A Reason to Wear a Crown

November 24, 2019 Colossians 1:1-20 Christ the King Sunday Year C A Good Excuse to put on a Crown Children’s Sermon Object: A dusty, smeared mirror and some window cleaner. Good morning, boys and girls, How many of you feel that you have changed since you were born? Are you the same as you were when you were two years old? You are not the same today as you were last week, or even yesterday, are you? We are growing up, and when we grow up we change our looks. We know more, and we have different friends. Everything changes. Look at what I brought this morning and tell me how I can change this dusty, smeared mirror. [Let them answer.] That’s right, I can clean it. But what should I clean it with? Can I use a dust rag, a broom or a hose? [Let them answer.] None of those things would work very well. But there is something that I could use that would be just right. We call it glass cleaner, or window cleaner. If I use the right kind of cleaner I can change that dusty, smeared mirror into a bright and shiny mirror. We can change our lives in the same way if we use the right thing. God teaches us that reading and listening to his ways and his teachings will change us and make us better pecple. St. Paul called those teachings the good news and he was sure that wherever the good news was preached and taught, people had their lives changed and made better. It happens all the time. Here in the church you hear the good news and if you listen carefully, your lives are changed and made better. The good news is about Jesus, and what he did for us. But if is not just happening to you. It is happening everywhere. People are listening to the good news in Egypt, Russia, Switzerland, Brazil, and everywhere you can think of. The wonderful part about it is that it is not just another story, but instead it is changing you and making you better. The next time you see your mother cleaning glass you can think about the way that you are changed and made better by the good news about Jesus, just as the window is changed by the window cleaner. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., God's In The Huddle, by Wesley T. Runk Scripture Colossians 1:1-20 Common English Bible (CEB) Greeting 1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother. 2 To the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae. Grace and peace to you from God our Father. Thanksgiving and prayer for the Colossians 3 We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. 4 We’ve done this since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all God’s people. 5 You have this faith and love because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You previously heard about this hope through the true message, the good news, 6 which has come to you. This message has been bearing fruit and growing among you since the day you heard and truly understood God’s grace, in the same way that it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, who is the fellow slave we love and Christ’s faithful minister for your sake. 8 He informed us of your love in the Spirit. 9 Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 10 We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; 11 by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; 12 and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. 13 He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins. Hymn about Christ’s work 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the one who is first over all creation,[a] 16 Because all things were created by him: both in the heavens and on the earth, the things that are visible and the things that are invisible. Whether they are thrones or powers, or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. 17 He existed before all things, and all things are held together in him. 18 He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the one who is firstborn from among the dead[b] so that he might occupy the first place in everything. 19 Because all the fullness of God was pleased to live in him, 20 and he reconciled all things to himself through him— whether things on earth or in the heavens. He brought peace through the blood of his cross. Footnotes: a. Colossians 1:15 Or firstborn of all creation b. Colossians 1:18 Or first over the dead Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Stewardship Moment Giving Tuesday We have a big week coming up. We all know that as soon as Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas season starts. Within one week we have to switch out those fall decorations for Christmas. Many stores don’t even let thanksgiving end anymore. Stores are open on Thanksgiving, then there is black Friday, small business Saturday, cyber Monday. And Tuesday December 3rd is giving Tuesday. Tuesday is the day that many nonprofits encourage people to make donations. Studies have shown that many nonprofits meet 50% of their budget on giving Tuesday. As we spend and as we give, let us remember the church – our mission as a church is also dependent on your giving. I would hope that as we make decisions about how to spend and how to give – let us remember to put God first in all that we do. Sermon I look forward to this Sunday every year, I have a collection of about 10 different crowns in my bedroom, and this is the one day that I don’t have to feel bad about wearing one. I get to show my true aspirations in life – to be a princess. A few years ago, a friend of mine asked me to babysit her daughter. I had to pick her up from preschool and bring her home. It was career day, where the kids had to choose what they wanted to be when they grew up. The little girl chose to be a princess. I was so jealous, because no one gave me that choice growing up. If I had known in preschool that being a princess was a career choice, you wouldn’t know me today – because I would have given Meghan Markle a run for her money. Nevertheless, I get to wear my crown today because today is Christ the King Sunday – and if Christ is a King, then I can surely be a princess. But Christ the King or some people call it the reign of Christ Sunday is not about being royalty. It is about being a loved child of God. It is a day to reflect on really who Christ is for us, for the church for the world. The question for the day is why is Christ the King? And not the president. We didn’t elect Christ, Christ elected us. I chose Colossians this Sunday as opposed to the gospel because I think that Colossians gives an excellent explanation of why Christ is the King of our lives. I read the entire first for us to get a better understanding of the context that Paul was speaking in. he wanted to encourage the new church to be faithful to Christ. They were going through some tough times, so he wanted to encourage them. What better way to encourage them but to pray for them. This morning, I am going to go through the scripture backward. Start with the end and go backward. The end of the chapter is a hymn that the original hearers of the word would have been familiar with. The tune and purpose of this hymn was lost a very long time ago. But we still have the words that explain why Christ is King. – he is the image of God, he created all things, he existed before time, he is head of the church, and he does the work of God here on earth – forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace. Every Sunday we light two candles – both of them represent the light of Christ amongst