Advent Sermon Series: Be Not Afraid

“Be Not Afraid.”  No words appear more frequently than these in the stories of Jesus’ birth.  Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds: all were told to put aside their fear, though some did a better job of it than others.  The angel’s chorus of “be not afraid” is a reminder that fear is a natural response when your life is turned upside down…when your world is coming apart at the seams…when the task at hand appears all but impossible.  But it is also a reminder that it is precisely into these moments of fear and uncertainty that God will come, light will shine, and hope will be born among us….and so we can leave our fear behind.