{"id":1970,"date":"2017-12-24T11:59:43","date_gmt":"2017-12-24T17:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/?p=1970"},"modified":"2017-12-31T21:18:58","modified_gmt":"2018-01-01T03:18:58","slug":"god-does-and-comes-to-us-in-all-circumstances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2017\/12\/24\/god-does-and-comes-to-us-in-all-circumstances\/","title":{"rendered":"God does and comes to us, in all circumstances"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\">Sunday, December 24, 2017 | Advent<br \/>\nFourth Sunday of Advent<br \/>\nYear B<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><i>On the same date: Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Eve<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><i>Old Testament<\/i> 2 Samuel 7:1\u201311, 16<br \/>\nLuke 1:46b\u201355<br \/>\n<i>New Testament<\/i> Romans 16:25\u201327<br \/>\n<i>Gospel<\/i> Luke 1:26\u201338<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BVbl-DOgRXk?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God comes to us even from the very beginning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Sometimes I think that many of us forget that God created us in God&#8217;s image and that God does all for us and even when we turn from God, God keeps coming to us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">From the time of creation of humans, God came to them.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">We here in Samuel that God does not need a house.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He had been with the Israelites wherever they went.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Either in the ark, a tent or in the Tabernacle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Instead of God wanting a house, God says that God will make a house for God&#8217;s people.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God keeps on doing.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God keeps God&#8217;s promises.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God is there for us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The author of Luke recounts all that Lord has done, all the promises that have been kept towards God&#8217;s people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">When Paul is writing to the Romans, he speaks of the power that God has provided to the people in the Gospel, the Good News, the Proclamation of Jesus Christ.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Again, God coming to us, God doing for us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The Gospel prior to the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, was a secret, but now it has been revealed to us and there is power in that Good News.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Now that we get to the Gospel in Luke.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">We continue to see in this time of Advent, a time of waiting for the One who is to come, that God does come.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God comes to Mary through an angel, and it is God who finds favor in Mary.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We never hear it is anything that Mary does, but simply God is the one, who does in the finding of favor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God through the Holy Spirit, comes upon Mary, and becomes incarnate of human flesh in Mary&#8217;s womb.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Is this something that only God can do?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Scientists will tell you that it is theoretically possible for a woman to conceive a child without<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>the normal circumstances, but then the child would be a woman.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is the Holy Spirit&#8217;s intervention that the Son takes on flesh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">This is no fairy tale.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This is not something that was invented decades later.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This event is told through Luke and Matthew.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is the same story but enough differences, it is not likely they were dependent upon each other to balance the story.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This event must have had validity<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>for it to be told in the very early church.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It has validity to be still told today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Sure, you have all sort of speculation as to other explanations for the &#8220;virgin&#8221; birth, but the event story has stayed the same, no exceptions.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.turnbacktogod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/Mother-Mary-and-Angel-02.jpg?resize=520%2C693\" width=\"520\" height=\"693\" \/><\/p>\n<p>God comes to Mary, through an angel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God come upon Mary in the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Mary&#8217;s response, Here am I, and may it be so.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God comes in the form of a man, through Mary, for all of us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">We wait for the action of God, but that action has been and continues to be always there from God, towards us, for us in all circumstances.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is nothing we did or do, it is always God who is the initiator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God does and comes to us, in all circumstances.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Sermon-Slide-2.png\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1984\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2017\/12\/24\/god-does-and-comes-to-us-in-all-circumstances\/sermon-slide-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Sermon-Slide-2.png?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,768\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"4th Sunday of Advent, Sermon Slide 2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Sermon-Slide-2.png?fit=700%2C525&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1984\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Sermon-Slide-2-300x225.png?resize=423%2C317\" alt=\"\" width=\"423\" height=\"317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Sermon-Slide-2.png?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Sermon-Slide-2.png?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Sermon-Slide-2.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 423px) 100vw, 423px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Maybe this time of waiting is not for us to wait on what already is.