The Great Ordeal of Salvation

Sermon based upon Revelation 7:9-17 <- Audio file of sermon.

A ministerial mentor of mine, Diana Butler Bass, wrote that in 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, her husband’s family went to their Presbyterian church the next morning. “They went with heavy hearts, expecting the pastor to help make sense of the tragedy. The minister rose to preach. The congregation held its breath. But he said nothing of the events in Memphis. He preached as if nothing had happened. [Her] husband’s family left church that day disappointed; eventually, they left that church altogether.”

I share that story because yesterday 6 people were murdered and another 12 were injured when a young man opened fire at a grocery store in Arizona. The apparent targets were attendees of a community political event hosted by US Representative Gabrielle Giffords. This event has and will continue to receive a great deal of media attention.

The reason these killings capture so much of our attention compared to the murder of an Oklahoma high school principle 4 days ago is because they are mixed with our fear of social unrest, the intrigue of assassination, and the sensationalism that so typically marks our culture’s appetite for drama. But the even deeper reason it captures the attention of many of us today is that we feel powerless to do anything about it and hopeless that it will ever get better.

We turned on our TV’s, hopped on the internet, or talked to someone on the phone only to find out that something horrifying happened. Quickly without even realizing it, we were drawn into the short on facts, high on assumptions reporting, including the early report that Rep. Giffords was dead. Liberal talking heads quickly pointed to violent rhetoric from republicans as the cause. Conservative media talked about progressive policies and the fall of individual morality as a root cause. And somewhere in the middle were real people, politicians or otherwise, that were scared for their own lives and the lives of their loved ones and friends.

As I took this in, started to realize that how we experience powerlessness and hopelessness has everything to do with how we respond. I also realized that for all the fear that swirls in our culture, many media outlets and politicians use it against people or at minimum are just putting a Band-Aid on the fear. At their best politicians try to fix it with policies, reporters seek to ease our minds with education, and social groups attempt to give us a vehicle for action. But here we are, real people, in the middle of all this with held together with quick fixes rather than real solutions.

Diana Butler Bass’s family came to church looking for answers in 1968 just as many of us do today. It is the job of church to offer real solutions, solutions that heal our weary souls, bring transforming light to our fears, and fill us with true meaning and purpose so that we are no longer powerless. As we move forward this morning and in all the days to come, let us be that church. The answers are not in what I proclaim but in what we claim together. Our path is not in our perfection but in our earnestness to live out our individual and collective roles in the body of Christ. We are the church, entrusted with offering authentic solutions. It is with that charge that last week we looked at a text from Matthew and suggested that sometimes we are called ahead to pave the way for those who will come after us. As we continue to dive into some biblical texts from the apocalyptic genera, I think this week’s passage also speaks to that healing, transformation, and purpose that provides genuine solutions in our lives.

Our second scripture reading for the day was from the book of Revelation. I think most Christians, including ministers, have a hard time figuring out what to make of this book. What does it signify? How is it applied to today? I mean, most biblical stories have multiple meanings, but we have a hard time just figuring out where to start with Revelation.

But it’s really not that hard. You see, apocalyptic writings are written not to offer crystal ball prophesy into the future but to jar us out of our typical thinking here and now. They are supposed to startle us so that we will let go of an old way of viewing and doing and move forward with a new vision. When we read from the book of Revelation, we are taking in visions and symbols that spoke to the writer’s life in practical ways just as it also does today. But we have to be willing to let it rattle us a little before we can see it’s meaning.

First, let me give you a little background about this passage. You see John of Patmos is sharing his visions of people coming before God and Christ. Just before this passage, he heard the numbers of the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel, who were sealed with God. So this story comes directly after that. We are basically breaking into John’s vision at mid point when this passage begins. So let's look and see what the story tells us.

John said he saw a great multitude so much that people couldn't count them so these aren’t the well-defined 144,000 from the previous passage that are sealed with God. They were from every nation, all types of people, and they spoke many different languages. They were standing in front of the throne before Christ. They were robed in white and they had Palm branches in their hands. They sang praises to Christ in gratitude for their salvation. And at this point, an Elder said to John, “who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” John said, “You are the one that knows.” Then the Elder replied “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship the Holy One day and night within God’s temple, and the One who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Every time I read this, it always strikes me that the Elder had a pretty detailed reply for man who, at first, didn't admit that he knew who these people were. maybe he didn't want to recognize them like the way we sometimes don't want to claim we know the homeless or the abused. But he tells us a lot. First of all, he told us that they it been through great ordeal. So, what is this great ordeal? Well, with what the Elder said, we can know that these people suffered a lot because he says that they won't be denied basic needs anymore. That they will not go hungry and not be without shelter, because they will be with the shepherd, the Christ.

So what do we make of this passage? What is this great ordeal? And what does it mean to us today? Well, let me share a few of the features that stand out to me about this passage. Many scholars point to the fact that these are not the protected ones, sealed by God. Some suggest that this countless multitude are the “sheep of another fold” referred to by the Gospel of John. I don’t know. But what I do know is that arguing about who they might be misses who they are for sure.

From all that this passage says, it seems to me that these people are the ones of subjugation and oppression in the world. These are people who have been denied and deprived… abused and ignored. These are people that our governments, our societies, and our communities have forgotten or chosen to ignore. They are the homeless… They are the poor… They are the racial ethnic minority… They are the refugee… They are the mentally ill… They are the ones suffering with AIDS… They are the battered… they are the violated… They are the ones without voices… The ones without hope. But here they are singing praises and being healed.

So, one of the important meanings of this passage is that hope is available to the downtrodden. Hope that Christ, the Shepard will care for them. Christ does not want them to suffer. Christ desperately wants them to experience victory over oppression. I use the term victory because they were waving palm branches. And palm branches are always a symbol of victory and triumph over evil in the bible. These people of long suffering had finally prevailed. This is what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. meant in his closing words of a speech the night before he was killed. He said,

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

Those are powerful words from a prophet that would be murdered the very next day. But he knew hope. He had glimpsed it in the vision of God for God’s good creation.

But you know, I have to admit that asking the homeless and the hungry to wait for the hereafter in order to be liberated seems unfair. So I am reminded that we are called to be the body of Christ in the world. This passage can be seen as a call for us to step forward and help the widow and the orphan, the marginalized and oppressed to find victory. Maybe this is passage should serve as proof that Christ does not want humanity to suffer. Our response to that call should be to help in the work by truly being the body of Christ and living out our calls… living out God’s vision of victory over sin and death.

But let's go one step further. There are more ways to hunger and go without shelter than just physical ones. There are those who starve for love, acceptance, and invitation to the table. There are those that have endured great struggles in this world without the shelter of community, without the shelter of church, or without the shelter of the Christian family. You see I think this passage is also talking about the human struggle. The struggle to find nourishment and sustenance in the faith.

John was seeing all people who hunger and thirst after righteousness. It is a long suffering struggle to find what we need in this broken world. We are called to live in community with one another as the body of Christ. When we are sick, lonely, or tired we struggle to find hope for something better… hope for salvation. But hope is in Christ and the promise to relieve us of our struggle and bring us to victory. Hope is also in those around us who embody Christ in this world and help us through the struggles. Salvation is truly a great ordeal. Not because of Christ; Christ’s work holds all grace and sufficiency. The great ordeal is because of our brokenness.

This is where we find ourselves today. An apparently mentally ill young man did something horrific yesterday. Several bomb like devices have been sent to politician’s offices around Washington this past week. Some politicians are urging us to not “retreat” but to “reload.” Drug violence in Mexico continues to escalate. And even close to home, domestic violence and poverty in Lake County are on the rise. Where’s the hope in such overwhelming facts?

Friends, we find hope in Christ and find hope in those around us who help us through struggle. We then turn around offer that hope to others because we are the body of Christ. In spite of all that is “wrong” around and within us, a lot more goes right even if we don’t see it. Who knows how many shootings have been prevented because a concerned neighbor or family member reached out to someone with an emerging mental illness to provide shelter and support? How many crimes of desperation have been avoided because of food pantries and resale shops like the ones at First Pres? Can we even begin to count the number of children who are touched by youth events at this church and others? How many people have lived to find a better way than abuse because of a friend reaching to them? And who might we each have become but for way we’ve been touched by the body of Christ? We can look far and we can look near. There are countless multitudes who have tasted Christ’s salvation because of the way we reach out. We, in this room, are even among those multitudes whose lives have been transformed by hope in Christ.

