The Work of Today, Tomorrow and the Third Day

The Work of Today, Tomorrow and the Third Day
Psalm 27
Luke 13:31-35
Second Sunday of Lent
Year C

I am told that in the ‘60’s there was a television show called Run for your Life. My memory of early childhood is pretty good, but I don’t remember grandma watching that one. It may have been before my time. But anyway – it is the story of a man who is told by his doctor that he has an incurable disease and he only has a few years to live. The opening credits say that he has no family, and that he never took a day off in his life. But this was his decision to make the most of his life. He travels the world – meeting new people, going places that he has never been before, solving the problems of other people. But at the end of each episode – he is reminded that he is about to die- and that there is no way of escaping that reality. The story was intended to remind us all that we are all mortals – one day we will all die and there is nothing that we can do about it. No matter what we do choose to do.
They say that the television show ended in 1968 – I would have been old enough to remember Mannix, and Columbo, and hawai five O, the Mod Squad, Perry Mason. Grandma loved detective shows – but I don’t remember this one.
But the point that I want to make about the show – was that the man found meaning in his life, by running away from his own problems and getting involved in the lives of others. For him that was making the most of the time that he had left. It was a great concept – and something that we can all relate to and even learn from. But then again think about it – Run for Your Life – in times of danger, or fear, or chaos – how many times have we heard that phrase – run for your life. But was this man running for his life – or was he running from his life – or even fleeing his impending death?
What would any of us do in that situation? Do we tend to avoid the overwhelming issues of our own lives – by choosing to get overinvolved in the lives of others – because it is just easier – and it takes our minds off of the things that we really need to be dealing with.
I used that as an introductory story for today’s sermon – because the real question that I have for you today is what would Jesus do in that situation? What would jesus have us to do?
I was able to watch the opening credits of this show – where you hear the voice of his doctor telling him he has only a few years to live. And then you hear his conversation, why he decides to take this journey.
In Luke 13 – Jesus is on the journey of his life also. He knows that he must go to Jerusalem. And he has no bones about what is going to happen when he gets there. He is a prophet – he has a message that the current government does not want to hear. Jerusalem likes to kill its prophets. He seems to realize too that he has less than six months to live and he has to make the best of it.
Interestingly enough it is the Pharisees who give him the message run for your life. If you know that you are going to die – save your life- avoid death – don’t go there.
But Jesus has a different view of death – and of his relationship with bad news. Instead of running from it - he runs to it. He is ready for anything that must happen.
The good news for us today is that the scripture preaches for itself - Go tell that fox that today and tomorow I have been casting out demons, but on the third day my work is finished. I will go into the city that kills prophets and do what I have to do – but in the end – you will know that I am a prophet bringing news to the Lord.
Life, death, bad news, struggles, hardships are not something you walk away from – but it is something that you walk into.
In church we celebrate and sing – take me to the cross – but this lent we have to ask ourselves – do we really want to follow where Christ is leading us? We sing All to Jesus I surrender – but do we really surrender all of our lives to Jesus. On our life journey – are we walking toward our Jerusalems? Or are we walking away from them? Avoiding things that we know that eventually we must face.
In preparing for this sermon I came across this poem from Henri Nouwen
Don't surrender your lonliness, your pain, your fear so quickly.
Let it cut more deep.
Let it ferment and season you,
As few human or even divine ingredients can.
Something missing in my heart tonight
Has made my eyes soft,
My voice, so tender,
My need for God,
Absolutely clear.


Jesus not only refuses to run away from Jerusalem – he embraces it. He longs for it. He explains that he wishes those who were there would come to Gods love like a mother hen, but it will never happen.
Ed Heistand – says that at the Chicago Temple downtown – of you in the large sanctuary is a picture of Jesus looking over Jerusalem – but if you go to the chapel – there is a picture of Jesus – looking over another city – if you look closely you will see that it is a picture of the Chicago skyline. Jesus looks over our city too – praying, hoping, inviting, forgiving and waiting. Many in that city are telling him to go away to leave them alone to run for your life – and yet His prayers remain steadfast.
A little boy was collecting money from his paper route – when he knocked on a door. An elderly man answers the door and abruptly tells him to go away – his wife is really sick and he cant deal with the paper boy right now. But instead of running and avoiding the situation, he goes to his pastor and asks if he will stop by. See if there is anything that he can do.
The pastor not knowing the people feels that it might be a bad idea and there is nothing he can do to make a difference. But he goes anyway. The elderly man is about to slam the door in his face, when his wife asks him to let the pastor in. He comes in and talks to the couple – who know nothing about religion. But after talking with the pastor for afew weeks, wants to join church, knowing that her time is short, she wants to be baptized and receive eternal life.
A dying woman experienced new life, because a young boy refused to run for his life. He met the challenges of a cruel and hostile city with the love of God. What is God asking us to stand up, stay firm and deal with in our lives? In the lives of those in our city?
My favorite line in this passage is when Jesus says – today tomorrow and the third day I do I work. He says it twice. In some ways it is a prediction for his time in Jerusalem, when he is crucified, dead and buried and he rises on the third day.
But I think it also tells us to stand firm – until the third day. We have control over what we do today and tomorrow – but the third day – the day beyond the future is the day when God’s promises of love will come true for us- if we just stand firm that long.
Peace,

We are Glory Bearers

Year C
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Luke 9:28-43
We are Glory Bearers

Introduction - Earthquake
Did any of you feel the earthquake – on Thursday morning? I felt it and immediately knew what was going on. Well sort of –I was awake enough to know what was happening, but sleep enough not to be sure if it was real or not.
As a matter of fact I was sure that I was dreaming, because there was no way in Illinois that I would be living through an earthquake for the second time in what two / three years.
I remember that moment of thinking that the wind was blowing the house, but the wind was coming from the ground and not the air. It was a rare moment that I never expected to feel again. For me a moment of God moving in my life in special way. A moment that you want to treasure – but which doesn’t last very long.
How do you hold onto those special moments – usually you take a picture, or your write a story – or you find the words to tell someone. You try to do something to hold onto the moment.

How do we Hold onto God Moments? Those special moments?
The gospel story takes place 8 days after Peter has a chance to experience God in his life. He has met a new friend – Jesus , and he realizes that he is not only a special person – he is the son of God. He has been invited to share in a special moment in Jesus life. The time when Jesus is praying with the law and the prophets, and Moses and Elijah come to join him. Like most of us, Peter asks the same question – how do I hold onto the once on a lifetime moment. And like all of us – Peter realizes there is no real way to hold onto God moment. There are no words, no images, no feelings that will adequately hold onto the moment. All you can really do is vow to hold onto that moment in your heart and remember.

Transfiguration Sunday
No moment on life is intended to last forever. The moment for us is transfiguration Sunday. The Sunday when epiphany ends and lent begins. The moment between seeing the light and entering into a time of darkness. I don’t think any of us will voluntary enter into darkness. We don’t chose to be sad, or depressed, or to suffer. We don’t chose to enter into the darkness of lent – we have to be coaxed into it or forced into it.
But it is in the darkness where we get closer to Jesus Christ. What does our relationship with Jesus mean? Who is this Christ for us? What difference does Christ make in our lives? Would our lives really be any different if Christ had not entered into our lives? These are the questions for us to ponder during the time of lent.



The Transfiguration Story
Every year we hear the story of transfiguration – every year we hear a different version of the same story. It is in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The concept of transfiguration is also in John.
In Luke’s version – Jesus brings his newfound friends – Peter, James and John with him on the mountain to pray. It is a mystery to us why Jesus chose to bring them there. Obviously it was a mystery to them also because they fell asleep.
While they are asleep, Jesus prays, and Moses and Elijah appear with him. A voice comes from the clouds and says – this is my son, my chosen, listen to him.
Luke doesn’t say anything about a bright light – or Jesus being transformed by the light. There is no light. The moment is so short and strange – that the disciples decide that they wont say anything to anyone.
But it is the moment for us that Jesus becomes the light of the world. In John Jesus says – I am the light of the world. Transfiguration not only means – change forms – it also means to experience glory – or light of God.
What light was lit your path recently? What illumination has taken place for you to see things more clearly? What shines for you in bright times?
Lent is a dark time, but it is a time for us to glorify God. Paul says that we are free – free to proclaim our love for Christ. It is a time for us to show others that Jesus is the light of our lives.


