HOW TO BE COURAGEOUS

Maybe you heard the story about a farmer one spring who enjoyed watching two eagles flying near a distant bluff. After failing to see the eagles for a couple of days he went to investigate and he found an abandoned nest that held an egg which he took back to the farm. With the faint hope that it might hatch and a baby eagle grow up and fly, he placed the egg in a nest in the farm house. Two weeks later the egg did hatch and the strange looking baby eagle joined the chickens in the yard of the hen house. And as the first days passed, the eaglet learned the habits of the chickens, feeding on the corn provided by the farmers.

Noticing birds flying overhead one beautiful morning the eaglet remarked, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to fly like that. I wish I could fly.” But you know how chickens are. They quickly admonished this foolish thinking. “You’re a chicken,” they said, “You’re not meant to fly.” The fearful mother hen said, “If you try to fly you will surely get caught in the chicken wire and you’ll break your neck.“ And the strutting rooster father added logically, “Even if you did fly over the fence, it would be hard to find food and you’d probably starve. Don’t come back here looking for food if you do.” And all the chickens agreed the baby eagle should not try to fly.

HOW TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

This is the time of year that most people’s thoughts turn toward celebration. Well, how exactly do you celebrate? Some people define celebration by decorating, some by visiting relatives or friends, and some by watching endless hours of football. Some begin celebrating by getting drunk at the office party on the last working day before Christmas and don't sober up until sometime after New Year's Day. But that’s what they think of when they think of celebrating, anesthetizing reality. Fewer and fewer in our culture think about celebrating the birth of the one about whom this holiday is named by going to Church. Maybe that's because for many the church is not the place they think of when they think of celebrating. 

In this sermon we will ask the novel question that frequently doesn't ever get asked: How did those who witnessed the first Christmas celebrate?