Sisters and brothers, let us grieve for those who suffer. Let us shed tears of sorrow for lives that will not be. But let us also hold tightly to our hope in Christ… hope that we’ve tasted through our own needs and experiences, hope that others need too. When the message of the world is fear and fight, let us be and offer a true solution of relationship, connection, and love. Amen.

Left Behind or Called Ahead?

Sermon based upon Matthew 24:36-44 <-- Audio file of sermon

Good morning. It’s great to be back with you and I’m going to be here for the next few weeks. Given that we’re going into Epiphany, which means “divine manifestation,” I thought I’d do a sermon series on apocalyptic literature in the bible and see what “divine manifestation” we could unearth. This week we’re looking at a text from Matthew, next week is from Revelation, and the following week is from Daniel. All three texts represent different eras and forms of apocalyptic literature.

This from of writing has been used for thousands of years and many people believe it is telling about a literal time and place to come. Personally, I’m not sure that’s true. The word apocalypse comes from a Greek word that means “revelation” and what God has repeatedly shown is that we don’t have to play guessing games about how to live because God reveals what we need to know. The point of the writers of apocalyptic texts was not to speak to a generation sometime down the line in a code that no one would understand until that time had passed. The biblical writers were speaking to their people in that time in a way that was supposed to make a difference to them in their daily lives. Often times, I feel that the real miracle of the bible is that it still speaks to us across all this time and continues to offer relevant revelation to us here and now.

But before we go further, let me tell you that I’m a very humble person when it comes to the bible and all the ways God reveals God’s self in the world. I assure you that anything I share with you is #1 faithful and #2 represents an earnest effort of study and reflection. But are there more or different things that can be said that what I share? Most definitely, YES!

All this buildup leads into today’s biblical passage. I don’t know about you but when I read this text I immediately thought of the Left Behind book series. Now, I’ve not actually read those books but I felt compelled to find out a bit more about them because I suspect that I’m not the only one who thought of the connection. So, I started with an editorial synopsis of the first book in the series entitled Left Behind. Let me share with you what I read:

Piloting his 747, Rayford Steele is musing about his wife Irene’s irritating religiosity and contemplating the charms of his “drop-dead gorgeous” flight attendant, Hattie. First Irene was into Amway, then Tupperware, and now it’s the Rapture of the Saints. Steele believes he’ll put the plane on autopilot and go visit Hattie. But Hattie’s in a panic: some of the passengers have disappeared! The Rapture has happened, abruptly driverless cars are crashing all over, and the slick, sinister Romanian Nicolae Carpathia plans to use the UN to establish one world government and religion. Meanwhile, Steele teams up with Buck Williams, a buck-the-system newshound, to form the Tribulation Force, an underground of left-behind penitents battling the Antichrist.

Now, when I finished this reading, I couldn’t figure out what the deal was with these books. Is this the same book that a decade ago was causing people to change their lives and get “right” with God? To me, it sounds much more like a dark comedy than a call to Christ.

So, what’s up with this thing we call “the rapture?” Where did we get this idea and is this what the scripture is telling us? Well, most biblical scholars say that this passage is not about a rapturing of the saints. The idea of rapture is a fairly young one in the history of Christianity. It only dates back to the 1800’s and even scholars who believe in it admit there’s no biblical evidence for their belief.

And if we are talking about biblical evidence, why would Jesus go from consistently talking to people in a way that was about their present lives to suddenly talking about something that would not happen or make sense for thousands of years? Well, he didn’t. This passage is part of a larger text where Jesus is talking about recognizing the Messiah, something which he said to them would happen in their generation and would be ongoing. In the 2 verses prior, he says, “Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not.”

Most biblical scholars say this passage is about eschatology and eschatology is nothing more than a fancy word that means the God’s ultimate destiny of humanity. So what is the ultimate destiny of humanity? Some people do think rapture is a part of God’s ultimate vision for the world but there are many other beliefs as well. Let me offer up a couple of other visions for you to consider.

A famous theologian named Paul Tillich says that our destiny is to finally see and understand our incredible brokenness and disconnect from God and one another fully. And that when we see this, we’re then open to truly living in the presence of God. Jürgen Moltmann says that faith is found in hope. He feels that our ultimate destiny is not about the last days but rather the Christian hope and living fully into God’s vision for us here and now. Even Jesus shared an eschatological perspective during his ministry by talking about things that were of final and supreme importance. He spoke about the coming of the Kingdom of God in present and ongoing tenses and demanded a new and higher righteousness here and now.

As you can tell, there are more visions for the ultimate destiny of humanity than just the Left Behind books. So, what is this text about? Well, it is about Jesus coming into our lives. And quite clearly something significant happens when Jesus comes into our lives. Let’s reread part of this text thinking that Jesus wants us to know something about our destiny.

36“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

When read it that way, it seems much more like the “when and where” of Christ’s revelation will be a part of our everyday life and everyday function. We won’t know it or know what it looks like until it happens.

Now don’t get hung up on the fact that this passage mentions the flood story. It’s not saying anything about sinfulness or judgment. Jesus was just using a familiar story that people would know to say that people were going about their business unaware of what would happen next.

And it’s the same today. This passage is telling us that we simply do not know when experiencing the presence of Jesus is going to happen. Much like the time of Noah, we’ll be going about our daily business when Jesus’ presence is revealed to us. But here comes the key to all of this. When that happens, when we really see and understand what Jesus Christ and the Gospel are truly about, we’re transformed and rather than being left behind… we might even be called ahead.

So, again, we need to ask, what is this ultimate destiny in Christ’s presence that we need to be watching for? Simply put, it is the salvation we find in Christ. To really find Jesus and get the Gospel is to finally see and understand the freedom, grace, and deliverance we experience in Christ. Christ shows us a way of understanding ourselves, of connecting with the other, and of knowing our place in the universe. Knowing the presence of Christ shows us the way to a meaningful life and connects us to our purpose in the world today.

You know what that’s like don’t you? You know, it’s the sensation of recognizing and embracing the reality that we each have value. It’s realizing that there are purposes larger than ourselves and that we’re supposed to be a part of them. It’s waking up to see the needs around us and of claiming the power to make a difference in the world. It’s encountering deliverance and being called ahead to lay foundations for others rather than being left behind.

Christmas has come and gone and part of my holiday always includes watching the classic movie, It’s A Wonderful Life. You know, this movie is a great example of finally recognizing the presence of the Gospel in our lives. The main character George Bailey, is going about his daily life unaware of what his real purpose is. He’s focused on a vision of the future that will in fact never come. It’ll never come because he’ll soon be transformed when a series of events break through to George and he at last understands his purpose. In finding this, he experiences deliverance from his old ways of living. He then leaves behind his old notions of fumbling through life and then lives into new meaning with those around him. He realized that all along he was called ahead to pave the way for sustainable housing and to be an integral part of his community.

This brings me to the final point of the what I think the scripture is telling us, which is that when you get the Gospel, when you really experience the presence of Christ, you’re called out and called ahead, leaving behind your previous ways and focus. We’re told that: 40… two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.

This is the story of what it’s like when someone has awareness of purpose. They then have direction, a pull toward something else and then leave behind where they were to go out and live into their true purpose… a call if you will.

Call stories where one is called ahead and something is left behind are throughout the entire Bible. You don’t have to look very far to find these stories. Consider the story of Zacchaeus. When he encounters Jesus, he drops everything to go out and fulfill a new purpose. There’s also the story of Simon and his brother Andrew in the book of Mark. Jesus tells them follow me and you will become fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed him. Even a Donkey found new purpose and left behind its village when Jesus told his disciples to go into a certain village to find a specific donkey that he had use of. They did that and the donkey then bore Jesus into Jerusalem. So if even a donkey can find new purpose through Christ and leave behind an old life, then where does that leave us?

Well, it leaves us looking for what we are supposed to do with this purpose and meaning that’s been revealed to us. Trust me, I know that most of us don’t feel like we’ve been connected with our ultimate purpose or destiny in the world and many don’t have the privilege to follow inner desires. But we all have something in us… some cause or purpose that’s larger than ourselves that calls to us, pulling us toward it. And if we live into that purpose fully, there’s a feeling of being called ahead that leads us to go do the work of Christ in the world.

Look around you. We’re living examples of what it means to live out that call. I left behind a home, friends, and a career to go to seminary and become a minister. Also, many of us belong to ministries where we feel called out to share the Gospel with those around us. Look at the different ministries of this church. What about Soup and Serenity, the resale shop, the deacon’s food pantry, and countless other causes First Pres works with? Or outside the church, many are involved in scouting, the Bridges program, and much much more. These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the ways we’ve encountered Christ’s call and were called ahead to make a way for others.