Story of Three Gold Miners
Three gold miners traveled to Montana territory to find gold. One day one of them found a strange looking stone. He broke it open and was thrilled to find gold. Soon – the miners found gold everywhere. They started to dance, sing and celebrate. They were rich. But soon they became worried – what if others found this place. They would lose their fortune. They had to keep it a secret.
On their next trip into town, they vowed that they could tell no one. They were very quiet in buying supplies, but they soon discovered that as the left, it seems that the whole town of prospectors was following them. Okay - who told – they discovered that no one had betrayed the secret. The prospectors said – you didn’t have to say anything. We saw the truth on your face. We could tell that you had found God. Or Gold – a Freudian slip.

We are Glory Bearers
What do people see when they look at your face? Light or darkness? Good things are sadness? God or the world?

What light do they see? What light has lit your path? What has illumined your dark places? What shines in your bright times?

I cant answer that question for you. I don’t know your dark places in your life? I don’t know your response to darkness. I don’t know the moment in your life when you finally saw the light. I don’t know your response to light. Did you run to it, or choose to keep on fumbling in the dark.
One of the promises of life – no matter how dark things may get – the light always comes. Lent always starts – but it always ends in the joy of Easter. Jesus is the light of the world.
Jesus is the light of my life. Jesus is the lense in which I choose to experience every moment. In Christ, every moment, every experience, no matter how short or how long is a God moment. A chance to see the light. Light is always a challenge to see things more clearly. A chance to see what needs to be done, what needs to be changed, who needs to be loved.
Lent is our chance to sit and wait for the light – and to be still enough to recognize it and respond.
What light do you walk by? What illumines your life? What shines in the midst of your darkness? The glory of God in the presence of jesus Christ.
We are glory bearers – ones who see the glory of God for ourselves. Ones who bear the glory of God in our lives, the ones who know the presence of Christ when we see and feel it. May the glory of God be with you always in all times – let us pray..
Amen.

Are you really the best person for the job?

February 7, 2010
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
Year C
Are you really the best person for the job?

MEMO TO: Jesus of Nazareth
FROM: The Jerusalem Management Consulting Firm
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for
management positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken a
series of tests, and we have not only run the results through our computer,
but we have also conducted an in-depth interview with each of them by our
staff psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of
them carefully. It is the staff's opinion that most of your nominees are
lacking in background, education, and vocational aptitude for the type of
enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept and we
would highly recommend that you continue your search for persons with more
experience, higher qualifications, and greater managerial abilities.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and is given to fits of temper.
Andrew simply has no qualities of leadership.
The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal
interests above company loyalty and are quite boisterous.
Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine
morale among the ranks.
It is also our duty to inform you that the Better Business Bureau of Greater
Jerusalem has received reports on Matthew regarding questionable business
practices.
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus definitely have radical leanings
and both demonstrate attitude problems which would present difficulty in
their dealings with the public.
However, one of your candidates shows great potential. He is a man of
ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind,
and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious,
responsible, and is not afraid to take the initiative. We recommend Judas
Iscariot as the most qualified of all of your prospective candidates.
Sincerely,
The Jerusalem Management Consulting Firm

OF course, this is just a ficticous account of what Jesus was looking for in his disciples. He didn’t need to consult a management firm – he knew in his heart what he was looking for, and what they were capable of doing. Who is to say that he did not even know that Judas was the one to betray him. And yet the world had a need to be saved, and with every need that is a solution – if you are just willing to be open to the possibilities. If you look more at what can be, and not what is. If you realize that life and relationships are what we make of them, not what we see of them.
In many ways – Jesus is still walking the earth looking for disciples and calling us to a deeper journey – a deeper walk. He challenges us all to follow him, to trust him, to live for him, to become his disciples. Ones who honor his teachings, and his apostles – those who are able to tell the whole world that they have seen the messiah for themselves.
And how many of us – if we had to be reviewed by the Jerusalem Management Company – would be found lacking to do the Job. We would be found unworthy, and not really qualified. And yet for some reason, Jesus still calls, Jesus still challenges, Jesus still trust that we will listen, and follow – and we do.
Luke 5 is the real account of how Jesus went about picking his disciples. By getting involved with their lives, their concerns, meeting their needs, and challenging them to think a little farther then what they are used to thinking.
Simon Peter, and Andrew, and James and John are all fishermen. Very successful fishermen. Who are very proud to support their families in this trade that has been in their family for generations.
I don’t know much about fishing, but I am told that the best place to fish is in shallow water. And it is better to fish at night, not in the bright sunlight. And Jesus asks them to do the exact opposite of what they are used to doing. And it works, they are rewarded with lots of fish.
Lucky for me, this is not a story about fish, but about people. Jesus is calling these fishermen to become disciples and to fish for people.
I haven’t always been impressed with Peter. I guess I think of St. Peter, the guy who founded the catholic church – whose bones are buried beneath the Vatican. The guy who rejected Paul – because he had not seen Jesus in person. The person who had the power to determine who was and who was not a part of the church. This isn’t a story about Peter the saint
But about Peter the ordinary guy – who had a life, a commitment, an understanding of life. The guy who gave all of that up – to follow jesus. To give up all that he was familiar with to go to places unknown. Who gave up control and success – for constant questions. All for the sake of being called.
We were talking in our lectionary study group about the meaning of call. Being called by God. Usually when we think of a call from God – it is a challenge, something we have second thoughts about doing, something that will indeed take us away from our familiarity.
A call is something that we are afraid of. That we put off, that we reject and resist. We feel that we will lose something if we really listen to god.
I remember once in college, I was talking to a lady about considering becoming a pastor. But I am not quite sure if I was ready yet. She said that being a pastor is what you do when you have done everything else in life. And even though I knew then what she meant and I still know now – I thought – how do you know when you have done everything in life? At what point in your life do you know it is time to stop living, stop learning and finally become a disciple?
I actually made the decision to go to seminary and become a pastor – what else was I waiting for?



John Sculley was the head of Pepsi. Under his leadership, it had grown into a multi-national, incredibly diversified company, and his reputation meant that many other corporations tried to get him to join them. Among them was Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple Computer. Several times Scully turned Jobs down. But Jobs believed in what he was doing, and believed Scully was the man. After getting rejection after rejection, Jobs finally hit Scully with a challenge, a call, if you like, which the executive couldn't ignore. Jobs confronted him with this: "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?"

The chance to change the world – that was the reason Peter was willing to go into the deep waters – even though he knew the fish were in the shallow waters. A chance to change the world – is what everyone in the fish boat was after. They all left their lives and followed Jesus. A chance to change the world – that might have been what I was after in becoming a pastor.

And John Scully – certainly got his chance to change the world in joining the Apple team. Pepsi is still going strong, but Apple is much stronger. Pepsi is still sugar water – or actually corn syrup water – but Apple has indeed changed the world. They bought us computers, then the IPod, the Iphone. Steve Job is a household name all around the world. Apple just announced a new product – the IPad. When was the last time we have had a new kind of Pepsi?
And yet with all of the success that Apple has had as a company – the church is bigger, much more successful, and most importantly has changed the world in many more ways – all one person at a time. Every time someone realizes the power of Jesus promises – the world is changed. And Jesus doesn’t always use business geniuses to become successful – but unqualified, scared, untrained people like you and me. People who are willing to listen to a call, respond, and go out into the deep water – against our better judgement.
A call is not an obligation, or a drudgery. We don’t have to sacrifice ourselves A call is an invitation. An invitation to put aside our fears, our obligations, our preconceived notions, our understandings of how life is, of what wont work, of what we don’t have time for, what we cant do, what we don’t know, what we are not qualified for, what we don’t trust – and listen, follow, fish, and never have another reason to look behind at what was.
Let us pray….

We ask ourselves what is behind it all
and meet the unanswerable a thousand times
and yet continue to be drawn
to the many doors of life.
We hesitate, but want to go on.
We are fearful, but want to learn
We are timid, but want to be courageous
We shrink back, and yet want to grow. We have to take courage and jump
We have to cut the ropes and set ourselves adrift.
We have to leave the solid ground to learn to swim.
We have to sacrifice our security and take risks.
Then we will experience God.

