We grieve the 1,200 deaths and reprehensible violence that occurred on October 7. Palestinian people and children should not be collateral damage, even in the pursuit of terrorists and militants. We grieve the 18,000 Palestinian deaths and the rising humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Hostages should be released. Aid should be given. A path to a just cease-fire must be found.

Antisemitic violence against Jewish people is evil and the rise of it is disturbing. Holocaust-denial is on the rise and needs to end. Islamophobic violence against Muslims is evil and the rise of it is disturbing. The rhetoric and actions of Hamas is deplorable and cannot be justified. The apartheid policies of Israel in Gaza should be challenged and criticized. The death of innocent Israeli and Palestinian people should end. The self-determination of Israeli and Palestinian people should be protected. These should not be seen as political, partisan, or even controversial statements.

I do not have the expertise to untangle the problems in Israel/Palestine, but our Biblical story doesn’t support sweeping generalizations or unwavering support for anything but peace and justice. Rahab the Canaanite saved the Israelites in a city in what is now known as the West Bank and her family lived with them in peace. There is an Advent hope that a Jewish boy born in a West Bank town called Bethlehem could be the Prince of Peace.

A Pulpit Fiction interview with Walter Brueggemann

A thoughtful piece about avoiding antisemitism by ReformJudaism.org

Jews for Peace is a progressive Jewish voice for peace

Opinion piece from The Forward, an independent Jewish news source that both calls out both Hamas for the terrorism it has inflicted and the government of Israel for mistakes it has made. An excerpt: “Tunnel warfare is dirty, complicated, costly and requires lengthy efforts and campaigns, not the short and swift operations upon which Israel’s military doctrine is built. Rather than weakening Hamas, which is underground, the current Israeli military operation in the strip is killing supporters and opponents of the group alike, inflaming the region, exacerbating anti-Israel sentiments worldwide, silencing political opposition to Hamas inside Gaza, complicating efforts at normalizing relations with Arab countries and achieving precisely what the group wanted in the first place: to reinvigorate the Palestinian cause and force Israel to act in a manner that in essence proves Hamas’ claims.”

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December 7, 2023 · 3:19 pm

Affirmation of Faith honoring the Grandmothers

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

We honor the women who gave birth to hope, who were lifted up by Matthew as the foremothers of the One who came at Christmas.

We honor the women who used their own agency in a world that tried to rob them of it, so that their families could survive and their stories could be told.

We believe in God the mother and father of us all, creator of heaven and earth, whose promise to renew the Earth was embodied in an infant and lives in a promise yet to be fulfilled.

We believe in Christ who was made flesh in an infant child and was born to Mary, whose humanity was proven in his tears, hunger, and blood; and whose divinity was revealed in his feeding, healing, and resurrection.

We believe in the Holy Spirit who indwells with us today, and gives strength to women and men who continue to give birth to hope.

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December 5, 2023 · 5:23 pm

The Grandmothers: Tamar

Part one of four in this Advent series on the women of Jesus’ genealogy.

This Advent I will take four weeks to write about the grandmothers of Jesus. These are the women who were named in the genealogy of Jesus in the first chapter of Matthew. These four women were all either explicitly Gentile or connected intimately connected to Gentiles. Tamar’s father was from a Canaanite city. Rahab was a Canaanite living in Jericho. Ruth was called “Ruth the Moabite,” and Bathsheba was married to “Uriah the Hittite.”

They also all had sordid scandal connected to them. They were all victims of a patriarchal system that valued them more for their womb or sexuality than for their own agency, but they all survived. They all refused to be subjugated, and all four were called “righteous.” History, commentators, and “the religious,” have tried to defile their name. They have been called sinners, adulterers, and harlots, Scripture calls them righteous, and Matthew named them up for a reason.

We will remember the grandmothers of Jesus. We will remember their persistence, their cunning, their loyalty, and their courage. As we prepare for the coming of Jesus, we will remember those who prepared the way for him to come for us.

Tamar, Genesis 38:1-30

The Pharisees asked Jesus when God’s Kingdom would come. He told them a few parables, including one about a poor widow who was denied justice, but persisted in pestering the judge until he granted her justice. Perhaps Jesus was thinking of his Grandmother Tamar while he told the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8).

He must have known her story, and that she was the mother of Perez, whose line continued to King David and of course, to Joseph (Matthew 1). Tamar’s story is not one that is told much these days. It comes in the middle of the more well-known story of Joseph and brothers. Wedged in between Judah and his brothers selling Joseph to traders on their way to Egypt, and Joseph gaining favor with Potiphar before getting entrapped by his wife, we get the story of Judah and Tamar.