I suspect we leave behind lots of things as well. We sacrifice an afternoon of leisure to be with one another and help someone move or cope with tragedy or celebrate births. We let go of grudges because the hold us back from our work in the present. We leave behind old behaviors because we are called ahead to live into something bigger than what we have always known.

This is the real heart of the matter. Jesus’ presence shows us the way to live into something far more fulfilling and rewarding than anything we could have conjured on our own. What we’re talking about here is not just a J. O. B. We’re talking about vocation. So when this scripture passage tells us that we need to be vigilant and watch for Christ’s presence in our lives, it’s because this is of supreme importance. Embracing Jesus’ revelation says more about ultimate vision than the notion of rapture could ever express.

Sisters and Brothers, we truly are called ahead… but not so that others will be left behind. We are called ahead to pave the way for others to experience the revelation of Christ in their lives. So, when we ache for deliverance from meaninglessness, look for Christ. When we need direction, look for Christ. When we hunger for purpose, look for Christ. I assure you that we won’t know exactly when but we’ll find him in everyday places, showing us a new and more excellent way. This is our charge, to be watchful, open to seeing, and ready to embrace Christ’s revelation in the world. Amen.

Stories of Hope

Based upon Genesis 15:1-6 & Luke 1:26-38 <-- Audio file of sermon Good morning.

Well, we’re now at the 3rd Sunday of Advent and pretty far into our devotional, The Stars Tell the Story. It seems that since we’ve heard from Polaris about God’s faithfulness and then the fallen star of Lucifer about his attempts to use power over us, I guess word got out that we were having all these stars come in to talk with us. I got a ton of mail this week from other stars that wanted to come and share their story of how they’ve seen God work in the world. Well, there’s not enough time for everyone so I decided I’d read a few of their letters. Today we’re going to hear from 3 different stars about times they’ve watched God make and keep promises and about the hope people have in God’s promises to be near, faithful, and forever in covenant with creation. So, let’s read a few of these and see what we’ve got. This looks like a good letter to start with (open letter). It reads:

Greetings from the distant sky,
My name is Gamma Arietis. You may have seen me as part of the Aries constellation. But I’m not writing to tell you about me. I’m writing to tell you about God. You see, I have watched God work for so long now but don’t get to share much. A favorite story of mine you probably already know. But it’s worth telling you about anyway.

You see, it was about 4000 years ago and God came to talk to a man named Abram. Now, Abram was already pretty old and had enjoyed a full life. This life wasn’t without heard work but it was still a good life. He had built pretty stable a life for he and his wife, even though they had no children. They had also seen a good bit of heartache. They had rescued Abram’s nephew Lot, had to compromise their relationship while in Egypt, and in general had survived so much together.

So, God sent Abram a vision and said, “Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!”

I think it goes without saying that Abram was startled by this. But he was still able to speak his heart and mind to God saying, “Holy God, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything? See, you've given me no children, and now my land foreman is going to get it all.”

But God comforted and reassured Abram that this promise of grand reward would happen. God said, “Don't worry, he won't be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir.”

Then God took him outside and said, “Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!”

Now, I have to tell you I always like it when God points to us. And you know what? There I was watching this happen. Abram looked at me and all the other stars in his view and tears came to his eyes when he thought that what God said could be true. I knew exactly what the tears were about because he often sat out at night crying sorrowful tears that he and his wife never had children. He would weep for his own mortality and all that he could not share with a child. He wept for his wife and the dream she had of being a mother. But this time the tears had something that they didn’t have before. They had hope.

You see, Abram believed God. God declared him righteous or “Set-Right-with-God.” It was a big moment in Abram’s life. He had already been a lover of God but from this point forward, he knew that his life had meaning because it was part of God’s plan. He didn’t have to wait for the child to be born to believe or to know how God was going to work all this out that he would have so many decedents. What made the difference for Abram was feeling like he had a real and genuine relationship with God, a place in God’s will and workings.

I think that’s what I like most about Abram. He didn’t say, “Where’s the proof?” He simply knew that this relationship with God was enough and God would do the rest.

Well, I appreciate you letting me share with you. If you ever want me to come speak, let me know. I’ll be there.

Faithfully,
Gamma Arietis

Wow, that was a fine letter. I’ve never thought of God’s faithful relationship with Abram as being what made the difference. Well, let’s see what else we’ve got here. (open another letter) This looks like a good one.

Grace and Peace to you,
My name is Mizar and I’m a part of the Big Dipper. You’re Advent series calling on us to share what we’ve seen has me intrigued. I’ve seen some good stuff too and thought I’d write you about a very special time I remember. I think you’ll appreciate this story because it happens just before the guiding star leads you to Bethlehem.

You see, about 2000 years ago, in the Galilean village of Nazareth, God sent a special messenger named Gabriel to a young woman named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph who was descended from David who was also descended from Abraham.

Upon entering Mary’s house, Gabriel greeted her: “Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, beautiful inside and out! God be with you.”

I remember thinking that walking on into a young woman’s apartment in the middle of the night was a bad idea but somehow Gabriel pulled it off because you see, Mary was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But Gabriel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called 'Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob's house forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom.”

Now, I find that if you are going to enter a situation with unexpected news, it’s best to blurt it all out as quickly as possible but Gabriel missed a key piece in his blurting. Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’m not with Joseph yet and our wedding isn’t for several months yet.”

The messenger gave an answer I’ll never forget… and I’m sure Mary didn’t either. Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest will hover over you; the child you have will be called Holy, Son of God. If you’re having trouble believing, did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! You see, noting is impossible with God.”

Now I don’t understand the mysteries of all this hovering stuff but I do know that Mary was a very brave young woman. I don’t know many people who would have handled it that well to hear the news that God was going to use them is such a special way yet a way that could deeply complicate their lives. Honestly! Young women were kicked out of their homes and stoned for showing up pregnant.

Mary said to Gabriel, “Yes, I see it all now. I am God’s helper, ready to serve. I pray that it be with me just as you say.” And then the messenger left her.

When I saw all this, I took a special interest in this young woman and followed here everywhere she went. She had an extraordinary life. Joseph believed in God’s plan too. They raised Jesus and other children too. Their life was a beautiful one. Even when Jesus put down his carpentry tools and took up the mantle of spreading God’s word, Mary continued to see herself as God’s helper by supporting Jesus and even spreading God’s word too.

I suppose that’s a pretty amazing gift to realize that God wants our faith to do things in the world. Mary’s faith that God would make a way for her and this child led her down paths she could have never expected. She saw things that changed her life and everyone else’s too. God asked her to do what was faithful and she was part of making the world a better place.

I hope I’ve made the world a better place by sharing what I’ve seen of God. Hey, when you look up at the sky and see the big dipper, I’m in the middle of the handle. Say hi sometime and remember that God’s promises reach far beyond what you may ever know.

Take care,
Mizar

Hmm… well Mizar seems a friendly one. I’m glad he had such a good story to share. I too am always amazed that Mary was so faithful even in a time that could have caused such great trouble. But what is more amazing is that she stayed faithful through everything. It’s true. Nothing is impossible with God.

Now let’s see what else we have here. (open another letter) This one looks good. Here we go.

To the good folks of FPC Crown Point,
My name is Alpha Andromedae. I’m part of the Pegasus constellation but I’m not sure if you have ever seen me. You have to look carefully. Anyway, I am writing because I know you are enjoying stories from stars about God’s work leading to Jesus. I wanted to share a story of the same thing but it may not be what you expect.

You see, I was watching out over some of the people I like and a new person named Fran caught my eye. She was a little girl in a very problem filled home. Her mom was a very empty woman full of resentment for the world and she took out those resentments on the little girl. I continued to watch this girl because no matter how sad she was, she still believed that God was with her. She would lay in bed and cry to God wondering why her family was so full of pain. She could see that her mother’s resentment were from having been hurt and wronged so much. But that did not make Fran’s life better.

I watched her over the coming years as she struggled to make sense of herself, her family, and the world. Sometimes watching her pain made me question the existence of God but from what I can tell, she just kept believing that God was with her.

As Fran got older, she worked so hard at school and was very involved in activities that kept her away from home. All that paid off because she got to go to college and she’s been a school teacher most of her adult life. She’s gotten to do lots of great things but I can still see the memory of her upbringing when I look at her.

