The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me

January 26, 2019 Luke 4:1-21 The Spirit of the Lord Upon Me Year C Third Sunday of Epiphany Children’s time…… Luke 4:21-30, v. 23 And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country.' " Object: A newspaper. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have read the newspaper that was delivered to your house yesterday? (Let them answer.) Tell me what you have read. (Let them answer.) You read the funnies and what else? (Let them answer.) Most of you do not read the rest of the paper yet, but before long you will. When you do you will read about some very interesting people and the things that they have done. You also will read some interesting things about people who live in other towns and cities. When someone does something that is very interesting in another city, the newspaper prints it in our town and we read about the things that person has done. (Read such an article in the newspaper that you brought with you.) This is the way that it was with Jesus. When Jesus came into a town, the people had already heard about the things that he had done in other places. They wanted him to do the same things for them. The news traveled fast. But Jesus was not just doing things so that people could write about him in the newspaper, or talk about him to friends and neighbors. That was not the reason. Jesus did what he wanted to do for people who were ill because they were ill, and because they believed in the power of God to make them well. Jesus called that kind of belief "faith." When Jesus came to his home town, the people did not believe that he was the Son of God. Instead, they thought that he was just like all of the other boys who had grown up there, but with some special magic. They knew him as the son of Mary and Joseph, and not as the Son of God. They did not have faith or believe that God wanted to make them well. Because the people did not believe Jesus, he could not cure them. He could not cure someone who did not believe that it was God who was doing the healing. We have read a lot about Jesus and talked a lot about Jesus. You can find something in your newspaper almost every day about him. If you do not believe that his power comes from God, then Jesus is not something special to you. Reading about him, or talking about him, doesn't make him the Savior. Believing in him does, and that is what the people of Nazareth did not do. We want to believe in Jesus and believe that he can do what he says, so we must have faith that Jesus is the Son of God with great power. When you read about him in your newspaper, then you can say that you also know him in your heart. God bless You. C.S.S. Publishing Company, CALL in the CLOWNS, by Wesley T. Runk Luke 4:14-21 Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus announces good news to the poor 14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. 17 The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, 19 and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.[a] 20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. 21 He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.” Footnotes: a. Luke 4:19 Isa 61:1-2; 58:6 Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible This is one of my favorite stories about Jesus. If you look at the picture on the bulletin, it is Jesus’ turn to be the liturgist at the temple. Jesus is reading the scripture for the day. This story is told in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Matthew and Mark put it a little later in his ministry. But for Luke, this is an important part of Jesus call to be the messiah. After Jesus is baptized by John, he goes in the wilderness for a few weeks and comes to understand God’s call on his life. when he returns home, the first thing he does is go to worship with his family and friends. He wants to tell everyone about his call. SO he is excited when he is not only asked to read the scripture, but he is the preacher for the day as well. His text, Isaiah 58 and 61 – where the prophet tells what God has called him to do. Free the captives, let the blind see and to proclaim the Day of the Lord! Give the good news to all of those who are struggling. All would agree, it was a wonderful message. There is only one problem – Jesus is not the messiah. He has not been anointed. Jesus the anointed one The messiah was definitely not Jesus. Jesus was a layperson, not a priest, not a prophet, and he was a carpenter,not a king. Jesus was never anointed with God’s special oil. As a matter of fact, when Jesus begins his ministry, he does not use oil – he says that it is the spirit that anoints him to heal the sick, feed the hungry, free the captives, and to preach the good news of salvation. We call our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is his name, Christ is his title. Now we have always been told that the Jewish word messiah and the greek word Christ mean the same thing – the anointed one. Well I did a little research and discovered that is not true. Messiah is a special person, give a special task anointed with a special oil. Oil that was literally poured over the persons head. Christos does not mean anointed one- it means smeared with ointment. Jesus the common messiah Last week when we went to the Church of the Resurrection in Kansas – Leonard Sweet was the keynote speaker. And he gave an inspiring sermon on the anointing of Jesus. Now according to him – I couldn’t find this anywhere else – but he says that Christos was the name of a common grease that you would keep around the house. It was cheap and easy to come by. In modern times we have become afraid of any type of grease or oil. Never mind the fact that our bodies need to have oil in order to function. Our brain needs it, our hearts need it, our joints need it – but health experts are constantly telling us that greasy stuff is bad for you. It all depends on what kind of grease you use. Christ who can take the heat About 14 years about – I went on this health kick and decided that I would only use healthy ingrediants in my kitchen. I got rid of all of my butter, Crisco, corn oil. I decided that I would only use olive oil in the kitchen. A few years ago I decided being healthy was nice, but being practical made more sense. You see, you cant heat olive oil. Heat makes olive oil break down and disintegrate. So recently I had to make the decision that if I couldn’t use olive oil to fry