Pastor’s Corner 12-21-2025
Dear Church Friends,
On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we stand close to the mystery of Christmas. The waiting is almost over, yet the world can still feel uncertain. This Sunday's readings, Isaiah 7:10–16 and Romans 1:1–7, speak directly to this tension. They remind us that God often comes to us not through control or certainty but through promise, dialogue, and presence.
In Isaiah, King Ahaz is afraid (Isa 7:12). His kingdom is under threat, and he feels caught between trusting God and trusting political power. God invites Ahaz into a conversation and offers him a sign. God's invitation shows that faith is not about blind obedience or perfect answers. It begins with dialogue. God's sign is something completely ordinary, a young woman having a child (Isa 7:14-16). Yet it is in these ordinary moments that God's salvation is seen.
Ahaz refuses the sign (Isa 7:10), but God gives one anyway: a child named Immanuel, meaning “God is with us.” This sign is neither loud nor forceful. It does not promise instant safety. Instead, it points to God’s presence amid uncertainty. During Advent, we remember that God often speaks through symbols that grow slowly and quietly. A child, a name, a promise..... these signs require trust and interpretation.
Culture shapes how people interpret signs like this. Social scientist Michael Cortty writes about how one's fears, habits, and traditions limit what one perceives or expects God to do. Yet culture can also help us imagine new possibilities. In his writings on the foundations of social science, Crotty explains that reality is a process more than an object. Engaging in the process enables one to see their present moment differently—not abandoned by God but held by God. Advent calls one to ask what signs of God’s presence one might be missing.
Romans 1:1–7 continues this Advent theme of promise and preparation. Paul introduces himself as “called” and “set apart” for good news. His words do more than describe his role. They show how language shapes identity and purpose. Paul speaks hope into a world shaped by empire and fear. He announces grace and peace not as ideas but as gifts already moving among the people.
Paul also connects the present to the past. He grounds the good news in Scripture’s promises while pointing toward something new. This reflects the heart of Advent, a season that holds memory and expectation together. We look back to God’s promises as we wait for their fulfillment. Tradition matters, but it must be lived in the present moment.
Both Isaiah and Paul speak from the margins of power. Their messages challenge systems built on fear, control, and exclusion. Isaiah’s sign centers on a vulnerable child, while Paul’s message welcomes those once considered outsiders. This reminds us that God often works through what seems small or overlooked. Advent prepares us to notice God’s work among the vulnerable and the waiting.
Dialogue remains central to both texts. God speaks into human fear. Paul writes to communities learning to live faithfully together. True understanding grows through listening, reflection, and action. Advent is not passive waiting. It is active preparation—making space for God to speak and move.
As Advent draws to a close, these readings invite us to trust that God is already at work. Reality is still unfolding. The promise of Immanuel has not yet reached its fullness, yet it is already present. In our waiting, questioning, and hope, God is with us. This is the good news we carry into Christmas.
Blessings, Pr. Josh