us. There are two candles to represent the two natures of Christ. Christ lived fully human as a man here on earth, and Christ lives in a heavenly being who is in heaven with God. I often think of life as one long potluck supper; you never know who is coming or what they are bringing. The feast survives in this very uncertainty. When we try to get to the "dim sum of all things" or to understand why things happen the way they do, we are always better bringing our best dish to the feast, in the hope that our surplus will secure the generations. When mercy is mobilized, personal responsibility — a truly wonderful thing — engages a community. When both social and personal responsibility is in full-tilt conversation with fate, truly great nations and people emerge. When we follow Jesus as king, we maximize our personal responsibility for the world by mobilizing mercy and compassion. We also maximize the strength of communities so that we are not alone. There are two other important points to get out of this lesson. I saw an advertising for a lawyer that stuck with me, it said where there is a will I want to be in it. Being a part of someone’s will is not a bad thing. Usually when we are a part of a will, it tells us what we will be inheriting very soon. We don’t have to wait – it is something that we receive now. Colossians says Jesus made us all a part of God’s will. He made it so that we can take part in his inheritance. The distinguishing characteristic of Christian religion, which separates it from all other religions of the world, is that God is looking for us. In every other world religion, people are searching for God, trying somehow to feel after Him and hoping to find Him so the hunger of their souls will be satisfied. Christian religion is different. It is different in that God comes searching for us. Indeed, He searches for us in a loving way, by giving none other than His own Son, Jesus Christ. In Christ, God is patiently, persistently, longing for relationship with His own. I ask you today, how long are you going to leave Him at the door knocking without having the courtesy to at least stand up, open the door and let Him come in? Christ is the answer to the question, “Who is God?" Prayer puts us in God’s will by doing two things. First when we pray – we are asking what God’s will is for us and for our lives. But we also ask for the power to live within that will and to accept the life that God has created for us. Perhaps that is why When Paul tells us who Christ is – he starts out with a prayer for us. Paul’s prayer is that all of us have strength to endure when things take a long time – that we will have inside strength that will help us to trust God in all circumstances. Prayer that as followers of Christ that we will be victorious over every circumstance, patient with every person and have a joy which no circumstance or person can take from us. Paul prays that is making Christ King that we will have Endurance or fortitude, Patience, and joy. Endurance helps us to deal with any situation that happens in life. Patience helps us to deal with people who get on our nerves and try us , and joy that can’t be taken away from us given our circumstances. I heard it said that joy that is not rooted in suffering is shallow. It is our struggles that help us to recognize the true joy in our life. Christ and all that Christ has done for us. Christians are risk takers — self-starters — and they live George Bernard Shaw's words, "and dream things that never were." In the pursuit of Christ the king, excellent Christians are not afraid of being uncomfortable. They ask the tough questions about themselves. (Who are we? What sort of image are we presenting to the world? What would Jesus do in this situation? Are we doing enough?) They are not afraid to walk into city hall, or over to the next desk in their office, or to reach across the back fence if they know that is where they need to be. In essence, they have denied themselves a comfort zone for now so that they see themselves as a new (while certainly imperfect) creation; those old taboos are gone, polite convention no longer rules. While they are not belligerent or righteous, they have a new power to go places they would never have dreamed of going, to let words come from their mouths they might once have kept secret in their hearts. Christ is king in them. People who crown Christ with mercy, security, and risk-taking are often thought to be a little weird. They are often being tested to see if they are the real things. They have the strength to be the church for the world. Most importantly they can wear the crown of life well. This is the end of the year for us. Next week is the first Sunday of advent – a brand new day. This is a time for us to reflect on what Christ has done for us in the past, but most importantly to look forward to the future – a future where Christ continues to come to make life better. Let us pray…… Additional Illustrations Where there is a will – I want to be in it. Wills are for the here and now. Some people make a lot of noise about Christ-centeredness and are not the real thing. I like what I heard the Benedictine theologian, Joan Chittister, say, on the subject of "spirituality": "If it's the real thing (and sometimes it is), it does not turn the mind off; it turns it on." The question that always has to be asked about experiential religion is: What does it lead to in terms of both thinking and acting? What "spirit," precisely, is being invoked here? The world is full of spirits, and as the first epistle of Saint John reminds us, "Not every spirit is of God." Probably the most "spiritualistic" events of our epoch — if we discount Woodstock and the rock concerts for a moment — were the Pleased to Reconcile - Luke 23:33-43 Did you ever secretly wish that we had kings and queens here in America? I think that must be a secret wish of many of us, if the tabloid newspapers and magazines which are always on sale at the supermarket checkout counters are any indication. Between the romantic antics of Hollywood and the goings-on of the British royal family, the tabloids do a rushing business. (I won't embarrass any of us by asking how many secretly enjoy reading those tabloids as we're standing in line.) There's hardly a week goes by that there isn't some story about the latest marital couplings among the British royals. From all appearances, poor Queen Elizabeth, like her illustrious and straitlaced grandmother, Queen Victoria, is definitely not amused. Personally, I think the British royal family is worth every penny they're paid for the service they perform in keeping the media, and therefore the public attention, focused on them, leaving the government free to get on with its business. Although it's unlikely we'll get a royal family for ourselves, we do seem to be in love with the idea of royalty. Today is the last Sunday in the Christian year, the Sunday we call Christ the King. It's fitting to conclude the liturgical year with an acclamation of the royalty of Christ, though we do this much more frequently than once a year. The sovereignty of Christ is well-affirmed in our hymns and in the language we use to speak about Jesus in our worship. In a few weeks, we'll be singing "Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn king," and "Hark! the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king," as we celebrate Christmas. But as often as we use the language of royalty in our praise of Christ, I wonder if we really have a good understanding of what we mean when we hail Jesus as a king, and what, if anything, the kingship of Jesus has to do with our lives. Those two questions, it seems to me, are ones we have to consider seriously: What does it mean to confess Jesus as King, and what personal significance does that confession have for us?