When John the Baptist was asked who he was, he replied, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord." (Luke 3:4)

Friends, we gather here to prepare a place for our Lord. We are in the holy season of Advent, a time when we make ready for the celebration of the birth of our Saviour, Christ Jesus.

Spiritually, we make a place for Christ’s birth in our hearts. We decorate our homes and communities in preparation of the celebration of this wonderful gift from God. And, we prepare our house of worship for his coming, dressing it in beautiful apparel, just as we would for the visit of an earthly monarch.

God does not live in temples made by human hands, but God knows that we need them in order to focus our worship. Nor does God require a fine place for the birth of the Holy Child – a manger in a stable is sufficient. But God accepts with pleasure the love and devotion we show in preparing a place fitting for our Savior’s birth. But let us remember that just as John "was not that light, but came to proclaim the Light, that all might believe", so we do not celebrate the Birth in these preparations, but in them we point the way. These symbols are Advent signs of Christ’s coming.

Let us, then, make ready this house of God together, recalling the meaning of the symbols we use, that we may remember, and our children be taught them. And let us joyfully anticipate the Nativity of Christ, to the glory of God.

Let us begin.

Hymn There’s a Voice in the Wilderness Calling VU 18

(remain seated)

Bells have been used throughout the centuries to call people to worship or to bring them news. Good news and bad news has been heralded by bells. When heirs to royalty were born in European countries, bells would peal. When wars were over, bells would celebrate. Bells often ring when Christians die. They ring to call us to God’s house. Today, bells ring to call us to remember the birth which is soon to be celebrated among us, that of our Lord, Jesus.

There is a legend of a great cathedral whose bells suddenly refused to ring. Nobody could tell why they would no longer sound. Then a messenger appeared announcing that God had decided not to let the beautiful bells sound until the gifts of his people were once more satisfactory. On Christmas Eve, the people all brought the most expensive gifts they had, and laid them on the altar. But the bells did not ring. Finally, the king of the realm came down the centre aisle of the cathedral, laid his crown upon the altar, and stepped back, awaiting the sound of the bells. But there was silence.

When the service was ended, and people sorrowfully began departing, one small lad, a beggar’s son, who had but one tiny piece of silver with which he had meant to buy bread for his family, crept up to the altar, laid the silver there, and knelt to pray. Suddenly, the bells pealed forth as they had never before sounded.

May the bells we hear this season call to our remembrance that great gift which changed the history of the world: the gift to us of God’s own Son.

(remain seated)

The most popular flower of this holy season is the bright red poinsettia, first discovered growing wild in Mexico by a foreign diplomat in the late 1820’s. In its homeland, it was referred to as the Flower of the Holy Night or the Flame Leaf, and many legends grew up about it. One is that it was merely a weed, until it was placed at the feet of the Virgin Mary by a poor peasant girl who had no other gift to bring. As it touched the feet of the statue, it was transformed immediately into a flower of scarlet brilliance. Another legend states that blood fell from the broken heart of a young Mexican girl, and a poinsettia grew where each drop fell.

This beautiful flower is rich in symbolism. First, the star-shaped formation of red leaves calls to mind the Bethlehem star. More tragically, the blood-red colour reminds us of the male infants killed by Roman soldiers as King Herod sought to eliminate any threat to this throne. We sometimes forget this part of the story, which made the trip of Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child to Egypt a necessity.

The colour also symbolizes the fact that the Babe of Bethlehem’s manger became the hanging Saviour, shedding the blood of suffering upon the cross of Calvary.

The poinsettia, a colourful symbol of this holy season.

(please stand)

It is not known just when the use of a tree during Christmas began, though it was probably first used in Scandinavia. Records tell of its use there in the eight century when St. Boniface persuaded the Druids to replace the oak tree of their pagan ceremonies with a fir tree that symbolized eternal life. It was first used in North America in the mid 1840’s in Ohio, and first appeared in a church, amid some controversy, in Cleveland in 1851.

The most famous story about its use centers around the Reformation genius Martin Luther. As he walked through the forest one starry night, with snow covering the ground, he marveled at the beauty of the starlight as it shone on the tree’s branches. When he tried to tell his family of this sight, they failed to comprehend its beauty. So he brought a pine tree into the house and placed candles upon it to represent the twinkling of the stars.