I’ve watched her for over 60 years now. She’ll be retiring soon and I’m glad for her. But you know what? Until recently, I could not understand how this little girl made it through so much pain and sorrow. If I had been her, I would have given up… or at least I thought I would have until I overheard her talking to one of her grandchildren, Jasmine, recently.

They recently had a death in the family. Her granddaughter’s best friend died in a car accident. When Fran was trying to comfort her, she told Jasmine some about her own life and times when she felt alone and in the dark. What surprised me wasn’t the details of what she shared but how she understood them.

Fran said that even when things seemed their darkest, she always found what she needed. Somehow she learned the lesson early on that family could be more than your blood relatives, a belief that supported her all her life. As she got older, she came to understand that as the Body of Christ. When Fran felt most in the dark, she said that it was amazing how she would meet someone who showed her a new way to see light or have an encounter that connected her back to hope. She said that those encounters were God being with her to meet her needs. She said she’s met lots of messengers from God. And when Fran worried that her life would never change or that it would always be so full of despair, she said that something would happen… an opportunity to serve, a youth outreach event, a friend in need… things that reminded her that she was interconnected with others and that her best next step was any faithful step forward. She didn’t have to know the outcome. She just had to be faithful.

I cried. I had watched her but never really seen what was on the inside. She chose to see God instead of keeping the blinders on to the darkness. For that, Fran’s as guiding light as I can think of to point to Christ.

Your fellow seeker,
Alpha Andromedae

Sisters and brothers, I can think of no better note to end on as we continue our journey toward the newborn Christ. God is faithful and present. And God’s faithfulness is seen all around us. Our job is to keep our eyes open to it instead of letting fear, pain, pride, and other barriers stand in our way. Our job is to keep making that next faithful step. Amen.

Power Failure

Sermon part of Advent series where "The Stars Tell The Story." This one is from the "Fallen Star" of Lucifer with the guiding scriptures Isaiah 14:12-15 & Revelation 12:7-9. <-- Audio file of sermon

Pastor:
Good morning. Last Sunday we heard from the star Polaris about God’s faithfulness and light in creation. Other than some of you wondering why the North Star had a southern accent, it was a wonderful visitor for the first Sunday of Advent. This Sunday we have a more peculiar guest. This guest is known to all of us but not usually in the form of a guest speaker. Today the “fallen star” of Lucifer is going to talk to us. So, I present to you, Lucifer.

Lucifer:
Well, I don’t know about all this “fallen star” business. I really see myself as one who chose a different path rather than cast out. I am more of a capitalist meeting the demands of ever growing needs. Can you blame me for trying to provide what you want? Of course not. I’m no fallen star. I’m a business man, a purveyor of pathways to meet your desires. I am no idiot in a red outfit with horns and I am certainly not here to steal your soul. Souls are your own. You choose what shape it takes.

But, where are my manners? Here I am a guest in your home. I should really be finding out what it is I can provide for you.

I hear you are looking for a pastor. Those are one of my specialties. Now let me see… I know a man who has all the right skills for the job. He has a great personality. He loves to stand up in front of people. And best of all, he has a real way with words. I can send him your way.

Pastor:
Wait, wait, wait… I know where this is going. I’ve met some of your “pastors” and trust me, they are not welcome here.

Lucifer:
What ever do you mean?

Pastor:
I mean that these people are not looking for someone with the right image on the outside but an ego driven control freak on the inside.

Lucifer:
Granted, he has a robust ego but such a person will attract new members through his charisma. New members means more money. More money means security.

Pastor:
Charisma is no substitute for a relationship with someone who loves the people of this church and wants to be loved by them. Charisma can be a good gift but it has to be rooted in love. As for members and security, those come from genuine love too.

Lucifer:
Pastor Lavender, love is overrated and always lets people down. I offer power to people right at their fingertips. I offer pathways to get what they want, what they desire. You talk about love but that takes time and has no guarantees attached. I fulfill the emptiness and the void right away. No waiting period.

Pastor:
No waiting period but also no true fulfillment either. The next day, your pathway leaves us empty again looking for that next fix of whatever drug you just fed us… greed, lust, pride, wrath. You give the quick fix but God gives the true fix.

Lucifer:
Oh yes, God… I should have known that God would come up since this is a church and all. It is God who filled you with the nonsense that I did something wrong or fell from heaven. So what would you say if I told you that God doesn’t love you? What would you say if I said that God could care less about what happens to you? He doesn’t love you or care.

Truly… consider this: You believe God set all this in motion, right? Well then why doesn’t God intervene when you feel hurt? When your loved one died, why didn’t God fix it? When your heart was broken why did God let you suffer? Some of you are parents, right? When your child hurts, do you help? Of course you do! God does not love you or God would intervene.

Pastor:
Lucifer, I’m a patient women but I’m not going to stand here and let you tell these people lies. Your whole logic is filled with manipulation rather than truth. First of all, why are these hearts broken and feelings hurt? I’m guessing it all happened when someone chose to lash out instead of work it out. They chose your path of vengeance instead of God’s path of relationship.

Secondly, you say God doesn’t love us or care because we’re left on our own. Well, I’ll grant you that no booming voice comes down from the sky. God doesn’t send emails reminding us to get our regular health screenings to prevent cancer. As far as I know, no God shaped hand has swooped down from the sky to prevent a car wreck. But God provides intervening support and love every day.

Lucifer:
Blah blah blah

Pastor:
Who do you think surrounds that person when their heart is broken? Their family and friends! Those are among the most pure gifts from God on this earth. And do you give gifts like that? No, you give acquaintances that are around long enough to get their needs met. And how about that death? I’m betting that again, God never left their side whether it was in the form of loved ones, medical support, or God’s gentle spirit of peace.

God acts through us, not over us. God’s interventions are about empowering creation rather than manipulating it. What has God done for us lately? More than I can count. What have you done for us lately? You broke our hearts. You left us there hurting. You made the hole in us bigger.

Lucifer:
Hmph… If that is true, why do I have more power than God? You demand an outlet for greed, I give you the opportunity to make money in your businesses if you make the choices I show you. But more than that, I go a step further and provide a pathway for you to influence politicians and regulators to make all that happen legally. I didn’t create greed or money or businesses. I only showed you a way to use them. They were your desires. I only showed you how to fulfill them.

Pastor:
Oh, and those “choices” that you show us, what do they entail? They mean standing on the backs of those that can’t fight for themselves. They mean building up wealth while ignoring those who are without. And what if I’m one of those who suffer because I can’t get a job to even take care of my basic needs? Your “choices” only make me feel worse about how hard I’ve tried and have nothing to show for it!

Lucifer:
My choices are just fine. You are the broken ones. You lust for violence and revenge. You crave retribution. And me, well I simply provide you with ways to cut others down. War, gossiping, viewing and creating violent images… they are all just tools you choose to deal with your brokenness. I didn’t break it. I simply showed you how to deal with it.

I don’t make families act out violently. But since so many of you want to do that, I help make it easy to do by showing you how to make laws that revictimize victims and how to use greed to hold down funding for programs to help support families rebuild. I’m not the cause. I just help you get what you want.

Sexism, racism, classism… those are all tools of oppression that you made by your desire to cling tightly to your fears and cut others off.

Pastor:
Lucifer, I actually agree with you on this part. You didn’t cause any of it. We made choices. But we made choices that hurt others and ourselves because we were overrun by fear or pride. And what did you do? Instead of trying to nurture us so we could shed our fears or let down the guard of pride, you took advantage of us in our weak places. You made it even harder to see hope. And worst of all, you made us doubt ourselves. Your actions manipulate us into thinking that we aren’t worthy of grace and couldn’t be loved. You may not have started it but you definitely made it worse!

Lucifer:
Perhaps I have overstated myself here. I am your friend. I am here to make your lives better. You have fears and I show you how to make them not overwhelm you. You have a deep and genuine need to feel good about yourselves and I show you pathways to use your pride to feel better. I am truly here for you. Otherwise why would I bother?

Pastor:
You bother because you are the truly warped one. You find pleasure from using your power to manipulate. Meanwhile God’s heart breaks as we grow farther apart from each other. What do you do? You fill us with more emptiness. What does God do? Keep loving us and sending more guiding lights to help us find our way home.

Lucifer, I think we’ve been gracious guests but your time here is done! You have come into our sacred space and lied to us, made us question God’s love, and tried to undermine God’s gifts of love. Leave now!

