Worship on the first Sunday after Christmas
10:00 am December 29, 2024
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg Reader: Sam Malayang
Welcoming Elder: Heather Tansem Children’s time presenter: Vivian Houg
We gather to worship God.
Music Prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
P: And also, with you
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship
Call to worship:
L: Praise the Lord from the heavens in the heights.
P: Praise god, all the earth and everyone.
L: Praise the God above us all.
P: Praise is on our lips.
Opening praise: Graves into gardens
Prayers of approach and confession
God of all generations, you are the Source of all life and the strength of our lives. In Jesus Christ, you entered our lives and showed us how to live with hope and generosity. Through the Holy Spirit, you nourish our lives each day so that we can offer hospitality and kindness to those we meet.
As we worship you, lead us to drink from the goodness of your well, so that we may become a blessing to others in the name of Jesus Christ you son and our Lord.
Generous God, we confess that we often fall short of the kindness and compassion we meet in Jesus. You have blessed us in so many ways and yet we want more, always more. You have welcomed us like guests to a banquet, yet we find it hard to welcome a stranger, to meet new people and extend more than a quick smile. You have shown us what matters most in life, but we are distracted by our worries, busy with things that do not really matter.
We scurry about our business and forget that love should be our business, care our currency. Forgive us, God, and teach us to honour you in all that we do and say, for the sake of Christ, our Saviour and our Friend. Amen.
Response: Glory, glory, hallelujah
Assurance of God’s grace
While it is true that we have sinned and fallen short of God’s hope for us, it is a greater truth that we are forgiven through God’s amazing love. To all who humbly seek the mercy of God, I say, in Jesus Christ, our sin is forgiven. So be at peace with God, with yourself and with one another. And now please extend that peace to those around you.
We listen for the voice of God.
Response: Jesus loves me (373)
Children’s Time Theme: How does the Bible say we are to clothe ourselves?
Object: Articles of clothing. A shirt, pants, and a hat or cap.
Scripture: Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
Well, I hope that everyone had a merry Christmas. Did anyone here get any new toys? Did anyone here get any new clothes for Christmas? I know you may not get as excited about new clothes as you do about the toys you received, but I do know the good feeling that you have when you wear some new clothes that you really like.
One of the very first decisions that you and I have to make every day is the decision about what we are going to wear. The clothing that we wear is very important to most of us. Most of us want our clothes to be a style that is popular. To some people, even the brand is important. We want our clothes to be in good condition – with no holes or missing buttons – and, of course, we want them to be clean.
The clothing that we wear says a lot about us. Sometimes I see little girls wearing T-shirts that say, “Princess” or “2 Cute.” Traditionally, boys often go more for football jerseys, Spiderman T-shirts, or something like that. Sometimes, you need just the right hat or a cap to complete your outfit.
As you are choosing what you are going to wear each morning, do you ever give a thought to what the Bible says about how we should clothe ourselves? Well, the Bible doesn’t tell us which shirt or pants to wear, but it does have something to say about how we, as God’s children, should clothe ourselves.
The Bible says that we should clothe ourselves with kindness, gentleness, and patience. It says we should put on a forgiving attitude. Finally, the Bible says, we should top it all off by putting on love. That brings it all together in perfect unity. The great thing about this outfit that the Bible describes is that it fits us all — boys or girls — young or old. Do you know what else is great about it? It never goes out of style!
The next time you are trying to decide what to wear, why not put on a little kindness, gentleness, and patience? Add some forgiveness, then, top it off with love.
Prayer: Dear Father, we are always careful in choosing what clothes to wear. Help us to be just as careful about choosing our attitudes. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (535)
Song: See amid the winter’s snow (168: vss 1,4,5)
Scripture readings: 1 Samuel 2:18-20,26; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52
Response: O come, let us adore Him
Message: Above all… love
The book of Colossians was probably penned by a young man named Timothy, who was acting as Paul’s secretary during his imprisonment in Rome. This would be in the early period of the early 50s. This letter was sent to Colossae, one congregation within a group of cities built along the Lycus Valley Road, leading up to the foot of Mt. Cadmus in modern-day Turkey’s highest mountain.
At the time, the city was quite famous for its syncretistic tendencies. People there tended to combine religions together, sort of like present-day Hoodoo, Santeria, Rastafarianism or most similarly like Bahaism, which tries to combine the best parts of different religions together but at the sad cost of what makes them unique and honestly renders them nothing more than human moralistic positions while ignoring the most foundational parts that seek to speak to Who God is).
