First Community Church 12.03.23 Glen Miles -Sermon, We Acknowledge Our Weariness Part I

The season of Advent begins this Sunday. Advent is more than a time of preparation to celebrate the arrival of the Christ-Child. Advent comes with an invitation to you and me to reflect on our lives. In the very center of our being, who is God calling us to be? And where does the world need each of us the most? Our Advent sermon series, How Does a Weary World Rejoice?, asks us to consider similar questions. Is there room for joy in a world worn down by fear and sorrow? Is there space for tranquility? Maybe you are tempted to avoid questions like these. I don't blame you. So am I, especially at Christmas time. The questions are frightening. However, as Brené Brown says in her book Atlas of the Heart, "Avoidance will make you feel less vulnerable in the short run, but it will never make you less afraid." In this sermon series, we will review the parallel birth stories of Jesus and his cousin, John the Baptist. In both, we find a host of human emotions: grief, fear, joy, sorrow, regret, happiness, love, and more. Part 1 - "We Acknowledge Our Weariness" looks at John the Baptist's birth announcement. An angel appears to the priest Zechariah to tell him that his wife will bear a child. The couple is elderly. They had dreamed of having a child but had given up on that hope long ago. Can you relate? Have you had your hopes dashed, dreams squashed, and ideas ignored? When regret rules our lives, hearing or seeing any good news is sometimes difficult. Acknowledging our weariness can be the first step to opening our eyes and minds to see the gifts around us. I cannot wait to share this message with you!