That prayer was written by by Ulrich Schaeffer** Amen.

Faith, Hope, Love

Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
Jeremiah 1:4-10
1 Corinthians 13:1-11
Year C
January 31, 2010
Faith, Hope and Love

The Gift

When he first gave it to me
I wrapped it up
and put it under my mattress,
preferring to pretend I didn’t have it.
I couldn’t give it back –
his gifts are always irrevocable,
non-transferable.

For years it stayed hidden,
disturbing my rest
as I assured myself it wasn’t there.
It brought me dreams,
such that I woke in anger
crying “Why?”
“Why?”
“Why?”

Then one day I took it out
and unwrapped it.
“Why not?” I asked lovingly,
“Why not?”
Perhaps I’ll never use it –
perhaps he gave it to me for others’ sake.

So now I hold it high,
polished and bright –
displayed for all who will to see.

It still disturbs my rest.
“Why?” I ask.
“Why not?”
“Why me?”
“Why not?”
and I am filled with awe.

That is how Ruth Dudley explains her call to become a ministry. The time in her life, when she asks God why me – and God’s response to her was why not you? This was her point of no return – the point when she realized that uninvited – God had stepped into her life and called her into God’s service. Anyone who has ever encountered the holy spirit will come to that moment. Romans 12:6 says that the grace of God comes to all of us – and gives us all a gift. We just have to decide how to use it.
Some of us spend a lifetime running away from what God has called us to do – knowing it, but trying to explain it away. Others know what their passion is from birth, even before that, and just live into it. It is not the call that we struggle with, but the response and the assurance that God has already equipped us to do what needs to be done.
Jeremiah realized his call to speak for God. But not just to his nation – but to the whole world. To tell them about God and what God had in store for us.
Each of us has been given a call, a gift, a story. But it is not what we do as invidduals that matter but who we are as a community.
We have been listening to Pauls words to the Corinthians. That we all have a part of the puzzle – but it is when we put those pieces together that the world starts to truly understand who Jesus is, and what Jesus did for us. We come to understand the power of love.

It is sort of like this hair dryer, and this cd player – wonderful inventions. Useful to us all and make a difference in our lives. But without electricity don’t do much good. We have gifts, we are important tools of God – but unless we are connected to Jesus – we don’t do much good. Our connection is always Love.

Love is patient, kind, rejoicing in truth, bears all things, hopes all things, never ends.

Love is not envious or boastful, arrogant, insisting on own way, rejoicing in wrongdoing. Means that we love our enemies, stop counting what we deserve, it matures us, not self seeking, and we think of others. Gifts are for such a time as this, our love last forever.

During the Christmas season, a couple worried about money to buy gifts for one another. The wife wanted to get a chain for her husband’s watch – a watch that had been passed down in his family. But she was still $5 short. She gave up her most prized possession to get the gift. Her hair was down to her knees – she was very proud of her hair – but she sold it in order to get the gift. Which is why her husband was so surprised, he handed her the package – which turned out to be the hair combs that she has wanted for her hair. He laughed even harder when he opened his gift. A chain for the watch that he had sold to buy the hair combs.
Neither received a gift that they could use that Christmas – but what they did get was love. They realized that they had a love that was willing to sacrifice in order to make the other person happy. A love that expected nothing in return for its sacrifice. A love that would get past that moment.
Because that is what love is – love is always an action and not a feeling. Love is always about the person and not the circumstance. We are to always be patient with one another, but we don’t have to patient about the circumstance – jesus reminds us that the time for change is always now we don’t have to stay stuck in our circumstance. Just as love is about people, so is jealousy and envy. Some people are jealous of the things that we have – the gifts that we have been given. Others are jealous of the fact that we have gifts. One can be overcome – the other is a very dangerous feeling that never goes away. One is directed at the person, and the other is at the circumstance.
Jesus message to us all – love the person, change the circumstance. Be patient with the person in all things. Fix the circumstance.
It is not only how we treat one another that shows love, it how we choose to live together that shows true love to the world. How we forgive, how we copperate, how we work together.
This paraphrase of Pauls word – demonstrates who we are to be as the church.


Paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13

What if I could stand up here and say the most wonderful things, and sound impressive and answer everyone's questions, but I didn't love anyone - what would be the point?

What if we were the most incredible church where every pew was filled the preaching was always inspirational - we had a choir that always sang perfectly and served the best coffee in town, but no one felt love - what would be the point?

And if as a community we teach our children lots of information and knowledge and they can recite the books of the Bible and know all the right answers but they don't know how to love, we've failed them.

If we focus on some and say 'he/she was a saint' and welcome newcomers, and collect money for the Mission and Service Fund, and we pray every week for the poor of the world and yet we don't feed the hungry and reach out to the poor of our communities around us, and don't care for the sick and the lost in our community, where is the honesty in that?

If we don't love what's the point?

Love is kindness in action, offered simply and humbly. Love is not meant to make me look good, score brownie points with God, or draw attention to ourselves.

Love is co-operative; there are all kinds of ways of doing good and God is happy to use every way there is. Love only cares that what's needed is done. Love has the best interests of the other in mind.

Sometimes we grow weary and give up - we can't think of what else can be done. But God never gives up - God's love continues, and new possibilities are always appearing. What we know now is never the whole picture. What we do now is never the whole story.

In some ways we're like children: we do what we can and what we know to this point. But there's still more for us to learn, to grow into, to accept.

Some day we'll look back on where we are now, and wonder how we could ever have wondered and doubted and refused to accept what was happening.

In some ways, it's like looking in an imperfect mirror. There's a reflection there, but it's not quite right, not totally true. We are the body of Christ, the image of God - but not perfectly, not completely, not totally truly ... not yet. The day will come when we will see. The day will come when we will know. Until then, we live in faith, trusting God's love. Until then, we live in hope, hoping for God's love. Until then, we live in love, showing God's love as best we can. because love is the point of it all.

(adapted from a Loaves and Fishes resource sheet, Wood Lake Books, 1998 by Rev. Brian Donst, United Church, Winona, ONT)


The gifts that we have are great – but there is a more excellent way – and that way is the love of God. We each have a gift – n some way we each have an encounter with the holy – that is wonderful.
But what is better is who we grow as a community, growing is not getting smarter, but becoming more loving, more understanding, more tolerant of one another. As we grow to love one another we also grow to love God.
Faith is the loyalty we have with to God and to God’s cause on earth. Hope is the trust that we have that God’s word for us is true, but love is the glue that hold the faithful and all of their gifts together in order to show love to the world. Faith, hope, love – the greatest of these is?
Let us pray…

The Power of God's Word in our Lives

January 24, 2010
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Third Sunday after Epiphany
Year C
The Power of God’s Word for your life


Watergate

What comes to mind when I say the word Watergate? For many of us, we think of the Nixon years and the scandal that ensued during his presidency. I was seven years old when all of that happened, and still don’t remember all of the details. But I remember the term Watergate. Even today – what over 30 years later, the term Watergate is synonomous with scandal. Whenever something is scandalous – we use the term gate – remember Irangate. I suppose today we would refer to the Tigergate. I thought it was interesting, that even when I typed in the word Watergate on the word program – it even capitalized the term.