It is a story with the cringe-factor turned up to 10. It is disturbing on many levels. For one, we are reminded that women’s agency was extremely limited. We are dealing with a patriarchal society where women were extremely vulnerable. Yet through the difficult circumstances, Tamar’s cunning and persistence brings her the justice she deserves.

Judah’s oldest son marries Tamar, but he dies. To fulfill the levirate law (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) she must marry Judah’s second son. This is so that Tamar may live within the clan and get the protection that is due her. It is also to ensure that she may bear a son to “carry on” her husbands line. Onan, her second husband, realizes that giving his brother an heir would mean that his inheritance would be reduced to a third of Judah’s estate instead of half. So he “spills his seed,” (thus giving rise to the “Sin of Onan”) so that his inheritance will not be further divided. As punishment of this evil deed, God strikes Onan down.

Now only one son remains, Shelah, but he is too young to marry. Judah then sends Tamar back to her home to wait until Shelah is of age. After some years pass, Shelah is old enough, and Tamar has not been recalled by Judah (he thinks she is cursed), so she plots her course. When Judah comes to her home town, she puts her plan into action.

She poses as a prostitute at the gate. He takes the bait and sleeps with her. As a deposit for payment she asks for his seal, cord, and staff (all of which would be unique to Judah. This is the ancient equivalent of leaving your ID for a bar tab).

Eventually Judah hears through the grapevine that his daughter-in-law Tamar is a prostitute, and she is pregnant. He cannot bear this shame upon his name, and decides to have her killed. Then she tells him, “I’m pregnant by the man who owns these things.” When he realizes what has happened, he declares “She is more righteous than I.”

It is a crazy story, to say the least. And lest you think, “well, it’s really old, it was a different time,” you should know, it was shocking then, too. And that is the point. Tamar is never judged for her action. In fact, she is deemed righteous. She was denied the justice that she deserved—that Torah demanded. In a patriarchal system that kept women in a perpetually vulnerable state, it was Judah’s duty to protect her. When he failed, she did what she had to do.

Scholars and commentators have not been kind to Tamar. She has been called a sinner, and her inclusion in Jesus’ genealogy a sign that he could redeem even a sinner such as her. Yet neither God nor anyone else in Scripture calls her a sinner. Perhaps our puritanical sexual ethic must be re-thought. Tamar – despite posing as a prostitute and having sex with her father-in-law, is called righteous. She is the original persistent widow who demands—and receives—justice.

That the Torah includes this interlude in the Joseph story suggests that she saved not only herself but helped the development of Judah. Here, he is able to see Tamar in a new light and grow from his mistake. This is a story of Judah’s growth and development. Remember he is the brother who sold Joseph into slavery, but later he is the one who puts his life on the line for Benjamin.

That Matthew includes Tamar in the genealogy of Jesus suggests that she is a part of Jesus’ life, ministry, and legacy. Jesus, the one who criticized the religious for “devouring widow’s homes,” who raised the widow’s son, and told a story of a persistent widow, probably remembered the story of Grandma Tamar.

We should remember her, too. Remember her predicament—the product of a patriarchal system. We should remember her persistence and her triumph. We should remember our grandmothers who overcame patriarchal systems that still exist. Tamar’s cunning and persistence is an important step in the line of Christ. We can honor her by remembering the women who continue to preach, pastor, prophecy, advocate, and work for justice.

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November 30, 2023 · 5:16 pm

The Great Thanksgiving honoring the Grandmothers of Jesus

This year I will be preaching from the The Women’s Lectionary: Preaching the Women of the Bible throughout the Year by Ashley Wilcox. The year begins with Advent, and the four Advent readings include the stories of the four women included in the genealogy of Mary’s husband as told in the Gospel of Matthew. This year, the first Sunday of Advent is also the first Sunday of the month, which means it is a Communion Sunday. I have written this Communion liturgy for this Sunday to honor the grandmothers of Jesus.

Feel free to use it at any time. Just drop me a comment letting me know where you are using it in worship.

The Lord be with you

And also with you

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

It is right to give our thanks and praise

It is a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thank to you, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. You who are father, mother, and parent of all gave us the gift of parenthood and told us to be fruitful and multiply. You set parents in a garden and called them to partner with you in caring for it. They outgrew the garden and the peace and balance – the Shalom – that you created was disrupted.

