Midweek Advent Worship December 10, 2025
“Stirring Things Up” Romans 15:13
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
For generations, children have asked the same question: Is Santa real? The surprising answer is yes; though he lived hundreds of years ago and went by another name. Long before he became known as Santa Claus, he was simply Nicholas.
Saint Nicholas was a Christian Bishop in the ancient Greek city of Myra. During his life time he became known for his extraordinary concern for those in need. Nicholas understood something essential about Jesus’ ministry. Jesus often met a physical need before preaching to them. Nicholas embraced that same model.
Nicholas was born in the third century in what is known as modern day Turkey. He was born to wealthy Christian parents and was raised in the Christian faith from an early age. After his parents died of illness, he inherited their fortune and immediately dedicated himself to helping the poor.
Nicholas, known to us as St. Nick, had a reputation for holiness and generosity and that led to his appointment as Bishop in the town of Myra. Nicholas was known for his humility, courage and willingness to risk his own safety in defense of others. Unlike religious leaders who remained distant from the struggles of ordinary people, Nicholas carried the heart of a servant. He was said to be a protector of children and a source of hope to the powerless.
This past Saturday, December 6, is known throughout the world as the Feast of St. Nicholas. People give to various charities in honor of a man whose giving and caring, whose humility and compassion, changed the world.
Do you know what St. Nicholas did? He stirred things up in a marvelous way. He took on the cause of the less fortunate. Sometimes people like to stir things up – just to cause trouble and unrest. They bring chaos and trouble. But there are some folks who stir things up for good. They take something that is broken and useless, a life, for instance, and they bring the necessary change.
From what I read, that Bishop of the Christian Church in Myra did that, but there is someone else that did that. His name is Jesus. Examine His life. He came to stir things up.
This year we have been using the “collect of the day” – the prayer of the day – in our services on the weekend. For the First Sunday in Advent the prayer was:
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Each of the Advent prayers begin with the words, “Stir up.” “Stir-Up” prayers boldly call for our Lord Jesus to come and do what He was intended to do. Protect us. Deliver us. Remove from us the horror of our sin. We need God to stir things up in our life. Jesus came for our rescue.
Some of the best words about our need and about the work of Jesus are found in this one verse from Romans 15. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Let’s see. Hope. Joy. Peace. Trust. Those four things are a good “stirring up.”
This is a hard time of year for many people. Life is stirred up but not by hope, joy, peace and faith – trust – but by just the opposite. Some don’t see happiness or joy. Life is chaotic and filled with pressure. Some live lives that delight in doing harm or bringing hurt to others. For some, Christmas is not the happiest time of the year.
So what does God do about this? What does Jesus do about all this? He stirs things up. “Stir up your power, O Lord, and come…” Years before Christ came, the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, writes, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:2, 9:6)
He stirred things up. Wonderfully. For our good. What did you get when Jesus came? Hope. Joy. Peace. Faith.
Those are greater gifts than even St. Nick can bring. Amen!!
(The account of St. Nicholas came from the December 4, 2025, article in The Holyoke Enterprise, “St. Nicholas Feast Day: The Man Behind the Legend of Santa Claus” written by Sophia Cortez-Holmes Longshore)