Nehemiah

But today I want to take you back to a simpler day – when a water gate was simply that – a water gate. The scripture in Nehemiah talks of another Watergate event – this one happening at the water gate. Nehemiah was a servant in Babylon. He was the cup bearer for the king. His people had been taken captive by the kings father – and expected to serve. Nehemiah convinced the new king to allow them to go home and even to rebuild the temple so that the people whose loves revolved around worshipping God – could go home and worship their God. Upon returning, he became the governor of Israel. He wanted them to not only return to their home – but also to their worship. He has the priest unroll the scrolls and read them to the people. And they read, and they read and they read – for six hours the people stand by the water gate and listen to the word of God. Had that happened today – everyone would have fallen asleep by then. Today we last about ten minutes – and then we are gone. But the scripture says that everyone who could understand - listened and obeyed the word of God. They turned their lives around and started living as holy people – all because they heard the word of God through the scriptures.
I don’t want to focus on Nehemiah this morning – but the important point for us is that the water gate was an important turning point for the isrealites. It was the moment that they realized who they were, whose they were, and what they should be doing. They were the people of God- and their duty was to live in God and to tell the story of God through their lives.
Jamie Scott
It is sort of like the story of little Jamie Scott – a first grader – who wanted a part in the school play so bad. All he talked about was the play. His mother was afraid of what would happen if he was not chosen, he would be devastated. On the day of tryouts she prayed for him all day. After school, when she went to pick him up – he ran to the car – I made it mom – I have been chosen and given a part – my part is to clap and cheer.
At the water gate – the people of Isreal realized that they too were chosen, and given a part to play in God’s big play – that part was to clap and cheer – to worship and praise God in everything that we do. We can worship and praise God in many ways. We all have a part to play in the play – a different part - a part that fits us perfectly – but it is only one play and one God. No one’s part is more important than another. And it takes us all together to put on God’s play of salvation for the world.

Paul’s metaphor of the body of Christ
Paul uses the metaphor of a body with different parts. United through Christ. It is not possible to be a Christian on a deserted island. Because our faith is not about who we are as individuals – it is about how we related to one another. It is about why we related to one another. We are related through our baptism. We don’t have to agree with one another to be the body of Christ. We just have to agree with Christ. As a matter of fact – Christ doesn’t intend for us to agree, or to get along, or to always see things the same way. We think of conflict as a problem – but in Christianity it is an asset. The church of Corinth was a church with a lot of conflicts – and a lot of questions. Paul was trying to teach them that their faith depended on them learning to work through those conflicts. Learn to work together in spite of their differences, not to let their differences stop them from working. You cant be a Christian on a deserted island – because when you are by yourself – you don’t have anyone to disagree with – and nothing to work through and solve. You have no reason to put aside your own thoughts and to think about the common good and what is best for all.

Tree fungus
They say that when trees are planted near each other – their roots grow and touch one another. A fungus starts to grow. This fungus creates a unique relationship between the trees. Everything that they do is connected – so that if one is in the sunshine and the others are in the shade – all of them get the nutrients from the sun. If one is near a river, and the others are farther away – they all get the nutrients from the water. Even though they are individual trees, in community they all have a part to play. Point being – there is a fungus among us – and that Fungus is Jesus Christ. In Christ, our difference become unity.

Laminin – a cell glue
Since this is a sermon of metaphors – my final metaphor is a laminin. Laminins are cells in the body – they function as glue – they hold everything together. Each cell in our body has a different function – different instructions for what it is supposed to do. The only way they can work together to form one organ – and our organs can become one body is laminin.
It is amazing how God works – How complicated God made us – and how God thought of every minute detail. And how God is able to put a signature on everthing that God does. If you look at a laminin under a microscope – you will find the shape of a cross. It is the cross that makes these connections between the different cells. Once again the presence of Christ is what holds us together. Christ is not Lord over us – Christ is the Lord in us. We learn to work together, not by having one under another – but by intentionally working side side by side. Where all ideas are taken seriously – and all parts are allowed to fulfill their role.

Christ unites us all
For just as the body is one and had many members, and all members of the body, through many are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one spirit we were all baptized into one body and we were all made to drink of the one spirit. And that spirit is….Christ.
When you think of the world Watergate – what comes to mind? The church in all of its conflicts and issues. But we all stand at the Watergate of faith listening for the word of God – the word of God is embodies in the body of Christ – in us.
We are all at the gate where we need to be clear about what we are called to do. Remember the story of Jamie Scott – we have been chosen to clap and cheer – Cheer Christ on as he works hard to give us all a place in God’s kingdom. In the body of Christ. Let us pray…

The First of Many Miracles to Come

January 17, 2010 First of many miracles to come Third Sunday of Epiphany Year C John 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 Word Jazz – that is a form of poetry much like the spoken word, this is from Britain – someone’s take on the story of Jesus turning water into wine So in our need for hope for survival It’s time to turn the pages of the Bible To the wedding in Cana in the land near Galilee Where Jesus and his mom enjoyed festivity Noshing on the free eats Eating on the free treats Sipping on the red wine Having quite a swell time “Hey, bartender, can you top off my glass What’s that you say? There’s no wine in the flask? Ran out so soon? That’s so low-class!” Midnight rolled around No more wine was found Tuesday the party popped Wednesday the party flopped Jesus said “Let’s go Come on, Mom, let’s blow.” But Mary told him “No! It isn’t time to go The wine has got to flow The people need to know That – we can! “Okay, okay” She heard him say Beneath his breath He was bored to death But he did her will And went to fill The empty jugs That stank of swill That cheap red wine That wasn’t so fine Show them what it means to be an agent Instead of a victim Change the system Instead of waiting for the system to give you spare change. Did I not sing the Magnificat when you were conceived? Is it not in revolution that we’ve always believed?” Most of the guests went home after the wedding and said, “Jesus performed a miracle and turned the jugs of water into jugs of wine. That proves you should believe in him. When things get bad, just pray to him and ask him for another miracle while you wait on the sofa.” But a few of the guests stayed after the party and asked Jesus how he did it. He told them how he did it and told them they could do it, too. He said to them what his mother said to him. “Change the system. Be an agent. Don’t be a victim. Let go of yesterday. Don’t get uptight about tomorrow. Work with what you’ve got. Be birdlike. Be barnless. I am the vine, you are the wine, don’t whine, take your time, and run with what you’ve begun.” These few are the ones that do, and you can, too. It’s true. So let us make the besta for the lasta… From Cana to Costa Mesa…. Amen! This is a very long poem – I only read parts of it for you. But it captures the point that John was trying to make perfectly. That this was the first miracle of Jesus career – but the whole point for us is that the best is yet to come. The miracles of life are not the huge things or the horrible things – it is in what we are willing to look forward to. Unlike the other gospels where Jesus does up to 30 miracles – John only focuses on 8. Eight turning points in Jesus’ life where he showed others that he could make a difference. In the other stories, Jesus is out on the front lines of help – he is healing the sick, enabling the discouraged, coming back to life. But in this story he , his mother and his first five disciples are at a party- drinking wine and celebrating and having a good time. And his mother becomes concerned that the wine is running out. It’s just something that we as Christians would say – what difference does that make for us. Why should we be concerned about the wine. When we are not supposed to get drunk. But for this culture – wine was a sign of prosperity, a sign that things were going well. Wine overflowing was a sign of the presence of God – it was a preparation for the party to come, when God made everything right in our lives. Jesus says that my time has not come, but his mother tells him that the time is now- Time to show the people the God is not just present in our suffering, but in our celebration. God doesn’t just want to hear our bad news, but our good news. Not only is God happy for us – God guarantees to make the celebration even better than you can imagine. So Jesus uses his power for the first time at a wedding. If the wine had run out – people would have been talking about this family for years. They would have expected them to make it up by giving extra gifts for everyone else who ever got married in the neighborhood. And of course you cant have a wedding without gifts. At another party – the guest were expected to bring the wine. Everyone would bring a jug and poor it all into a community pot – so that everyone could celebrate and have a good time. Times were hard for one family – so that decided that they would fill their pot with water – no one would never know – there was no way their jug would matter, if everyone else bought wine. It turns out that everyone felt that way – and the community had to celebrate with water – no one had filled their jug with wine. The point is – that in community – all of our gifts really do matter. And that no one’s contribution is more important that the other. That is the point that Paul is making to us in the 1Corinthians text. Unlike this couple – people were beginning to think that their gifts were more important than anyone elses. If they gave the better gift, then they also have a right to control everyone else. They had a right to judge the contributions of others. And there were willing to give- but only to those in their church. God gives every church a different set of gifts, given the different set of people in the church. Each person has a unique gift. And yet Paul reminds of that even though the gifts are different- the Spirit that brings them is the same. Jesus is still coming to the party – bringing his special gifts with him. And he gives them freely to us – so that everyone can enjoy. What gifts do we have amongst us – and how do we use them? Show them what it means to be an agent Instead of a victim Change the system Instead of waiting for the system to give you spare change. Did I not sing the Magnificat when you were conceived? Is it not in revolution that we’ve always believed?” Mary said to Jesus, “This poetry is nice But sorry son it just will not suffice – No time to rhyme, son, It’s time to run, son, You gotta work with what you’ve got. And you’ve got a heck of a lot! Enough of yesterday and tomorrow Seize today, son, and run with what you’ve begun…. Mary motivated, Jesus activated. The bride and the groom Came out of their room Emerged from their gloom And shared a glass… And told the guests: “This isn’t normal! It isn’t formal! This big faux pas On Mardi Gras Has changed the rules And made us fools… How did this come to pass? Give us another glass! The wine that’s best Was saved for last!” It was the Merlot of mindfulness It was the Syrah of sincerity It was the Cabernet of kindness It was the Chardonnay of social change It was the Zinfandel of fidelity It was the Rose’ of righteousness It was the Pinot of patience It was Jesus’ Juice of Justice…. In other words – this is epiphany – time for us to see things differently. Time for us to put our gifts into our lives. Time for us to realize the spirit is working in us so that the party that has been going on for generations continues. I am not as poetic as Jim Burklo – who wrote the word jazz – but my point is that the spirit flows freely in us – the gifts are the fruit of the spirit. Let us thank God for the abundance we have been given – and let us look forw