Lucifer:
I may leave this place right now, but mark my words, you’ll choose what I can give you over some false hope of love. I don’t have to come to you. You’ll come to me. (rumble)

Pastor:
Folks, I’m sorry about that. When we invited him, I had hoped that he would at least be honest about who he is. Love is not a false hope. God’s power is true and manifests itself as love… love that transforms our lives into something more than we could have imagined. You wonder how God responds to our needs? Look to Christ. Look to the body of Christ that surrounds us and holds us. Look to God’s guiding lights that surround us. Look to God’s light that burns bright inside of us.

When fear grips us, don’t listen to Lucifer’s message of taking advantage of people, cutting them down, or cutting them off. When pride wells up in us, Lucifer will only guide us to put down others, stand on their backs, and feel false superiority. Sisters and brothers, hear the call of God. Receive the gifts of love and relationship with the giver of life and all creation. And most of all, live as the children of God, knowing that grace abounds, faith sustains, and love always prevails. Amen.

A Legacy Lived On

With the closing of the last Cabrini-Green public housing building yesterday, I've been thinking a lot about classism & racism's legacy. I grew up in a housing project in East Tennessee & quickly got the message that we were low priority to our teachers, the police, & most everyone. Being left out, forgotten, & intentionally disregarded was a way of life for Cabrini-Green residents even in the phase out planning. I remember learning about the attack on "Girl X" months after it happened because the media had been solely focused on JonBenet Ramsey. Even the police didn't help. It was the controlling gang that found "Girl X's" perpetrator & turned him over to police. Yet the ppl I know from Cabrini-Green have told me how much they loved their community in spite of the nearly unchecked violence. Community is an amazing factor & one that makes the oppression of the projects bearable & for some it's even transformative. It was for me.

All That I’ve Seen

Sermon based upon Acts 17:22-31 <-- Audio file of sermon

Good morning and welcome to the first Sunday of Advent. This advent a few stars are going to tell you their story. Stars you say? Yes, stars… as in the twinkling lights in the night sky. Our advent devotional, “The Stars Tell The Story,” walks us through the this year’s journey to Christmas through the eyes of several stars.

This week Polaris will tell you about the birth of light and God’s faithfulness to creation. Next week, the fallen star of Lucifer will talk to you. And the following week another star will share with you about promises. That will then lead us to the guiding star of Bethlehem illuminated by the cantata on the 4th Sunday of Advent.

So without further ado, I present to you Polaris.

Hello, my name is Polaris but a lot of you know me as the North Star or even the handle of the little dipper. I must admit I was a little surprised to be invited to speak. People look at me and wish upon me because I burn so bright in your northern sky but they don’t usually care to hear what I have to say. So I thank you for inviting me because I’ve seen a lot and I especially love to share what I’ve seen of God.

You see, God is the reason I know anything. In the beginning, I was just a ball of dust in the darkness. I didn’t really even realize who I was or what I could be because all I knew was darkness. But then, just like your bible says, God whispered a word to me… a word so simple but it changed everything. God said “light.” It was as if life began at that moment… at least I know my life began at that moment. See, when God speaks to us, we are forever transformed.

This thing called light has been an ongoing gift from God since that day. Think about it. The story of God’s work in creation is referred to as conquering darkness so that life can spring forth. Whether it’s lighting a path forward or driving away evil or casting out secrets that fester in the darkness, light is a tool and gift of God and I’ve been truly blessed to be one of God’s faithful servants by sharing my light.

I’ve pointed the way for travelers, kept people company, and watched over them while they sleep. My work as one of God’s good creations has been very meaningful. But you know what the best part has been? Watching people like you.

The first people I watched were Adam and Eve. Did you know that they loved the nighttime? It’s true. They would sit together and tell each other stories as they gazed into the night sky. I liked watching them. I liked it because they were just so full of love. They loved each other. They loved God. They loved the gifts of God. Everything they did, was from love in its most pure form. Even when that serpent tricked them, they weren’t trying to act in an unloving way. They were manipulated into thinking that the fruit would make them grow wise because of the knowledge of good and evil. They didn’t realize that they could not really handle such wisdom. So sadly, the knowledge they gained only polluted their love.

Lots of folks like to point to that story as saying that we’re somehow bad or broken. I don’t know if that’s true. You know what I think? I think it’s just that we’re all limited. We’re limited in what we can see. We’re limited in what we can understand. We’re limited in time. Only God who is in all places, knows all creation intimately, and lives beyond the bounds of time can really use wisdom of good and evil correctly.

Let me tell you what I mean. Take me for example. I am limited in what I know of the earth because I’m always on one side of it. I’ve never seen most of Africa. I’ve never seen Chili or Argentina. And I’ve never seen Antarctica. To me, they might as well not exist. And they don’t know I exist either.

But I’ve seen folks that travel from that side of the earth. And I trust my star friend, Sirius when she tells me that they are beautiful places. But I’m so limited, that I don’t think I could make a good judgment or assess what God has done there or tell you what the people need there. I just don’t know enough.

People are the same way. Adam and Eve and all of humanity now carry the burden of knowing both good and evil. In many cases, you know what good and evil look like and often know how to handle them. But sometimes you know just enough to cause trouble because only God can use that power fully.

For example, look over there at Lavender. She seems nice enough. But when you try to use God’s wisdom of good and evil to judge her, things just get all messed up. Watch this… Did you know that she gave $5 to a homeless person last week? That seems good right? Well it was good for the homeless person but Lavender didn’t do it because of a loving desire to help. She did it because she felt her own shame and inability to truly look into the eyes of the other person. So, you tell me… she did something good but not from a loving motivation. How should she be judged? And let’s go back in time. Did you know that she used to steal things when she was a child? That sounds bad right? But what you don’t know is that her family was very poor and they were hungry. And she has worked hard to make amends for it ever since. So see, trying to use the knowledge of good and evil is complicated. We’re all just so limited. Only God knows enough to use it well.

And speaking of what God knows, I think our limitedness includes what we know about God too. That’s why I love the story of Paul seeing the Athenian shrine to the “god nobody knows.” At least the Athenians were humble enough to know that God might be bigger than what they knew. When I was watching God form the rest of creation, it was clear that we would all be looking at God from different sides, just like I look at the earth from a particular side. So, I encourage you to be careful when you speak of God. Speak boldly of what God has done in your life but speak humbly about what God’s will is for others. It’s just so hard to see what God is doing when you only see part of the story.

But take heart. I’m not actually here to make us feel small and remind us of our limitedness. To me, the real miracle isn’t that God can use this wisdom and the rest of creation can’t. The real miracle is that creation just keeps being beautiful and amazing in spite of our limitedness. Think about it. With all the things that could go wrong in creation, there’s far more that’s gone right. Accidents are rarely as bad as they could be. Wars are avoided at the last minute. Children are born into love every minute. Relationships are formed and make us more than we were. All this beauty is swirling around us and the only real explanation for why such a limited creation could make more beauty than destruction is that most of us are always being drawn to the light.

Since God’s first utterance of light, we seem to have this little voice inside of us that keeps us moving forward in search of more light, more beauty, more love… a fuller view of God. That’s the whole meaning of Advent. I’ve heard lots of folks talk about Advent as a time of waiting and expectancy. I guess that’s true. But the word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming.” Coming is a progressive verb… which means that it is currently happening and will continue to happen.

Now you don’t need some star giving you a grammar lesson but the point I want to make is that Advent, the coming, is a journey. Much like how creation is always moving toward the light, Advent is about our journey toward a light being born. We’re not waiting… we’re on our way.

You know what else I always like? Even as we’re drawn to the light of God, God is with and amongst us. Read your bible. Talk to your friends and neighbors. You can even talk to many of the people you might call enemies. What you’ll find from listening to their stories is that God never gives up on us and never leaves us. God didn’t give up on Adam and Eve after their mistake in the garden. Instead, God made it clear what the consequences were and helped them know how to prepare to live life differently. God didn’t abandon Paul as he took the gospel to new places. Instead, Paul found that God made provision for him through the ever growing & ever working body of Christ. And today, when we feel lost in the darkness, we are not abandoned by God. We need only be faithful and soon we’ll be able to see God working for our support and help during those times.

I’m always amazed at how God keeps reaching to us. It’s like watching that prodigal son come home over and over again. Trust me, I’ve been watching this go on for more time than humans have existed. Because you see, God is just so full of love and grace. God’s love keeps drawing us all toward God and to each other. And God’s grace keeps us seeking to find more light even when we’ve stumbled into darkness.

