Rev. Andrew's Adventures

Community UMC, Quincy “Prepare the Way: Arrive” Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018 Rev. Andrew Davis Luke 2: 1-20 Here we are, gathered here together on this Holy night. After four weeks of waiting, watching, and preparing our hearts for the birth of Christ during the season of Advent, we have arrived. The cries of “Come, this Long Expected Jesus” and “O Come, O come Emmanuel” have now become cries of “O Come, Let Us Adore Him,” “Gloria in excelsis deo,” and “joy to the world, the Lord has come.” We have waited and after a four week journey, have arrived at the stable, encountering the newborn Christ with awe, new hope, and marveling at the new life before us. Yet even we too can experience new life at Christmas. Christmas is time when our faith can be renewed, or an encounter with the Christian faith for the very first time. Christmas is a time of redemption, even when we feel like we’ve messed up in life too many times, because it’s never too late to receive the ho...

Community UMC, Quincy “Prepare the Way: Welcome” Rev. Andrew Davis December 23, 2018 Micah 5: 2-5a Luke 1: 39-55             These last few days, I’ve had the rock band Europe’s song, “The Final Countdown” stuck in my head; or this morning, I have “One Day More” from the musical “Les Miserables” continuously playing in my head. Ready or not, we find ourselves at the final Sunday of Advent as we prepare to cross the threshold from Advent to Christmas with tomorrow being Christmas Eve.  While we have been preparing the way of the Lord these last four week, it really feels like it’s only been a week, as time has gone by so fast and only gets faster each year.  I remember having one of those paper Advent calendars when I was younger, where we would open up a panel each day to reveal something about what is to happen at Christmas and before we knew it, all 25 panels were open; or I’d watch pre...

Community UMC, Quincy “Prepare the Way: Refine” Rev. Andrew Davis December 9, 2018 Malachi 3: 1-4 Luke 3: 1-6           This past week as I was reading through our texts for this morning, parts of Handel’s  Messiah  immediately came to mind. How many of you have had the opportunity to sing the  Messiah,  have it on CD, or have seen it live?  The  Messiah  by George Friedrich Handel is a beloved choral masterwork that often gets associated with Christmas, although it is a work that was written to tell the entire story Jesus’s life through music; from the prophets announcing his birth all the way to the resurrection.  As I read these two texts this morning, I hear the words, “But who may abide, the day of his coming” or “Every valley…every valley, shall be exalted…” playing through my mind.  Now, I could sing both of these solo arias from the  Messiah,  al...

Community UMC, Quincy “Prepare the Way: Stand” Rev. Andrew Davis December 2, 2018 – First Sunday of Advent Jeremiah 33: 14-16 Luke 21: 25-36           How many of you already have your homes decorated for Christmas?  How many of you were at Main Street Sparkle on Friday night?  As we look around us, the song title sung by Perry Como and a number of other artists at this time of year says, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” as the town is now decorated and looking extra festive.  We saw signs of it looking like the Christmas season earlier last month as the ornaments were being hung on the trees along Main Street.  Then on Monday, the lights were being strung on the tree at the courthouse and of course, Sparkle was amazing once again thanks to the work of the Quincy Chamber. I think it’s safe to say that we are now in the Christmas spirit around here, especially as we just ...

Community UMC, Quincy “The One Who Is, Who Was, and Is to Come” Rev. Andrew Davis November 25, 2018 Revelation 1: 4b-8 John 18: 33-37 Today is one of those strange-feeling Sundays, as it has the feeling of a holiday weekend with many still out of town from Thanksgiving this past Thursday. It’s also the quiet before the storm, as we are in a now, but not-yet when it comes to Christmas despite the fact that Black Friday has come and gone and that Christmas décor abounds just about everywhere you look now and Christmas music will be playing on many radios, CD players, or Pandora internet radio from now until December 26 th . As I was driving back to Quincy from Rio Linda yesterday, I saw many Christmas trees on top of cars and trucks pass by me on Hwy. 89 and 70, a clear sign that Thanksgiving is now over and that it’s all about Christmas.  Yet here in the church, or at least those of us who follow the liturgical calendar, it’s the end of the liturgical y...

What an awesome weekend it was last weekend in Santa Barbara as my family celebrated my sister Sarah and brother-in-law Juan’s wedding in the rose garden at the mission. While weddings can be a little tedious to plan, I am beyond thankful and filled with gratitude that everything went as close to perfect as it can get.  Even in light of the Camp Fire going on in Butte County next door to us and the Woolsey Fire, which my family saw the plumes of smoke from in Santa Barbara last weekend, I am filled with gratitude for this congregation, as I do not have to worry about being away and things falling apart.  I was on pins and needles not being able to be here last week with the power being out for the Fall dinner, yet everything went off the next day without a hitch, plus I heard our DS Blake Busick had an excellent message and hope it challenged everyone too!!  I am filled with gratitude for Linda, Pastor Ray, and everyone who helps to keep things runnin...