Someone is Calling Your Name

January 10, 2010 Someone is calling your name Isaiah 43:1-7 Luke 3:15-22 Year C The Baptism of the Lord – Second Sunday of Epiphany Hearing Voices Harry Potter heard it, Joan of Arc heard it, and some say that even Jesus heard it. It being a voice that comes from beyond with a message for us. I am in the middle of reading the Harry Potter series – and in the second book the chamber of secrets – Harry Potter is able to hear a voice that no one else can hear. A voice that tells him that someone must be killed. He eventually follows the voice into the chamber of secrets to learn why someone must be killed. Joan of Arc said that she heard voices all the time. The voice of God telling her to do certain things, to fight for justice. Once again, she was the only one who heard that voice. And Jesus hears a voice, a voice which claims him and tells him the he is beloved and doing the right thing. But this time, the voice was for everyone to hear. It was the voice of affirmation. It is a voice that we all listen to today – a voice that tells us that we are also beloved. What it means to be baptized That is what it means to be baptized, to be accepted in the family and told that you are never alone. Not only is God with you, but so are all of us. The family of God. The voices of our world In a world where there is the radio, the television, the computer, the MP3 player, and all sorts of other electronic devices. We can hear a lot of voices – voices that give us lots of messages. Some in our best interest and some not. Henri Nouwen – a catholic priest who teaches spirituality says that in our world there are many voices which ask for our attention. There is a voice which says prove that you are a good person, another which says you should be ashamed of yourself, there is a voice which says nobody really cares about you, and one which says be sure to become successful popular, and powerful. But underneath there is a small still voice that calls us forward to come to the water. The story version of the baptism of Jesus People came from all over to see John. They came from all walks of life, a soldier, a civil servant, a maid. Some walked a long way. Some came because they thought it would be interesting to hear the voice of God after all of these years. Some came to be a part of the crowd. Some came because they thought he was a little weird – no one needs to wear animal clothing anymore. Some came because they were genuinely hungry for God. They felt that if they could just feel God in the water they would be okay – they would be fulfilled. No matter the reason that they came, John had a message for them all. They needed to get ready for the one – the one who was coming. He was baptizing with water, but he would baptize with fire. This one has been spoken of, but never named. John was doing this because God has called him by name to prepare the way. Even with all of the people coming out in the desert to see him – he knew that was no enough – there was something more – but he was not qualified to give it. His job was to be faithful until that one appeared. As each person came to be baptized – John prayed. He held them each under the water, and then prayed that God would fulfill them in some way. Whatever it was they were looking for they would find it, and in return they would give their lives to God. Jesus comes and prays He never expected that the one he was praying for would come to him – Jesus. Jesus came looking to be named, to be empowered, the affirmed. To be confirmed. He had been praying of what to do, and now it was time to go forward. But he wanted to be sure that it was really the voice of God that he was hearing and not the voice of his conscience, or worse yet his ego. After John dipped him into the water he stood there a long time praying. Hoping, listening and as he was praying the skies opened up. And a spirit came upon him like a dove. And there was a beautiful voice that said the words he needed to hear – you are my child, I love you and I am well pleased. Steve’s reaction For some reason when Steve heard that story he ran out of the church. He couldn’t take it. He hated that story. Those were the words that he waited his whole life to hear from his dad – and his dad never said them. And now his dad was gone. He couldn’t explain this to his family who were sitting in the pew next to him. But he talked about it with the pastor after church. The pastor told him to pretend that his dad was still here and he could still talk with him – and tell him how he felt. As he poured out his heart – he remembered the early days of his life – he saw his dad pick him up and tell him that everything was going to be alright – and then he hugged him and then said that was his boy. Steve was able to return home – and to take in the message of powerful acceptance that Jesus received. The effect of hearing the voice We all long to hear that voice of acceptance which tells us that we are loved. That we are not alone. That what we experience in life in not in vain, that we have someone who is with us no matter what. We all long to hear that voice in some way. Sometimes we hear it and sometimes we don’t. It all depends on our life circumstance. The message of baptism is that God sent Christ into our lives – so that we could know that all words that have been spoken to Jesus are intended for us to hear, and to take into our hearts. After Jesus heard the voice – he was able to go on. He was able to fulfill his call, and he knew that he was not just hearing voices – but that he was being led. When we are baptized we are called my name – literally we are called by our name. and we are told that we are loved and that we will be cared for. In calling us – God gives us each a job to do – a meaning a purpose. Through the waters of baptism we have been given to the strength to go forward. The words of Isaiah Isaiah says I have called you by name – when you walk through the waters I will be with you –when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned. And the flame shall not consume you. For I am the lord your god, your savior. Looking up instead of looking in When the people were looking to be saved – like many of us do – they looked up in the sky- waiting for miracle to come down. But the missionary told them that if they wanted to get water, that they needed to dig in the ground. Water for the crops comes from God – from the sky – what was this man doing – he knew that water was in the ground. He dug a well and the crops were saved. We are a lot like those people waiting for water to come into our lives – but for us the living water of salvation. We look in the sky waiting for a miracle to fall down – when the real miracle is down here – way down inside of us. Inside of our hearts. The miracle is in our prayers – our conversations with God. That is where we hear the voice of acceptance. In solitude, silence and a strong determination to listen – we hear that voice which tells us we are beloved. All of us are beloved children of god. The words of Isaiah 43:1-2 as a prayer Instead of saying an individual prayer – I want us to say a collective prayer – everyone needs a partner. First I want you to say the words of Isaiah 43:1 and 2. "(From the beginning).I have redeemed you, ______; I have called you by name, ______, you are mine. When you, ______, pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you, ______; when you walk through fire you, ______, shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." Now I want you to insert the name of your partner as you say each phrase. Talk to them, not to me “God says (From the beginning).I have redeemed you, ______; I have called you by name, ______, you are mine. When you, ______, pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you, ______; when you walk through fire you, ______, shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." Amen.

The Stories We Tell

January 3, 2010
The Stories We Tell
Ephesians
Matthew
Year C
Epiphany

Play the Coventry Carol by Sting……

This is a great traditional after Christmas carol. I will read you the words…..

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child.
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters, too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day;
This poor Youngling for whom we sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Herod the King, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day;
His men of might, in his own sight,
All children young, to slay.

Then woe is me, poor Child, for Thee,
And ever mourn and say;
For Thy parting, nor say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

You can probably tell from the words that this is a lullaby to a little baby. This is not a song to the baby Jesus. It is a mother saying goodbye to her baby in the slaughter of the innocents. It is a continuation of the nativity story. Mary and Joseph have travelled to Bethlehem, they baby Jesus as been born in a stable. And now that they have returned home, the wise men come to visit the baby in a stable. The story says that they came bearing gifts for the baby. They saw his star in the East and needed to worship the newborn king. During their travels, they had come to Jerusalem to ask King Herod about the new king. Realizing that Herod meant the new child no good, they did not let him know where the baby was. They went home another way. When Herod realized that he had been deceived, he had all children under two killed. And yet the baby Jesus was raised in Egypt in order to avoid danger. The slaughter of the innocents is a very important part of the nativity story.
The Coventry Carol was written as a part of a play in the 1500’s. We have no written record of the script of the play in which this story was told- yet we still have the words to this carol. Some of the words – they had to make up the last verse- because no one could read what it really says.
Then woe is me, poor Child, for Thee,
And ever mourn and say;
For Thy parting, nor say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.


