It would come as no surprise to you if I asserted that manifestations of God in the Bible are generally quite impressive.  For example, after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, they camped at the base of Mt. Sinai.  There the Lord God appeared on the mountain, and we are told, There was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast…Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire.  The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder…The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:16-20, excerpts)  There!  At Sinai!  Behold your God!

This past week I heard about something I had never heard of before.  I learned what a “blue Christmas” is.  I am not referring to the famous Elvis Presley song.  I have heard that before!  I am referring to what some churches call a “blue Christmas service.”  This is a special Christmas worship service for people who are especially struggling with sadness at this time of year, maybe the sadness of loss of a loved one, or sickness, or loneliness.  The service is often held on December 21, the longest night of the year.

I will confess at the outset, this feels a bit strange to me.  Preaching on this text today.  Did it strike you as odd?  This reading is historically read on Palm Sunday.  This is the account of Jesus entering Jerusalem for the final time.  This is a Holy Week text!  And yet, here we are.  It is the appointed reading for today, the first Sunday of Advent.  We are beginning a new church year today!  We have decorated for Christmas!  We are thinking about Jesus’ birth and his coming into this world to be our Savior! 

A close look at many beloved children’s stories reveals something quite interesting.  Certain common elements seem to occur and reoccur.  Very often the stories will involve a kingdom; a villain who rises and brings suffering and oppression; a hero, many times a king’s son, a prince; the defeat of the villain; a wedding at the end; and the final refrain so often is, “…and they lived happily ever after.” 

The Lord has a soft spot in his heart for widows.  Time and again in the Bible, the widow is specifically mentioned as an object of God’s attention and concern.  Already at the time of Moses, the Lord said to his people, You shall not take advantage of any widow. (Exodus 22:22).  Later, through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord would repeat the thought, Do not oppress the alien who lives in your land, the fatherless, or the widow. (Jeremiah 7:6)  God’s concern for the widow is not just an Old Testament thing.