People everywhere are reaching for hope, something firm to stand on. Christmas is so much more than wishing for a better world; it’s a symbol of the universal nature of wonder that can transform our lives, brining us hope, meaning, and purpose. The Christmas Eve sermon (2021) is based on Isaiah 9.2-7 and Luke 2.8-20. I also explore than unsentimental gifts of the Christmas classic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and what it shows us about living through this pandemic.

The poetry of Isaiah and the prose of Luke are examples of ways these ancient writers tried to help their people find hope, feel some sense of wonder, and taste a little joy despite the hard times they were living through.

That’s what Christmas aims to do for us tonight and in the days ahead. It’s what Christmas has tried to do for a lot of people facing a lot of challenges throughout the course of history. . . .

Christmas is about so much more than the birth of Jesus long ago. It’s about where we will find God today. And where we’ll find God today may be quite surprising to many religious people. God is so much closer than we think. Here’s a sermon based on Micah 5.2-5a and 1 John 4.7-12. Offered for the Fourth week of Advent, 2021

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,” says the prophet Micah, “you, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient of days.”

The prophet says that Bethlehem is the place where God planned to do something new, something good, something helpful and healing for all people. . . .

"It's a Wonderful Life" | the unsentimental power of Christmas for our pandemic lives

The Banality of Christmas: Where you'll find God may surprise you