I thought it was interesting that Sting – does such a beautiful job of singing the song – and he has several Christmas songs on his album – and yet he makes it very clear that he doesn’t believe in Jesus. He doesn’t believe in God at all – yet he felt the story of the baby jesus was an important story to tell.
Christmas is such an important part of our faith. The nativity story is such an important part of our faith as Christians – it is hard to think of anyone telling the story but not believing it.
And yet is the story really important. Actually Christmas is a very recent phenomenon. The early Christians have always celebrated Easter, as the important part of Christ’s story. They really thought nothing of Christ birth.
If you examine the story – you find that it is the shakiest part of our faith. You can pick the story apart bit by bit- and it raises more questions than it answers.
Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th – Christmas hasn’t always been on that day – historically we do know that Miryam did have a son named yshua. He was born in the spring, in March or April. There would have been no logical reason for Joseph to travel to Bethlehem for a census. Isreal was a part of the Roman empire – the only reason to have a census is if you are going to have a war – And yet Isreal had been promised that they would never be used as soldiers. And if you read the Hebrew scriptures – a census was only of men – there was no reason for a pregnant women to travel 70 miles on a camel to be with her husband. There were no special stars recorded at that time, no record of any wise men coming to Israel from the east, no reason for Herod to be so intimidated that he would kill innocent children – he killed all of his own children – but that is another story. This is not even 2010 in the year of our Lord – a scribe miscalculated the date that Jesus was born – it is really 2014 but we don’t really know for sure. That geneology that matthew gives connecting jesus to David – he made it up. Matthew spends a lot of telling us that Jesus’ birth fulfills the scriptures – and yet any jew will tell you that Matthew and all of the other gospel writers were seriously confused about what the scriptures say – Isaiah doesn’t say that a virgin will conceive – it says that any young maiden will get married and have a child. Scriptures says that I will call my son out of Egypt refers to Moses bringing the isrealites out of Egypt, not jesus. I wont mention that they is no proof that the isrealites ever really exited Egypt to worship there own God. Or that someone named king david was a real person. The whole story was made up. Not one of the facts of the story hold up to reality. So why do we tell the story? Why have we held onto this story for 2000 years – why do I stand here every Sunday and tell that story as if it is really true – when there are so many other things that I could do with my Sunday morning. More importantly – why are you listening to the story in the first place.
I think that Ephesians has a good reason that puts it all into perspective. Paul says that God gave me a secret – that I have to tell the world. That secret is that God’s love and salvation is for everyone – not just a certain group of people. The story of God’s salvation is not a story about a little baby born in a manger – the story of salvation is much bigger than that – it is a story that is still going on today. The story of salvation is much more about the present than it is about the past.
The concept of childhood – and young people needing to grow up and discover their destiny is only a recent phenomon. In the old world – you were considered an adult the day you were born. You were expected to find your place in the world and to live in it, as soon as you could walk and talk. So when a man did a great thing – it was assumed that was his destiny. That there were signs and wonders at birth which proclaimed to the world what this man was going to do with his life. It was so much more meaningful to construct a birth narrative about Jesus then to tell the truth. We can understand a little baby in a manger much more than we can that some strange man just walked into Jerusalem out of the middle of nowhere and started teaching stuff that no one had ever said before. We don’t know where this man came from, or where he got his knowledge, or by what authority he was speaking. He just walked into our lives, led us to a cross and died and came back to life, and somewhere in the midst of our life – we got it - we understood what he was trying to do. When actually, if you take out the birth narratives – that is exactly what the bible says about Jesus’ life. He was baptized, he taught for three years, and eventually he was crucified for teaching heresy.
So why did Matthew work so hard to give this man a life- a history, a connection to birth? If Matthew was so unclear about his own history – why would he spend so much time telling trying to connect this man’s life to prophecy.
Because matthew was not concerned about history at all – he was more concerned about the future. The focal point of the story of the birth narrative is not jesus – the focal point of the story is you. Matthew didn’t want you spending your life waiting for something to happen, something that already happen 2000 years ago. His message to us is that the scriptures have already been fulfilled – so you don’t have to wait any longer for salvation. Salvation is amongst us – salvation is within us, salvation has carried us this far, salvation ahead of us. The scriptures had to be fulfilled so that we could realize that the same power that fulfilled the scriptures, is the same power that fulfills our hopes, dreams and yearnings.
Kathryn still get goose bumps when she think about the day that she was explaining the concept of epiphany to her Sunday school class. Johnny blurted out that he had seen God for himself. No one has ever seen God face to face Johnny – so don’t say such a thing. But Johnny insisted to the class that he has seen God face to face. After class was over with she felt guilty about cutting Johnny off like that. Even if she didn’t believe him, she should have listened to him. She felt so guilty that she couldn’t even listen to the sermon. After church she went up to Johnny and his parents and apologized. She asked if it was okay that Johnny could tell his story now – and his parents said it was okay. Johnny explained that it was the time that he was in the hospital. He was very sick, and could see the doctors and nurses and his parents above him in bed. All of a sudden he was lifted up above them and he travelled into the dark tunnel until he reached a bright light. And there he saw God - he felt safer and happier then he had ever been and he wanted to stay there in that moment – but God told him it was not time yet. That his parents would miss him and that there was still things he needed to do with his life. God said that he had a long life and he would never be alone. So God sent him back to the tunnel, and he woke up. His parents remembered the day perfectly, Johnny had been really sick and lost consciousness, the doctors did not know if he would ever wake up and come to. But a few hours he did – everything was okay and Johnny went home and got better. His parents asked shy he never told that story before – Johny said because I was afraid no one would believe me. Miss Kathryn decided that all of the other children had to hear that story – and she called each home to tell them what to expect in class the next Sunday – Johnny would tell his story of his encounter with God.
The nativity – the baby, the stable, the star, the shepherds, the wisemen, the innocents – all have a purpose in our lives and in our story. It reminds us that whatever happened on the day Jesus was born – it was not just a family story- it was not just about a people – it was a story about all of us – the star led the wise men from the east to realize that whatever happened that day – it was a great moment for us all – because it was the moment that we realized that God is here for us all not just some of us. That is the great secret that Paul had to tell the world. God is indeed with us – God is with us in the story of Christ. Christ came into the world so that our story would be complete. Our lives would be fulfilled. God had a plan for us all – and we are never alone. Amen.

