The Lord Is My Light Rev. Dr. Scott Field Psalm 27 Date: 12/4/2016

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Vivien Thomasina Malone
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1 The Lord Is My Light Rev. Dr. Scott Field Psalm 27 Date: 12/4/2016 Christmas Competition Each year during this special season of peace, love, joy, and hope -- all based upon the grace and mercy of God -- is interrupted and undermined by the various Christmas Competitions: Of course, there are the competitions for the "best" musical or dramatic prevention, be it the Nutcracker ballet, Handel's Messiah, Dickens' Christmas Carol, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" or "A Christmas Story" -- where it's all fun and games until someone gets hit in the eye. Various municipalities have shown their competitive streak by out-doing one another with "electric light parades" at night to conclude with the lighting of the municipal Christmas/Holiday? Hanukah/Kwanzaa Tree. Churches seek to one-up one another with special worship services, dramatic pageants, and walking close to the line of the competitive commercialization of Christmas -- all in Jesus' name. One of the most interesting is always the competitive displays of Christmas lights. Who can use the most power and cram the most electrically illuminated stuff on their property? I did extensive research on this issue and found a winner from Cleveland, Ohio of particular note. The particular note that struck me, however, was not the display itself but the musical accompaniment. It's a recent secular Christmas favorite which is full of our holiday hurriedness without even a mention of Jesus. The group is an a cappella ensemble called Straight No Chaser and the piece is called the Christmas Can-Can. Please give your attention to the video screens. STRAIGHT NO CHASER The Christmas Can-Can Lyrics Christmas, Christmas time is here, the sleigh bells and red-nosed deer Songs and songs, we love to hear all played a thousand times each year Heard this same song 20 times and it's only Halloween (Joy to the World) (I saw three ships come sailing in on Christmas day, on Christmas day) It's not even cold outside (deck the halls with boughs of holly) (Hark the herald angels sing) (Joy to the world!)

2 Christmas, Christmas time is here, the sleigh bells and red nosed deer Songs and songs, we love to hear all played a thousand times each year Heard this same song 20 times and it's only Halloween (Joy to the World) (I saw three ships come sailing in on Christmas day, on Christmas day) It's not even cold outside (deck the halls with boughs of holly) (Hark the herald angels sing) (Joy to the world!) Christmas season, starting sooner every year It's October, stores with plastic Christmas trees Ransack the mall, shop until you lose your mind Spike the eggnog, sit back and watch Rudolf, Frosty, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge, The Grinch, or Charlie Brown It's time...(hey!) It's time to do the Christmas can-can If you can't, can't dance well that's okay (not going to do the kick line) All you need is a tree, some lights about a thousand presents wrap them up and pray for snow (Ho!) Run to your closet find your Christmas sweaters Screaming carols all the way (fa-la-la-la-la) Maine all the way to California it's the Christmas can-can Halloween to Christmas day It's the most wonderful time of year we're running mad with Christmas cheer Hey what's troubling you my friend? It's not fair if you're Jewish, Jewish (not fair if you're Jewish, Jewish) Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel I made it out of clay You realize that Christmas ain't the only holiday (Oye!) Hey he's right who made these laws? Look! Wait! Here comes Santa Claus! Santa Claus, Santa Claus, Santa Claus, Santa Claus (Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa) [Guys! Guys!] Hey Santa do the can-can help them if you can-can join in the parade (I'm going to go grab some Chinese food) All you need is a tree, some lights, about a thousand presents wrap them up and pray for snow (Ho!) Run to your closet find your Christmas sweaters screaming carols all the way (fa-la-la-la-la-la-la) France all the way to Indiana it's the Christmas can-can that's the end Wait! For our ending We should share this holiday Hava Nagila a happy Hanukkah to you, a happy Hanukkah to you, a happy Hanukkah to you

3 A merry Christmas, Hanukkah and also Kwanzaa. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and mer-ry Kwan-zaa too (ho) It's kind of a light-hearted romp, right? It captures some of the holiday craziness, doesn't it? But without a mention of Jesus. Which is alright as far as it goes, but actually Christmas is so completely about something so deeply serious that at one point or another we have to stop and ponder. Because the competition of "making a great Christmas" only works if you can - can. Which is precisely the opposite of the gospel good news of a Savior and Redeemer. Christmas Confession Christmas, rather the coming of Jesus, is not for those who can -- whoever they might be -- but specifically for those who can't. Settling into God's Word for a few minutes at Psalm 27 confronts us with how vulnerable we actually are. This is a Psalm attributed to David, the shepherd boy who became King, the one who wrestled a bear and won, the young man who confronted the Philistine giant named Goliath and took him out with a single stone in a sling. Yet this Psalm shows us the threats, risks, and fears of David - despite the fact that he was the leader of his people. He is vulnerable to failure at the hands of his enemies -- he cannot control the strength of those who are against him. (27:2) He is vulnerable to what others will say about him -- he cannot control the words of others (27:12) He is wary of the days of trouble that may overtake him (27:5) He fears that God might forsake him, abandon him, at the time of deepest need (27:9) We can relate, can't we? We are not royalty. We don't command an army, such as it was in King David's time. But we can relate. We buy insurance, try to keep some cash available, do what we can to stay healthy, keep those we love close -- if not close at hand, at least close in heart. But we know, don't we that sometimes our love is not enough to avert tragedy, our efforts to stay healthy are inadequate to turn back terminal illness, the costs of living sometimes outstrip the cash available, and no matter the insurance it still does not insure us against despair. Christmas, though, is not something we do. It it the promise of something done for us by Jesus. Our response is worship and adoration; faith and following. Those things that may have brought fear to David in the middle of the night were faced by Jesus, too. And, amazingly, wonderfully, they were completely overcome through his resurrection victory. You may or may not be familiar with the accounts of Jesus life, teachings, miracles, suffering, death, and resurrection, but these same encounters -- and much more -- confronted him. Enemies against him. The insults and mocking about him.

4 The calamitous trouble that overtook him. The closest friends and some of his family betraying him. The soul-crushing cry on the cross, the mystery, as God the Father turned his back on Jesus. These fears and vulnerabilities, these certainties of failure belong to us all. It is part of being human. But the gift of God to us which we celebrate at Christmas is that while we can't, God can. And God has. And God will. Through Jesus. Because of Jesus' victory over sin, over the devil, and over death itself we have a living hope and lifelong confidence. Listen to these promises from God's Word to us: Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace, he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. Titus 3:3-7 NLT But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 NLT What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won t he also give us everything else? Romans 8:31-32 NLT Christian Confidence We are in a much more complete understanding of God's deliverance than King David could for we live on this side of the resurrection victory of Jesus.

5 But even David, because of his experiences of God's protection and provision, was able to trust the Lord when he could not trust himself. His strength may fail. His friends desert him. Troubles may overtake him. God may seem to fall silent and be unaware. But Psalm 27, which considers such a range of human fears and failures, actually BEGINS with this ringing declaration of confidence: The Lord is my light and my salvation -- why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? And it concludes with this admonition: Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Text: Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)

All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey) I don t want a lot for Christmas There's just one thing I need I don't care about the presents Underneath the I just want you for my own More than you could