Sermon Synopsis … The Christmas story features visions: the vision of the angel Gabriel to Mary; the vision of the angel Gabriel to Joseph; the vision of the angel Gabriel to Zacharias; the vision of angels seen by the shepherds. The shepherds respond to their vision with the words, “Let’s go see.” Then comes the vision of Simeon. Simeon is an old man, a priest. He has been given a mystic assurance that he will see the Messiah before he dies. When the baby Jesus was eight days old, his parents brought him to the temple for prescribed ritual and, while they are there, Simeon finds them. The old priest is swept up in ecstasy. “Lord,” he prays, “I have seen enough. My life is fully sufficient. I am ready to die.” What has Simeon seen? He has seen the world full of divine light. He has seen the “holy people,” fully manifesting their ideals. All this he sees in the baby. And for two thousand years believers have listened to his song and responded, yes, it is so. We, too, insist that light is inexorably vanquishing darkness. We believe goodness is bulldozing evil with the irresistible force of a continental glacier sweeping down across Puget Sound from Canada. It may be agonizingly slow. There may be pauses and even temporary retreats. But there is no stopping it. And we aim to be part of it. Manuscript is available at: http://liberaladventist.blogspot.com/2016/12/after-christmas.html Sermon for the Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists Find out more about the Green Lake Church at: http://greenlakesda.org