…. Accepting a Human Messiah In contrast to the theology of the cross and our suffering/dying king. Robert Capon in Hunting the Divine Fox presents a wonderful picture of our typical American Messiah -- and it doesn't look much like Jesus on the cross. . . . almost nobody resists the temptation to jazz up the humanity of Christ. The true paradigm of the ordinary American view of Jesus is Superman: "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. It's Superman! Strange visitor from another planet, who came to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American Way." If that isn't popular christology, I'll eat my hat. Jesus -- gentle, meek and mild, but with secret, souped-up, more-than-human insides -- bumbles around for thirty-three years, nearly gets himself done in for good by the Kryptonite Kross, but at the last minute, struggles into the phone booth of the Empty Tomb, changes into his Easter suit and, with a single bound, leaps back up to the planet Heaven. It's got it all -- including, just so you shouldn't miss the lesson, kiddies: He never once touches Lois Lane. You think that's funny? Don't laugh. The human race is, was and probably always will be deeply unwilling to accept a human messiah. We don't want to be saved in our humanity; we want to be fished out of it. We crucified Jesus, not because he was God, but because he blasphemed: He claimed to be God and then failed to come up to our standards for assessing the claim. It's not that we weren't looking for the Messiah; it's just that he wasn't what we were looking for. Our kind of Messiah would come down from a cross. He would carry a folding phone booth in his back pocket. He wouldn't do a stupid thing like rising from the dead. He would do a smart thing like never dying." [pp. 90-91; this book has been reprinted, along with two others under the title The Romance of the Word: One Man's Love Affair with Theology] Robert Capon, quoted by Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes Where Do We Get Our Brilliance? What do we Christians do to counter this violence-filled world? We are to be more visible witnesses to Jesus’ reign. In order to do this, we must be willing to be human in an environment of vulnerability; that is, to understand that when we are in relationships with others our humanity is bound up in the other’s humanity. Desmond Tutu illustrates this by describing a light bulb that shone brightly and proudly. "[It] began to strut about arrogantly, quite unmindful of how . . . it could shine so brilliantly, thinking that it was all due to its own merit and skill." One day the light bulb is taken out of the socket and placed on a table. "Try as hard as it could, the light bulb could bring forth no light and brilliance. . . . It had never known that its light came from the power station and that it had been connected to the dynamo by little wires and flexes that lay hidden and unseen and totally unsung.” Michael Battle, The Other Kingdom Christ the King This is Christ the King Sunday. We have heard the whole story; we have all the information. So now—how do we recognize Jesus as King? We “independent, stand on our two feet, nobody tells us what to do, rugged individualist” Americans, how do we recognize Jesus as King? In Luke’s story of the crucifixion nobody there seems to recognize Jesus as King. Luke has painted us into his story as well. He describes the people who do nothing except to stand there and watch. “And the people stood by, watching.” That’s us, isn’t it? Grinding poverty is slowly destroying our urban youth and we just stand by and watch, preferably from a distance, preferably from inside a gated community. Watching the world turn secular, we know that there is a spiritual side to life but it just can’t crack our tightly wound schedules. We think about a Bible study but just can’t tolerate the idea of one more thing to attend. We won’t even pull off the road to watch a sunset for fear that we will be late to the next appointment. In trying to do everything, we are doing nothing of lasting value for our souls. When a king passes by in your life, you don’t just stand and watch. You respond. Bill McDonald, How Do You Recognize a King? Kingship in Our Lives The letters to the editor in the Lexington-Herald are full these days of people defining what is required to be a true American patriot. If you don’t think inside their box, then you are a traitor and ought to be cast out of the country. This narrow-minded neo-orthodoxy that we now see promoted even by some Congressional and local leaders reminds me of exactly what we are fighting against in Afghanistan. If freedom doesn’t mean the ability to disagree, to be different, then what does it mean? If I am required to think like you, then who is free? Likewise when we set narrow limits for belief in Christ, we are trying to squeeze him into our mindsets. And that is no way to treat a King. We are supposed to broaden our minds and stretch our hearts to his limits. That’s how we recognize his kingship over our lives. Or else we are merely scoffers, daring Christ to prove us wrong. Bill McDonald, How Do You Recognize a King? I. WHO IS GOD? Have you ever asked that question? A little girl was drawing a picture when her mother asked, “What are you doing?" “I'm drawing a picture of God," said the little girl. An enlightened mother asked, “How could you draw a picture of God? No one has ever seen God to know what God looks like." The child said, “They'll know what God looks like when I finish my picture." Paul said of Jesus Christ, “Christ is the image of the invisible God." Eugene Peterson, in translating this theological treatise of Paul says, “Everything of God gets expressed in Christ." You do not need a telescope, microscope, or horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ and the emptiness of the universe without Him. When you come to Christ, the fullness comes together for you. Does God care? Look at Christ. Can God forgive? Look at Christ. Why do people suffer? Look at Christ. Who holds the future? Look at Christ. As Jesus describes the way to Heaven to His disciples, Philip comes and says to Him, “Show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus says in response to him, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." In the heavens we see God's handiwork. In our hearts we sense our hunger for God. In the Church, God is glorified. In Christ, God comes to us as a living person. God is personified in Jesus Christ. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock," says the Lord of lords and the King of kings, “if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me." First of all, he says, HE HAS DELIVERED US FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT. Somewhere I heard about an English instructor at a certain university who introduced his class to what he called one of the finest, most elegant lines in the English language. The line was, "Walk with light." He said the words in a whisper to his class, "Walk with light." Looking around, he said, "Isn't that a wonderful thing to say to someone?" The class agreed. They wanted to know the author. "It's anonymous," said the instructor. "It's written on a sign at the intersection of Main and Broadway. `Walk with light.'" St. Paul tells us Christ "has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son...." (RSV) What does that mean? One final thing Paul says to us. CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH. That's important. Not you or me, but Christ. Church is a funny place sometimes. A lady, Judy Burress, wrote in to READER'S DIGEST recently to tell about a friend of hers, a professional organist, who was asked to play for a wedding. Unfamiliar with the church's organ, her friend went to the sanctuary to practice. Curious about a small keyboard that slid out from under the two regular keyboards, she tapped out a couple of bars of a children's song but heard nothing. Then she played a few more notes, but still no organ music. Just then a man came running into the church, shouting, "Who's playing `Three Blind Mice' on the church-steeple bells?" She had been playing this children's tune on the carillon for all the community to hear. I sometimes wonder if all our community hears from this church is `Three Blind Mice'? I don't mean to sound negative, but I wonder if they really perceive that this is a Christ-controlled church? I wonder if they sense love and concern flowing out of the doors of this place of worship? We have such potential. A Broadway legend tells of a playwright holding a giant-sized New York City telephone directory. He felt its great weight and looked curiously at its hundreds of pages of Joneses, Smiths, and Johnsons. Thinking in theater terms, the man exclaimed, "There's not much of a plot here but man, what a cast." I look at the people in this church and I say to myself, what a cast! If somehow we could just get motivated, energized, organized, what an impact we could have on this community. Do we realize that Christ is the head of this church? What would happen, I wonder, if we really did? Doris Forman remembers the time when she and her husband moved into a new house. Shortly after they moved in her husband asked her, "What about having a picture of Christ in our living room?" Part of her thought it was a good idea and another part of her was unsure, but she agreed anyway. "Of course," she said, "we were Christians and, of course we loved God ” but a large picture of Christ hanging in the living room and in a spot where everyone who stepped into the room would see it ” wasn't that being a bit fanatical?" When the decorator came out to check on lamps and pictures one day, he couldn't help but notice the 16 x 20 inch print of "The Savior" by Coleman hanging over the piano in the most prominent place in the living room. The decorator suggested that another picture, perhaps a landscape, would look better in that spot. "We like it and that's where it stays," her husband replied firmly. What would their friends think when they saw the large picture of Christ hanging in their living room? "Most of our friends were professed Christians, but they lived largely in a world of club affairs, cocktail parties and bridge luncheons," Doris wondered. During the next two years, many interesting things happened to this family that they believe was a direct result of that picture. Total strangers, like the man who delivered their newspaper, began telling them their troubles. There were others who commented on the picture hanging in their living room. "Consciously, or maybe unconsciously, they felt that we must know Christ," Doris said. She concluded, "Our life today has more purpose, more meaning and more beauty" due to this decision to proclaim Christ as the Lord of their lives. (5) When we are able to make that kind of commitment, we're not playing `Three Blind Mice,' are we? We are being what he means for us to be. What do we discover when we see the authentic face of Jesus? We see one who has delivered us from darkness into light. We see one who is the image of the invisible God. We see one who is head of the church and Lord of our lives. Conclusion The state advertising slogan for the Louisiana tourist industry is or was, "Come as you are. Leave Different!" Maybe that should be the slogan of every church. (4) Why? Because we've been RESCUED, RECONCILED AND REDEEMED. Maybe you've never felt your heart stirred before. Maybe it's not movies or books or anything else that you've experienced. But today, I hope you've opened yourself to the church's heart Specialist, Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He willingly and knowingly gave His life on cross for you. Today we're reminded that through Christ the King we are RESCUED, RECONCILED AND REDEEMED. The will has already been read. All we have to do is claim our Inheritance by opening our hearts and inviting the one in whom "all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell," Jesus, into our lives as our Savior and King. I saw a bumper sticker on a truck once that read, "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict?" This is a very good question. How do we know that our core is attached to Christ? By how much mercy is in motion around us. By how many enemies are loved. By how many risks we are taking. That's how. People who have Christ as their king mobilize mercy. We take risks, we have a magnificent security, and we also have a joyful vibrancy. Nothing can really shake us up. We live on the creative and holy edge on which Jesus lived. Being a Christian is not a leisure-time activity but a high-adventure pursuit. Christians have accepted the challenge. Each day is brimming with possibilities, and these people want to seize those possibilities. They are excited about more opportunities to put more mercy into more motion. They revel in the challenge. Yet, along with this excitement is a quiet peace, a trust that God walks with them. That is the security. famous Nuremberg rallies of Adolf Hitler and company. "Test the spirits!" (1 John). Christ-centered, Christ-cored people are more than willing to be tested. Paul Tillich used an interesting phrase to speak of people who were centered in God and Spirit. Here we are using the word Christ, aware that the Trinity is also being invoked. Tillich said that people filled with the Spirit are people who have been grasped by God. When people are grasped by God in such a way as to say that they are centered in Christ, they point to that which transcended themselves: They pointed to the Christ, whom the Spirit made present to them in a new and deeply meaningful way. If a person is pointing to himself or herself, they are probably a phony. Christ-centered people must pass Jesus' test as expressed so fully and frequently by Saint Paul. By their fruits you shall know them. Christ-centered people, Christ-kinged people, are secure enough for risks and full enough to spend big on mercy. They are also ready to engage the deepest, and therefore the most vulnerable, kind of involvement in the realities of our world in depths of participation that most of us, likely, had not bargained for. Christians are free because Christ is their king. We are free for the wise foolishness, the foolish wisdom, of the crucified God, and are blest by it. It is a freedom that can be enjoyed only by people who are ready to admit their own utter incapacity to achieve it on their own. We have to stop being our own king and our own ruler. It is not the freedom of the rich who "have" everything. It is instead the freedom, according to Douglas John Hall, "of those who are conscious enough of their emptiness and lack to realize that they must ‘ever ask anew' for intimations of a truth that, in its fullness, forever eludes and transcends them; a truth, however, that is willing and more than willing to impart itself in its sufficiency for the here and now, and to those who ask for it humbly and in solidarity with all who hunger and thirst." The king Christ starts out humbly enough for us to grasp. He starts out as a child. This strange royalty has to be acknowledged. A boy who grew up in Los Angeles as a Mexican immigrant speaks this way of Jesus: As a young child I always wondered why Santa didn't deliver gifts to us the way he did the well to do Anglo kids ... Maybe he was afraid to come into the Barrio ... Maybe he just didn't like Mexicans or poor people. Larry Gilliland, a poor white friend, didn't ever seem to get much more than us ... so maybe Santa just forgot us poor folks. At least we had the homemade tortillas and tamales which Larry liked and we shared with him. When you went back to grade school after the holidays, the class would have to participate in a show and tell, where students would talk about their Christmas ... and show off some of their toys ... one year it came to be my turn and I had nothing to offer ... It had been a difficult year and my parents were not able to buy us much that Christmas ... and so I told them that I had Christ, pure and simple, for Christmas. And they all didn't believe me.As a young child I always wondered why Santa didn't deliver gifts to us the way he did the well to do Anglo kids ... Maybe he was afraid to come into the Barrio ... Maybe he just didn't like Mexicans or poor people. Larry Gilliland, a poor white friend, didn't ever seem to get much more than us ... so maybe Santa just forgot us poor folks. At least we had the homemade tortillas and tamales which Larry liked and we shared with him. When you went back to grade school after the holidays, the class would have to participate in a show and tell, where students would talk about their Christmas ... and show off some of their toys ... one year it came to be my turn and I had nothing to offer ... It had been a difficult year and my parents were not able to buy us much that Christmas ... and so I told them that I had Christ, pure and simple, for Christmas. And they all didn't believe me. Christ, pure and simple, is not always the poignant absence of material goods that a child experiences. Christ is also a presence and a present. There really is a lot at stake in Christ as king, isn't there? It is not just some night long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away when Wise Men spotted one star that was acting funny and traveled afar. No, it is about whether in the midst of these "dark streets shining with everlasting light" there is an energy that puts the ever-ready bunny to shame. So let us go over to Bethlehem, soon, and see this thing which has come to pass. Christians go back to Christmas to understand the humility and humanity of their king. We then go forward to mobilize mercy and to take risks because we are so deeply grasped and secured. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost (Last Third): Whose Inheritance Is It?, by Donna Schaper Today we celebrate our love for Jesus. This is Christ the King Sunday. The writer of Colossians has set the mood for our celebration with this description of Christ: "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. 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. 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." Today we talk about what Christ means in our lives. Notice the first words of our lesson. "He has rescued us from the power of darkness . . ." Some of you understand those words, don't you? You were headed down the wrong road . . . with your marriage . . . with your personal habits . . . with your attitudes, and Christ said, "About face!" And your world was transformed. "He has rescued us from the power of darkness . . ." This is a world of darkness in many ways, isn't it? There is a story in Mary Hollingsworth's book, Fireside Stories, about a man whom the author calls Rick. This is not his real name, but the story is true. Rick lives in the southern U.S. where Mary Hollingsworth and her pastor-husband were serving in the 1970s. Rick was a big, burly kind of guy who drove a cross-country truck, chewed tobacco, and hit home runs on the softball team. However, he rarely made it to church services or participated in the more spiritual aspects of church life. But some friends told Rick they needed his help putting on a play at church for Vacation Bible School. When they first asked him to get involved in the drama, Rick declined saying, "That's just not my bag." However, after some arm twisting, he reluctantly agreed. Interestingly, Rick was to play Jesus. Rick had a only a nodding acquaintance with Christ at the time. The first time Mary Hollingsworth, who had written the play, saw Rick in his Jesus costume, she almost laughed in his face because it seemed so out of character for him. Still, at that point, he appeared to be taking his job quite seriously; so she contained herself and congratulated him on his unusual interpretation of the role. When Vacation Bible School week finally arrived, Rick played his role to the hilt, yelling in his Southern accent at the money-changers to "Git outta here! . . .You cain't turn my Father's house inta a den a'thieves, ya hear? So, jist git out, and don't chew come back . . . evah!" Then he proceeded to destroy the temple by throwing over the tables of the moneychangers (he actually enjoyed this part) and tossing the crooks out into the street. It was more like a TV cop show than a Bible story . . . but the kids got the point. "As planned, twice every night for four nights Rick donned his Jesus suit and cleansed the temple of insincere people. And the children loved it! They voted this story to be one of the best of the whole week. "The best part of the story, though, came after Vacation Bible School. Somehow, acting like Jesus for several weeks had a lasting effect on Rick. He began coming to the church services a little more often. He even started coming to the midweek Bible study and staying for fellowship events. But the most powerful impact on him came from the young children at the church who, for weeks and months after VBS, would point at Rick and whisper, "Look! There's Jesus!" "Before long, the big, burly truck driver no longer chewed tobacco, drank beer, or played hooky from church. He and his wife began team teaching Sunday School classes, hosting youth activities, and leading teens on mission trips. He organized a youth softball team at the church and served as coach. And, after a few years, was chosen as a deacon to serve in the youth ministry. In short," says Mary Hollingsworth, "he stopped ACTING like Jesus and began LIVING like Jesus." (6) That can happen in a person's life. Jesus reveals God to us. He also reveals how a godly person is to live. All of this is part of why Christ came into the world. "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. He is the image of the invisible God . . ." Are you still walking in darkness? Christ says to you, "About face!" Come out into the light. Come into Christ's kingdom through the forgiveness of your sin. Begin living like Jesus.

