GOOD MORNING.

THE SCRIPTURE COMES FROM ISAIAH 2:15 ON PAGE 587 IN YOUR PEW BIBLE.

LET US PRAY ‑‑ FOR GOOD SOUND AS WELL AS THE MESSAGE.

LORD WE COME IN ANTICIPATION OF YOUR WORD.

THE WORD THAT BRINGS LIGHT INTO A DARK WORLD.

HELP US TO RECEIVE THIS LIGHT AND TO BE TRANSFORMED BY IT.

IN CHRIST'S NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HEARD ABOUT THE VIOLENCE LAST WEEK OR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

THERE WERE PEOPLE: MEN VS. MEN FIGHTING, WOMEN VS. WOMEN, CHILDREN VS. CHILDREN, SOME MEN VS, WOMAN, SOME CHILDREN VS. MEN, AND IT WAS PRETTY INTENSE.

THE INTERESTING THING WAS THIS FIGHTING DIDN'T HAPPEN IN IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN OR IN AFRICA OR SOME OTHER FAR‑OFF PLACE.

IT HAPPENED IN PLACES LIKE CHATTANOOGA, NEW YORK CITY, LOS ANGELES AND PLACES IN BETWEEN.

IT HAPPENED THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, THE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ON BLACK FRIDAY WHERE PEOPLE FOUGHT WITH EACH OTHER TO STAY IN THE RIGHT PLACE IN LINE, WHERE PEOPLE FOUGHT WITH OTHER PEOPLE, LITERALLY COMING TO FISTICUFFS OVER THE LAST SWEATER OR JACKET THAT WAS ON SALE.

TWO MEN WERE HAULED OFF TO JAIL BECAUSE THEY FOUGHT OVER WHO CUT IN FRONT OF WHOM AT 3:30 A.M. WHEN THEY WERE WAITING FOR BESTBUY TO OPEN UP.

ISN'T THAT THE WAY TO START OFF THE SEASON.

DURING THIS TIME WE START TO SEE ALL SORTS OF CHRISTMAS MOVIES, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE,

THE ONE THAT HAVE CAME TO MY MIND WAS JINGLE ALL THE WAY.

IT IS A MOVIE WHERE ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, A FATHER WHO IS VERY BUSY DURING THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON AND SO IS SINBAD, AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THIS ONE ROBOT AND THEY ARE FIGHTING THROUGHOUT CHRISTMAS TO GET THE LAST TOY THAT IS AVAILABLE AND THEY ARE FIGHTING BECAUSE THEY FEEL IF THEY COULD GET THIS ONE TOY, THIS ONE THING, THAT THEIR KIDS WOULD LOVE THEM FOREVER.

BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND THEY WOULD BE THE GREATEST DADS EVER IF THEY GOT THE RIGHT PRESENT.

NOW THOSE OF YOU WITH CHILDREN KNOW THAT THE MINUTE THE PRESENTS ARE OPENED THE CHILDREN ARE PLAYING WITH THE BOXES INSTEAD OF THE TOYS, AND THREE WEEKS LATER THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS NEXT.

THAT IS ONE WAY TO START OFF THE SEASON.

THE CHURCH STARTS OFF BY LIGHTING A CANDLE.

BIG DIFFERENCE.

THAT IS THE WAY IT MARKS TIME, COUNTING THE DAYS AND WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

EACH WEEK ONE CANDLE AND I THINK IT HELPS WITH OUR PERSPECTIVE ABOUT CHRISTMAS.

ADVENT IS ABOUT WAITING AND PREPARING FOR THE BABY JESUS.

ADVENT SHOULD GIVE US HOPE FOR A BETTER WORLD AND HOPE THAT GOD WILL MAKE US BETTER PERSONS.

ADVENT IS AN ACT OF CHRISTIAN FAITH THAT POINTS TO A BRIGHT LIGHT OF HOPE FOR THE WORLD AND US.

GOD SENT JESUS TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD AND I THINK WE NEED GOD'S LIGHT EVERY NOW AND THEN.

I DON'T THINK IT IS AN ACCIDENT THAT THIS SEASON OF LIGHT COMES DURING THE DARKEST TIME OF THE YEAR.