God loves us as we are and for who we are. God won’t ask the dandelion to stop being so fuzzy or the rose to not be so thorny. God loves and joins us in all our beauty, our defenses, our darkness, and our light. God knows that our rights and our wrongs have a story. They have a reason. God knows that we have deeply rooted fears. God also knows that we have a huge heart made for love. God knows every part of us. God knows all of creation and still reaches out to us every single time offering love, redemption, transformation, growth, nurture, and relationship. God loves us for who we are but knows that in the light, it is our beauty that will grow and flourish.

I’ve been watching you and will continue to watch you. You are a beautiful people. Trust in God’s presence and that calling from the dawn of creation to walk toward light. When you let God dispel the darkness, you’ll be amazed at just how beautiful you become. Amen.

Our Guiding Light

Sermon for Christ the King Sunday based upon Colossians 1: 11-20 <-- Audio file of sermon

Good morning. It’s good to be back with you and I’ll be with you for the better part of Advent as well. Actually, I feel like today is the beginning of Advent rather than the last day of the liturgical year because when I read the lectionary texts for today, which we call Christ the King Sunday, it felt like I was reading a prelude or prolog to our advent devotional, “The Stars Tell The Story.”

This text from Colossians is a what some theologians refer to as the “Cosmic Christ” because it talks about Jesus in these larger than life terms. This passage stands in sharp contrast to the way Paul usually talks about the body of Christ because it’s talking more about how all the universe relates to Christ rather than the way Jesus relates to us. It also stands in contrast to the way Jesus talked of himself and the way he led his ministry. When Jesus reached out he did so in relationships, daily connections, and in the details of people’s lives. His own interactions were about getting into the thick of people’s lives. And when he told stories, they may have included big picture metaphors, but they were usually about how people were to relate to one another. But this passage in Colossians is different. It shows us a big picture view of Christ.

Now this got me to wondering why that is. Why is it that Paul would talk about Jesus in such a different way than usual? To find out, I only had to read a bit about the people of Colossae in that time and then it all made sense.

You see, Colossae was a town in the rugged, mountainous land of what would be modern day Turkey. Christians were a small sect amongst many other more dominant religions. All of the other popular religions were polytheistic, meaning that they had many gods. Now this isn’t surprising because Jews followed by Christians and then the Muslims some time later were the only religions claiming “A One True God” rather than many gods. So this little group of Christians that believed in one god who had also been a real live person was considered suspicious and weird in that time.

But the way they stood out didn’t stop there. Colossae was also what some of us might call a very backward culture. They were extremely superstitious which is why so many religions took hold rather than a dominant one. What I mean by this is that for every problem that arose, they believed it was caused by a demon or dark power. This would spark some religious faction to step up with the idea that they knew which god to pray to or pay tribute to in order to have the problem fixed. Now in an area of the world frequently plagued by earthquakes, droughts, and war, finding the “god” to fix it was like flipping a coin. It was all just chance. And so this produced belief in a lot of gods that had, in their view, answered their cry at one point or another.

Christians on the other hand were not as concerned with trying to fix these things that went wrong as much as they were helping the people suffering because of it. Now I’m sure that they prayed to God to bring back their flock that drowned in the flood and to stop the earthquakes. Who wouldn’t? But rather than being focused on what they couldn’t control, they were focused on what they could… being a good neighbor and caring for the poor and meeting the needs of the suffering. So let me tell you, these people were some real weirdoes in Colossae!

So here’s Paul writing a letter to them and in good pastoral form, he’s says “Ya know all those bad things and dark powers? You don’t have to worry about those anymore. God has answered them in an ultimate way through Christ. You just keep doing what you’re supposed to each day and God will take care of all the stuff you can’t control. Christ is the glue that holds you together now. Live in that victory and you’ll never need to wonder who’s in control.”

Ok, well that’s my translation of what Paul wrote but don’t take my word for it, read verses 13-17: [God] has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Hmmm… So maybe this “Cosmic Christ” really is about relating to people where they are and getting into the thick of their lives anyway. It seems to me that if a group of folks were being persecuted for not having enough cosmic mojo behind them, Paul just told them how they could explain Christ to the person with deeply rooted superstitions or the family who feels haunted by a darkness because they had lost so many loved ones.  This “Cosmic Christ” sounds pretty available to everyday folks if you ask me.

All this leads us to what this passage has to say to us today. Because as much as I love digging into the history and sharing these interesting connections, you probably would like to leave here with more than an anthropology lesson.

So what is all this about? What does Christ the King Sunday mean? What does it mean to have Christ as our king? Well, this passage gives quick overview of several the ways to think of Jesus. Beginning with verse 15, Paul says that Jesus is:
Now we could probably talk for days about what all that means but I think Paul drove his ultimate point home. All this stuff about Christ reconciling himself to all creation, being the head of the body, and holding everything together is about us recognizing that as Christians, Christ is of always of ultimate importance and at the very center of our experience.

the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

See, this is about what Paul said at the beginning of the passage. “Giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

We inherited the light. We have been rescued from darkness by Christ, our guiding light. We have been transferred into the kingdom. That kingdom is a new covenant in Christ. That kingdom is living out the life of Christ here and now. That kingdom is the peace of knowing that all other things are in God’s hands. For Christians, we cannot do anything without seeing Christ in it and if we can’t see Christ, it probably isn’t for us to do.

Christ’s reign as king lifts the burden of saving the world off our shoulders and leaves us to do only what our particular calling is in the body. God’s job is redemption and forgiveness. Our job is being that new creation. To use a term we don’t often use in the church anymore, Christ’s reign reinforces the sovereignty of God. God’s sovereignty means that God’s vision and redemption has, is, and will work to completion regardless of our will or action. God’s power is true power and works for the good of creation through Christ.

You see, the reason I keep drawing a sharp line between what we are called to do as the body of Christ and what we need to leave to God is because we so often get them confused and start to meddle in the affairs of God.

Let’s take for example that old saying “Love the sinner; hate the sin.” Well, that sounds good on the surface. It sounds like something we should be able to do but is it? See, getting focused on judgment puts us in God’s realm. When we are focused on figuring out what is wrong with someone, it then becomes all too easy to miss seeing God’s image in them. Instead, our job is follow Christ’s lead of seeking relationships.

If we truly want to help someone that we believe is suffering in sinful existence (as if we aren’t all suffering from brokenness), then we should enter into loving relationship with them and provide her or him with what the need to shed that which burdens them. In relationships we are all healed by God’s love in our midst. Furthermore, when we do this, the responsibility for judging or “fixing” sin is removed from us and placed in God’s hands because we’ve been faithful in relationship.

This is the whole essence of the church. Us opening up to let others help us find healing. Reaching out to others to nurture them along the way. Going outside these doors to be Christ’s hands of caring and nurture in the world. Christ came and gave us a more excellent way. Our job is to live it one day at a time.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Battle, an episcopal theologian said, “Christ’s reign distinguishes the human community from the frenzied animal kingdom. Jesus has taught us to act differently, to be human in such a way that we will no longer crucify God in our midst.” I thing that’s a mighty powerful vision.

When we look around, who do we see that we can extend Christ’s hand of healing to? When we look into ourselves, what wall do we need to let down to receive Christ’s light more fully? When we leave this place, where can we extend the love we learned from fellowship with Christ?

Sisters and brothers, this passage reminds us that God has all the universe well in hand so that we don’t have to worry about that. Ultimately, like the people of Colossae, we just need to stay focused on what we can do each day as part of the body of Christ and let God take care of the rest. Amen.

Let It Rain

Audio podcast of sermon

On this day, I scrapped my sermon based upon Joel 2: 23-32 at the last minute and preached a somewhat awkward sermon from an outline because I kept hearing an little voice say, “if they can’t see God’s faithfulness in their own lives, then they won’t be able to see or connect to it in people from such a different context and time.”

Hearing that enough made me realize that the act of integrity was to go way out of my comfort zone and produce the following outline that can be found in it’s entirety in the audio file. The audio file is from the first time I preached it. Personally, I was so far out of my comfort zone that I felt like it was horrid. But people from both services said it was precisely what they needed to hear. So, I trust that God used the words well even if I felt like I stammered.

Also, folks didn’t share as openly in the first service about God’s faithfulness but they were more interactive in the second service. Nevertheless, I could see the wheels turning inside people. Many people were crying tears of remembrance, joy, and longing as they remembered God’s presence in their lives.

