First Presbyterian Church of San Anselmo

With prodigal grace, Jesus welcomes us all and reconciles us to God and to each other.

In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus walks us into a world where folks together till the soil of new creation, so that everyone can live and thrive.

With our thoughts on Ukraine, this morning’s psalm takes seriously the suffering of the world and gives it voice.  And, at the same time, the psalm holds that lament with hope – hope in a God who is our shelter and our strength.

Even in the wilderness, we are Full to the Brim with God’s overflowing grace.

The invitation of Ash Wednesday:   Even now, even now, return to me with all your heart – with all your broken pieces – with all you are.  And I will pour out my spirit on all flesh.  Your youth will see visions; your elders dream dreams.

How many layers must a camel shed to get through the eye of a needle? And what about us? Everything is possible with God.

At every threshold, God is present moving the whole world toward good – toward healing, toward forgiveness, toward belonging, toward love.

With blessing and woe, Jesus brings us into a world of mutuality, a level place, where we see each other face to face, and see and meet each other’s need.

At the Threshold of Forgiveness – by God’s grace, we stand in the life we have lived until now –  then we step through... into the life we find in Jesus Christ – we step into the new creation – into a world filled with love, possibility, and hope.  

In the threshold of calling, God calls us to bring all of who we are created to be into the fullness of the life we live – and to join together in a shared life of rebuilding and reshaping a world where all live free.

Our body is the threshold where we encounter God.  The body of Christ – our bodies together in One Body – is where the world encounters God.  This Body, this is where Christ is coming to life in the world right now, and we are a part of that.

At the Threshold of Trouble – the gap between the world as it is, and the world as God is re-creating it to be –  Jesus walks toward the trouble, and expects us to do the same. 

In the waters of baptism, Jesus welcomes us into the threshold of belonging – each of us God’s beloved child.

In every threshold, God is with us liberating and empowering us into the next new thing.  Thresholds open up the opportunity for us to pause and to ask – Where have I been and what have I learned there? What is being made manifest here and now?  And, how shall I now live?

What is your song of Christmas?  How will you bear God in the world in the unfolding days to come?  How will you share the birth of Christ in the world? 

As we continue with our Advent theme Embracing Love and Tender Mercy , our worship centered on monologues adapted from Carol Howard Merritt's " I Am Mary. "  The monologues were adapted by Jessica Powell, with permission of the author.

With the world whirling around her, in this moment of calm, Mary hears of the Christ to come, and embraces a love and tender mercy that will upend and change the world for good.  The images and art discussed in the sermon can be found, along with the sermon text, at https://www.togetherweserve.org/post/the-call-of-mary-luke-1-26-38-first-sunday-of-advent

The practice of gratitude is a daily practice.  Every minute of every day.  God is near. And, every year, once a year – on Thanksgiving – no matter what’s going on in the world – we stop and give thanks.  

As we celebrate the Reign of Christ, we sing our part in God’s new song that sings of loving God and loving neighbor.

On All Saints Day, the past, present, and future converge in one eternal moment before God, as we live forward together toward a better day.

God’s generosity requires the practice of generosity at the heart of community, in the systems we inhabit, and in our everyday lives.

In the heavenly throne room, John hears Lion but sees Lamb.  Whether we recognize it or not, we are tempted to see God as a Lion, one who conquers through might and strength.  But God's power and strength is most clearly expressed in the self-giving sacrificial love of the Lamb.

In a world full of displaced peoples seeking shelter and home, welcoming each other is the work we are called to do.

The wisdom of God turns the wisdom of the world on its head.  The wisdom of God is embodied in Jesus and in a community that stands with those whose backs are up against a wall – in ways of living that lead to more life for all people.