It is All Good!

Church in Chiang Mai Church January 2015 First I would like to share a story with you from Africa…. The story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!" One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail. About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took them to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way. As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this." "No," his friend replied, "This is good!" "What do you mean, 'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?" "If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you." I just told that story to my congregation last week. It is a story that fits our situation – but I think that the story has a universal truth that applies to all of our lives. We are all asking God why – Why are these things happening to me. In life there are things that happen – we say – I am a good person – but where is the good in my life? How is the the suffering that I am going through a good thing? Well the good new of Romans 8:28 is that when we are Christians- that all things work for the good of those who are Christians and put their life inside of Christ. Even bad things will turn out for good. The book of Romans is one of my favorite books of the bible. If someone wants to learn what it means to be a Christian and why christ is important – I would tell them to read the book of Romans – specifically Romans 8 It tells you all that you need to know about faith and Christ. Romans 8 contains 8 key promises for our lives. The first word of Romans 8 is Life through the spirit – there is no condemnation for those who live in christ. 1. For is – If God has forgiven you then no one else has a right to condemn you. 2. God’s Spirit – the spirit of Christ is always inside of you - helping you go through every situation 3. If God’s spirit is in you – then you are a son or daughter of Christ. 4. When we suffer, it is God’s glory that will give you hope 5. The spirit comes to us in our weakness, when we do not have the words to express our pain or pray – we can trust the spirit to speak to God on our behalf. The last three are the good one Verse 30 says - God thought about you before you were born. God called you to be a Christian. If God called you - then he justified you – he sanctified you – he cleaned your spirit and made you holy. If you have been chosen by God – you are a rightueous person so god can be glorified. 7, We are not just put on this earth to muddle through life. We are more than conqueres. The spirit of God inside of us is stronger than any circumstance in our lives. God created you to be a winner! The last promise is the best. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. Read the rest of Romans God is not going to walk away from you – you don’t even have to walk away from God. In some of the toughest times in the lives of people in my congregation. I remind them of the promises of romans 8. When my sister died 2 years ago – I read Romans 8 to my family. There was a professor who gave his students a test on romans 8:28 – we know God works all things together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called together according to his purpose. He told them to remember that verse for the test. Well the test was supposed to be the next day – but the professor got into an accident. His wife was killed and he was badly injured. A month later – when the professor got out of the hospital – the students wanted to know whether Romans 8 was still true for him. Did the professor still believe it was the most important verse. Yes it is – says the professor- God is still with me. When Christ lives in our hearts – he gives us hope, Hope that everthing is gonna be okay. A young boy was suffering from an illness that would killhim. The doctor told him we was going to die. The young man burst out in tears. The doctor took away my hope. The woman listening said, if someone takes your hope – then you need to find a new one. Christ is our hope for everything. What do you do in a hopeless situation – find christ. If you are a Christian – then he is inside of you. My last story, I gotfrom one of my church members yesterday. She posted it on her facebook page. Her husband is very sick with a disease where his muscles are shutting down. An aging master grew tired of his apprentice’s complaints. One morning, he sent him to get some salt. When the apprentice returned, the master told him to mix a handful of salt in a glass of water and then drink it. “How does it taste?” the master asked. “Bitter,” said the apprentice. The master chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the old man said, “Now drink from the lake.” As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the master asked, “How does it taste?” “Fresh,” remarked the apprentice. “Do you taste the salt?” asked the master. “No,” said the young man. At this the master sat beside this serious young man, and explained softly, “The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains exactly the same. However, the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake.” Bitterness when our pain is held in the world. But we should hold our pain in Christ. Christ is the lake where hope is in abundant supply! Put your hope in christ – doesn’t take our suffering away – It just makes it so much easier to deal with. Amen

Prayers for the City

February 24, 2013 Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Luke 13:31-35 Prayers for the City 2nd Sunday of Lent Year C Second Sunday of lent This is the second Sunday of our Lenten journey. Its winter, it is cold and many of our days are dark. This winter we don’t know what it going to happen, some days it is raining, some days its snowing, and the worse are the days when it is doing something icy in between. But it is fitting weather for lent, a time of darkness when we are waiting for the joy of Easter. It is a time when we focus on the promises of God, and we prepare ourselves for the day that they will come true. Focus of our text The old testament readings focus on our relationship with God. the promises that God makes of us and the things we do for God in return. In the gospel readings for lent focus on the journey of Jesus to the capital city of faith- Jerusalem. Today I want to focus on both readings – Genesis and Luke. They both have important lessons for our faith. The importance of Jerusalem Luke mentions the city Jerusalem 99 times – he tells the story of Jesus knowingly journeying to Jerusalem – the place where the cross has been