In Colossae, people took paganism to its ultimate conclusion by combining all the known major religions they had seen. This made systems of ethics but was devoid of God. For this reason, there weren’t a lot of hard and fast rules for ethical behaviour in Colossae outside the traditional Jewish communities. However, this openness to different beliefs made the people in Colossae quite amenable to Christianity as well, not to its distinctive exclusivity. In other words, they were in a somewhat similar situation to the one we are in now in Canada. People got the moral part of it (for the most part), but that was about it, so they generally didn’t see much need for a church. But a small church had begun to meet together in someone’s home.
Today’s reading is a whole new chapter and section in Paul’s letter, and it starts like this: “Since then, you have been raised with Christ.” Now, here’s a helpful hint. Whenever you encounter a verse like this when reading your bible, you first have to investigate the past. A passage like this can have no meaning apart from its previous section. “Since, then”? So, the question has to be asked, “since when?”. To find that answer, we have to go back to Chapter 2, verses 20-23. That reads as follows, “Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why (as though you still belonged to the world) do you submit to its rules… based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom… but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
In other words, there are many things that seem wise in this world that aren’t and seem right, but they just aren’t.
At this point, Paul is not too concerned with the particulars. He will deal with that a little later.
He writes, “Since, then, (in other words the way you used to live before you believed) you have been raised with Christ, (So) set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life (your new life) is now hidden with Christ in God.”
You’re supposed to be different now.
Many people justify a variety of habits by calling them natural. For example, it’s not uncommon these days to hear someone say that males aren’t meant to be monogamous because they only rarely appear to be so in the animal kingdoms of nature. But this is a well-known classical fallacy titled the Fallacy of Nature. Calling these things natural does not mean it is essential, beneficial, or unchangeable behaviour. Yeah, monogamy isn’t natural. BUT… who, for example, could deny that it is also natural to go to the bathroom in your own pants, to be naked, to steal other kids’ toys or leave your teeth unbrushed for your entire life? Arsenic grows naturally while growing, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you to eat. We often need to change ourselves to do unnatural things until the unnatural itself becomes second nature. 403
Paul’s point is just the same. He says, ‘If you say that you follow Jesus, then you have been raised with Christ. So, set your mind on the things above, not on earthly things (the things you used to do). 3 For you (your old self) died…”
The world asks that we own ourselves and embrace ourselves. But in the Bible, we’re told the opposite. We’re told to deny ourselves, not let ourselves be defined by the world around us, but to rise above it, leave it behind, and become new.
But that’s not easy to do. Whether you are a long-time Christian or like the people in Colossae and have just met Jesus, that’s not easy. It’s hard to “rise above” ourselves.
A recent study showed that 70% of nearly 70,000 American college and high school students admitted to cheating on tests (70%). What exactly is going on with our youth? The Duke University report also indicated that internet plagiarism had quadrupled in the same 5 years. A separate poll of nearly 25,000 high schoolers found that almost half of the students (Half) agreed with the following statement: “A person must lie and cheat to succeed in life.” 484
This year, half of all high school graduates think they must cheat to do well. I wonder how many of them claim to be followers of Jesus.
What was true 2000 years ago still holds true today: People (even good people) find it very hard to leave the bad parts of their lives behind.
A great example of this can be found in the odd case of Vladimir Villisov of Russia, who had a heart attack that made him reevaluate his life. But instead of throwing off bad eating habits or adding some exercise into his morning routine, he decided to do something different. So, in 2006, Vladimir (age 66) built for himself a specialized coffin of enormous size, specially designed to accommodate both his rather large body and his vast collection of pornography. “The girls in those have been my companions for years,” he said, “and I want them to accompany me into my life.” 455
Yeah, it’s pretty easy to judge, but you must ask yourself… what vices do you hold on to? What parts of your old life before Christ are you trying to catty into this next one? What sins of the world are you refusing to give up? What old life were you supposed to bury when you came to Christ, but you just can’t or haven’t seemed to close the coffin on yet? You have ‘em. I promise you that. I do. What kinds of things unpleasing to God will you take to the grave with you?
Max Lucado has this excellent quote that sums it up. He writes, “God loves you exactly how you are, too much to let you stay that way. God loves you, but God also has a plan for you to make you better because he loves you.
