This Week at UPC

This week, we celebrate the fourth Sunday in Advent. As we prepare for Christmas, we hear the story of Joseph’s surprising preparation and change of heart. Joseph plays an important role in this birth story, providing support, protection, and naming the child yet to be “God with us.” Matthew 1:18-25 The gospel of Matthew tells Joseph’s side of the story of Jesus’ birth. God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus and, equally, God chose Joseph to care for them. Joseph had a difficult choice to make. His fiancée was pregnant. Had Joseph chosen to accuse Mary, the traditional punishments could have meant ostracism, or death. This story is marked with human vulnerability. Mary is in a fragile position. She could lose her fiancé, her family, her reputation, her life. Joseph was confronted with a difficult reality. This was probably not how he imagined starting out his marriage. What emotions might he have experienced? Anger, fear, shame, guilt, broken trust, confusion? Joseph did not wan...

Luke 1: 39-56 More than any other female, Mary has indelibly marked Christian and Western history and culture, bearing the Christ child as well as all manner of gifts and baggage about the feminine ideal. For the Christian tradition, the Magnificat (which takes its name from the first word of the Latin text) is the great New Testament praise song of liberation. With elegant power and directness, Mary preaches as the prophet of the poor. In Luke’s gospel, as Mary arrives, Elizabeth’s unborn child – who will be the prophet John the baptizer – leaps for joy at Mary’s greeting. Mary responds to this blessing by singing the glory of God’s powerful love that has chosen her to carry the Christ child. She sings because God acts with justice and mercy to lift those who are considered lowly and feed those who are hungry.  The Magnificat is revolutionary, with a long history of being banned by various church or political bodies. As recently as the 1980s, the government of Guatema...

Advent is the beginning of the church year.  “Advent” means “beginning” or “coming”. We begin, not with the birth of Jesus, but with a time of waiting and preparation for his coming. Advent is about actively preparing for and anticipating God coming into our lives – not only preparing for the celebration of Christ’s birth in a few weeks but actively preparing for God to come into our lives EVERY DAY! God’s presence with us – and our presence with those who are precious to God – brings us closer to God. We grow spiritually, love deeply, and work for peace and justice for all God’s people. During this Advent season we hear God’s message of love, peace, and justice from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah challenges us with a message of peace that demands us to work for the well-being of everyone, not simply to set aside our weapons (Isaiah 2:1–5). God’s peace requires our participation and energy – just as much energy as we might have spent fighting. Isaiah also shares a vision of power tha...

In last week’s sermon, I talked about wearing a safety pin to show support for people who feel vulnerable in these times. The safety pin is a symbol that was used first in occupied Netherlands during WWII, and has been adopted again to let people know that you will stand with them if they need you to. Many people have asked, “But what can I do, if I see someone being targeted?” So here’s a quick guide on how to be an ally when there’s harassment going on. It was written specifically for harassment of Muslims, since hate crimes against Muslims have increased 67% since the election, but apply in any bullying or harassment situation: If you would like to know more, here are two links that will take you to further information about how to be an ally: This is a whole collection of links about managing uncomfortable situations, from the perspective of someone who wants to side with the frightened and keep things calm: http://deescalationandintervention.weebly.com/resources.html ...

Isaiah 65:17-25 This is the last week in “Ordinary Time,” the part of the church year where we are not celebrating particular times or seasons in the life of the church.  Next week we will celebrate the Reign of Christ, and then the week after that we will start the church year with Advent.  This is the time of year that we are beginning to dream of a world made new, to consider the promises of God and to remind ourselves of our hopes for the One who is to come. Our scripture this week is one of the texts that looks forward to the time when the world will be healed, and imagines what that day might look like. Scholars believe the book of Isaiah was composed at different times by different authors, and generally divide the book into three sections: First, Second, and Third Isaiah. These verses are from Third Isaiah, written a couple generations after the people had returned from Babylonian Exile. The fresh energy is long gone, and in its place are the many hardships an...

Dear Friends, When you read this I will be on my way to join with clergy of all faiths and with the Standing Rock Sioux nation on the banks of the Missouri River on November 3rd. We will gather to stand witness to water protector’s acts of compassion for God’s creation, and to the transformative power of God’s love to make a way out of no way. In recent days, the repressive power of the state has increased: armed riot police are guarding ongoing pipeline construction, increased arrests and repression of non-violent prayerful action. At the same time, Oceti Sakowin water protectors have reclaimed land never relinquished by treaty directly in the path of the pipeline and established a new camp. Our duty as people of faith and clergy could not be clearer: to stand on the side of the oppressed and to pray for God’s mercy in these challenging times. Our vision is a day of protective witness in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and with the water protectors. We will ga...

