CCC Blog

"I Have a Dream" sermon series 2024

2024 is officially upon us and there are several things we know are going to be true this year.  For instance, 2024 is a leap-year which means we will all get an extra 24 hours to spend toward the beginning of the year!  Of course, 2024 will also include another presidential election, which means there will be no shortage of dramatic activity taking place toward the end of the year.  And undoubtedly, there will be things happening for us personally and individually, that many (if not all) others will never know about.  We will all be another year older in 2024.  Married couples will celebrate another anniversary in 2024.  Sometime in 2024, you may be living in a new location, working in a new job, holding a new child or grandchild, recovering from surgery or returning home from a trip abroad.  And maybe… all those things are already on your radar.  Maybe you know they will be taking place before we welcome in 2025.

If the past is any indication of the future, then there are other things that we also know will be true in 2024.  We can be pretty sure that at least a few things will not go as planned; that we will face some yet-unknown challenges; that we will make a mistake and get into an unfortunate situation because of our own doing; that we will experience a set-back not of our own doing; and that we will face a difficult decision not yet on the radar.  Yet as people of faith, we believe there is hope in all things – seen and unseen, through past, present and future.  

As be begin this new year, our theme at Central will be “I Have a Dream.”  For the next five weeks, we will look at five different people in scripture who dreamed dreams or saw a vision.  Dreams are ways God communicates important messages to people in the bible.  Yet, those messages were never meant for that person alone, but rather for the community as a whole.  And dreams always contain an element of hope and possibility.  What is communicated by God in dreams is always possible for us to experience and is meant to inspire hope in the ones who receive it.  Join us for worship, in person or online, as we seek to provide some necessary spiritual support as we all begin our journey through 2024 – whether we know what is coming or not.  

January 14                 Jacob’s Dream          Genesis 28:10-17         Pastor Michael

                                   Forgiveness: We will all make mistakes, but God responds with forgiveness 

January 21                 Joseph ‘s Dream        Genesis37:9-11           Pastor Michael

                                   Guidance: We may experience doubt, but God’s plans include us

January 28                 Daniel’s Dream           Daniel 7:1-8                Pastor Michael

                                   Courage: We will face adversity, but God will lead us through it

February 4                  Anna’s Vision              Luke 2:36-38              Pastor Vicky

                                   Potential: Whatever our circumstance, there is always more than meets the eye

February 11                Solomon’s Dream        I Kings 3:5-15             Pastor Michael

                                    Integrity and Character: We will all have an opportunity to live for God in 2024

Comparing and Contrasting Epiphany Experiences

This Sunday we will celebrate Epiphany.  The word “epiphany” means some version of the word “revelation.”  We might think of using the word in the context of having a burst of insight or inspiration or a good idea.  Epiphany is actually a Greek word that literally means to “appear to” or to “shine upon.”  In the Christian context, it refers to the star shining in the sky at Jesus birth, which revealed to wise men (magi) from the east (probably Persia) that a king was born.  Those magi then traveled to visit the newborn Jesus and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as an expression of homage.  All this is recorded in Matthew 2:1-12, which will be our scripture focus this Sunday.  Legend has it, the journey of the wise men took 12 days (which is whence the notion of “12 Days of Christmas” comes).  Thus, January 6 is Epiphany day in the Christian calendar.  It represents the arrival of the magi to the manger and in some Christian traditions, it is observed as the more accurate Christmas.   

There is another aspect to Matthew’s epiphany story that we will not have time to cover this Sunday.  It is the role of King Herod.  Herod was the existing Jewish king at the time of Jesus’ birth and when the wise men arrived in Judea after 12 days of journeying, they went right straight to Herod’s palace.  They simply  assumed the newborn king was really a future king; the son of the existing king.  This, however, was not the case, and Herod’s first reaction to learning that a new king was born was fear (“When King Herod heard this, he was frightened…” MT 2:3).  But pretending to want to pay homage to the new king, Herod convinced the magi to look for Jesus and upon finding his location, to come back and tell him.  Really, however, Herod wanted to eliminate Jesus as a potential threat to his power.  So once the wise men found Jesus, they were warned by God not to return to Herod and they want back home by another road.  When Herod found it that he had been tricked, he ordered the immediate killing of every male child born within the last two years as a most cruel, evil and desperate attempt remove Jesus as a threat to Herod’s throne. 

