Sermon notes Dec. 16-Zeph. 3;`14-20, Phil. 4:4-7, Is.12

Dec. 16, 2012 Zeph. 3:14-20 Phil. 4:4-7, Is. 12
End time material has a sunny side as well as one of foreboding, with a Advent joy and Advent hope Presbyterians may be vulnerable to the advances of right wing views on the end times, or maybe better put the consummation of God’s hopes, God’s vision for creation for a couple of reasons. One we don’t engage in Bible Study nearly enough, so we feel we are shaky ground. Two, we do not have the narrative overlay, the cookbook setting for  end times material that others embrace. In fact our southern branch declared such an approach to be heresy. Third,  we have not done a good job in getting folks a framework for apocalyptic material, and indeed, often ignore it when it does appear in the readings.

When we are thinking more of the infant Jesus  in our hearts and minds, I love one way to read a line in Zephaniah. with serious translation issues. It could mean that God will quiet you in his love. Immediately, I imagine a parent soothing a squalling infant, the very thing that the swaddling is supposed to help.(remember the look on the first Lady’s face when the President calmed a squalling infant?) Another way to read and translate the passage would be as the NRSV does, to renew us in the love of God.Either way, is a wonderful Advent image, to be quieted in our hectic pace. We could also see this time as starting to grasp a love of abundance, that flows and flows, with no end in sight, instead of our careful micrometer measurements of a size of hearts we fear grows two sizes too large instead of being too small for our lives.

The Incarnation is a proof of how good delight sin humanity. Here the Creator of all, the bringer of the end times as new beginning lives in a newborn at Christmas time. At this time of year, hear those words fully. God delights in us. god delights in each one of us. We are a gift to God, not only gifts from God. that may be one of the best spiritual presents we can receive, to hear and accept this verse that closes the vision of Zephaniah. His name is a bit obscure. He could be a visionary of things hidden by god, but this can also mean kept for safe keeping, treasured. I think of company coming in our house that if we touched something for them them it was on pain of death. That may well of been my introduction to the sacred, those guest towels, those things set out for company.

Phil 4:4-7 the Lord is near.We could take that to mean that the consummation of all things is on the calendar, or that the presence of God is as close as every breath.We can take it as an extension of the very notion of Emmanuel, god with us, in every condition of our lives, and in its most apparent in the birth of Jesus.The Lord is near to calm and quiet unquiet souls with noisy, frenetic lives. I p[icture Mary and joseph calming the babe of Behtlehem. I picture god saying there , there to us in the everlasting arms.

Is. 12 draw water with joy from the well of salvation.See the image of abundance there;imagine  the water is pure and deep and refreshing.The well of salvation is  Christmas spirit.We could use the mighty Mississippi down the hill from us, big enough to support barges.We then canuse the other translation of Zephaniah, to be renewed in god’s love.