Paul writes with a specific list of items commonly referred to as a “vice list.” He says, 5 Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: (and then he lists many things). He says, “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
This may seem odd but don’t focus too much on the specific items on Paul’s vice list. The first part of that sentence is the most essential.
In the New Testament, Paul gives six different vice lists filled with things that people need to put behind them. None of these lists is meant to be seen as exhaustive, and I’m sure each one has to do with the context of the individual situations in the congregations he is writing to. A vice list was commonly used to say “many bad things.” He’s just saying that if we understand that our sins are paid for, we should be dead to sin.
Envying your neighbour’s vacation, putting that work project above taking your kids to the game, thinking you’re so good at your job nobody could ever replace you, lying to your boss, getting angry at your coworkers, sharing that dirty joke, talking bad abut that lady, gossiping behind someone’s back, pretending you don’t see that guy on the corner who probably wants eye contact as much as a quarter… it could all be on Paul’s list.
From his hospital bed on the eve of open-heart surgery, pastor Bruce MacGyver asked his cardiologist, Dr. Lee Johnson, “Can you fix my heart?” The Physician said, “Sure,” and then walked away. Following the 12-hour surgery, MacGyver asked Dr. Johnson, “In light of the blocked arteries that I had when I checked in, how much blood supply do I have now?” “All you’ll ever need,” replied the surgeon. Before MacGyver was discharged from the hospital, Bruce’s wife Lana asked the doctor, “What can you tell me about my husband’s future quality of life?” Dr. Johnson paused and then said this… “I fixed the heart; quality of life is up to him.” 404
To die with Christ is also to put to death “the former self” and to aim for something new.
Paul worked diligently for the sake of the gospel but did not remotely believe that his work ended when someone accepted that Jesus had died for their sins. Instead, that was a part of the discipleship journey. The idea here is pretty simple. God loves you exactly the way you are. I’m going to say that again. God loves you exactly the way you are. But He also loves you too much to let you stay exactly as you are. People today love that first part. But we all often forget the second part, don’t we?
In the end, Paul has one final point to make, and it’s often taken wildly out of context. He writes, “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, enslaved person or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
Paul tells a group of Jews and Gentiles that they are loved. He says it doesn’t matter if you are a part of the “chosen people,” or you grew up in the faith, or you are from a “high” or “low class,” or even if you are a Scythian (a group thought of as the most barbaric and violent clan in history at the time), if you come to Jesus, then you are all the same… forgiven sinners trying to do better. And every one of you is welcome to come just as you are. But at the same time, we must be willing to put some things in the tomb with our old selves. We all have to. That is what calling Jesus “Lord” means. Amen.
Song: Spirit, Spirit of gentleness (399)
We respond to serve God.
Our time of giving
Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves
Thank you for what we have accomplished through the work we do, and for what each one of us contributes to the wellbeing of our community. Inspire us to work together on the challenges we face and surprise us with the solutions to problems that once seemed overwhelming.
Today we pray for all those who labour in difficult situations:
for children who work in terrible conditions and are paid very little.;
for migrant workers who are far away from their families.;
for those who are underpaid or unjustly treated in their workplace.
God, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We also pray for those who cannot labour:
for those who are unemployed or underemployed.;
for those who have become injured on the job or too sick to keep working;
for those who are denied the opportunity to earn a living because of war or discrimination or just plain overwhelming poverty.
God, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those who labour in our community.
for those who must work today and tomorrow instead of enjoying this long weekend;
for those who must work several jobs to care for their families;
for those who work at jobs, we wouldn’t want to do ourselves because they are messy or unpleasant.
God, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
God, we offer gratitude for laws that protect children,
for health and safety practices that prevent tragedies in the workplace,
and for generations before us who advocated for vulnerable employees.
Thank you for the work that goes on behind the scenes,
delivering things we enjoy and services we rely on.
Help us to look beyond these things
to picture the faces of those whose work provides for all our needs.
Through their faces, let us see your face, Creator and Sustainer of all that is.
God, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Lord above all else, help each of us to labour as one devoted to you. In our words and deeds make us upright. Help us put to death those things that wish to control us, whatever they might be and help us to put our minds on things above.
In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Song: How Great Thou Art (332)
Sending out with God’s blessing
As you leave this place
may the Living Lord go with you;
May he go behind you, to encourage you,
beside you, to befriend you,
above you, to watch over you,
beneath you, to lift you from your sorrows,
within you, to give you the gifts of faith, hope, and love,
and always before you, to show you the way.
Response: Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Music postlude
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Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).
The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2024) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.