Revelation 7:9-17 The Revelation to John is a challenging book to read and understand. It was written in symbolic language in a time of great danger and persecution. Its language of visions is a kind of secret code that the writer used to encourage Christians to remain faithful and to stand firm against opposition. The message of Revelation for Christians today is the same. We live in God’s world and we affirm God’s reign over the whole of creation, while waiting for the time when Jesus will come to bring God’s reign to fulfillment. This is part of what John saw, heard, and wrote down: In God’s dream of the world, no one will be sad because God’s home is with every one of us, almost like God pitches a tent next to where we live. In God’s dream of the world, no one will cry because everyone will live in peace so there will be no fighting and arguing. In God’s dream of the world, no one, woman, man, or child, will be hungry, and everyone will have a home. Can you im...

Luke 18:9-14 Right when we think we understand God and what God wants of us, we are at risk of becoming more ignorant than ever. Our relationship with God is a fluid one, requiring us to be in constant conversation with God and in humble curiosity about ourselves. This scripture introduces us to the problems of greed and pride in a few different ways. The tax collector’s recognition of falling short of God’s ways and intent brings him to a place more acceptable to God because of the humility held in it. The Pharisee claims the high-road, owning his more “just” status – due to his ability to fit into the agenda of the empire within which he worked and lived. The irony of this text, and the point Jesus is making, is that judgment is God’s realm, and we – no matter our status – are called to humility and repentance. The Pharisee has much to repent of, but cannot see it. The tax collector has much to repent of, and does. God, listening in to all the prayers, sees clearly where forgivenes...

Luke 17:11-19 In biblical times, people with various skin diseases, often referred to as leprosy, were considered unclean and therefore separated from community. The only way they could overcome their isolation was to be certified by temple priests as healed. Samaritans with a skin disease were double outcasts because of long standing animosity between Samaritans and Jews. In today’s text, this double outcast embodies the radical nature of gratitude by turning toward the true source of wholeness and healing for all people. The life of gratitude knows no boundaries of religion, culture, race, gender, disability or any other basis used for denying our shared life in God. Family activity (can be adapted to families of all ages) 1. Make a list of reasons to turn around and say, “Thank you,” to God.  2. Look at your list, choose a few of the reasons on your list and turn them into a prayer of thanksgiving. Share your prayer with someone .  3. Make a list of the peo...

Our theme this Sunday is “Living Faith (Generations)”, and you are invited to bring pictures of your spiritual ancestors in the faith. Perhaps you had a special teacher or mentor, a grandparent or a sibling, who was important in your journey of faith.  Our worship table will honor those generations this week, as we reflect on the living faith that has come to us through the generations, and consider how we might continue to pass it on. 2 Timothy 1:1-14 Today’s scriptures remind us that faith grows in community. One generation passes the knowledge of God’s grace on to the next, and a faithful community both remembers its heritage and considers its future legacy. Paul is writing from a Roman prison, from which he does not expect to be released. He joins himself with Timothy in spirit: he does not deny those things that Timothy and the community lament in the present; rather, he asks Timothy to join him in his suffering for the gospel by relying on the power of God. He remi...

1 Timothy 2: 1-7 With the community addressed in 1 Timothy, we are reminded that God’s people pray in all circumstances. We are urged to pray for everyone, including political leaders, so that all people may live in God’s reign of peace and wholeness – shalom. God’s wise ways lead and encourage us as we seek to live prayerfully as members of the Body of Christ and also citizens of our own countries. Prayer is part of living faithfully as citizens of God’s realm. God’s people are called to pray for peace and justice for all people. What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name for leaders? How might prayerful living strengthen us to work for justice, even as we pray for God’s shalom? Family activity (can be adapted to families of all ages) What is your favorite way to pray? Take a few minutes to reflect on this and think about one of your favorite prayers. You might think about when and where you like to pray, too. Draw a picture of prayer – either a picture of them praying or a ...

1 Timothy 1:12-17 The letter of Timothy retells the story of Paul and his encounter with the risen Christ. Written from Paul’s perspective, the letter talks about the ways in which this experience changed the apostle’s life. The writer knows that Paul was not deserving of God’s understanding, yet God is loving. This is grace and it is the catalyst for transformation and growth. Once full of cruelty and hatred, Paul is transformed from one who tried to squash the good news of Jesus to one who proclaims it. How wonderful to know that God never gives up on us. Like Paul we are free to grow in God’s love. Family activity (can be adapted to families of all ages) Get out family photograph albums and note the many different ways family members have grown and changed over the years. Talk about some of the invisible, internal changes as well.  Take a quiet moment to reflect on examples of personal transformation, and where these experiences have led.  Wha...