waiting for him for decades. Jerusalem literally means the city of peace – and yet Jesus sees that there is anything but peace in the city. He sees sin, corruption, people who are not willing to listen to the good news of salvation. Jesus overlooks Chicago A friend of mine, a fellow pastor says that if you go into the Chicago temple, the largest United Methodist church in Chicago – downtown – if you go into the main sanctuary you will find a large picture of Jesus overlooking Jerusalem in tears. Scripture says that Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Our scripture for today days that Jerusalem is a city so sinful, that it kills those prophets sent to turn it around. Jesus says that he wants to make a difference but the people wont let him. And yet he knows that is where God calls him. There are many portraits of him like the one in the Chicago Temple, longingly looking over Jerusalem. But in that church in the prayer chapel there is another picture, of Jesus looking over the city – but it doesn’t take long to realize that it is not Jerusalem – you look at the skyline and realize that it is Chicago. Jesus looks over our city too – praying, hoping, inviting, forgiving and waiting. Chicago 4th most miserable city A report was just released over the weekend which says that Chicago is the 4th most miserable place to live in the nation. Rockford is #3 in the nation, Lake county #9 – the list also includes Gary as one of the top 20. The report list crimes, high forclosure rates, and declining values of homes as reasons for the misery of its residents. For someone who is looking, you can find a lot of things wrong with this city. As one who does ministry in Chicago – there are a lot of things that are discouraging. But the one thing that gives me hope if the tenacity of Jesus – who that in the midst of rejection and hopelessness, find hope. I remember attending a gardening meeting, and talking with a women – and telling her that the youth cannot come across the street to work on a garden because of the danger of violence. And the woman replied, but that is why I come to these meetings, in the hope that one day things will be different. If I keep believing, if I keep working, if I keep living, then one day our city will change. And all of the negative things that affect us, all of those conditions will disappear, and our children will live in a better community. Children of Abraham Now I don’t know that woman’s religious background – but I can say that she is truly a child of Abraham. She has the faith in the invisible, the impossible, the improbable, things that cant possibly make sense in our circumstances. How do you know when you have a call from God? when you been given a vision of a world that can’t possibly be, when you have been called to a place where there are no known pathways – you could be a child of the faith of Abraham. Emily Dickenson said – I dwell in possibility. The children of faith dwell in what is possible with God, not in what the news tells them about the world. William Cary, who started the missionary movement said that we should expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. Galatians 3:6-8 Just as Abraham believed in God and reckones it righteousness, those who believe are the descendents of Abraham. God promised Abraham that he would have children as numerous as the sea. It is Paul that reminds us that those descendants are his natural children, but more importantly those descendant are those who were able to have faith like Abraham. After these things Look at the scripture in Genesis for today. It starts out – after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. After these things? After what things? After Abraham had been called to leave his family and go live in the middle of the dessert, after being tested by his family, after fighting enemies in order to rescue his family, after being tested by kings to worship them, after being married for years with no offspring, after claiming a new life – he had a vision from God. Scripture says that this was one of the darkest times of his life. Not so much because things were going bad for him. But because he was scared. He had been through so many changes, he had listened to God for no reason. He had no idea of what God was going to ask of him next. All God asked of him – was to believe God. to have faith in what God was calling him to do, to go where he had never been before, to create what he had never seen before, to stand up where he had never had to take a stand – and to believe. Believe in an invisible, impossible, improbable God. And Abraham responds, I don’t have a problem believing in you. But Abraham did what most of us do. We look at the one thing in our lives that we don’t have, and we say that we will believe when that problem is solved. When we receive that one thing in the world that we need. For Abraham is was an heir – he and his wife were in their 90’s and they still did not have a child. If God could do anything – why did God not give him a child. Storms and anchors come from the same place A young naval student was being put through the paces by an old sea captain. "What would you do if a sudden storm sprang up on the starboard?" "Throw out the anchor, sir." "What would you do if another storm sprang up aft?" "Throw out another anchor, sir." "And if another terrific storm sprang up forward, what would you do?" "Throw out another anchor." "Hold on", said the captain. "Where are you getting all your anchors from?" "From the same place you’re getting your storms, sir." You don’t have to worry whether or not God has enough anchors for your storms! We worship a God who is invisible, impossible, improbable and most important – omnipotent. He is the God of all things in our lives. God creates our needs, but he also fulfills our needs. God will always provide. In the midst of this dark time in Abraham’s faith – God invites him to go outside and look up at the sky and count the stars. If he could count the stars he could count his children. God provides for our needs, The God who calls us to the impossible, will equip us to succeed – if only we are willing to believe. Tight rope worker and the believer Jean Francois Gravelet was considered one of the greatest tightrope walkers in history. He was the first man to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. But that was not enough for him, he liked to show off. One day while crossing, he lowered a rope to a ship, pulled up a bottle of Coke, sat down on the rope to drink it. When he achieved all of that