Tag: Christmas
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Spoiler Alert: Christmas Happens In The Real World – A Sermon On Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
I think today’s gospel (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23) should have come with a spoiler alert. So here it is. Are you ready? Spoiler Alert: Christmas happens in the real world; not in the candlelight of a silent night, and not away in a manger. Here’s why I say that: Today’s gospel spoils whatever sentimental or romantic Read more
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God’s First Sacrament – A Christmas Sermon On John 1:1-18
“And the Word became flesh and lived among us.” That’s the Christmas story St. John tells in today’s gospel (John 1:1-18) and it’s very different from the one we heard from St. Luke on Christmas Eve (Luke 2:1-20). One is not better than the other. They’re just different and we need both. Luke tells us Read more
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There’s Something About This Day – A Christmas Day Sermon On Luke 2:8-20
“The shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place.’” There’s something about this day like no other day. I’ve told you this before but I’ll say it again. Christmas Day is one of my most favorite days in the church year. It is simple, Read more
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Our Original Blessing – A Christmas Eve Sermon On Luke 2:1-20
“To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:1-20) That is the angel’s “good news of great joy for all the people.” It is the summation of Christmas. It is the heart of the Christmas story. What more needs to be said? What Read more
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The Grammar Of Christmas – A Sermon On John 1:1-18
I’m going to begin today’s sermon with a grammar question. Merry Christmas. But first, a little review. You remember what a noun is, right? It’s a word used to describe a person, place, or thing. And how about a verb? That’s a word used to describe an action, occurrence, or state of being. So here’s Read more
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My New Christmas Word – A Christmas Day Sermon On Luke 2:8-20
The child has been born. Take a deep breath. Breathe in the truth of his birth. The child has been born. I love the Christmas Day liturgy. It’s one of my favorite liturgies of the whole year. It’s so different from last night’s liturgy. The crowd at last night’s liturgy has gone home. There aren’t Read more
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What Is Your Amazing Story? – A Christmas Eve Sermon On Luke 2:1-20
“They made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.” (Luke 2:1-20) What do you imagine the shepherds told them? Did they tell about standing in a light of divine presence? Did they admit there were terrified? Did they tell about Read more
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Emmanuel And The Messiness of Life – A Sermon On Matthew 1:18-25
What do you make of today’s gospel? (Matthew 1:18-25) It’s a beautiful story but does it make sense to you? I doesn’t to me. I have some doubts about it. It doesn’t sound or feel real to me. Does it to you? I struggle with today’s gospel and wonder if that’s really how it happened. Read more
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A Sermon Collection From Advent-Christmas 2021
Today brings us to the end of the Christmas season and, with tomorrow’s Feast of the Epiphany, the beginning of the Epiphany season. Here are some ways to enter more deeply into the meaning of the season: Hear the story of the fourth wise man; Bless your home with chalk; and Read the Epiphany Proclamation Read more
Interrupting the Silence 