Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

F. Belton Joyner, Jr. is a United Methodist pastor and author of the Unofficial United Methodist Handbook, Ten Questions Every Pastor Fears, and many other books. He is a visiting lecturer at Duke Divinity School and a member of the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church. He lives in Bahama, North Carolina.

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Just in Time Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany Services

Abingdon Press

Chapter One

Jesus: The Unlikely Image of God

Question: What picture comes to mind when you think of God?

A Thought: Not humankind, but Jesus Christ is the perfect image of God.

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27

Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Colossians 1:15-17

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Call to Worship

One Voice: And God said, "Let us make humankind in our image."

All Voices: We come to worship our Creator.

One Voice: And God created humankind in the image of God, all humankind.

All Voices: So we gather with brothers and with sisters, these here and those beyond this space.

One Voice: And when that image of God was broken

All Voices: God came in full visibility, to show and to restore that perfect image.

One Voice: God came in Jesus Christ.

All Voices: God came in Jesus Christ.

One Voice: Born to set the people free!

All Voices: Amen! Amen! Amen!

Pastoral Prayer

O God, who has come and yet comes again, we are grateful for the ways in which you break into our lives. You bring the possibilities of joy in the midst of our despair. You offer the gift of community in the midst of our lonely places. You show us what tomorrow is meant to be in the midst of our complacency.

You have made us in your image, but we confess that what we see in the mirror of our lives does not look much like you, like your love, like your justice, like your peace. You live in the unbroken Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and we tarry in relationships that are shattered, neighbor divided against neighbor, nations torn from one another, and even sharp words we exchange with those closest to us.

In this season of looking at the birth of your Son, bring new birth into our hearts. Forgive the shadows we have put in front of your light and let the winds of your Spirit blow away the clouds that block others from seeing you in our lives.

(Here the one leading the prayer may include confessions, petitions, intercessions, and thanksgivings appropriate to the community.)

Hear the prayer we offer in the name and spirit of the One who shows you perfectly, even Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, "Our Father ..."

Some Ingredients to Stir into the Sermon Pot

Just John and Jane

If you were going to write a story that told the truth about all of humankind, what would you name the main characters? What names would you choose to represent all of us? When writing in North American English, persons will often use "John Doe" or "Jane Doe" to stand for the average, ordinary citizen. A politician who is considering a policy change might ask: "What would John and Jane Doe think about this? How will this new policy affect Jane Doe and John Doe?"

The writer of the first chapter of Genesis was inspired to name the pivotal characters of the account in such a way that readers would know that this story is indeed the story of John and Jane Doe. It is the story of all of us.

We know these central figures as Adam and Eve. The name Adam means human being. The name Eve means life giver. That's a pretty good clue that the creation account in Genesis is about you and me! In fact, ha'adham (recognize "Adam" in that Hebrew word?) is usually translated simply "humankind" or "man," no doubt a teasing way of remembering that God created us out of dust (Genesis 2:7). The Hebrew word for "dust of the earth, clay" is ha'adhamah. (Okay. Maybe it was funnier in ancient times to compare ha'adham and ha'adhamah. While this humor is not exactly a thigh slapper, it does keep us from getting concerned about Adam's shoe size and favorite color. This is not just the story of one person; it is the story of all persons!)

Eve gets named "Eve" (Genesis 3:20) because she is "the mother of all living." That's what the name means. Now, the writer of these verses has gone to meddling! I had a little wiggle room until now. As long as I can remain convinced that Eve was back then and I am now, then I can nudge her story into a kind of antique irrelevance. But, good grief, the scripture has sneaked up and captured me. If Adam is "humankind" and Eve is "the mother of all living," where can I go to hide from this story? It is clearly my story. And it is clearly your story. This ups the ante a little bit! So, what is our story? I might ask: "What do I learn about me from the story of Adam and Eve?"

I have two sisters. I was born in James Walker Memorial Hospital in Wilmington, North Carolina. I graduated from Siler City High School. I ran track when I was in college. Twice I have been an organizing pastor for new congregations. Toni and I (married for fifty years) have one son, one daughter-in-law, and three grandsons. We live out in the country surrounded by hardwood trees and venturesome deer. What else would you like to know?

Oops! You have caught me stalling, not quite ready to face the truth about me that shows up in the Genesis account. (I don't usually put "tell me the truth" on my hints for Christmas gifts.) Let's start at the beginning.

You and I are part of God's created order. The earth, the environment, the waters, the vegetation, the animals, light, dark—these are all gifts of God's creative initiative. Although my stomach is not fully convinced that God created asparagus, the biblical witness is that what God created was good (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). There was a whole lot of good going on! (The word translated as good means suited to its purpose.) So far, so good.

Maybe God should have stopped at that. Have you ever watched a football team successfully run a particular play, time after time? "Braxton fades back to pass; Riley is free again down that right sideline. And Braxton hits him in full stride! Another first down! That play has been working all day." But one time too many and on the next try: "Interception! Interception!" And what has been money in the bank has become a painful withdrawal. Going to the well too many times can mean a dry well.

Maybe God should have stopped at the creating business before he came to us! Perhaps like the man who said "I must have money in the bank because I still have blank checks," God looks at the earth he has created and says, "I still have more I can do." Should God have gone that next step? What would God's creation of beauty and purpose have been like if humankind had not been created?

James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) described what God did next:

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