he needed to do more. He crossed in a sack, on stilts, on a bicycle, one day he was blindfolded. By this time, he had the attention of the world, so whenever he would walk across crowds of thousands would come to watch, cheer and scream his name. Finally, one day – he announced that he was the greatest tight rope walker – he asked the crowd if they believed in him. They shouted – we believe. Okay he shouted back, I will walk back across the tightrope. But this time I am going to walk with one of you on my shoulders. – do I have any volunteers? There was not a sound – no one said anything. Until one man finally raised he hand, and said he would be the one to sit on the tightrope walkers shoulder. He rose forward, got on the man’s shoulder and they went across together. Of course the crowd roared – the tightrope walker asked once again – do you believe? He corrected them – when I asked you if you believed – more than 10,000 people shouted yes. But the truth is – there was only one of you who really believed in me. God asks us every day if we believe – how many times in our life do we really answer yes? We are the children of Abraham – when we have faith in God. when we believe in the words of God there is nothing that we cant do and achieve. Lent is a lot like that dark time in Abraham’s life. When he was holding on the a vision that he could not see. Lent is our time to wait for God’s Easter promises to come true. The opposite of darkness in life is not necessarily light – it is the faithfulness of endurance. It is waiting on God, waiting with God, faithfully believing until circumstances change. Change comes to those who have the endurance to believe, in the invisible, the impossible and the improbable. May our prayer – be like the prayer of a young girl entering the faith of Abraham – “In a city torn by pain, a city far from wholeness and peace, a city waiting still to be redeemed, give us lord the courage to say: there is but one God in heaven and earth, in dark and light in good times and bad. Amen. Dr. Charles Blair, pastor of Calvary Temple, Denver, Colorado, said, “My first year as a pastor was a floundering experience. The turning point came when I read a book of sermons by Dr. Robert G. Lee, then pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee. I went to Memphis to interview Dr. Lee. For a week I trailed him as he made sixty pastoral calls, and I said to him one day, “Dr. Lee, if I made that many calls, I might have a big church too.” He replied, “Well, why don’t you?” “Then I wrote to Dr. Louis Evans, pastor of Hollywood Presbyterian Church, and later went to see him. He could spare me only twenty minutes, but they changed the course of my study life. “Son,” Dr. Evans said, “for every minute I preach I study an hour.” When I came back, Denver looked different to me.” In ancient Israel six cities were founded as cities of refuge. Thither for refuge could flee men who, without malice or premeditation, had taken the life of a fellow man. Once within the gates of the city of refuge, they could not be touched by any hand of vengeance or judgment. The rabbis have an interesting tradition that once every year the roads leading to these cities of refuge were carefully repaired and cleared of obstacles and stones, so that the man fleeing for his life would have no hindrance in his way. The Cross is God’s great and eternal city of refuge from the penalty upon sin. In the liturgy of the Jewish bat mitzvah of Julie and Valerie Glauberg was this beautiful prayer: “In a world torn by pain, a world far from wholeness and peace, a world waiting still to be redeemed, give us, Lord, the courage to say:”There is one God in heaven and earth:” Summary Depression, while serious, is not to be feared. By God’s grace and with the help of modern medicine, it can be healed. Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares “A deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.” So says Genesis, chapter 15. The man those ominous words describe — the one who is surrounded, enveloped, by “deep and terrifying darkness” — is revered as a spiritual guide by perhaps more people on the face of this earth than any other. His name is Abram. We know him as Abraham. He’s the common ancestor of not one, but three great religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. So you may be surprised to hear an interpretation of the biblical narrative that describes Abram this way — as a man struggling with depression. Might depression, in fact, be a possible way to explain this “deep and terrifying darkness”? It comes upon Abram suddenly, without warning. It comes upon him at a time in his life when he has little reason to be depressed, when nearly everything about his life has been going well. Man of blessing “Look toward heaven and count the stars,” a generous Lord has said to him, not long before. “Count the stars, if you are able to count them. So shall your descendants be.” Now, having lots of descendants may not seem an attractive thought to many of us — most parents today prefer smaller families. Yet, most of our ancestors valued children as though they were wealth — which, in a very real sense, they were. For a man of the ancient Near East — a nomadic herder of livestock, like Abram — having many children is the be-all and end-all of life. For Abram, wealth is directly related to biological reproduction. Every time a ewe drops a new lamb, or a nanny goat a new kid, Abram’s net worth creeps up a little. Every time a young woman of Clan Abram bears a new child, that means another set of hands will one day hold a shepherd’s crook or bake the flat loaves of bread that sustain the community. The paradox, among all this divine blessing, is that Abram himself has, as yet, no children. His wife, Sarai, seems unable to conceive. Using a word that sounds harsh and hurtful today, the Bible calls her “barren.” This is the greatest sadness in Abram’s life, that as yet, he has no son and heir. Yet, hasn’t the Lord just assured him that his descendants will be as numberless as the stars of heaven? Hasn’t the Lord just promised to give Abram and his descendants a rich land one day? When I was a child, I was afraid of the dark. I would go get in bed with my dad, and he would tell me a story, and I knew everything was okay. As long as I was with him, I knew nothing would harm me. That is the way our heavenly Father wants us to feal about Him. He wants us to know that He is always near us, just a prayer away, and He will protect, lead, and guide us, and we can feal sheltered in His arms.