DAYS ARE SHORTER, NIGHTS ARE LONGER, THE ANCIENT CHURCH CHOSE THE DARK DAYS OF DECEMBER FOR THE ADVENT SEASON TO REMIND US THAT GOD'S LIGHT ALWAYS COMES IN THE DARKNESS.

ADVENT IS ALSO A REMINDER THAT OUR WORLD IS FILLED WITH DARKNESS AND EACH OF US HAS DARK PLACES IN US.

EACH OF US HAS DARK PLACES IN US.

DARKNESS, WAR, TERROR, HATRED, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND WE HAVE THOUGHT OF THOSE IN DARKNESS FAR AWAY LIKE AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST.

AND WE HAVE THOUGHT OF DARKNESS CLOSE TO HOME, HOMELESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, CHILDREN WITH DIFFICULT HOME LIVES.

OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY SUFFERING.

THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON IS A DARK TIME FOR MANY PEOPLE.

SOMETIMES THE STRESS AND BUSINESS TAKES THE JOY OF THE SEASON FROM US.

I HAVE TO GO HERE, AND DO THAT, OR WE WILL ALL FALL APART.

CHRISTMAS WILL BE RUINED AND JESUS WILL NOT SHOW UP, AND NEITHER WILL SANTA.

SOMETIMES IT IS EVEN PLACES AT OUR CHRISTMAS TABLE THAT BRINGS SORROW THIS TIME OF YEAR FOR THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES.

SOMETIMES IT IS DARK BECAUSE WE HAVE HARSH MEMORIES OF PAST CHRISTMASES AND THEY CLOUD CHRISTMAS PRESENT.

FOR ALL THE BRIGHT LIGHTS, CHRISTMAS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME OF YEAR FOR MANY PEOPLE.

I KNOW FOR EVEN SOME OF YOU HERE IT IS.

BUT EACH YEAR WITH MILLIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE WE GATHER IN CHURCHES AND WE SING, AND WE LISTEN TO SCRIPTURE, AND WE LIGHT CANDLES AND WE ARE OFFERED GIFTS.

GIFTS.

NOT LIKE THE ONES PEOPLE WERE FIGHTING OVER ON BLACK FRIDAY, THE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, OR THE ONE THAT ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AND SINBAD WERE FIGHTING OVER.

FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I WANT US TO SEE THE GIFTS THAT WE ARE OFFERED DURING THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON AND HOW WE CAN OFFER THOSE GIFTS TO OTHERS STRUGGLING IN THE DARK WORLD IN A DARK TIME.

THE FIRST GIFT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE GIFT OF PEACE.

ISAIAH HAS THIS GREAT VISION IN THE SECOND CHAPTER, A VISION ABOUT LAND AND PEOPLE, PEACE AND HARMONY, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR ISAIAH BECAUSE THIS IS A TIME WHERE HIS PEOPLE ARE BEING PERSECUTED, ATTACKED, WONDERING IF THEY WOULD EVEN HAVE A HOMELAND, WONDERING WHO WOULD RULE OVER THEM NEXT, OTHER THAN THEMSELVES AND GOD.

THINGS DID NOT LOOK SO GOOD FOR ISAIAH AND ISAIAH'S PEOPLE.

LAND WAS IN RUINS, JERUSALEM WAS BARELY STANDING UP, AND IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THAT, IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THAT ‑‑ THIS GOD‑GIVEN VISION, ISAIAH HAS A VISION LIKE, NOT LIKE ANY OTHER VISION, HE DIDN'T HAVE A SMALL VISION, IT IS A BIG VISION.

SOMETIMES WE HAVE SMALL VISIONS AND THEY PETER OUT AND WE WONDER WHY, THEY WERE JUST NOT BIG ENOUGH AND WE COULDN'T GET ENOUGH STEAM GOING.

BUT HIS VISION IS HUGE.

ISAIAH SEES THE DAY WHEN ONE HOLY MOUNTAIN WILL STAND SUPREME, WHICH IS A METAPHOR FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THAT THE LORD WILL RULE ALL NATIONS AND MANY PEOPLE WILL SHARE IN THE BLESSINGS AND WHEN PEOPLE SUBMIT TO THIS THERE WILL BE PEACE.

