This year we make a quick turn from Thanksgiving (which I hope you enjoyed!) to Advent, this being the first Sunday of that intentional four-week journey toward Bethlehem. We'll have a little fun this year by using popular films to demonstrate traditional Advent themes, starting with "Miracle on 34th Street" to speak to us of the strength of hope.
As I'm not much of a movie buff (I had to watch the movie for the first time to prepare for the sermon), I'll also offer you this from Mary Oliver, my favorite poet:
"In the winter I am writing about, there was much darkness. Darkness of nature, darkness of event, darkness of the spirit. The sprawling darkness of not knowing. We speak of the light of reason. I would speak here of the darkness of the world, and the light of _________. But I don't know what to call it. Maybe hope. Maybe faith, but not a shaped faith- only, say, a gesture, or a continuum of gestures. But probably it is closer to hope, that is more active, and far messier than faith must be. Faith, as I imagine it, is tensile, and cool, and has no need of words. Hope, I know, is a fighter and a screamer."
We'll explore that fighter and screamer at all worship services this weekend. You can prepare by reading this passage.
Peace,
