Sunday, December 15, 2024 9:00 a.m.

Third Sunday in Advent God Among Us: Joy - Rev. Edwin Estevez An Advent Reflection by Rev. Jim Moseley The Detroit Lions have been awesome this season racking up eight wins in a row. Excitement is growing as they most certainly will be taking a trip to the Super Bowl and might win it all. Every game leading up to that event is a victory celebration. So, we hope and pray and show up and shout out both on the field and in front of our television screens that they will go all the way. This moment has been a long time coming. In fact, this moment has not been experienced before, because a Super Bowl win has never come our way. Whatever problems in recruitment or coaching or management which held the team back have fallen away. In its place a new confidence in the team has been born. Fans who gave up on the Lions and drifted away from the sport are coming back to the game. Gloom is gone and hope is running high and, should Detroit Lions win the Super Bowl, all past losing seasons will be forgiven. In describing the phenomena of the “resurrected” Lions football team, I am seeking to draw a parallel to the unfolding drama in this morning’s scripture reading from the book of Zephaniah. (Zephaniah 3: 14‐20) Zephaniah was a prophet of Israel preaching to the Jewish people returning from their exile in Babylon. They arrived home, a defeated and despairing nation, confronted with the overwhelming task of rebuilding their homeland and restoring the nation. Most believed that it would never happen. That script, however, is to be completely reversed, but not without a change of heart and turning anew to God’s word and trusting again in God’s promises. It is not a simple message which Zephaniah preaches. He laments the ways that the people dishonored the living God by their worship of false gods. Because of their foolishness they lost their land and with that their future(s). However, their experience of exile is just a piece of their story, explains Zephaniah. A greater story is unfolding in their midst. God has not abandoned them. The Lord God of Israel, Zephaniah proclaims, is not absent from their trials but “in their midst” forgiving and gathering and restoring his beloved people. Theirs is a story of redemption and its ending is always, always, always a story of rejoicing. As exciting as a winning football team might be to weary Detroit Lions fans, there is a bigger story, a better story, a forever story for us to embrace. When loss and tragic events surround us and lead us to believe that hope is slipping away the testimony of the scriptures tells us otherwise. We are assured that we can find comfort and courage in knowing that our God is a redeeming God who can turn around the direst circumstances ‐ circumstances we believe to be hopeless. Thatʹs what love does. That’s who God is. That’s what forgiveness can accomplish. And thatʹs the cause of the greatest rejoicing of all. In Christ, Rev. Jim Moseley Copyright acknowledgements: The following is used with permission, OneLicense.net License No. 717156‐A All rights reserved. “Wait for the Lord,” © 1984, Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc. “Before the Star,” © 2022 Marilyn Biery, administered by Birnamwood. ʺEl cant dels ocells,” The Song of the Birds is a traditional Catalan Christmas song and lullaby. It tells of natureʹs joy at learning of the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable in Bethlehem. The song was made famous outside Catalonia by Pablo Casalsʹ instrumental version on the cello. Pau Casals (1876 – 1973), known in English as Pablo Casals, was a Catalan and Puerto Rican cellist, composer, and conductor. He made many recordings throughout his career, but he is perhaps best remembered for the recordings he made of the Cello Suites by Bach. Casals was an ardent supporter of the Spanish Republican government, and after its defeat vowed not to return to Spain until democracy was restored. After his exile in 1939, he would begin each of his concerts by playing this song. For this reason, it is often considered a symbol of Catalonia. The Prayer for Illumination was arranged especially for Kirk in the Hills for this year’s Advent services and combines an Advent Prayer for Illumination with an ancient Gregorian Chant that is traditionally sung during the season of Advent. Marguerite Roesgen‐Champion (1894‐1976) was a Swiss composer, pianist and harpsichordist who used the pseudonym Jean Delysse. From 1926, she lived as a composer in Paris. In 2020 Marilyn Biery was commissioned to write a Christmas text for St. Lorenz Church in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Before the Star was set to music by Paul Loesel, a Broadway pianist/conductor and composer who has been playing in the orchestra of Wicked since it opened 19 years ago. His theatre songs, along with lyricist Scott Burkell, have been performed at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland, and recorded on their album Sorta Love Songs.