AND HE WASN'T BLIND TO WHAT WAS GOING ON ‑‑ HE SPOKE OUT AGAINST INJUSTICE.

HE SPOKE OUT AGAINST FAITHLESS POLITICS, HE SPOKE OUT AGAINST HYPOCRITICAL RELIGION, AND HE SPOKE OUT WITH PASSION

BUT THIS VISION IS WHAT INSPIRED HIM.

YOU SEE, RELIGION, RELIGION HAS BEEN HAMMERED LATELY BECAUSE IT IS SEEN AS AN ESCAPE FROM REALITY, AN ESCAPE FOR WEAK‑MINDED PEOPLE, AS ONE GOVERNOR STATED.

FOR SILLY PEOPLE, FOR BLIND PEOPLE.

BUT FOR ISAIAH RELIGION WAS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM REALITY, BUT WHERE HE DREW STRENGTH FROM REALLY, BECAUSE HE UNDERSTOOD THE GIFTS THAT GOD OFFERED, HE UNDERSTOOD THE POWER IN THAT LIGHT.

THE FIRST GIFT WE CAN RECEIVE IS PEACE.

I THINK IN HIS VISION ISAIAH UNDERSTANDS THAT PEACE STARTS AT HOME.

LISTEN TO THE LAST WORDS OF THAT VERSE:

O HOUSE OF JACOB, COME LET US WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD.

IN OTHER WORDS, PEACE STARTS AT HOME OR STARTS WITH US AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

YOU KNOW THIS SEASON IS FILLED WITH WORRYING, AND BUSINESS, AND FAMILY, AND WORK, AND PRESENTS.

IT IS CHAOS.

AM I GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH THIS YEAR?

AM I GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME THIS YEAR?

WILL THE FAMILY BE IN?

WHAT FAMILY IS LEFT?

I AM NOT TALKING TO THAT SO AND SO IN MY FAMILY.

DO YOU THINK THEY WILL HAVE THE NERVE TO SHOW UP?

WORK ‑‑ HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WORK?

HOW MUCH MORE HOURS DO I HAVE TO PUT IN?

I AM NOT BUYING IS THAT GUY A PRESENT AT WORK.

CHAOS AND IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS, WE ARE OFFERED PEACE.

A GIFT TO RETHINK OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND OTHER HUMAN BEINGS.

PEACE.

IN PEACE GOD SAYS TO US, YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD.

LET'S START WITH THAT PREMISE.

YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD.

I AM NOT ALL THESE OTHER THINGS GOD SAYS TO US.

YOU ARE NOT ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE TELL YOU YOU ARE OR NEED TO BE, BUT YOU ARE MY CHILD.

MAYBE IF WE STARTED WITH THAT PREMISE WE WOULDN'T BE SO STRESSED, AND MAYBE THINGS WOULD BE MORE IN PERSPECTIVE.

I HAD A COLLEAGUE STEVE IN NEW YORK, AT CHRISTMAS TIME AND HE WANTED TO GO BUY A PRESENT THAT HE HAD IN MIND FOR HIS WIFE.

AND IT HAD BEEN SNOWING AND SLEETING AND HE HAD TO WALK FOUR OR FIVE BLOCKS TO GET TO THE DEPARTMENT STORE TO BUY THIS GIFT.

HE GOT OUTSIDE AND HE STARTED WALKING AND SURE ENOUGH CARS AND TAXICABS WENT BY AND SWOOSH ‑‑

SNOW AND SLUSH ALL OVER HIM.

AND HE TRUDGED DOWN THE BLOCKS AND SAID I AM GOING TO GET HER THAT PRESENT.

HE HAD THE RIGHT ATTITUDE.

FINALLY HE GETS TO THE DEPARTMENT STORE, AND HE IS LOOKING AROUND AND CANNOT FIND A GIFT AND THEN HE SEES SOMETHING HE MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN FOR HIS WIFE AND AS HE GETS CLOSE TO IT SOMEBODY GRABS IT FROM HIM AND NOW HE IS REALLY TICKED OFF AND HE IS SAYING THING THAT IS YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SAY DURING CHRISTMAS.