Still your love was passed down from generation to generation. You guided your chosen family of people so that they could be a blessing to all the families of the earth. When they fell into slavery, your power liberated them. When the family was threatened by external foes, your grace delivered them. When the family threatened to pull itself apart, your forgiveness saved them.

A family set apart to bless the world was itself saved many times by women who acted boldly and with righteousness. Threatened time and again by foes internal and external, four women emerged out of the messiness of life and were called righteous. Each of them saved their family and preserved the family line that stretched from Abraham to Christ.

And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise these women who saved the family of Christ. But first and foremost we praise your holy name and join the eternal hymn of the Saints of God:

Holy Holy Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman and was adopted by Joseph, a Son of David, and a child of Abraham. We give thanks for Tamar the Canaanite, Rahab the Canaanite, Ruth the Moabite, and Bathsheba the wife of a Hittite. They proved that all the families of the earth are a part of your plan of Salvation. Through their agency, intelligence, courage, and loyalty, they were called righteous. They proved that those who persist for justice will be heard. Through them the line of Jesus was preserved.

Through slavery and liberation, exile and restoration, you have been our God. The Law and the Prophets declare describe your justice and your steadfast love that endures forever. After being visited by an angel, Mary went to her relative Elizabeth who was the first to declare that Jesus, still in utero, was “My Lord.”

Mary magnified you, and confessed that you show mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next. You scatter the arrogant and pull down the powerful from their thrones. You lift up the lowly. You fill the hungry with good things. You come to the aid of your servant. We remember your mercy and the promise you made to our ancestors, Abraham and Sarah, which was kept through the agency of these women until the Word became flesh.

Christ humbled himself in obedience to the Divine Will and freely accepted death on a cross. By the baptism of his life, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and by Spirit.

Words of Institution

On the night Christ was betrayed…

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December 23, 2022 · 4:34 pm

The genealogy of Jesus

Matthew 1:1-17

Searching one’s genealogy has always been a popular hobby, but technology has helped create an explosion in the last decade or so. First, the ability to network on the internet made data collection more powerful as distant relatives could link up with each other without having any previous knowledge of the other’s existence. Finding one distant cousin could suddenly open enormous branches of your family tree that you didn’t even know about.

Then Commercial DNA testing kits offered people an even deeper and more precise view of their history. Marketing for these kinds of products include slogans like “Give yourself the gift of you.” Not only do these kits provide DNA evidence of your ethnic makeup, but they add you to vast databases that can link you to known genealogical studies.

The study of one’s genealogy can be enlightening. There are important medical and biological things one can find out about themselves. There are other deeper and more meaningful stories that genealogy can link you to. The popularity of the PBS show “Finding Your Roots” has revealed how powerful an in-depth story of genealogy can be.

Watching “Finding Your Roots” however, has revealed to me what a privilege it even is to have a genealogy. While everyone has people from whom they came, not everyone has the privilege of being able to study that list of ancestors. Genealogy is able to be studied by those who have the privilege of having ancestors who left a paper trail. Those held in bondage as property did not always leave a trail. Many people have had their genealogy erased by the institution of slavery. What’s more, there have been many people who have had their existence erased in the telling of family stories.

LGBTQIA+ people have often been erased from family histories. Either the person has been wiped from the family memory entirely or their “queerness” has been removed. They have become the “eccentric uncle” or the “confirmed bachelor.” Sometimes, if they weren’t willing to erase that essential part of who they were themselves, they have simply been scrubbed from the history. They were left out of the stories, cropped from the photo albums, and left uninvited to the reunions. Generations of queer people have been erased from families, exiled to be virtual orphans because their family of origin perceived their existence to be too shameful to bear.

The privilege of a family genealogy and history has been stolen from countless people because they are LGBTQIA+. The history of millions of people runs into a dead end when they get back to the auction blocks. Knowing your genealogy is a privilege that many take for granted.

Today we read Matthew’s version of Jesus’ genealogy. Often one’s first impression of this genealogy is that it is dry, boring, and easy to be skipped. It feels like a list of hard-to-pronounce names that no one remembers. While Matthew frames Jesus’ genealogy in an interesting way (14 generations from Abraham to David, etc.) it still feels like a pretty easy part of the story to skip.

Until you notice the mothers. When you consider the mothers of Jesus’ genealogy, a more interesting (one might even say sordid) story is told. The fact that these four women are lifted-up is a remarkable thing. Matthew refused to erase Jesus’ family history. In fact, he highlighted some of the more difficult parts. He took the stories that could have been stories of shame and pointed them out. He could have skipped these mothers of Jesus. It would have been easy to skip over the sordid story of Tamar and Judah. He could have left out the prostitute Rahab. He could have left out Ruth the Moabite who “uncovered the feet” of Boaz. He didn’t have to mention Uriah, who was killed by David so that he could hide his assault of Bathsheba.