\u00a0 Maybe it is God who is waiting, waiting on us.\u00a0 Waiting for us to be the disciples he has called us to be.\u00a0 Waiting for us to respond to God&#8217;s call to follow Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Maybe God is simply waiting for us to pray honestly and listen, &#8220;God, please help me to be who you called me to be.\u00a0 Help me to use the gifts you have given to me.\u00a0 Help me to be a disciple who reaches out in mission and ministry to the world.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As the Psalmist said, &#8220;Be still, and know that I am God&#8230;&#8221; Psalm 46:10a<\/p>\n<p>Just listen for the GREAT I AM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sunday, December 24, 2017 | Advent Fourth Sunday of Advent Year B On the same date: Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Eve Old Testament 2 Samuel 7:1\u201311, 16 Luke 1:46b\u201355 New Testament Romans 16:25\u201327 Gospel Luke 1:26\u201338 &nbsp; God comes to us even from the very beginning. Sometimes I think that many of us forget &#8230; <span class=\"more\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2017\/12\/24\/god-does-and-comes-to-us-in-all-circumstances\/\">[Read more&#8230;]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[89,102,78,126,10,151,83,4,47],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-admin","4":"post-1970","6":"format-standard","7":"category-advent","8":"category-god","9":"category-gospel","10":"category-holy-spirit","11":"category-jesus","12":"category-mary","13":"category-sermon","14":"category-spirit","15":"category-truth"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2m6h5-vM","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1977,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2017\/12\/24\/quietly-in-the-night-christmas-2017-message\/","url_meta":{"origin":1970,"position":0},"title":"Quietly in the night (Christmas 2017 Message)","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"December 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Nativity of the Lord Christmas Eve\u2014Proper 1 Years ABC On the same date: Fourth Sunday of Advent Old Testament Isaiah 9:2\u20137 Psalm Psalm 96:1-13 New Testament Titus 2:11\u201314 Gospel Luke 2:1\u201320) \u00a0 https:\/\/youtu.be\/3b_GvkU1zUA The birth of Jesus takes place without fanfare.\u00a0 No billboards, no public service announcements and no blimp\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christ&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christ","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/christ\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight-300x225.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight-300x225.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight-300x225.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1453,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2015\/12\/10\/advent-precursor-to-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":1970,"position":1},"title":"Advent, Precursor to Change","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"December 10, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 https:\/\/youtu.be\/gW-ls5LoXoE Audio Version Sunday, December 6, 2015 Second Sunday of Advent Year C Old Testament Malachi 3:1\u20134 New Testament Philippians 1:3\u201311 Gospel Luke 3:1\u20136 Welcome to the second Sunday of Advent.\u00a0 Yet another week of waiting for the Lord.\u00a0 Like the Israelites, we wait in anticipation of what God\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advent&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advent","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/advent\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/gW-ls5LoXoE\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3181,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2023\/12\/20\/god-is-active\/","url_meta":{"origin":1970,"position":2},"title":"God Is Active","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"December 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"12-20-2023Third Wednesday of AdventLuke 1:26-38 (NIV)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advent&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advent","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/advent\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1458,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2015\/12\/15\/be-still-and-trust-in-the-lord\/","url_meta":{"origin":1970,"position":3},"title":"Be Still and Trust in the Lord","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"December 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Due to a technical glitch, there is no audio or video of this sermon. Sunday, December 13, 2015 \u00a0Advent Third Sunday of Advent Year C Old Testament Zephaniah 3:14\u201320 New Testament Philippians 4:4\u20137 Gospel Luke 3:7\u201318 John\u2019s baptism is a break from how the Jews traditionally removed their sins.\u00a0 Once\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advent&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advent","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/advent\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1644,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2016\/11\/28\/advent-opportunities\/","url_meta":{"origin":1970,"position":4},"title":"Advent Opportunities","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Below is the video version of the sermon. To listen to the audio only version, click here. First Sunday of Advent Isaiah 2:1\u20135 Romans 13:11\u201314 Matthew 24:36\u201344 https:\/\/youtu.be\/vD08zfRQSJM \u00a0 \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advent&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advent","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/advent\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/vD08zfRQSJM\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3333,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2024\/12\/24\/the-purpose-of-christmas-reconciliation-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":1970,"position":5},"title":"The Purpose of Christmas: Reconciliation 2024","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"December 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"12\/22\/2024Fourth Sunday of Advent Isaiah 53:1-6 (NRSV)2 Corinthians 5:16-19 (NRSV)Matthew 11:25-29 (NRSV)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advent&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advent","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/advent\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1970"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1985,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1970\/revisions\/1985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}