The building we now occupy is the second structure for Methodist worship in Harwich, MA. The cornerstone of this church building was laid in 1811 and the building was dedicated January 1st 1812 as the Methodist Episcopal Church of Harwich.

As we discussed Sunday, Jesus was saying goodbye to people, places and His human experiences in the world as he entered Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover for the last time. As we hear in Exodus, God gave very detailed instructions for the People of God to be saved from the death to come as God liberated the people from slavery in Egypt.

For seven years in the nineties I served the United Methodist church in Hamilton, Massachusetts. The historic building had been located on Railroad Avenue near the parsonage. However in the sixties one of the classic A frame structures was erected on Main Street right beside the Myopia Hunt Club. There were several historic notable claims to fame at this location. Fred told me that he had to go next door to the myopia hunt club to borrow their silver tea service when the queen of England came to visit and had TEA at the United Methodist church fellowship hall.

During the Season of Lent, we’re working our way through a series of stories in the Gospel of John. Each of them describes Jesus’s encounter with a different person: Nicodemus the Pharisee, the woman at the well, the man born blind, and Lazarus of Bethany. These are stories of people that we usually think of as marginal to the Jesus story. None of them are one of the twelve, for example. But in the Gospel of John, it is these encounters that reveal who Jesus really is.

The pregnancy of Mary is connected to the promise of justice and joy in the readings this week. Mary’s womb becomes a sacred space for the gestation of grace that moves into, and is transforming, the world. We will ponder the spaces we inhabit at home, work, and community, asking whether they are feeding, nurturing, and reflecting the freedom and joy that is so desperately needed.

The themes of Advent are the same year after year. The first week there will be a reference to waiting – anticipating, the next to John the Baptist, the third to Mary’s response to God’s plan and finally, the response of Joseph to the situation! Any of these might be suspended by the long-anticipated Sunday School pageant or the Cantata by the choir!

What is time? According to Einstein, Time is the 4th dimension. To describe anything you need a location in space [length, width, height] or [latitude, longitude and altitude] and in time. With these 4 pieces of information we can identify an “Event.” Jesus was born [became incarnate: i.e. human] in Bethlehem when a star appeared in the sky …. An event! We are a little unsure about the date but the Magi understood they had to get moving if they were to be part of the Christ “event”.

A tourist came too close to the edge of the Grand Canyon, lost his footing and plunged over the side, clawing and scratching to save himself. After he went out of sight and just before he fell into space, he encountered a scrubby bush which he desperately grabbed with both hands. Filled with terror, he called out toward heaven, “Is there anyone up there?”