chicken, then there was really no need to have it in my kitchen. I don’t saute a lot of vegetables. Now mind you, I only fry a about two or three times a year, but my point is that when I do fry, I need something that can take the heat. So common everyday cooking oil came back into my kitchen, along with my butter and other greasy things. Now if olive oil is the high grade oil of today – what is the common everyday oil that used to be in every household kitchen in America – Crisco. They took transfat out of Crisco in 2004 – but I still don’t use it, so if someone wants it they can have it after service, if not I will put it in the food pantry. But I wanted us to think about Crisco – because there is a lesson in this can for us today. Jesus is the Christ of the common person. He is the practical messiah that can be used by the common person. He intentionally didnt want to be anointed with the good stuff – olive oil – he wanted to be anointed with every day Crisco. Paul was the first to call Jesus Christo. Christo was a joke at the time. The jews would have been scratching their head when they heard Jesus Christ. They would be thinking –if he is not a priest, a prophet or a king. Of he has not been ordained – then how is he the anointed one – themessiah. The greeks would have been scratching their heads - Christos means the smeared one. They would be wondering why would you smear a man with Crisco? Why would you smear a man with Crisco? Because we the common people live in a world full of troubles and concerns. I need a Lord and Savior who can take the heat. An olive oil messiah wont do me no good. A messiah smeared in Crisco, prepared to deal with the realities of life is what we need. Christos. Jesus Christ. Who is it that needs to hear the good news today? Who is it most likely to be prisoner of their circumstances, thinking that sin is the only way that they can survive? Who is it that is most likely so caught up in their everyday routine, that they cant see there is a better way to live. Our neighbors, and friends, and the common people of the world. What do we do about it? Why we are Christians We are to follow Christ into his anointing. That is why they started calling his followers Christians. We are Christians, not resurectionists, or Easter people, or Jesusonians. Christ means the anointed one – Christians are those who take on his anointing in their own life. 1 Peter says that we are the priesthood of all believers. 1 John 27 says that the anointing that you have received of him lives in you. Christ intentionally chose to be the messiah of the common person. He choose to remain a layperson. And he chose to give us his power, his anointing so we can continue his work in our everyday lives. There was a certain old recluse who lived deep in the mountains of Colorado. When he died, distant relatives came from the city to collect his valuables. Upon arriving, all they saw was an old shack with an outhouse beside it. Inside the shack, next to the rock fireplace, was an old cooking pot and his mining equipment. A cracked table with a three-legged chair stood guard by a tiny window, and a kerosene lamp served as the centerpiece for the table. In a dark corner of the little room was a dilapidated cot with a threadbare bedroll on it. They picked up some of the old relics and started to leave. As they were driving away, an old friend of the recluse, on his mule, flagged them down. “Do you mind if I help myself to what’s left in my friend’s cabin?” he asked. “Go right ahead,” they replied. After all, they thought, what inside that shack could be worth anything? The old friend entered the shack and walked directly over the table. He reached under it and lifted one of the floor boards. He then proceeded to take out all the gold his friend had discovered over the past 53 years – enough to have built a palace. The recluse died with only his friend knowing his true worth. As the friend looked out of the little window and watched the cloud of dust behind the relative’s car disappear, he said, “They should have got to know him better. Jesus words are gold for us – if we understand that they are more than just words. They are the gift of life for us. Next week, I wont preach on part 2 of this story – but it is just as interesting. After Jesus preaches his test sermon, not only do they kick him out of the temple, they kick him out of town. He is not the messiah – he has not been anointed with olive oil. But that is good news, because Jesus never goes to worship again, he goes out in the streets, healing and teaching the people. Being Christ – the people’s messiah. And those of us who know his story are called to do the same. Let us pray…. Additional illustrations…… Harry Houdini, the famed escape artist issued a challenge wherever he went. He could be locked in any jail cell in the country, he claimed, and set himself free quickly and easily. Always he kep his promise, but one time something went wrong. Houdini entered the jail in his street clothes; the heavy, metal doors clanged shut behind him. He took from his belt a concealed piece of metal, strong and flexible. He set to work immediately, but something seemed to be unusual about this lock. For 30 minutes he worked and got nowhere. An hour passed, and still he had not opened the door. By now he was bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation, but he still could not pick the lock. Finally, after laboring for 2 hours, Harry Houdini collapsed in frustration and failure against the door he could not unlock. But when he fell against the door, it swung open! It had never been locked at all! But in his mind it was locked and that was all it took to keep him from opening the door and walking out of the jail cell. Sometimes, our thoughts and understandings of life can be like a prison. They keep us stuck where we are. The chains that we imagine to be on our lives, is all in our head and out thinking. We don’t know that we are free. Sometimes the past can be like a prison, and the freedom of Christ is at our doorstep. In the story of Jesus ministry – he does everything that he says – he heals those who are blind, he heals those who have illnesses that have held them back, he preaches the good news, and he encourages us to give to the poor. But his most important healing still comes in our lives. As he frees us, heals us, and helps us to understand the gift of life as we listen to his word.

What Gifts do you have?