The Incarnation - Christmas Eve Sermon

December 24, 2009
Christmas Eve Service
The Incarnation
Isaiah 9
Luke 2:1-20

When is Santa going to die – asked 4 ½ year old Jonathon to his uncle. He is not going to responded his uncle. How do you know- asked Jonothon. Mommy says that everyone dies and Santa is getting pretty old. So one day, Santa has got to die. His uncle responded that he knew that Santa was magical – so he was not going to die. And if you talk to 4 ½ year olds – they have a wisdom that we lose in our older years- because they are never satisfied with just any answer. How do you know asks Jonothan again – because I live next door to his cousin – and he told me that santa has been alive forever. This story takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark. The uncle is in America. In the mind of his nephew – was a strange place where anything is possible. So it would make sense that his uncle from America would like next door to Santa’s cousin.
But my friend tells me this story because it bought back memories of his own childhood and the questions that he had asked his mother about santa. He had just moved, and his burning question to his mom was how was santa going to find him in a new house. His mom told him that all children are born with a little star inside of their heads. Santa uses this little star to keep track of us wherever we may be – that’s how he knows what we have been doing all year.
Christmas is a magical mysterious time of the year. Christmas is a time when fantasy and reality meet in the traditions of our lives. We have all kinds of traditions that we do this time of year, some are universal, some are unique to our family. Santa Claus has always been an important part of Christmastime. Santa Claus is a real man – with a real history in the life of Saint Nicholas. And sometimes we make up all kinds of stories about santa – such as living next door to his cousin. But the important stories about Santa are the ones that we witness every year.
In my friends story about santa – he remembered the magic of Christmas for his family. He remembered going to cut down the life tree – which in his neighborhood in Denmark was not a big deal – he remembered the popcorn garland his mother would spend so much time on, he remember the ornaments that he would make out of construction paper. He remembered the special Christmas dinner his mother would make, and the time that he would spend with his family. In those memories he knew in his heart that santa would live forever. There was no way Santa was going to die. But he would never share the real reason that he was so sure of that fact to his nephew. He knew that Christmas would never die because his mother would never allow it. As he and his sister grew up – his mother made sure that they carried on the traditions of their family. And now that his mother was gone, his sister still cooked the traditional Dutch Christmas meal of duck, and roast pork and rice pudding. And he would go out and pick a Christmas tree that his mother would be proud of , and make sure that is was decorated and taken care of. He and his sister were the next generation of the keepers of the dream. And as long as the dream was there at Christmastime – santa would always be a part of the magic of Christmas.
How did he know that Santa would never die – he knew for sure because he knew in his heart that his mother would never allow it.
That story stuck out at me this year, as someone commented that as for someone who says that they don’t like Christmas, that I seemed to be awfully caught up in the spirit. And that I seemed to be doing a an awful lot to celebrating. I too realized in my heart – that my mother would never allow me to do anything different. I am grateful that my mother is still with me – when most of my friends do not have their mother’s with them anymore. The truth is that I don’t have to really like Christmas to celebrate it- because I really have no choice. In my house – celebrating the birth of Christ was something that you did. Putting up the Christmas tree, and hanging the stockings, and playing Christmas music is something that we did in my family. The truth is, Christmas was my mother’s holiday. But in the moment that I was questioned, I realized that as my mother’s child – I was and in reality have always have been a pretty spoiled child. A child who was always blessed as a child – not just by my gifts – but by the love that I received from the magic of the time. And as an adult – things have not always turned out the way I wanted them to, My life has been a time of gaining much, and losing much. Even today I could lose my collection of 50 santas, I could lose the Christmas tree, and the ornaments to mark the years of my life, I could lose the angel at the top, and even the presents under the tree. But no matter what – they one thing that can never be taken away from me – are the memories of my mother’s Christmas. I will always be my mother’s child – and all of the wonderful things that we did to celebrate Christmas will be with me. How do I know that santa will never die – because my mother will not allow it.
Christmas is a magical time of year. But it is also a time of many mixed emotions. We all go through a lot of trouble to make the holiday special. We spend a lot of money, we do a lot of preparation. There are many others of other religions who criticize us as Christmas as getting caught up in materialism and overindulgence at this time of year – we take celebrating Christmas to an extreme.
We are all guilty of doing too much for Christmas – but isn’t because we are all looking for something deeper – something more – something special. The special moment with our families – the connection of love and care that we don’t feel for the rest of the year. That special reason to say I love you, that special reason to believe that the future will be more, that special reason to believe that we really do live in a wonderful world filled with wonderful people. In a world that sometimes seems cruel and out to get us – wouldn’t it be nice to know that God is with us. That God is one of us – that God understand us, that santa will put what we really want in our hearts under our tree this year – good health, dreams come true, a secure future, true love.
The good news is that we celebrate not because of what we wish for – but for what we already have. Santa bought us the greatest gift that we could ever imagine
A baby boy – born in a manger – Immanuel – god with us - wonderful counselor, everlasting father, prince of peace. God right here with us – constantly reminding us that no matter what it’s always going to be okay.
Tonight we celebrate the incarnation – the indwelling of God in our lives. A magical experience – something that we cant explain, much less always relate to. But something that will last far beyond the magic of tonight and tomorrow. A spirit of love, peace , hope joy, that you can feel now – but take it with you in your life, your relationships, your worries, your fears, your hopes and your dreams. The spirit of Christmas never ends – it just recreate, reinvents itself, renews itself whenever you need it. How do you know that santa wont die – it goes deeper then our mothers, and our mothers mothers. It goes even further back then a baby in a manger – it goes back before the beginning of time – when God loved so much that God thought of ways to be with you – to relate to you, to speak to you in the language of your heart. Keep the memory alove – there is are many behind you – waiting, listening, hoping for God to be present with them in the spirit. Tell them that santa

Things We EnJOY about Christmas

December 20, 2009
Things we Enjoy about Christmas
Luke 39-55
The Magnificat of Mary
Hebrews 10:5-10
Year C

As we have been talking about the advent wreath – we have been talking about the 4 themes of advent- which are?...... hope, love, joy and love. And guess which one we are going to talk about today? Joy, Joy, Joy.

That was God’s message to me this advent – to focus on joy. This is a tough time for the world – there is a lot of darkness, a lot of sadness, a lot of questions about the future, there is truly a lot going on in our lives to mourn and be worried about. But the message of Christmas is to look beyond all of that – and to focus on the real intention of the season – the coming of Christ into our lives – bringing a promise of salvation, healing and love to a hurting world. To have hope for the future- that the world that we see today – is not the world the God is creating.

But in order to have the hope, peace, and love – that we have to have joy – we have to be willing to celebrate the Christ in Christmas. The book of Hebrews is not really a Christmas book – but it is used today – because it reminds of that in order to save us from sin, that God had to come into the world and put on flesh, in order to get rid of the old ways – and show us the pathway to a new life – a life of salvation.

As I pulled out my Christmas books, I found one of my favorites. 3001 things that I love about Christmas - It is a cool little book with stories of people’s favorite Christmases, of Christmas carols and a list of 3001 things about Christmas – such as Frosty the Snowman, Christmas cards with music, Christmas cards without music, furry santa claus hats, the smell of baking Christmas ham, telling the night before Christmas story from memory.
Actually one of my favorite parts of Christmas is the 4th Sunday of advent. I don’t mind preaching about the second coming, and about John the Baptist – but I love being able to preach about the story of Mary. Mary is my favorite bible character, and her story is the one that I identify with the most. And I love the version of her story in Luke the most. As I look back on my 15 years of preaching, I have a lot of 4th Sunday sermons – partially because the sr pastor doesn’t like to preach on the Sunday before Christmas, and partially because it is always the Sunday that I ask to preach – because I love this story.
You would think that with all of those sermons, that I would not have had to stay up until 6 this morning writing a new sermon. But usually I focus on the mystery of Mary’s pregnancy – and today I wanted to focus on Mary’s joy. Mary’s magnificat.
The first words that come out of her mouth are that God shall call her happy for what God has done to her. She is grateful to be considered God’s servant.
She is excited to be used by God, excited to be given a new vision, excited to see promises fulfilled in her lifetime.
In honor of Mary’s song I am wearing my flip flops – Mary says that everything will flip flop. Those who are on the bottom of society will be honored and elevated and put on top. I have a version of Handel’s Messiah which says that the the top becomes the bottom and the bottom becomes the top and even there it doesn’t stop.
I share in Mary’s celebration of the flip flop God. A God whose capable of doing anything.
Last night we watched the movie – the Nativity Story – it is an excellent visual of the story of the first Christmas. In the movie one of the plots was of the insecurity of King Herod. He needed to be in control and did not want to be challenged by anyone. When he heard there would be a new king of Israel – he was looking for a man who was strong enough to challenge him – he never in a million years thought to look for a teenage mother from a peasant background – traveling with her husband – carrying not only a baby – but a dream, a promise , a mission.
A flip flop God can use the lowest times in our lives, and the most unexpected people to not only change the world – but to change our lives and our paths. A flip flop God can do anything.

