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This Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Advent, we will continue our sermon series from the Book of Isaiah. The series is entitled Envisioning the Impossible.  

The text we will explore together is Isaiah 7:1-16, an enlargement of the lectionary reading, allowing us to hear Isaiah's word in context. By starting at the beginning of Chapter 7, we see that Isaiah's words are spoken to a king (and a people) who is scared. Jerusalem is threatened by its Northern neighbors and the shadow of Assyria looms large over the entire land. It is into this context of fear and trembling that Isaiah utters the word: "Immanuel! God is With us!" 

What a word for us to hear in our own contexts and climates of fear. How will we receive such a word and such a sign? Like Ahaz, will we hear it and activly ignore it? Like the young woman, will we carry this Word and this hope inside us?