! Corinthians 12:1-11 What Gifts do you have? Second Sunday of Epiphany Year C Children’s Time…. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, vs. 11: All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit who apportions to each one individually as he wills. Object: a map of the United States. Good morning, boys and girls, and how are you today? Have you ever wondered why some people can do some things better than you can and why you can do one or two things better than anyone else? You have? Did you know that God planned it that way and that the whole world is about the same way? I mean there are some boys and girls on the other side of the world who wonder why some children can do things better than they can. They also know that there are one or two things that they can do better than anyone else in the neighborhood. I suppose you know that this just doesn't happen to people. Let me show you what I mean. Here is a map of the United States. How many states are there in the United States? That's right, fifty. Are all fifty states important? Could we just give away Florida or Minnesota and still have the United States? Of course not. Every state is important and every state contributes something important to the other forty-nine. For instance, if we didn't have Florida, then we would miss having a lot of oranges and grapefruits and lemons and other fruits. Or, if we gave away Minnesota, then we would lose a lot of the iron ore that the rest of the country needs. Ohio makes a lot of glass, and Michigan makes cars, and Washington makes wood for houses. Every state is important and we must always remember how important they are. Now, there is some oil in Ohio, but not as much as there is in Texas. They grow trees in Ohio, but not as many or as big as they do in Washington and Oregon. That is the way it is with people. Some people can do a lot of things, but they do only one or two things very well. God gave everybody some talent, but no one has all of the talent. No one of our states has more of everything than any of the other forty-nine. God wanted everyone to be able to do something very well, so that other people would need him. But he gave no man everything so that every man would need other people. You know what you can do very well and God wants you to share your gift with others. He also wants you to use the things that other people have so that they know that you need them. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Common English Bible (CEB) Spiritual gifts 12 Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts.2 You know that when you were Gentiles you were often misled by false gods that can’t even speak. 3 So I want to make it clear to you that no one says, “Jesus is cursed!” when speaking by God’s Spirit, and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;5 and there are different ministries and the same Lord; 6 and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. 8 A word of wisdom is given by the Spirit to one person, a word of knowledge to another according to the same Spirit, 9 faith to still another by the same Spirit, gifts of healing to another in the one Spirit, 10 performance of miracles to another, prophecy to another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues[a] to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another. 11 All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person. Footnotes: a. 1 Corinthians 12:10 Or ecstatic speech or languages could be used for tongues or tongue throughout chaps 12–14. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible One of the things that I have been enjoying on facebook, is all of the remember when post. I love remembering all of those old things about life, it reminds me of growing up. Speaking of remember whens…… In The Service- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Anyone here remember what they used to call places where you put gas in your car? They weren’t called “gas stations,” or “fueling centers,” but “service stations.” When you pulled in, someone (or sometimes even more than one) raced out to greet you, ask what you needed, and proceeded to fill your gas tank with fuel. While you sat, warm and comfy in your car, the “service station” attendant washed your windows, checked your oil, even checked your tire pressure. After filling up the tank they took your payment and wished you well and waved you off. “Service stations” also used to give out gifts after so many gallons of gas had been purchased (unbelievable, right?!) I will bet that a lot of us here this morning grew up drinking from juice glasses provided by Shell or Texaco, instead of Steuben or Tiffany. What is the first thing that comes to mind today when someone asks if you ever were “in the service?” There used to be two primary meanings of that phrase “in the service.” The first was military service -- the “service” given by all those men and women who “served” to defend and protect our country. That why George Washington asked for no pay for serving as Commander-in-Chief of Continental forces during the Revolutionary War. He looked at what he was doing as a “service” to his country, so he refused to accept any pay. Nor he did submit expenses, which when added up amounted to nearly ten times what his salary would have been. Before taking office as President, he again offered to serve without pay if all his expenses were covered. This time Congress courteously declined. (Sebastian De Grazia, “A Necessary Evil is Also a Necessary Good,” TLS: Times Literary Supplement, 26 May 2000, 12.) The second association of being “in the service” is now made bare in a hit television show, now in its third series. Any fans of “Downton Abbey” out there? What did it mean in the early twentieth century to be “in the service?” Of course, it meant being a “servant” to others. “In the service” meant a life lived in service to others -- whether that service was being a butler, a governess, a cook, a maid, a footman, or a working, serving part of a larger whole, and probably not receiving a whole lot of accolades for doing what you’re doing. Service has always been part and parcel of being “in the service”… As time went on, service stations have gotten few and far between. When I learned to drive 25 years ago, there were a few places where I could go as a woman and get someone to fill up the gas tank and check the car. Today – when Debbie and I were driving down 55 to Kansas City and the tire pressure light came on, realized that the gas station is the last place to go for help. They are not service stations anymore – everything is do it yourself or don’t bother. Where can you go in this world – to get good service? I was at a meeting at First Christian church last week, and I was fascinated that one of the fliers that they had out on the counter was opportunities to serve. They listed all of the jobs that needed to be done in church, such as usher, sound board, snow shoveling. But it was presented to people as a wonderful opportunity, not an obligation. First Christian is a very different church, then First Methodist. And in a lot of ways they have a very different theology than we do – theology just