8:45 a.m. Traditional Eucharist

On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, this sermon explores the scandalous grace of God revealed in the genealogy and birth of Jesus. Through Matthew’s account, Rev. Dr. Sandi Kerner shows how God enters real history through a deeply flawed and complicated family line, choosing to bring salvation not through perfection but through brokenness. Focusing on Joseph’s obedience, the meaning of Jesus’ name, and the promise of Emmanuel—God with us—the sermon proclaims Christ as the one who intervenes in dark, constricted places to bring freedom, healing, forgiveness, and new life. Advent becomes an invitation to trust God’s redemptive power to break generational patterns of sin and suffering and to receive the saving work of Jesus for ourselves and our families.