What do you fear? Week Four

Affirmation of Faith
What do you fear?
We have seen the valley.
We have seen a sky without stars.
We have seen the longest night,
and still we believe.
We believe in a with-us God.
We believe in the hope of tomorrow.
We believe that good news is louder than fear.
We believe this good news is for all people.
So even when our knees shake,
even when our voice trembles,
even when fear is all around us,
we will hold onto that good news.
We will reach for each other.
We will look for God in our midst.
We will sing songs of joy.
We will proclaim:
Unto us, love is born.
We have seen the longest night,
and we have seen unimaginable love.
So still, we believe.
Amen.

Scripture – just click on the link below
Matthew 1:18-25; Isiah 4:5-10 as in NRIV

Reflection on Matthew 1:18-25 and Isaiah 4:5-10
by Rev. Dr. Boyung Lee

Advent invites us not simply to
“be not afraid,”
but to act with love in the midst of fear.
Not to fix everything,
but to show up with courage.
To reach out and say:
“Give me your hand.”
This kind of love—grounded in risk,
humility, and faith—
is what Isaiah evokes:
“Each one helps the other, saying to one another,
‘Take courage!’… Do not fear, for I am with you”
(Isaiah 41:6,10).
God’s work in the world unfolds not
through lone heroes,
but through the joined hands of
those who choose:
relationship over self-protection,
accompaniment over certainty,
and presence over perfection.
Mary’s “yes” mattered.
So did Joseph’s.
So does ours.
As we move into the final days of Advent, we ask:
Who among us is carrying something
sacred and heavy, quietly in danger?
What fear might we be called to move
through—not for our sake, but for the sake
of others?
How might our love—fragile, imperfect, but
real—become the ground where God’s promise
takes root?
This week, we’re not asked to fix
the world.
We’re asked to take each other’s hands
and walk forward into it—together. move forward
anyway—not with certainty, but with open hands
and the courage to say yes, even in the unknown.

But Mary and Jeremiah model a different courage:
the courage to ask questions,
to hesitate,
to need more time,
to take just one uncertain step.
And they do not walk alone.
After her yes, Mary runs to Elizabeth,
who meets her with joy and affirmation:
“Blessed are you among women” (Luke 1:42).
Elizabeth becomes confirmation and community.
This too is part of calling—
we are not meant to walk forward alone.
God calls us not only to action,
but to become fully ourselves.
Fear doesn’t disqualify us—it’s part of the process.
And God promises to walk with us, every
trembling step.
This Advent, we ask:
What fear are you carrying?
What invitation are you resisting because you
feel inadequate?
What would it mean to say yes—not fearlessly,
but faithfully?
Mary’s words can become our own:
“Let it be with me.”

Benediction
In a fearful world,
may you look for God’s spirit.
May you reach for each other’s hands.
May you choose courage whenever you can.
And in all things, may you remember
that good news is louder than fear.
In the name of the one who calls,
the one who sends,
and the one who journeys with—
go in peace and
be not afraid.
Amen.