MINISTER'S  PAGE

“Fear Not” – An Advent Message

“Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.  But just when he had resolved to do this, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

                                                                                                Matthew: 1:19-20

“Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.  When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.  But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.”

                                                                                                Luke: 1:11-13

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.”

                                                                                                Luke 1:30-31

“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see---I a bringing you good news of great joy for all the people; to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’”

                                                                                                Luke: 2:8-11

When copies of the November/December issue with “Fear Not” on the cover arrived and Laura placed them by my office door, I remembered how in years past I had appreciated Alive Now as a devotional resource.  I picked one up, took it with me to Washington, and read the first entry the day before I went into surgery. 

Alongside the love and prayers from all of you, I could hardly have received a better gift than the issue of Alive Now.  Eli Fisher, the Associate Editor, reminds readers how many of the biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth contain instances when the lead characters are startled, then receive the words of comfort, “Do not be afraid” or “Fear not.”

“How they responded,” Fisher writes, “remains one of the enduring lessons that can brighten the Advent season and transform this season of waiting into a season of hope.”  Noting that our responses to fear can lead us down one of two paths, he continues, “The Christmas narrative lights the way:  Joseph makes a difficult choice that he knows to be right, although society may disagree; Zechariah (after some initial doubts) trust the angel’s message and sees in the birth of his son the fulfillment of the ancient prophesies; Mary accepts her fate and trusts that the plan of salvation is coming to fruition; the shepherds, having seen the child, go forth glorifying God.  But Herod lashes out in fear and murders all the male babies of Bethlehem, just in case…Fear can lead us to the heights or it can drag us to the depths.”

Faith can transcend fear and lead to transformation in the believer’s heart, soul, and spirit.  It also can lead a society to be transformed.

We are blessed to have Rev. Ross Olivier coming to preach at Market Street the first Sunday in Advent.  A leader in the Methodist Church in South Africa, Ross soon will be returning to Pretoria after a special assignment for five years as Senior Minister of Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi.  Ross and his wife Shayne bear in their beings the Advent messages of faith, hope, love and courage.  They are blessed also with abundant measures of warmth and wit.

If there is any single Sunday in the coming months that I would encourage you not to miss, it is December 2, 2007.  Bring everyone you can, and plan to stay for lunch in the fellowship hall.

It’s wonderful to be back home in Onancock, and to be past the surgery, in spite of a bit of a bump on the road to recovery.  Kathy and I look forward with hearts deeply thankful to be sharing the entire season of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany with you.

“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight”

              ‘O, Little Town of Bethlehem,’ Phillips Brooks, ca. 1868

Grace and peace,

Doug Tanner