Another legend tells of a poor woman who could only provide a small, sparsely-decorated tree for her children. One night, however, spiders spun webs throughout the tree as a reward for the woman’s goodness, and by the morning God had turned the webs into silver and gold. So, it is said, the tinsel we place on our Christmas trees represents the power of God to grant hope in the midst of despair.

The use of an evergreen tree in churches during Advent has now become a common symbol of the glory of God, as its tip points heavenward.

Carol – O Christmas Tree (remain seated)

Many Christmas trees are topped with a "Christmas" angel. The story of the birth of Jesus contains a massive invasion of angels – from the angel who tells Joseph of Mary’s coming baby, through the angel that came to Mary announcing the news of the baby to come, through the angel that warned the little family to flee, and so on. Angels abound in our Scriptures, especially when we read the Christmas story.

The word "angel" means messenger. The purpose of the angel was to help God convey his message to the people who needed to hear about what God was doing. The angel, therefore, becomes an important symbol for the whole experience of Christmas. If we fail to hear the message and to remember what God has done for us, then this yearly celebration becomes nothing more than an excursion from reality. However, if the days of preparation and the event itself remind us of God’s initiative, then all of life will be viewed with the overwhelming reality that God was – and is – active in our world. Just as Joseph and the wise men and Mary and the shepherds heard God’s message and responded accordingly, so we also need to hear the message of this season and remember; and then apply what we believe to the living of everyday life.

While we sing our hymn, I would ask the children to decorate our tree with angels. You are invited to take one of the angels after the service and prepare a gift for one of the residents of Bentley Home or for a teenager of a needy family, as a tangible example of how we apply what we believe to our daily living.

The lighting of candles has been a part of religious worship for centuries. Since Jesus has been referred to as "the light of the world" in the New Testament, candle lighting has become an important part of Christian worship. When Joseph and Mary presented Jesus in the temple, Simeon referred to the Christ child as "a light to lighten the Gentiles", a way of pointing to his future glory. A progression is usually followed in the lighting of the candles of the wreath, symbolizing hope, peace, joy and love, in that order through the four weeks of Advent, and culminating in the lighting of the central Christ candle on Christmas Eve, marking the dawning of Christ’s birth.

The lights on the Christmas tree have a similar meaning – the illumination of God’s message of love made flesh in Jesus Christ. The lights are often white, reminding us of the pure and entirely unselfish grace of God. Even as the snow falls on everyone, making no distinction, so God’s unlimited love is given, unto us a child is born.

Throughout the ages, astronomers have proposed countless theories about the mysterious light over Bethlehem. Some have calculated it to be the recurrence of Halley’s Comet, or the sudden merging of two or more planets. Whatever the legends surrounding the star, it has survived the centuries as a symbol of the new promise that changed the course of human history. It represents "the one true perfect light" that will not be vanquished, to whom we are drawn in Advent, as the Magi were drawn to adore the manger child.

(remain seated)

One of the ways in which we are called to serve others is to be willing to help others in need. The Christian symbol of this part of the Christian faith is the candy cane. The candy cane is in the shape of a shepherd’s staff. We are told that this staff, or cane, served two purposes, in addition to being of help to the shepherd as he walked or climbed. When out in the fields or wilderness with the sheep, there were times when a little lamb would fall into a deep hole. With the hook end of his staff, the shepherd could extend his reach and save the animal that was under his protection. At night, the flock was returned to the safety of the home fold. The shepherd would stand at the entrance to the fenced enclosure, and with his staff extended, he would stop each sheep before it entered. In that way, he could check each of his sheep for wounds or bruises that needed immediate attention. If the animal was all right, he would raise the staff and let it pass. If not, then he would do whatever needed to be done to take care of the sheep. The candy care reminds us that the Good Shepherd cares for each sheep in his fold. Jesus said of the good shepherd, "…the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out". (John 10:3)

Our children will now pass out some candy canes to remind us of the Good Shepherd, born a babe in a stable. While they are doing that, let us sing.

(remain seated)

(see back of bulletin)

(see bulletin)

Hymn – People Look East VU7, v.1,4,5 (please stand)