AND RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF HIS ANGER AND HIS STRESS OF THINKING WHY DIDN'T I START EARLIER ‑‑ WHICH I REMIND ALL MEN IN HERE ‑‑ START EARLIER.

RIGHT THEN HE HEARD A VOICE ACROSS THE WAY THAT SAID, DON'T WORRY HONEY, REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

DON'T WORRY, JESUS LOVES YOU.

AND FOR FIVE MINUTES THERE IS A WOMAN STANDING, A STRANGER RIGHT THERE, SEEING STEVE IN HIS STRUGGLE AND WILL HIS ANGER JUST KEPT REPEATING THIS MESSAGE, AND HE SAYS, YOU KNOW RIGHT THERE THIS PEACE CAME OVER ME AND I WAS REMINDED TO REFOCUS ON WHAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT.

YES, I HAD SERMONS TO DO, AND THINGS TO ADMINISTRATE, AND PRESENTS TO BUY, AND TO TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY AND TO DO THESE THINGS, BUT THAT IS NOT THE WHY.

THE WHY IS ABOUT JESUS.

AND ABOUT HOW GOD COMES INTO THE WORLD IN THIS STRANGELY MIRACULOUS WAY.

AND SHE JUST GRABBED HIM UP BY THE SCRUFF OUT OF HIS NECK WITHOUT TOUCHING HIM, AND HE WAS OKAY AND HE FINALLY FOUND SOMETHING.

AND AS HE WAS IN THIS LONG LINE HE SAW THAT WOMAN AND SHE WAS SINGING AND HUMMING ALONG OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT STORE, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MACY'S, AND ALL THE PEOPLE IN LINE WERE GIVING HER MEAN, DIRTY STRANGE LOOKS LIKE HOW COULD YOU BE SINGING THINGS LIKE THAT AT CHRISTMAS, ABOUT JESUS?

BUT STEVE SAID, I GOT IT.

I LOOKED AT HER WITH THANKSGIVING BECAUSE SHE REMINDED ME WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT.

THE GIFT OF PEACE.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF CHRISTMAS AND PEACE, I ALSO HAVE SOME FRIENDS WHO WERE TRAVELING DURING CHRISTMAS TIME AND THEY CAME AND FLEW IN, GOT A TAXICAB AND THEY WERE TALKING TO THE DRIVER AND MY FRIEND SAID, CHRISTMAS IS COMING AROUND THE CORNER AND YOU MUST BE GETTING READY FOR THE BUSIEST TIME OF YEAR.

YOU ARE GOING TO BE BUSY AND MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.

THE TAXICAB DRIVER SAID ACTUALLY NO, IT IS THE SLOWEST TIME OF YEAR FOR US.

IT IS?

THAT IS THE PEAK OF TRAVELING SEASON.

HE SAYS THAT IS TRUE, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT COME OFF THE PLANE ALL HAVE SOMEONE WAITING TO PICK THEM UP.

THEIR LOVED ONES ARE ALWAYS THERE WAITING TO PICK THEM UP TO TAKE THEM TO WHERE THEY ARE GOING FOR CHRISTMAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE WAITING.

I CAN RELATE TO THAT, I CAN REMEMBER MY FIRST CHRISTMAS COMING HOME AFTER BEING AWAY.

I KNEW MY PARENTS WERE COMING, BUT I REMEMBER THAT FEELING OF JOY WHEN YOU KNOW SOMEONE IS WAITING FOR YOU ‑‑ TO EMBRACE YOU AND WELCOME YOU.

THAT IS HOW I SEE CHRISTMAS AND THAT GIFT OF PEACE.

GOD IS ALWAYS WAITING FOR US.

GOD IS ALWAYS READY TO EMBRACE US.

GOD IS ALWAYS READY TO SLOW US DOWN, GOD IS ALWAYS READY TO REMIND US OF WHO WE ARE.

GOD IS ALWAYS READY TO TELL US WHAT WE ARE ABOUT.

WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT.

WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN LIFE.