Something to think about this week, as we stand between the aftermath of Christmas and the start of a new year:

Both the Magi (the “wise men from the East”) and King Herod were confronting with the in-breaking of God into their lives (Matthew 2:1-12).  Yet each stands in stark contrast to the other.

The magi and Herod represent two responses to the in-breaking of God into our personal lives.  Neither was expecting Jesus to be born.  None of them were anticipating their lives changing.  Yet the arrival of Jesus into the world represented change for all of them.  The magi responded by accepting the change; embracing it.  They were willing to start a new journey.  They were patient on that journey and didn’t give up, even though it lasted a long time and they didn’t know exactly where they were going.  But they trusted in the one guiding them and were even willing to ask for help along the way.  And ultimately, they were drawn closer to God; closer to Jesus the Christ.

Herod, however, was not willing to change.  He was not able to accommodate the addition of Jesus into his life as he knew it.  Herod only saw change as a threat and because of this, he doubled down on protecting what was his, regardless of who had to be sacrificed in the process.  In the end, not only was he far away from God and Jesus the Christ, thousands of innocent people suffered as well.  There is never an indication in the scriptures that Jesus didn’t also come for Herod.  But Herod’s own reluctance to accept the change that comes with welcoming Christ into our lives, made it impossible for him to see that. 

Every year, Jesus appears to us again at Christmas, Epiphany and at the dawn of a new year.  And every year the question is not, “Do you want to have Jesus the Christ part of your life?”  But rather, “Are you willing to accept the changes to your life that Jesus the Christ brings?”  Herod and the magi present two contrasting answers to that question.  But only one of them life-giving – for us and for all.

Blessings – Michael

"I Am At Peace When..."

Our theme in worship this past Sunday was “giving thanks.”  Paul said, in his final words to the Thessalonians (I Thess 5:18), to “give thanks in all circumstances.”  We said that this was the key to living in peace and being at peace with one another.  Before worship we asked everyone – at each service – to complete the sentence “I am at peace when…”  We then read some of the at the beginning and the end of that service’s sermon. Here is a collection of some the responses submitted from all three services.  May something in the way others have been encouraged in their faith be an encouragement to you in yours.

I am at peace when:

• I’m in nature with animals.
• I am in this beautiful sanctuary.
• I am in church with my wife next to me.
• I am praying and listening to music.
• I pray.
• My family is healthy and happy.
• My family is together.
• I let God be in control and not try to handle things on my own.
• I quit focusing on issues and focus and ask God for his peace and change my focus when stressed.
• I am still and listen to God.
• I am at home with my family and watching my son learn and grow.
• God speaks and says “Be still and know that I am God.”
• I take the time to count my blessings.
• I seek the approval of God and not people.
• I sing “Jesus loves me.”
• I’m sitting beside calm water.
• Look at the Christmas tree and sing Christmas carols.
• I pray and meditate on God.
• I eat dark chocolate and do yoga.
• I am playing music with fellow Christians and praise God.
• I am at this service and feel close to God.
• I enter this church.
• My friends and family are well.
• I’m at home with my dog.
• I look up at the sky on a clear night and see all the stars.
• I’m outside in God’s creation.
• I’m in the woods.
• I’m at church.
• I’m with my grandchildren.
• I look back and realize that God has led me through a challenging time.

Something to Think About

Our theme in worship this past Sunday was “encouragement.”  Before worship, we asked everyone – at each service – to complete the sentence “I was encouraged in my faith when…”  We then read some of the at the beginning and the end of that service’s sermon. Here is a collection of some the responses submitted from all three services.  May something in the way others have been encouraged in their faith be an encouragement to you in yours.

I was encouraged in my faith when:

• I found open-heart surgery was necessary and I realized I could at least give God one hour a week after all he’d done for me.
• I found this church after being away from a church for many years.
• I was in the hospital.
• My grandmother told me so many times how important it is to have God in your life.
• My husband passed away and I was comforted in my grief.
• The campers at Camp Walter Scott were so positive, helpful and kind to each other.
• I remember the prayers my father taught me.
• I lost a dear friend and was made aware that all would be okay and God was in control.
• I volunteer at Good Samaritan Inn.
• My wife passed away and my faith got me through.
• I had cancer.
• God led me through an extremely difficult situation at work where my job was on the line.
• Even on the worst day, I could smile because I knew Jesus was with me.
• I hear hymns of praise.
• I pray for a concern and God provides a solution.
• I receive a hug from someone.
• I started listening to God.
• Other prayed for me during radiation.
• The signs around me show me God is with me no matter what I am going through.