means a different way of understanding Who God is and what God calls us as the church to do. I don’t always agree with their theology and I don’t particularly care for contemporary music, But I think sometimes they get a lot of things right in understanding what it takes to be a strong independent church that we as Methodist have long let go by the wayside. And the joy of serving is one those things. I picked the flier up because I would imagine that they will get a lot of response of being joyfully taking on those task. Whereas a list of task for here in our church gets taken as a burdensome obligation that no one wants to be bothered with. I have been looking forward to epiphany – because in the liturgical church it is our opportunity to intentionally think about our service not just to the church but to God. This year, I intentionally let stewardship time be about money – so that we could spend epiphany fleshing out our thoughts on service. Every year – that is the whole point of the journey of epiphany. We start out the year being told to wake up and see the light, the second Sunday we remember our baptism. And for the rest of the season, we look at the book of Corinthians and what it means to be the church. This year – we have a long epiphany season. But every year we look at Corinthians. – This year we look at chapters 12-15. These are the chapters where Paul talks about spiritual gifts. He starts out our verses for today by saying, now concerning spiritual gifts. Obviously this was a question that the church has a question about. The Corinthians were a Greek congregation that has converted from paganism. They considered themselves smarter than most people. But they struggled with how to make the transition from pagan Gods to understanding Christ as their savior. So, Paul had to constantly set then straight. That is why he starts out be telling them not to curse God, But when you say that Jesus is Lord – that you are blessed by God. Only someone who truly knows God, can say Jesus is the Lord of my life. The only way you can say Jesus your will and not mine- is if you are blessed by God. The whole focus of our faith is celebrating the generosity of God. And our spiritual gifts are a gift from God. Paul spells out some of the spiritual gifts of God. I will not go into them today – because sometimes it is not so much important what the gift is, as to realizing that the gift is from and of God. Paul says that there are many gifts, but one spirit. In your bulletin this week, I included a short survey to encourage you to think about spiritual gifts. What is it that God is calling you to do, how is is that God is calling you to serve. In the coming weeks of epiphany we will talk more about gifts. A lot of churches like to gift our spiritual gift surveys. I will make those available in the coming weeks if anyone would like to take one. But as I said, it is not so much important what the gift is, as much as it is to realize that we all have a gift. We all have something to contribute to the puzzle. And there are many ways for us to give our service to the church. The church is intended to be the new service station. Paul makes a lot of really good points in this verse. He tells us that we all have different gifts but from the same God. He reminds us that gifts are not given to individuals, but gifts are given to communities. God never speaks to a person, God speaks to a community. When we are given a gift, it is not given to make us rich – but as a tool to connect with others to fulfill a mission. Faith is not so much in a set of beliefs as it is in fulfilling a mission. A faithful church – fulfills its mission to serve God in the world. No one gift is more important than another gift – they are all a part of the same whole. Even though we are a different church, organized differently, and with a different method than the churches around – we all serve the same Lord. God needs us all to reach the world. God needs us to use our gifts together, to be the body of Christ. And most important – service is about acknowledging that all that we do is a confirmation that Jesus us Lord. A room-service waiter at a Marriott hotel learned that the sister of a guest had just died. The waiter, named Charles, bought a sympathy card, had hotel staff members sign it, and gave it to the distraught guest with a piece of hot apple pie. “Mr. Marriott,” the guest later wrote to the president of Marriott Hotels, “I’ll never meet you. And I don’t need to meet you. Because I met Charles. I know what you stand for . . . I want to assure you that as long as I live, I will stay at your hotels. And I will tell my friends to stay at your hotels.” (Told in Turned On by Roger Dow and Susan Cook [Harper Business, 1996].) My first job was at Marriott’s Great America. I thought I would work for that company forever- because of its commitment to hospitality and going to extra mile. But Jesus has other plans and other opportunities to serve. What opportunities has Jesus given you to be of service? How can you filfill that call this week? Let us pray.

A Sense of Purpose

January 13, 2019 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Baptism of the Lord Year C A Sense of Purpose Luke 3:15-17 Common English Bible (CEB) Responses to John 15 The people were filled with expectation, and everyone wondered whether John might be the Christ. 16 John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Luke 3:21-22 Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus’ baptism 21 When everyone was being baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Object: Some sunglasses, a beach towel and a beach hat. Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to have a little fun and I hope that you will enjoy this as much as I will. First, I need a volunteer. [Select someone who will not be embarrassed easily.] I think that you will make a fine volunteer. Now what I want you to do is to pretend that you are going to the beach for an afternoon of sunbathing. I brought with me some sunglasses, a large beach towel, and a beach hat. [Put these on the child.] I would like you to pretend that this area right here is the beach. Just lie down and relax and show me how you would get a good suntan. [Observe for a while what he does and then begin to make suggestions.] When you want to tan, do you only want your back to be tan? Which way would you turn to make sure that your right arm got a tan? Would you turn to the other side if you wanted to make your left arm tan? It looks to me that you have to do a lot of turning if you want to have a good suntan. Now I know some people who only tan their backs or their stomachs, but most people like to be tanned all over and they do a lot of turning. There was a man by the name of John who did a lot of talking about people and turning. His name was John the Baptizer and when he told people that they should start turning he was not talking about turning toward the sun for a suntan. No, sir! John was talking about people’s turning away from their sins and turning toward God. When he said turn toward God he means that they should follow the teachings of God and believe in the power of God. People who did not turn were in a lot of trouble according to John, because that meant to him that they were headed in the wrong direction. Now you know what that means. When a person isn’t turned toward God, that means that he is turned toward you-know-where. Turning around is pretty important in a lot of things, but it is most important when it comes to turning toward God. The next time you go sunbathing and you get out your beach towel and sunglasses and beach hat, then you can remember how important it is to turn often if you want to get a good suntan. You can also remember when you turn over toward the sun about what John the Baptizer said about turning toward God. