Other People's Christmas (A Year W Sermon)

Like kids waiting for Christmas, in Advent the church is waiting for… what, exactly? If we focus just on Jesus’ miraculous birth, what’s the good news for those struggling to conceive or waiting to adopt? How can this story be Gospel for us even when our waiting doesn’t bring us the gift we hoped for? (Judges 13:2-7; Psalm 115:9-15) Preacher: The Rev. Maddie FosterThis sermon is part of our yearlong Year W journey, a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in scripture with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-s-lectionary-for-the-whole-church-year-w-wilda-c-gafney/17214332?ean=9781640654747)Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.---The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.Church is the practice.Love is the point.