These women, all victims of a patriarchal system that devalued them as humans, were all lifted-up as mothers of Christ. They were all victims, but none of them allowed themselves to remain as such. They persisted. They used their agency, their strategic minds, and their grit to achieve survival. All four women have an element of sexual scandal attached to them, and by putting their names in the genealogy of Jesus, Matthew puts those scandals right in Christ’s history too. Matthew shines a light on the stories that some may deem shameful. He makes sure to remind everyone that Jesus’ history is fraught with humanity – messy, sordid, triumphant, and persistent.

As we read the genealogy of Jesus, we can give thanks to the controversial mothers who refuse to be ignored. I hope that we take a moment to lament the stories that have been erased. I pray that we, like Matthew, have the courage to tell the stories of the messy, the triumphant, the sordid, and the persistent. For these are the stories that give us meaning and hope. These are the stories that invite us into Christ’s eternal story of redemption and love for all – even the ones that others want to erase.

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December 6, 2014 · 5:27 pm

An advent letter to my congregation

Dear Church,

This is our first Christmas together, and I cannot tell you how excited I am for Christmas Eve. Every year, there are two moments I most look forward to at Christmas. One is my daughters coming down the stairs on Christmas morning, pausing for a picture, then slowly making their way to see what magic transpired under the tree. The other is singing “Silent Night, Holy Night,” as the lights are slowly turned down and the candles are lit in the sanctuary on Christmas Eve night.

I know that Easter is supposed to be the big day. Singing “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” with the throngs and the organ and the lilies and the spring air at Easter is pretty special, but it is Christmas that touches my heart like no other. I know that Christmas is wrought with commercialism, consumerism, and a secularity that some mourn. Maybe that is why that moment is so special to me. It is so needed. It is that moment where nothing matters but joy. I can block out the noise and the fear and the distractions. Sure, “Silent Night,” has helped contribute to a falsely idyllic understanding of Christmas, but I’m okay with that. It is a song that can end war, even if only for a moment.

I get a pretty special view for Christmas Eve. I get to stand up front and look out at the faces of those gathered. I can close my eyes and see it through the years. I can picture each of the congregations I’ve had the awesome honor to serve. I can see the faces of those who have supported me, shaped me, challenged me, and molded me into the man and pastor that I am today. I can see the faces of young and old, woman and man, single and married, healthy and sick.

I can see the faces of people lit by the glow of a small candle as we sing those holy words, and I’m very much looking forward to singing it with you. We haven’t been together very long, but things are going well. No church is perfect, but I believe that I am right where I need to be. Already we’ve laughed and cried together. Already we’ve dreamed of a Kingdom future, and mourned the loss of pillars. Already we’ve eaten too much, shared some of our scars, worried a little, and stumbled through some movements. Already I can see the excitement and the energy. I can see good things happening. I can see people being fed without asking first if they deserve it. I can see invitation that is born from joy, not fear. I can see welcome. I can see grace, and a desire to share lives, not just small talk and pleasantries. I can see the Body of Christ, redeemed by Christ’s love, reaching out into the world.

Incarnation. That is what Christmas is all about. It is the coming of light in a world of darkness. It is God breaking through all of the barriers. It is strength and power and might redefined in the form of a newborn baby. Christmas is peace, love, joy, and hope. And just as that candle spreads from the table in the sanctuary to those that are singing in the pews, Christmas is the light of Christ spreading into the hearts of the faithful, and being carried out into the world. It is not about “happily ever after.” It is about the presence of God in the midst of real life.

It is a reminder that right here in the world is a promise that God is with us. Right here with the cancer is hope. Right here with the struggle and upheaval is peace. Right here in the gathering of Christ’s people is joy. Right here with our fellow humans, hurting, sinning, and falling, is love.

So I’m waiting for Christmas Eve, and not altogether patiently. I’m waiting to wish you a Merry Christmas, and to see your face lit by the glow of a candle. It’s my favorite time of year, and I’m so glad we can do this together.

In Christ,

Your pastor

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Two Rivers United Methodist Church

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Tagged as Advent, Christmas, silent night, United Methodist Church, worship

December 2, 2014 · 12:52 pm

A service of Communion for Advent

This photo was found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/alkeme/2079108412/

The following is a liturgy I wrote for use during Advent. Permission for use in worship is granted. A note that it was “written by Robb McCoy, at http://www.fatpastor.me” would be appreciated. If you’re going to use it, I also love hearing about it in the comments below, but that’s not necesarrt. The musical settings found in the liturgy are Copyright 1990 Steve Garnaas-Holmes. Published by The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. The links are to a pdf file. Some of the Words of Institution are also from the United Methodist Book of Worship.