Sermon Outline
What does God’s faithfulness look like?
• The history, context, broader understanding of the book of Joel
Characteristics of God’s faithfulness
• Covenant, promise (there’s a whole history of God making good on covenant/promises)
• Presence (in good times and especially in tragedy)
• Nurture (gifts, healing, comfort)
• Love
• Guidance
• Justice
• Relationship
Invite people to share their experiences of God’s faithfulness




text of original sermon 101024 - Ordinary 30C – Let It Rain

Good morning. As always, it’s a delight to share with you in this time of worship and today is no exception. Today is UN Sunday. It is a day to recognize Presbyterian involvement in the UN’s global advocacy and work for justice, helping the poor, and making peace a reality.

The two scripture texts this morning have something in common… they both tell us of God’s grace and faithfulness that is bigger than our ability to comprehend or understand. When we look at the text from Joel specifically, it would be easy to break out into a chorus of “Great is thy Faithfulness.” We are hearing about how God is with them. But it’s not naive praises of an ideal life that God has in store for them. No, this is the praise of a people who found honor for and relationship with God in the midst of famine. They found their deepest connection with God during the times of unknown, strife, and challenge.

See, when we read the lectionary text from Joel, we’re taking a sneak peek at the uplifting part. We’ve bypassed a famine and the loss of their livelihood and hope. Truly, it’s hard to understand Joel unless you read the whole book. But it’s a short one so let me summarize.

This is still in the period of exile for the Jewish people that we discussed the other week and you may recall how I said that being in exile was a fragile state. The passage we studied that week reminded them that their welfare was wrapped up in the welfare of others. Well, this text is picking up on what happens when disaster strikes.

Joel is writing in response to drought and famine that have left people starving. Even their seed for a new harvest has been destroyed and locusts have decimated the land. In a time when life was so fragile, this famine could not have been more painful. It must have been wretched to watch the people they loved die because of the earth shriveling up.

But at this dark time is when Joel calls the people of God to be most faithful. Joel knows that for most people, nothing motivates and focuses us on what we need to fix or change so much as pain and discomfort do. Joel points out that part of why they are experiencing the bleak, joyless life is because they had stopped caring about God and doing what is important to live righteously. Through God, Joel calls them to repent and live faithful lives even in the midst of all this heartache because he is sure that God’s faithfulness will see them through.

This is where our passage picks up. Joel is delighted that the early rain has come. He writes:
O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before. The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
To people who had lost their children to starvation and their hope had been eaten away like the locusts ate their land, this must have been sweet music to their ears.

But there are 2 things we need to recognize about what’s going on here. First of all, this is part of an interactive encounter with God. Throughout this book, not just this passage, Joel and God are speaking in an exchange. God invites the repentance of the Israelites and promises salvation. I point this out because when disasters happen in our own lives, our fears and feelings of unworthiness often go to the place of asking “Why did God do this to me?” or “What have I done to deserve this?” Likewise, when something good happens, we can quickly slide into the thinking that we earned God’s favor by being better than or good enough. So when we read a passage like this, it’s not a farfetched connection to say, “well, they earned the rain so if I do enough good things, God will help me get a better job.” But friends, that kind of thinking really isn’t how God interacts with us nor is it what’s going on here.

This really is a direct dialog where God has something bigger going on. The reasons for sending rain are not in exchange for salvation but something else. This brings me to the second thing I want to point out about this passage. It talks of the rains being given as vindication and so that they will never be put to shame. This dialog is not about them being good enough to deserve rain. God has been with them and faithful throughout. The rain and healing of shame is about proving to non-believers the power of God and a healing salve to their faithfulness for enduring persecution.

Remember, they are living in exile amongst people of many different beliefs. What was most striking about the Jewish people is that they were the only monotheistic religion at that time. They had the one God, not many gods. They worshiped a God of covenant, love, and ever presence while others worshiped fickle gods demanding obedience in exchange for their favor. So, the idea of a one all-powerful God was very odd during that time and so the Jewish people were mocked and treated badly. But God sends these rains as a balm for their spirits, to not only restore the land but to vindicate them in the eyes of others.

Now, we’ve walked down this road of looking at the background story for some very important reasons. We need to know the bigger story to get what was going on here. And more importantly, we need to know what’s not going on here. There is no bargaining for favor with God and the people did not earn God’s rewards. God was with them and would continue to do so. God had promised them restoration and God was delivering. So, ultimately we go through the background story to help us make sense of what it means here and now.

See, even though we’re not really going into the whole text of God’s spirit coming down upon them and an apocalyptic day of the Lord (I’ll save those for another day), there is still a lot here for us. I think our take aways from this passage are 1) God is faithful 2) God’s restoration meets our whole needs, and 3) our involvement matters to God.

Okay, God is faithful. What does that mean? Well, it means that God always makes good on God’s promises. If there is one thing that is clear from studying this book (hold up the bible), it is that God holds fast to what covenant relationship means. Presence, nurture, love, guidance… all these things are part of how God reveals and abundant faithfulness. So, when we have turned our backs on God, God is still knocking at our doors nudging and calling us back. When we feel in the darkness of sorrow, God is still there with support along the way and a light to guide us toward healing. When we are in the good times, God is still there nurturing a bigger love in us by opening our eyes to the ones that aren’t so privileged. God is faithful to creation by never leaving us and never letting us be. Faithful relationship always calls us to more.

Next, God’s restoration meets our whole needs. What does that mean? In this passage God’s rains restore their physical world full crops and plenty of harvest but it also restores their spirits. You see, God’s restoration does not just seek to put a quick fix on it or offer a hand out to make it better for the moment. God’s healing in creation is for our whole selves. So when we are suffering, God is working to heal all the parts of us. We can experience both a relief in our emotions and a healing of our spirit. We can find healing for both our bodies and our minds. No part of us is too damaged or unworthy of God’s healing and restoration.

Finally, our involvement matters to God. Just like God went to the people in this passage calling them back to faith, God calls us back every time we turn away. This is kind of part of God’s faithfulness but the part we often need to hear the most. God has not made a creation to tend to like a garden and control what is in it and prune it to look a particular way. God set in motion a world of relationships and calls us to relationship with God. Whether it’s because God delights in our relationship as a creator or the way we live out being God’s hands and feet in the world, God is always calling us to interact. Whether we’re being healed or doing the healing, God is reaching to and through us. God acts for the betterment of us. God acts to make creations whole. God acts to get us to interact. Calling us, holding us, reaching for us, teaching us, healing us… God’s actions are extended in hopes of our response.

So, here we find ourselves at the center of a relationship where God’s faithfulness is bigger than our ability to earn favor. It’s full of love and hope for us. How will we respond? How will we interact with God? In the places where we’ve gone astray will we turn and face God? When disasters in life strike, will we receive the hand of God as it’s extended to us? When we see others who suffer, will we be God’s hand extended in the world?

Sisters and brothers, we are a beautiful, loving, and creative people who are also broken and fragile. But we are not alone. We are the children of God made for relationship with both God and each other. God’s faithfulness precedes and will extend long after us. The rain that we need to heal the brokenness is in God. The rain that we need to cultivate the love is in God. God wants to drench us in love and relationship. So today I ask you, what rain does God want to pour out on you?

Amen

For Faith's Sake

For Faith's Sake <-- Audio File - Sermon based upon Luke 18:1-8

Good morning. If you haven’t noticed, today is Children’s Sabbath. Children’s Sabbaths is celebrated throughout the world and throughout many faith traditions, not just Christianity. It is a special day to pause and appreciate the amazing gift of children… the ones in our midst and afar. It is also a time to bring awareness to the plight of children because they are among the most vulnerable in our world. Vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Vulnerable to the effects of poverty and marginalization. And vulnerable to be forgotten and ignored in public policy and politics. Finally, Children’s Sabbath is a day to call us to advocacy. And what that advocacy might look like, we’ll talk about later.

So, for now let’s dig into this Gospel text which is a true gem for such a day as this. You see, this parable is a bit interesting because first of all Jesus shares with us it’s intended meaning. Right out of the starting gate he says this passage is about the need to pray always and not to lose heart. What’s also interesting is that we hear from the bad guy’s inner voice. The unjust judge says of himself in this passage that “I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone.” And yet, in the end, he does what is right and just for the widow. And then Jesus ends the whole thing by turning it around on us to find out if we will persist by asking, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

You see I think this passage has a lot to offer us and I could probably preach a different sermon from this text for weeks and weeks to come but we have to limit the scope through the question, “What is it that God wants us to hear today?” I think the message to us today is that for our faith’s sake, God calls us to persist in seeking justice. Let me say it again. For our faith’s sake, God calls us to persist in seeking justice.