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Paper Flowers And Disciples, by Wesley T. Runk The Voice of God Still Speaks The story of the drunk man and the plunge A church is at a river, some of its members are being baptized. Along walks a drunk man, which disturbs the pastor. The irritated pastor grabs the man and tells him he needs to find Jesus. He dunks him in the water, and asks if he has found Jesus. No replies the man, so the pastor dunks him again. Have you found Jesus the pastor Asks. At no, the man is dunked again and gives the same no answer. Upset, the pastor dunks him again and leaves him down there for almost a minute. Have you found Jesus yet? Asks the pastor. No says that man, are you sure this is where he fell in? That is the question of the day – Have you found Jesus? Where have you found Jesus in your life? What is the best place for you to go- and to know that Jesus will be. The power of water This week has been a good example of how powerful a force water can be in our lives. The weather this week has been crazy. Every since New Year’s Eve, I have watched the newscasts everyday in horror. First there was the heavy snow, then the extreme cold, then the heavy rain, now in January we are worried about flooding. I have been thinking to myself, God is up there strategizing – how many different ways can I use water to torture them? And water has indeed been a torture for me and for many others. Just like water can be a major negative force, water is also a major powerful force. Water is God’s gift to us – that brings us life physically and spiritually. The Christian Year This year, starting out I am taking us through the Christian year. Last weekend was the first Sunday of epiphany. Easter will be rather late this year. Easter does not come until April 20th. Ash Wednesday is not until March 5th. So that means the season of epiphany will be longer than usual. Seven Sundays of discoveries of the presence of Christ. That is what epiphany – the manifestation of Christ in the world. Baptism is the beginning of Jesus Ministry Christ begins his journey of ministry with a walk to the Jordan river to get baptized by his cousin John. In Israel, there are only two seasons - the rainy season and the dry season. The rain was so powerful that you did not do much traveling. As soon as the rain subsided, everyone wanted to be outside. John would have been baptizing people at the beginning of the dry season – while the river beds were still full. It is hard to believe that Jesus ministry only lasted one dry season. Before the rains began the next year – he was nailed to a cross. But his ministry to the world in those few months changed the world. But it all starts at the Jordan River. The Jordan River is a beautiful place The Jordan River flows from the top of Mount Herman where the snow melts and travels down to the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea. For the most part the Jordan River is neither beautiful nor peaceful. It’s 25 percent mud and plunges downhill at a furious pace, falling nine feet per mile. In this river where words were uttered that has influenced the course of history. This river Jordan that many believe Jesus was baptized is now a barrier between the two hostile nations of Israel and Syria for thirty miles. Amid the not so beautiful, sometimes furious river, east of Jericho, there is a peaceful and beautiful bend called the ‘Ford of the Partridge.’ It’s a place of great beauty, shaded by willows and eucalyptus trees, much as it was in New Testament times. According to tradition, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in this very place. The place of our baptism is a spot of beauty and peace amid a furious flowing river of hate and strife. When those who sought to take Him confronted Jesus he went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John first baptized; and there he abode. (John 10:40) Whether at this location on the Jordan, or beyond the Jordan, Jesus found refuge from the trials of life, by remembering His baptism. And we can, too. When difficulties seem more than we can bear, knowing that we are baptized into the Body of Christ can put life into perspective. Jack Gulledge, Ideas and Illustrations for Inspirational Talks, (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1986), 10-11 (Change by sermon author.) My baptism certificate qualifies me for ministry If you look at the wall in my office, you will see all of my degrees, my ordination certificates. I felt that I had to have that stuff, because all of the other mentor pastors have them posted in their offices. I guess – those documents are meant to prove that somehow I am qualified to be in ministry. The reality – they don’t mean anything without this little certificate here. It is my baptismal certificate. I was baptized at Second Baptist Church in Evanston in 1990. It is not my degrees, not even acceptance by the United Methodist Church – it is our baptism that qualifies us to do the ministry of Jesus Christ. We were baptized under difference circumstances, some of us may not remember our baptism, but today I want us all to remember that we were baptized. Just like Jesus have been given the power to do the work of God in the world. Jesus needed to se seen Now one thing you have to realize about Jesus’ world – in mediterannean culture – if others did not see it, it was not true. As soon as the rainy season was over – you needed to come out to see and to be seen. Jesus knew that he was the Son of God, Jesus knew that he has a purpose to live out God’s will in the world –But that was not enough. Other people had to see outwardly, what he already knew inwardly. So he went to John the Baptist to be baptized. Not only did the people see the event, but they saw the doves, they heard to voice of God claiming this man as his son. Jesus was not a sinner- but he says he did this to fulfill the righteousness of God. The good news for us – that we have been baptized in water, we have been literally baptized into Christ. Jesus didn’t free himself from sin, he freed us from sin. In baptism, we have been given the same power that Christ has to change to world and to bring others into Christ. There’s another beautiful picture of baptism given here: “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Did you catch it? Baptism clothes us with Christ. We’re wrapped up in Jesus and all of his goodness in baptism. We’re clothed with his work and his righteousness. Armani, Gucci, Abercrombie and Fitch – none of those designer labels can compare with the garments we have in Jesus’ name. God “clothes” us with forgiveness and salvation. In other words, he says that these things are ours. They’re real, just like a change of clothes. All who believe that these garments are theirs have what’s needed to be part of God’s family. The Lord offers a wonderful wardrobe for his people. It’s his Son’s life, death, and resurrection. These are ours to “wear” spiritually. God does have a dress code for his family. This is what identifies the Christian as such. Let’s face it. People often wear the clothes they do because the want to be noticed. Quite often it’s the label or the name brand that supposedly makes a person a “somebody.” Well, you want to be labeled as a “somebody”, then be labeled as one who is wrapped up with Jesus. Be labeled with Christ. Be proud that you are a Christian. Don’t be ashamed of all the Christ has done for you! God has made you part of his family. Both Baptisms A couple weeks ago I had breakfast with a man who had served with the Marines in Vietnam. This man now operates a small business here in town. He's also involved in ministry at a prison in Macomb County. This man is not ordained, but he is baptized, baptized with the water in the name of the Trinity, and baptized also through his Vietnam service. That battlefield experience took him down, down to the bottom, down to the place of mud and stones, of blood and death. I don't know about you, but if I were a prison inmate sentenced to spend years inside the same four walls, I would want someone like that man there to help me. He can help a prisoner deal with the hell of confinement because he has experienced the greater hell of the Vietnam battlefield. His present ministry builds upon both of his baptisms. Each of us has had experiences of descent. Each of us has gone down to what has been for us the place of mud and stones, of blood and death. It is these baptisms that have empowered us for our ministry. Our downward mobility has been a time, strange to say, when the divine voice affirms us and the Spirit enlivens us. Charles Hoffacker, Downward Mobility The Connection between Baptism and Mission There is a vital connection between baptism and mission. Another way to put it is that there is a vital connection between going down and going out. We do not play our part in the world's redemption when we climb ladders so much as when we are pulled downward. It is out of our pain that we heal. It is out of our poverty that we make others rich. It is from our ignorance that we enlighten others. It is by our brokenness that others become whole. It is from our dying that others come to life. We must follow Jesus in his descent, we must accept his downward mobility and our own if we are to be his true disciples, if we are to allow resurrection in our lives. In this terrible demand that we go down with Jesus in downward mobility, that we go down with him in the murky waters of the river and the dark waters of death -- in this terrible demand there is good news for us. For we already know what it means to go down. Perhaps you went down at some time in the past -- an unhappy childhood, a broken marriage, a career failure, a horrible bereavement. Perhaps you find yourself down at the bottom right now -- estranged from a loved one, troubled by an aging body, upset at a world that's changed too fast. You already know what it means to go down. You feel confused, ashamed, and without any power. Your downward descent leaves you groggy. The good news is this: there is power in that downward descent. Not power to grab and keep yourself, but power to use in serving other people. Whatever it is that has taken you to the bottom has been a baptism – if you stand out of the way and let it work. The death you have experienced can be life for someone else. That baptism of yours, horrible and unwelcome though it was, can lead you to some unexpected mission where Christ will rise again in you and your neighbor. Charles Hoffacker, Downward Mobility _____________________________________ You may not remember your baptism, but you have to remember that you were baptized. You have been given the power to be Christ in the world. The good news for us – is that God has given us all of the power that he gave Christ. But the one thing that I want you to remember is that if God gives you the power to reach out – he also gives you the strength. You never have to be discouraged – because the power of Christ is always available to you especially when you when you are discouraged in doing the world of Christ. Just as God claimed Christ in front of the world – through baptism he will always claim you. Baptism is a gift from God. It is not the water – but the power of God in the water that baptizes you and claims you as a child of God. It is an outward sign of an inward grace. Just as God wanted Jesus to be seen beyond himself – he wants you to be seen beyond yourself. He wants to you go out into the world and to make a difference. What Will You Do with Your Gift? There is a folk tale from India that summarizes our thoughts this morning. It seems that there was a good king who ruled wisely and who ruled well. One day the king called his three daughters together and told them he was leaving on a long journey. "I wish to learn about God, so I will need to go away and spend a long time in prayer. In my absence I will leave the three of you in charge. Before I leave I would like to leave each of you with a gift; a gift I pray will help you learn how to wisely use your power to rule." Then he placed in each of their hands a single grain of rice. The first daughter tied a long golden thread around her grain of rice and placed it in a beautiful crystal box. Every day she looked at it and reminded herself that she was powerful. The second daughter took one look at the common grain of rice, and threw it away, thus squandering her father's mysterious gift. The third daughter just looked at her grain of rice for a long, long time - until she finally understood what to do with it. She went outside and planted it in the ground. And it became a seed, giving life beyond itself, eventually turning into vast fields of hope and nourishment for others. When the father returned years later, he asked his three daughters what they had done with their grains of rice. Though he was polite to his first two daughters, he did not respond to their explanations with much enthusiasm. It was only after the king saw the fields of grain resulting from his third daughter's wisdom that he responded with delight. Taking the crown off his head, he placed it on hers, saying, "Beloved, you alone have learned the meaning of power." From that day forward, the youngest daughter ruled the kingdom. She ruled long, and she ruled wisely, and she ruled well. Brothers and sisters, this day as we remember the blessings and power of our baptism, as we set apart brothers and sisters for particular tasks of ministry, I pray that all of us will continue to be God's delight - powerful servants - pouring out our power for the hope and nourishment of the world. William R. White, Stories For The Journey (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1988), adapted by Susan R. Andrews, The Offense of Grace, CSS Publishing Company Remember that you were baptized into the spirit of Christ. Remember that you have the power to reach out to the world. As you discover the power of Christ in your life – make sure that someone else sees that power – and knows how to claim that power for themselves. Remember your baptism and be thankful! Amen! Look What Water Does! by Wesley T. Runk Passage: Matthew 3:13-17 • Lectionary: Baptism of the Lord Item 5 of 13 | Back to Results Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by him. Object: Water at the baptismal font. Lesson: Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to talk about something very special. It is called water. How many of you thought that water is very special? (Let them answer.) It is very special because it is necessary for us to live. We could not live without water. That sounds strange because you have never had to try to live without water, but if you ever had to live one day without water, you would know how important it is. Just think of all the things that you use water for in one day's time. (Let them name some of the uses of water.) You see how important it is. That is why we call it special. Very special. Water is also used in something very special that we call Baptism. How many of you are baptized? (Let them answer.) Do you know why you were baptized? (Let them answer.) Baptism does a lot for you, such as forgiving your sins, making you part of God's world and promising you that you will live with God forever. But another reason that you were baptized with water was because Jesus told you and your parents that you should be baptized. Jesus was baptized. He asked John the Baptizer to baptize him, and John finally did it. John thought that Jesus was too good to be baptized by anyone, including himself, and he said so. But Jesus wanted John and everyone else to know that he was one of us, and therefore he had to be baptized also. It makes you feel good to know that Jesus wants to be one of us. He went to the same river where John was baptizing others and Jesus was baptized with the same water that others had been baptized with. Jesus was trying to tell us that, with him, sin died. If we are baptized in water, then our sin is drowned and it cannot live. That is one of the reasons that you were baptized. Your sins were drowned and they died, and you became one with Jesus. Water can be used for lots of things, but the most important thing that it is ever used for is to become one with Jesus in our baptism. I don't know if you will think about your baptism every time you use water, but if you think about it once in a while, it will be good. Jesus came to John the Baptizer to be baptized so that he could be with us and we could be with him, John baptized him with the water from the river and we have chosen to be like him ever since. THE ONE-HANDED CLOCK, Wesley T. Runk, C.S.S. Publishing Company, 1989, 1-55673-141-8

What's in your Bag?

January 6, 2019 Isaiah 60 What’s in your Bag? Year C Epiphany "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you." Theme: Revelation; light; brokenness; life. Visual Aid: An acorn which has begun to sprout and a plain-looking rock which has been split in two to reveal a bright red interior. (A geode would also be very useful for this sermon.) Lesson: "I have a word I would like to ask you to think about this morning. It may be a new word for many of you. It's 'Epiphany.' Can you all say 'Epiphany'?" Dutifully the children respond in chorus, "Epiphany!" "That's very good. Now, does anyone know what it means?" The children look thoughtful. Then two boys' hands shoot up almost simultaneously. I nod to the first, who says, "I think it has something to do with love." And so it does. "That's true, Tommy," I answer. I nod then to the second boy whose hand is still aloft. "I think it's before Easter," Alex responds. Realizing he must have Epiphany confused with Lent, but not wanting to tell him his answer isn't right, I quickly review his words in my head and reply, "Yes, Epiphany is before Easter. In fact, it's way before Easter. It's just twelve days after Christmas!" Alex grins as if to acknowledge that I appreciate his risking a "wrong" answer in front of the entire congregation. "Epiphany is also called 'Twelfth Night,' " I continue, "coming, as it does, twelve days after Christmas. It is set apart on the church calendar as the day the wise men traditionally arrived at the stable in Bethlehem and found Jesus, the Messiah, the Light of the World. And because Jesus is thought of as the Light coming into human darkness, light is a symbol of Epiphany. "We all need light in our lives, don't we?" Most of the children nod in agreement, but some look doubtful. So I add, "Just think about it for a moment. Think how grumpy many of us get when we have cloudy weather day after day after day. We get grumpy because we aren't getting enough light! Do any of you ever get grumpy?" "Oh no!" David assures me with a big grin. Most of the others laugh as Jonathan announces: "Well, I get grumpy sometimes." "Ah! An honest man! How wonderful!" I respond. "Well," I continue, "all living things need light to survive. I was out walking in the woods yesterday and came across this acorn. Now I know most of you have seen acorns, but we usually don't see them after they have started to sprout. As you can see, the plant inside of this acorn, which would become a big oak tree some day if it were left in the ground to grow, has split the shell. It had to split the shell in order to get to the sunlight. It needs the light to grow. "On another walk a couple of months ago, I found this rock." I hold up an nondescript-looking rock. It's not very pretty, is it? In fact, it's an ugly rock. So you may wonder why I picked it up at all. But you see, it was split into two pieces when I found it." I separate the pieces and hand them to the children to pass around as I continue. "As you can see, the rock is quite pretty on the inside; it's bright red. Now I never would have bothered to pick it up, I never would have seen its beauty, if it hadn't been split open -- to the light. That makes me think about the things in life that split us apart sometimes. Sometimes we get hurt or something we like a lot breaks and we feel hurt. But I wonder if it's not those events in our lives, the ones that split us open, that cause us to grow like the seed, or cause us to reveal our inner beauty like the rock, or cause us to turn toward the Light of Jesus in our pain and hurt. We need light in our lives, and as Christians, we need Jesus, the Light of the World, in our lives in order to be truly alive. As Tommy said, Epiphany has to do with love -- the love of God, who sent his son into the world to bring us light. That's what Epiphany is all about. One more time now, so you don't forget, let's say the word we've been talking about together: 'Epiphany!' Yes, Epiphany. May its Light shine brightly in your lives this week." CSS Publishing Company, Inc, Cows In Church, by B. Kathleen Fannin Isaiah 60:1-6 Common English Bible (CEB) Jerusalem’s coming radiance 60 Arise! Shine! Your light has come; the LORD’s glory has shone upon you. 2 Though darkness covers the earth and gloom the nations, the LORD will shine upon you; God’s glory will appear over you. 3 Nations will come to your light and kings to your dawning radiance. 