Communion Liturgy for Advent

One: In this season of expectant waiting, we are invited to Christ’s table here and now. Coming to Christ’s table is a way to experience the grace of God. Therefore it is open to all. The only requirement is a sincere heart. The only barriers to the table are created in our own heart. So we come together as a people to confess our sins to God. We confess as a people because we all fall short of God’s plan of perfect love. We do not confess to avoid punishment. We confess to free our own hearts and minds, so we may remove the barriers we build between ourselves, our God, and our brothers and sisters.

All: We confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We go about our lives as if Christmas is an event to be celebrated, but not lived. We hear the good news, but do not heed it. We turn away the holy family for there is no room in our hearts. We hear the cry of the expectant mother, desperate for care and a place to lie, but listen instead to the carols. We see the lowly children, born in mangers among the filth of the world, but we look instead to the decorations. We hear the call of the Angels to come and worship the newborn King, but we bow down to the idols of our culture. Forgive us, we pray. Forgive us and free us for joyful obedience. Remove the barriers that we construct, and empower us to be a people doing the real, gritty, holy, graceful, loving work of Christmas every day. In the name of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen. (pause for silent confession and prayer)

One: Out of the wilderness a voice calls out. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Prepare ye the way of love. Prepare ye the way of forgiveness. The Christ child was born in the midst of darkness. The waiting is over. Christ may be born today in your heart. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are all forgiven.

All: Joy to the World. Amen.

(Musical Setting)

One: The Lord be with you

All: And also with you.

One: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Lord.

One: Now let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: How good it is to give thanks and praise.

One: It is good to give our thanks and praise. It is a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you, God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. You create the world from chaos. By simply speaking, you set the cosmos into motion, and create all things from the dust of stars.

All: Blessed are you, O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth.

One: God of many blessings, you called out a family to be a blessing to all the families of the earth. You gave them a land, and promised to make of them a great nation so that all of the nations of the world could be blessed.

All: Blessed are you, God of Abraham and Sarah.

One: God of salvation, when the people were but slaves in Egypt you called upon your servant Moses. You gave him the power to speak salvation to the Pharoah, and led your people out of slavery. You led them over the water, and helped them Passover into freedom. When the people were hungry, you gave them food from the sky. When the people were thirsty, you brought forth water from the rocks. When the people were no people, you gave them the Law.

All: Blessed are you, God of our salvation.

One: When the people asked for a King, you anointed David to be a just ruler. Though flawed, David united the people, and you promised to be with his line forever. When the Kings rebelled, as you warned them they would, you anointed the prophets, who called the people back to obedience. The prophets spoke the truth to power, and called the people to remember who and whose they were. The prophets warned the people of the consequences of injustice and false worship. When the people fell into exile, the prophets spoke words of hope and restoration when all around them, there was nothing but despair.

All: A voice is crying out: “Clear the Lord’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God!

One: You promised the coming of an anointed one, who would lead the people to peace and righteousness. You promised that the descendant of David would rule forever. You promised that out of Bethlehem would come the Prince of Peace. You promised the coming of your Kingdom, when “swords would be beaten into plows, and spears into pruning hooks.”

All: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.”

One: John the Baptist came, telling the people to “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and all around the Jordan River came to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. And so now we come, having confessed our sins, searching for the Holy Spirit to come and fill us with expectant grace. We come to be transformed by what has already come, and waiting with hope for what is to come. We deck our halls with joy, but it is our hearts that truly matter.

All: Prepare the way of the Lord in our world. Prepare the way of the Lord in our communities. Prepare the way of the Lord in our churches. Prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts.

One: And so, in hopeful anticipation, we give thanks to you, God of Creation, God of Abraham and Sarah, God of salvation, God of the Law, God of King David, God of the Prophets, God of hope and deliverance, God of John, and God of us all. We join in praise and come together to sing unending hymn of the saints of glory.

(Musical setting)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord. God of power and might adored, heaven and earth are shining bright with the glory of your light. Loud Hosannas now we sing. In the highest they may ring. Blessed is the coming one. Christ Emmanuel your son. Glory in the highest. Holy God, your name is blessed.

One: Holy are you, and holy is your Son Jesus Christ, who is the Word made flesh.