We're all basically paid to be here. It's good to see you. In an ironic twist of events, moving away from the Gospel of Matthew, please open to Matthew chapter 1.

That's where we're at in this Advent season. Well, happy I hope you had a good Thanksgiving family. I certainly did. I know I heard tons of stories about people having different foods they ate this season or like tried different things and families were smaller or separated.

But there is a lot to be thankful for. Even this weekend before it all, Thanksgiving happened. I went with some of my friends to Salt and Straw and just as an odd story.

They had Thanksgiving flavored ice cream. So if you had that and got to take bless you and bless God. Anyway, we're going to open up to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1.

If you're willing and if you're able, please stand for the reading of God's Word.

Matthew chapter 1. And we're going to start of verse 17. Thus there were 14 generations in all from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile to Babylon and 14 from the exile to the Messiah.

This is how the birth of Jesus, the Messiah came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law and yet he did not want to expose her to public disgrace. He had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. Let's read this part out loud together.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. The Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us.

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife, but he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son and he gave him the name Jesus.

This is God's word. So maybe we be good hears of the word and better doers.

Maybe we love Jesus deeply in this season. Maybe trust what he says and maybe follow Jesus well. Amen. You may be seated.

If you need a title, just because it's helpful for some people, the title of this sermon is called Middle of the Mess.

I have a question for you. How soon is it too soon to put up a Christmas tree? I know it's like a contested debate and all throughout the holidays. There are different people who say different things. One of my best friends normally puts up her tree right after Halloween.

I personally think it's too early, but do what you got to do. Most years, I wait until after Thanksgiving, but this year I did the third week of November. I just felt like I needed it.

I was hoping I was the only one. The Washington Post put out an article that talked about the seaming uptick and people putting up their Christmas decorations early this year.

All over the country, people began to put up their decorations sooner than normal. It's almost comical because there have been pandemic-femed ornaments this year. Have you heard about those?

Masks, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and even an Anthony Fauci ornament. Sales for Christmas decorations have been higher this year. One star owner even said he was asked for Christmas lights in August.

While most years, I would say people who start way too early have lost it, I think everyone gets a free pass in 2020 who wouldn't want Christmas a little bit early this year. I mean, after a year like this, I was personally ready to go help put the tree up and pie in your square myself on Labor Day. If that would make this year end sooner, if it would ease the pain.

But that got me thinking, could all of the rushing to get Christmas here faster just be our way of getting out of this year? Is Christmas just a way of bearing what's underneath the surface? Are we trying to eat our way through uncertainty or shop our way through stress or distract ourselves from discomfort? Are we avoiding the mess by just sweeping it under the rug?

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