4 Lift up your eyes and look all around: they are all gathered; they have come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters on caregivers’ hips. 5 Then you will see and be radiant; your heart will tremble and open wide, because the sea’s abundance will be turned over to you; the nations’ wealth will come to you. 6 Countless camels will cover your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah. They will all come from Sheba, carrying gold and incense, proclaiming the LORD’s praises. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Today is the twelfth day of Christmas – epiphany. Every year we have epiphany Sunday. But rarely is epiphany actually on Sunday. The church has celebrated epiphany much longer than Christmas. Epiphany was the time when you got gifts, because it was the time when Jesus received gifts. – the time when we remember the wise men who followed a star to a place where they would see the messiah. Advent was the season of promise, Christmas is the season of fulfillment, epiphany is the season of salvation and grace. The star has been on our altar all throughout those seasons. Today I will take the star down.- even though the stars are the most important part of the epiphany season. The star represents the light of God come into our lives. In the season of darkness and cold, we rely on the light of God for guidance. Epiphany means manifestation, realization, discovering something that was there all of the time, but you never saw it. In order to have an epiphany in life you have to have light – but not just any light – but God’s light to shine upon your life and give you a new understanding. The scriptures for epiphany are the same, every year. The gospel lesson is about the journey of the wise men to see the new born king. The psalm speaks about the glory or light of God in our lives. Ephesians speaks of the reaction of the gentiles when they learned about the light of God. And we have the old testament lesson – Isaiah 60. I love the message of this verse. Arise my people your light has come, the glory of the light is upon you. That is such a powerful message. It was God’s message to those who had been kicked out of their country – that it was time for them to stop living in darkness, to be encouraged and to see the light of God, to get up take action, to live. Things would get better with God – but this was our moment in history to be a part of life and to make a difference. What a powerful message that is for the church. That our time has come. All those people who left are coming back, all those things that we lost we will retain. There will be a time of reunion for those who we have been cut off from. All we have to do is arise and shine. Sometimes life gets in the way of that. My favorite epiphany story actually comes from asia. There once was a man who lived in a village in Asia. He got married to a wonderful woman, and they had a wonderful son. The man built a house – and built a wonderful life for his family. He was so happy to go to work every day so that he could take care of his family. One day, he went off to work, and returned home to find that his house and his entire village had been destroyed. Thieves had come that day and pillaged the neighborhood and burned down all of the houses. The man was devastated to see that his wife and son had been killed in the horrible fire. In his grief, he ashes of his young son – he picked them up and sewed a cloth holder so that he could keep the ashes with him all of the time. It was the memory of these ashes that inspired him to rebuild his house and his life. He continued to go to work every day, with his shoulder bag of ashes with him. He continued on his life and yet never remarried, because he wanted to stay close to his family which had perished in the fire. But in reality his son did not die in the fire. The thieves had kidnapped him as a toddler so that they could take him home and make him slave. This little boy spent his whole childhood waiting until he would be big enough and strong enough to escape. That day finally came – and he ran for three days back to his village. He would recognize his house anywhere- he knew that his dad had rebuilt the house. Eagerly he ran to the door and knocked - dad it’s me please open the door. His dad was in the house reading a book when he heard the knock. Unlike Mary when she heard the knock at the door – he got defensive. Young man –I don’t know who you are- but this is a very cruel trick for you to play – you are not my son, please go away. The son tried to explain what had really happened, that he had not died, but had been kidnapped. The father’s natural response was to hold onto his bag of ashes – his real son. He told the young man to please go away. Dad – if you will just come and open the door all of this will make sense. The father replied – I don’t know who you are but you really must stop knocking at my door- But dad – I am not going to tell you again – go away! The son went away and lived his life – very sad that he would never have a relationship with his dad. Meanwhile, his dad held onto his bag of ashes and finished reading his book. Living his life never even aware of the opportunity for new life and a new relationship that he had just missed. What are you holding in your bag? In order to hold onto life what it is that you have been holding onto, believing that it was sustaining you? For many of us – we are holding on to the way things are, when a bright new future, a new understanding is knocking at our door, asking to come in and we don’t listen. That is how Jesus comes into our lives- always in unexpected ways, always bringing alternatives that we didn’t think about, calling us to accept things in a brand new way. That is an epiphany – a new realization of life. Arise my people and shine – the glory of the lord is upon you. Arise is both a directive and an invitation from God. The scripture goes on to say that people will come to restore the city of Zion. People will flock to help to make a difference. They are not coming to see you, but to see the God around you. It wont be the light of people that will hold them, but the glory of God present in this place. It says that your children will come back and there will be a reunion. Life in the presence of And we are all invited to take part in that party – we have been through the promise, we have seen the fulfillment, and now it is time for the celebration. We just have to be willing to see the light and to renew our commitment. This year our covenant service will be a modern litany – inviting us to be a part of God’s plan for this church. I also included a bookmark in each bulletin, so that people don’t have to sign the bulletin, but keep the bookmark in your bible. To remind you of your commitment to your relationship with God. And that God always invites us to be active participants in his plan for salvation.