Now you may ask how I got that seemingly simple statement from a parable about untiring prayer. Well, let’s dig into what the bible has to say to us. The first hurdle we need to make is to understand that prayer is far more than quiet meditation or private time with God. Deuteronomy, Matthew, Luke and many other scripture texts tells us are called to be a living prayer and 1 Thessalonians and Ephesians tell us to do so without ceasing. Mother Teresa said, “Prayer in action is love, love in action is service.” Dean Inge said, “Action is the normal completion of the act of will which begins as prayer.” From outside our tradition, Mahatma Gandhi said, “Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.” You see, prayer and action always go hand in hand. Our actions are prayers. So a parable about faithful prayer is also about faithful action in the Christian life.

For our faith’s sake, God calls us to persist in seeking justice. Well, we’re definitely called to living prayers of action but what’s this thing of justice? The message of God’s justice is woven throughout the bible and maybe most famously stated in Micah 6:8 which reads, “what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” So this passage stands as one among many rather than a rare mention of justice. And just like we hear the inner thoughts of the unjust judge, we also hear Jesus’ clear reference to God and justice in this passage. So, our calling to work in justice is clear and clearly linked to our faith. But what does it look like?

This is where I think the passage has a lot to say to us on Children’s Sabbath. When considering the plight of children in poverty and suffering from the effects of poverty, the statistics are staggering. In looking at the global numbers we see:

• There are 2.2 billion children in the world and 1 billion of them live in poverty.
• 10.6 million children die each year before they reached the age of 5
• Over 11 million children die each year from preventable causes like malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia.
• 121 million children are not in any sort of formal education whereby they may better their condition. They are only living lives of survival.

And let’s look closer to home. In the United States:

• Every 18 minutes a baby dies before his or her first birthday.
• Every 45 minutes a child or teen dies from an accident.
• Every 5 hours a child or teen commits suicide.
• Every 6 hours a child is killed by abuse or neglect.

And if we look at those same numbers and only consider children living in poverty and marginalization, the numbers skyrocket. They were already overwhelming enough and poverty makes them worse.

So again I ask, what does justice look like? I mean, Repeatedly it has been shown that effects of poverty and inadequate healthcare hit children the hardest and have the longest legacy. So, what is justice? Well ultimate justice is a world where all those statistics are gone and all that’s left is the joy of looking into the eyes of children, all children, and seeing pure hope. A world where no child goes to bed hungry. A world where no child is bullied or teased for any reason. A world where how much money a family has does not limit the opportunities of a child. A world where children laugh and play without fear of returning to an abusive home. A world where the weeping for the joy of children is louder than the weeping of grieving mothers and families. A world where we’ve participated in making all that happen.

Now I don’t know about you but that vision brings tears to my eyes. And I’d like to tell you such a world will happen in our lifetime but it probably will not. The reality is that children are thousands of times better off than they were 100 years ago because of the advancement of medicine. And better off than they were a few hundred years ago because they are no longer view as property but rather as people under the law. So we’ve made significant progress in protecting children and we’ll continue that… because that is what we are called to. This scripture passage calls us, just like the persistent widow, to persist in prayer and justice work regardless of how just or unjust the system is because it is our faith filled response to God. It is the right thing to do. The widow persisted and justice was restored. But even if the wrongs being inflicted on her had continued, she would have persisted because it was the right thing to do.

Now this is a good time to address one of the toughest parts of this parable. Verses 7 and 8 read, “And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.” Now, to a child being picked on or suffering from a preventable disease, this verse must make them say, “When? I’m suffering now and where’s the justice?” When we look at the reality around us these verses make us pause and question if Jesus is really telling us the truth.

First of all, let’s be clear, all injustice is an abomination to God because it seeks to break down God’s good creation. But how is God restoring justice? What we need to recognize in this passage is something that is lost in translation from the original Greek text, the difference between chronos and kairos, calendar time and God’s time.

You know that old saying there’s our time and there’s God’s time? Well there really is. See, chronos which is calendar time or clock time is about how long it took for me to get from the start of this sermon to the end of it or my speed from here to the coffee. Kairos is about the “rightness” of the moment. It’s about being in a moment where there’s no doubt or hesitation or unwillingness. And it’s also God’s relationship to us in our moments. God is the “rightness” in the moment.

You see when we look at this parable, we are told that God will “quickly” grant justice. The word we translate as quickly and the words around it are not talking about speed or chronos. The words used are talking about assuredness and lack of hesitation or kairos. God will quickly grant justice because God has not hesitated in proclaiming injustice. God will quickly grant justice because we don’t need to wonder if God wants us to advocate for the poor and oppressed because God has already on their side and has been sitting at the side of the poor and suffering as a comforter for a long time. I don’t know what date and time is when we’ll live in a world without suffering children but I can assure you that we don’t have to convince God that there’s injustice or beg of God to hear because God is already her in the midst of it! God is on the side of the oppressed and suffering EVERY TIME.

God has been working through the parents, advocates, and all those who heed the call of love throughout all time and all creation. God has been comforting the afflicted through the work of our hands, the compassion in our eyes, and love and passion in our voices for a long time. We ask “How long O Lord how long will the children suffer?” and God has answered until the work is done. We ask “How long O Lord how long will the children suffer?” and again God answers until the work is done. But rest assured those who are suffering always have an advocate and a comforter in God. The question to us, is how hard will we work to make sure those suffering experience that advocacy and comfort?

So, what advocacy can we do to make a difference? Advocacy can take on lots of different forms. Whether it’s being the regular neighborhood front porch where all kids know they can come to talk or donating money to an after school program, it’s still saying that children matter. We can be involved in letter writing campaigns or public advocacy about policies that support children. That work is much like the widow and the unjust judge. If we persist, sometimes even unjust politicians relent and do the right thing even for the wrong reasons. There are all kinds of programs to be involved in and all kinds of relationships we have with children in which we can be their comforter and their advocate.

Even if you don’t realize it, this congregation is already doing lots of good things for kids. These children and youth would not be participating in the service were it not for your faithful witness. Portions of the offering go into programs that make a difference in children’s lives. And all of us have made a difference in some child’s life whether we’re 9 or 90. We have been, are, and continue to be God’s hands at work in the world.

You know, I entitled this sermon “For Faith’s Sake” on Monday last week but yesterday I was at the association meeting which is the United Church of Christ’s equivalent to Presbytery meeting. While I was there, I found this bumper sticker, “For God’s sake, do something.” I think that would have been a better title for this sermon. For God’s sake, do something. For God’s good creation’s sake, do something.

Our call is to continue the work of advocacy and comforting, faithfully and persistently. Our call is to seek more ways and new creative methods for doing that work. When you leave here what more can you do? What child will be touched by your time, love, resources, and most importantly by our faithfulness?

Amen

Response to Issue of Youth Involvement in Conferences

The following is my response to an excerpt entitled “Christian Conferences: Necessity or Distraction?” from Becky Garrison’s book entitled “Jesus Died for This?” posted on Youthworker.com.  In it, she tries to pull apart the difficulty of deciding how to invigorate youth’s spiritual growth through conferences, local involvement, etc. Among the issues she raises are the ways in which events speak to only a certain context.  To her, I wrote:

I understand that the issues raised in this piece are complex though I must quickly concede that I am not involved in youth work and do not pastor a congregation. I am a pediatric chaplain. Yet regardless of my role, I think it is a tough balance when looking at programed events. How are they set up? Who will benefit from it? What will be the lasting effect?

Honestly, I think it is very difficult to plan for a group and determine what will positively affect the most number of people. What is one person’s transformative experience is another’s distraction. We each find what we are looking for (even if it is not what we need).

When I think of my own conference experiences as a youth, most were fleeting moments of buzz but the new people I met and my exposure to a broader world of believers made an immeasurable impact upon me. In my adult life, I understand the types of events that will feed me most and choose those. They are usually more communal and intimate gatherings like the Quaker Pastoral Care Conference and the Pediatric Chaplains Network Annual Forum (which my spouse has lovingly dubbed “chaplain camp” because of how fun it is).

As an extravert, I need new people to cultivate new tools. But what do more introspective, introverted people need? I suspect the answer for most youth programs is in offering and providing many different types of encounters so that participants can come to understand the varying ways they connect and therefore develop an ever-evolving spiritual life. But regardless of how one chooses, I truly believe the Holy Spirit always does her work if we show up.