Ronnie McBrayer

A Christmas Special, Part 4

Charlie Brown cries out in desperation: “Everything I do turns into a disaster…Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” And then it happens, what Lee Mendelson called, "The most magical two minutes in all of TV animation." Linus answers his best friend. “Sure, Charlie Brown. I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” He takes center stage. “Lights, please,” he says. And with seven-year old Christopher Shea providing the voice of Linus Van Pelt, under the spotlight, Linus reads from the King James Version of Luke 2: “Fear not, for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'" Linus turns to his friend and sweetly, innocently concludes: “That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

A Christmas Special, Part 3

"The Grinch franchise  (the 1966, 2000, and 2018 films) is the most popular, the most watched, and most lucrative holiday production in history. This 'heel…this vile one with termites in his smile…this seasick crocodile…A skunk with a heart full of unwashed socks…the king of sinful sots.' How can he be the most popular Christmas character since the nativity of Jesus and the coronation of Saint Nickolas? His enduring legacy is what he teaches us: No one has slipped so far into resentment and boiled so long in bitterness that they can’t be redeemed - that they can’t be reborn - restored - saved even - by grace." 
(This is Part 3 of Ronnie's 2023 Advent Series.)

A Christmas Special, Part 2

"All these misfits - pushed away and ostracized - they aren’t bad. They aren’t wrong. They just are. And all they want is what we all want - a chance. A chance to be loved, a chance to belong; a chance to be themselves; a chance to thrive in spite of their misfitting and misgivings; a chance to be a part of the great reversal, where the down and out are no longer consigned to a far away, fog-encased island - but they are seen, valued, brought into the community, and made whole...They wanted what Mary sang about in her Magnificat and what Jesus preached about in his first sermon, the Son sounding like his Mother, a place where the last are made first." 
(This is Part 2 of Ronnie's 20223 Advent Series.)

A Christmas Special, Part 1

"For me, there was a clear sign that Christmas was indeed near. If you were a child of the 1960s, 70s, or 80s - or a parent during those decades - you will share this memory with me. It was the return of the animated Christmas special!  I cannot tell you, a wide-eyed, bespectacled child of the 1970s, the undiluted and perfect satisfaction of sitting on the floor in front of a 19 inch black and white television, taking in the wonders of the annual Christmas cartoons. So, to celebrate Advent this year, I’m taking us back to my favorite Christmas specials; and on this first Sunday of the season, with the candle of hope burning, and expectation in the air, I will begin by saying, 'Happy Birthday!' Because that’s what Frosty the Snowman said every time that magic hat was put on his head and he sprung to life..."

Light and Life

As Advent draws near, Ronnie provides a history of the celebration, albeit by early and accidental means. Give this talk a listen to prepare for the season of light and love.

For the Long Haul

"What if Jesus came back today!?! Would you be ready?!?"
Those are the typical revivalistic questions. In this talk Ronnie asks a different question: "What if Jesus DOESN't come back today...or tomorrow...or next year...or next decade...or next century?" This is a challenge for believers to accept and adapt to "the long haul," as the wait will be far longer than people of good intention could hav imagined. 
 
NOTE: Based on the Parable of the Bridesmaids in Matthew 25, Ronnie addresses this subject at length in his book, "How Far Is Heaven," available by following this link.

Saving Daylight

"I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial..." Words from the Prophet Isaiah (Chapter 38) to King Hezekiah inspire this talk from Ronnie as he connects it to "Daylight Savings Time" and the "extra time" we have all been given to live our lives.

Happiness Is An Inside Job

"The search for happiness can lead people to do strange things...radical things...even criminal things. Blaise Pascal said, “The aim of every person is to be happy - even those persons who take their own lives.” It’s such a universal desire - to have a little joy; a little contentment; a light heart and mind. But it can be so universally elusive. This is because happiness is an inside job. There is no secret to unlock; no skill to develop; no elusive mystery to chase. Happiness is already there within you. It’s there for the taking. So, if you don’t find true happiness within yourself - you will never find happiness anywhere in the world." 
(Reading from Philippians 4 by Anna Balfour)

”I Contain Multitudes”

Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself (I am large, I contain multitudes). - Walt Whitman
Ronnie chose Whitman's line because it captures the fragmentation, history, complexity, and contradiction - not of humanity in general - but specifically as the best one line explanation for that tiny slice of land containing the state of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. As Ronnie says in this talk, "If ever a section of earth’s geography contained contradicting multitudes - peoples, religions, opinions, atrocities, beauty, bloodshed, glory - it is this piece of the world." In a departure from his regular talks, Ronnie takes a deep dive into Israeli and Palestinian history and the implications for today.
A direct note from Ronnie: This is the longest talk I have given in probably 15 years - not that it is an hour-long diatribe - it's just north of 35 minutes. But I've always tried to get to the point as efficiently as possible, and leave the receiving, thinking, and mulling over to the listener. I maintain that same efficiency here I hope, but this is a subject matter that required those few extra 12 to 15 minutes. Thanks for listening. RM

G.O.W.I: Getting On With It

In a deeply personal recapping of challenges experienced by individuals and families in his own congregation, Ronnie pivots to the theme of "Getting On With It" from Paul's words in Philippians 3. Ronnie says, "I tread lightly and carefully here, because the pain and loss for many of late is still so present and raw; not for a minute will I minimize any of that. Take your time. Heal as best as you can. Pull away into your thoughts and precious memories. Grieve. Process. Cry. Rage. Question. Wrestle. Go deep within. Go way back. But don’t you stay back there. Get depressed. Get angry. But get well and get going. No, not everyone can hear this today - and that is as it should be. But some of us need to hear this. We need to do business with the past, our past... We cannot change a single thing about the past. We can’t go back, and all the 'I should haves' and 'I could haves' and 'What ifs' are grave markers in the cemetery of a reality that will never be. To use your precious energy trying to reconstruct a better past, to return to some golden era of your life, to try and rewrite your personal history book is a fool’s errand. You have today. You might have tomorrow. But you certainly don’t have yesterday. You have to get on with it."