December 8 Worship: "Old Bones"

On a cold and snowy morning, several brave (or perhaps foolish) souls gathered together for worship, determined not to let the winter prevent worship.  This led to a rather relaxed service, but no less sincere.  And the easy-going spirit in the room was a perfect attitude for the emphasis of the day, which was joy.

In the sermon, we considered some lessons from the story of the birth of Isaac, whose parents Abraham and Sarah were 100 and 91 years old, respectively, when he was born.  I suggested that most of us -- even those who aren't very old -- usually read this story with horror: Why would God punish old people by making them parents?  Drawing inspiration from the song "Old Bones," famously recorded by an 80-something George Burns, I suggested that there is an underlying joy in life which we often miss, including in this story of Isaac's birth to Sarah and Abraham.  Further, I suggested that we might do better to approach change -- and what else are promises for than for anticipating a different (that is changed) future -- with joy, rather than with fear or dread.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the closing benediction here.