Christ Lutheran Church: Welcome

A Place Like THIS? - December 9, 2007

A Place Like THIS?

Second Sunday in Advent

Isaiah 11:1-10

December 9, 2007

Rev. Dave R. Garwick

I know that not all of you live in Maple Plain, but you DO all go to church in Maple Plain.  When I tell people where our church is, the conversation usually goes something like this:

"Oh, that's interesting.  Now where's THAT?"
"Well, we're just on the edge of the Twin Cities."
"Oh, Yeah, I have an uncle who works there at 3M"
"No, you're thinking of Maple WOOD.  We're WEST of the Cities on 12."
"Oh sure.  My cousin had a little guy that went to Camp Courage out there."
"No," you explain, "That's Maple LAKE on 55.  We're a lot closer in."
"Oh THAT one.  I've got friends who live there.  LOTS and LOTS of building and shopping centers all over the place."
"No, that's Maple GOVE.  We're a little bit smaller - just past Long Lake."
"Who?"
"You know where Ridgedale is?  Well you go past that, past Wayzata and then the next town is Long Lake.  We're right after that."
"Oh, I thought that was called Delano."
"We are right between Long Lake and Delano."
"Hmmmmm.  You sure?"
"Yeah - it goes Long Lake, Maple PLAIN, Delano and if you keep on going you hit Seattle and then Sapporo, Japan."
"No kidding.  And you're right between there, huh?"

NOBODY knows where Maple Plain is.  Nobody even KNOWS of Maple Plain.  From what I can tell on the World Wide Web there is only one other Maple Plain on earth, and it is only half as big as we are, located exactly 100 miles due northeast in Wisconsin, near Shell Lake.  THAT Maple Plain is not even on most maps!  At least we are on the map.

Hmmmmm, maybe THAT will give us a shot at hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics...now that we've got snow.  Cause Vancouver's got the 2010 games and Munich seems to have the 2018 Olympics sewn up.  So why not us for 2026?

Imagine history being made here.  Right here in Maple Plain.  I suppose that could make some sense.  After all, we ARE the larges Maple Plain on earth.  And when the Olympics Committee comes to look us over, we could put them up in the Maple Plain Motel.

Ridiculous?  Well, that's exactly what God did.  Exactly what He did.  Bethlehem was only about a quarter the size of our little village.  :But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."  (Micah 5:2)

Right.  "The government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:6)  Yep.  God himself will parachute to earth...but where?

Well, let's see...maybe Rome since that is the city that ruled all that part of the entire known world?  Maybe Athens since that was the capital of all culture and learning and science and philosophy and books, speech makers and even democracy?  No, let's choose the absolutely least likely pothole on the road and change the world there.

oh, and let's announce it in the most grandiose way we can think of.  Let's say that we're going to have a surprise star there who is not even born yet, who will be the descendant of some famous guy.  But let's put it this way:  Our surprise star will come from the STUMP of that guy.  We COULD say that he'll be a descendant of him, but the guy's been cut down and buried for a couple hundred years by now, so let's call him a STUMP, OK?  That should do it, don't 'cha think?

Who would even make up a story like that...unless it were true?  "He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice."  God would send His Son who would NOT be into big and fancy stuff;  who would NOT even BE part of the good 'ole boys' club, who would not make special deals with the rich and famous to rip off the poor and needy.

He would have Jesus parachute into a place like Bethelehem on purpose.  His mission was to judge the NEEDY with justice; His mission was to bless the meek to stand up for those who could not stand up on their own, to defend those who could not defend themselves, to feed those who could not feed themselves and to heal those who could not heal themselves.

I am NOT just talking about the physically and financially oppressed - but every single mortal who cannot unring the bell that their sins have rung, everyone who yearns for a life beyond the injustices and unfairnesses and sinfulness of this temporary place - every single mortal who hungers and thirsts for righteousness.

Whether it's trying to run a business in a small town like this, or acquire government funds or build an organization like a church or get transportation, or social or medical services in a small village like ours, we discover every single day that "you just can't compete with the big guys."  And truth be known, most of us personally feel pretty small and insignificant in this overpriced, extra-hyped world.