GOD IS ALWAYS READY TO TELL US WHERE WE ARE GOING.

I MEAN WHO ELSE WOULD SHOW UP THIS SEASON SAYING, I HAVE SOME GREAT THINGS FOR YOU THIS YEAR, THE FIRST GIFT IS PEACE, DO YOU WANT IT?

AND PEACE STARTS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE.

EVERY DAY WE LET EVERYBODY TELL US WHAT WE NEED FROM TOY COMPANIES TO PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, AND TO ME THEY SEEM LIKE THINGS THAT ARE TEMPORARY.

THEY DON'T SOLVE THE DEEPER QUESTIONS OF LIFE AND I AM NOT A BAH, HUMBUG.

THERE WILL BE PRESENTS AND SANTA AND PEOPLE AND LAUGHTER IN MY HOME, BUT ALONG WITH THOSE THINGS I WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE THE FAR RICHER, DEEPER GIFTS THAT CHRIST HAS TO OFFER.

WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE ACCEPT GOD'S GIFT OF PEACE?

I KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE DON'T?

NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

CHAOS WILL CONTINUE TO REIGN THIS SEASON AND PROBABLY MOST SEASONS OF YOUR LIFE.

MY FRIEND DAVID LOVES CHRISTMAS.

HE WAS A FANATIC ABOUT CHRISTMAS WHO LOVED TO GIVE GIFTS AND MADE CHRISTMAS A BIG DEAL IN HIS HOME.

STICK WITH ME, WE ARE ALMOST DONE.

ONE CHRISTMAS THERE WAS AN ENVELOPE IN HIS TREE AND IT HAD HIS NAME ON IT AND HE OPENED IT UP AND IT WAS A GIFT CARD, TO HONOR HIM FROM A SPECIAL PROJECT TO HELP A CERTAIN TRIBE OF PEOPLE IN AFRICA.

AT FIRST HE WAS LIKE OH, NICE.

BUT THEN HE SAW THIS CHANCE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN HOW THIS MONEY WAS SENT TO THESE PEOPLE IN KENYA.

AND THEY BUILT WELLS AND SENT FOOD AND HEALTH CLINICS AND HOW ONE OF THE BOYS IN THE FOOD LINES GREW UP TO BE A PASTOR OF A CHURCH IN A VILLAGE WHERE THERE WERE THREE WARRING TRIBES AND SOMEHOW HE WAS A PEACEMAKER AND BROUGHT THE THREE TRIBES TOGETHER INTO THAT ONE CHURCH.

YOU NEVER KNOW, YOU NEVER KNOW, WHEN YOU ACCEPT THAT GIFT OF PEACE HOW FAR IT WILL TAKE YOU AND TAKE OTHERS.

PEACE STARTS AT HOME IN THE HEART AND MOVES OUT TO SPREAD.

NOW IF WE ARE BUSY BEATING PEOPLE UP OVER WHO CUT IN LINE FOR A NEW NINTENDO OR WHATEVER, PEACE WILL BE HARD TO COME BY, BUT BY LIGHTING THESE CANDLES WE ARE REMINDED OF THE LIGHT OF CHRIST THAT CAN ENTER US AND GIVE US THE GIFT OF PEACE.

DO YOU REMEMBER SCROOGE, THE CHRISTMAS CAROL?

I WAS IN THAT PLAY ONE TIME AND I WAS SCROOGE.

YEAH, IT WAS REALLY MORE A COMEDY.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REMEMBER FROM READING AND BEING IN THAT PLAY IS THAT SCROOGE NEEDED ONE THING HIS ENTIRE LIFE, BUT HE PASSED BY IT ALL.

HE WENT FOR THE WRONG THINGS AND THEN AT THE END HE DISCOVERED THAT WHAT HE REALLY NEEDED AND WANTED WAS PEACE ABOUT THE PAST, PEACE ABOUT THE PRESENT, AND PEACE ABOUT THE FUTURE.

MY PRAYER FOR THIS ADVENT FOR US IS THAT WE WILL HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS.

CHRIST IS OFFERING US PEACE, SO LET'S TAKE IT.

AND ALL OF GOD CHILDREN SAID, AMEN.