Sermon: "Expectations Defied: Flip It!" (Christmas Eve Message--December 24, 2020)

(This is the final sermon in our Advent series about our expectations around the holiday season. The others can be found here, here, here, and here.)

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All throughout Advent, we here at Boone Church have been talking about the ways that God defies our expectations this time of year. At a time when many of us try our best to recreate our memories of holidays past, God urges us to look towards the future instead. At a time when we’re busy compiling our wish lists for Santa, God reminds us of the joy—and importance—of using the gifts that God has given to us. At a time when we’re craving the serenity and coziness of home, God encourages us to welcome Jesus wherever we are. At a time when we just want everyone to get along, God turns the world upside down.

Sermon: "Expectations Defied: Jesus", Luke 1:46-55 (December 20, 2020)

(This is the fourth of five sermons in our Advent series about our expectations around the holiday season. The others can be found here, here, and here.)

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This beautiful passage from Luke is known “The Magnificat”. It’s the song that Mary sings because she’s overcome with joy and gratitude at all the wonderful things God was doing through her. If you run in social circles that include a lot of clergy (like I do), it’s alternatively known as Mary’s preemptive response to the song, “Mary, Did You Know?” In this song, the singer asks, again, and again, whether Mary knew that Jesus wasn’t your average child, that he was more than just a baby. And in the Magnificat, Mary’s answer is, “…Duh. Of course I know this kid is special.” The lyricist may have thought that he was dropping a major bombshell on her, but Mary had already made it clear that she knew exactly what she was getting into from the very beginning. 

Sermon: "Expectations Defied: Home", Luke 2:1-5 (December 13, 2020)

(This is the third of five sermons in our Advent series about our expectations around the holiday season. The first and second can be found here and here.)

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“Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays/'Cause no matter how far away you roam/When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze/For the holidays you can't beat home sweet home.” In just a few words, Perry Como is able to embody a seemingly universally human sentiment: home is a place of comfort, joy, and belonging. Home is where you can let your hair down and be yourself. Home is where we should be at Christmas, because home stands for everything that Christmas is.

Sermon: “Expectations Defied: Gifts”, Mark 1:4-8 (December 6, 2020)

(This is the second of five sermons in our Advent series about our expectations around the holiday season. The first can be found here.)

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Let’s be honest: few things are as ubiquitous in “the Holiday Season” as gifts. And thanks to the United States Postal Service, it’s the one part of this December that’s unlikely to change too much. Sure, on December 25 we may be opening them in separate houses, but until then, we’ll still be compiling our wish lists, writing letters to Santa, and dropping pointed hints about what we hope to find under the tree on Christmas morning. We’ll still be humming Christmas songs about “All I want for Christmas” (whether the answer is “you” or “my two front teeth”); we’ll still be trying to recall all 78 gifts that we got from our true love; we’ll still be doing our best not to cry or pout because Santa Claus is still coming to town. Getting presents is a huge part of Christmas culture.