Linzi was an 80 year old woman who lived in a nursing home. When Linzi announced that she was expecting, people thought that it was dementia. That was three months before Stephanie came to work at the nursing home as a nursing assistant. That was three months before Stephanie found out that she was pregnant. When Linzie would talk to Stephanie about being pregnant – she thought nothing of it. She was very polite and understanding of Linzie until she discovered that she was having a baby herself. All throughout the pregnancy – she would share stories with Linzie. Linzie was a hair dresser in her earlier life and she had never had a baby. But she and Stephanie always seemed to have a lot to talk about. Stephanie would let Linzie feel her stomache, and feel the baby jumping. When Linzie would talk about her pregnancy – she was always willing to listen and to go along with her story. Finally Stephanie had the baby – and of course she brought the baby to work so that everyone could see him. Linzie was the first person she took him too. Linzie was very excited about the baby – she started to ask Stephanie about the birth experience – what did it feel like, what happened, how did she react, who was there to help. Stephanie felt close enough to Linzie to share all of these experiences. When it came time to show the baby to everyone else – Stephanie asked if Linzie wanted to go with her as she showed off the baby – Linzie was delighted. They put Linzie in her wheelchair and handed her the baby. And as they went throughtout the nursing home – Linzie told everyone that her baby was here. She told people that she was pregnant and here was the baby - This was baby Joshua. Stephanie’s baby was not named Joshua – but Stephanie knew that Linzies baby was Joshua. And that for some reason God had brought the two of them together, so that they could share their journey together.
I don’t know about you, but I worship an amazing flip flop God. A God who can do anything – even allow 80 year old women to give birth for the first time. If my God can do that, surely God can address anything going on in my life. As amatter of fact, the bible is full of the stories of women who could not have children, having children – and those babies of promise going on to do amazing things. If God can make an 80 year old woman give birth – what can god do for you. God flip any flop and turn it into a miracle.
As a matter of fact you would have thought that it would have been Elizabeth’s magnificat and not Mary’s. Elizabeth was the woman past her prime – who was having a baby – not Mary. Elizabeth had something to celebrate. But the flip flop God wanted to move beyond the obvious to something new.
But God’s work in all in or perspective. How we choose to see things.
When Elizabeth saw Mary she could have chosen to see a teenager in trouble. When Joseph saw Mary, he could have seen an unfaithful Fiance, when Mary saw the angel, she could have seen a situation that was impossible in her culture. A story that would never work.
Instead she saw the hope of God’s future. Revolutionary change was all in her perspective, her willingness to be used by God.
When Elizabeth saw Mary – the baby inside of her jumped for joy. The baby’s were excited to see each other. Elizabeth was excited to be a part of that moment in time. Who was she to be a part of God’s plan. Who are any of us to be a part of God’s plan – and yet we have been chosen to touch the presence of God and celebrate. When we touch God, when we are touched by God – do we jump for joy – or do something else. It all depends on our perspective. What we chose to see about life.
In my last example of why joy is so important – I want to point out that in the daylight, you can take a quarter out and put it up to the sun and totally block it out. But in reality – which is bigger – the coin or the sun? Which is more brilliant - the coin or the sun? From our perspective – the coin is bigger, the coin is right in front of us – but the sun is out there somewhere. We can touch and feel the coin – but we can only imagine the sun. Henry Fosdick says that a penny can hide the sun if we hold it close enough to our eye. And a passing difficulty can shut out from a fearful soul, all of life’s blessings and all of the endless horizons of God’s divine will. It is all in your perspective. It all depends on what you choose to see.
This Christmas – what will you see in the manger? A crying baby, another worry, all of the darkness of the world, all of the bleak things to deal with in January? All of the things in life that can’t possible happen? Or the promise that God is making you a part of a transformed world beyond anything that makes sense to you now? Why you? Why now? Why have a reason to enjoy the seaon? Let us pray…. Amen.

The Heart of Joy

This advent I told you about the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius. The daily examine is a big part of that. Setting aside the end of your day to look at what happened and to see how God is working in your life. One of the challenges of the examine is to also look at the emotions that you felt that day – what was going on for you and why.
For me this has been a week of looking at some of the difficult emotions. Happy, sad, worried, stressed out, angry – concerned. Those are actually easy – because usually you know the cause of those emotions. And you don’t have to explain or justify why you feel the way you feel. Because the feeling is not about you – it is about something out there.
The hard emotions are jealousy, resentment, guilt, rejection, inadequacy. Those are hard because they are about you and what is going on inside of you. They are all feelings that we feel, but it is a little harder to justify where they come from, and why we feel that way. And often if you share those emotions with someone else, they will try and talk you out of them as if you shouldn’t feel that way.
When every feeling that we have is justified within our own soul. And sometimes it may not be appropriate to act on that emotion out in the world – but it is always important to examine that emotion and to see for ourselves what it is saying about our soul and our needs in the world.
This has been a week of examining hard emotions for me because of certain events. In October, I participated in a spiritual workshop for pastors. We are supposed to take our knowledge and go and start support groups for other pastors. In applying for this program, we were all told about another program that we could also sign up for. A writer’s support group for pastors. We had to send in our writing samples to be a part of the group. What they didn’t tell us until we were all together that this was a chance to fly to a retreat center in San Antonio every three months for a weekend retreat. We would write and critique the writing of others, and at the end of a year we would be treated to a book deal with a publisher looking for pastors to write on their experiences. A writers dream experience. Well it turns out that half of the group applied for this special group – 25 people, and there were only 7 positions open. So we were told that we would have to compete for those 7 positions. I got all of my paperwork in on time and waited for an answer. On Thursday I get this email saying more info on the writing group. So I know that email is a confirmation that they liked my application and would be accepted. But as I read the letter attached to the email – it is a rejection email. I didn’t make the cut for one of the 7 spots. And I am devastated. I was really looking forward to being a part of this group. I thought I had did such a good job on all of my writing samples, and explaining why I would be a good asset to the group.
So this week I have been reliving all of the rejections on my life. All of the bad relationships, all of the times that I was turned down by the board of ordained ministry, all of the jobs that I didn’t get. Every time in my life when I really wanted something and it just didn’t turn out. What does that say about me, when do I get my turn, when do I get to win, when , why how – and all of those questions and emotions that come along with being rejected.
And of course it didn’t help that I saw that one of my facebook friends, had befriended an old boyfriend. And this old boyfriends profile was a picture of his smiling wife and their two beautiful children – when I saw the picture I couldn’t help but think to myself – o isn’t that special.
Rejection, jealousy, resentment, anger, - this has been a week of tough emotions.
And of course I am left with the ensuing conversation of how do you move on from here. That writing group would have been a perfect opportunity – but will I find something else that is just as fulfilling? Just because they turned me down does that really mean that I am a bad writer. Or was I too good a writer and they thought I was showing off? Who knows. And what is God telling me in the midst of this experience, I am being called to perhaps start a local group for pastors who want to write and get published. Of course I have had this conversation with God before, that I learn much quicker if I just get my way and what I want, then from the times when I have been turned down. But of course God doesn’t listen to that conversation.
And yet God reminded me that it has been those times of moving on that have become the fundamental shape of my character. That in those times of moving on (and I have not always been willing to move on) I became stronger, more confident, more willing to work on myself, and able to even show my talents in skill in the face of the chance of being rejected. Those times of moving on and going forward have been the times when I was most willing to listen to God and to walk with God in a new and different way- In ways that I never thought possible.
Zephaniah talks about the journey of his people from darkness to light. Zephaniah is the cousin of King Hezekiah if that means anything. King Hezekiah had a reputation for bringing reform to the people of Israel. They had gotten comfortable with themselves and stopped thinking about their relationship with God. King Hezekiah and his son Josiah set them straight and reminded them to let God be the center of their lives and their worship. Today we celebrate what quality in the advent cycle? Joy – Joy comes from knowing that whatever you are going through – wherever you are in life, whatever you are feeling – God is with you. The opposite of joy is not sadness – it is apathy. It is that feeling that you have no reason to celebrate or to be happy. The opposite of hope is not the feeling that there is no hope – it is the feeling that it really doesn’t matter what I feel or what I do.
The people of Israel were guilty of those feelings. God didn’t matter to them anymore. God being with them didn’t matter anymore. They could do what they wanted – because they just didn’t care that God was in their midst. Zephaniah is made up of 7 sections, where Zephaniah is trying to straighten up the people. And tell them that they have got to do better. That they have got to care about God and if they don’t then them are going to be punished. The ultimate punishment fo the Hebrew people was being banished from their own land by the babylonions. The story of faith is the story of how they were able to move on from that experience and recognize that God was leading them to a new place. Our whole bible is a story of them moving on. But Zephaniah’s prophecy comes even before that. Zephaniah worns the people that they have to get out of their apathy and turn their lives toward God. And in the midst of that journey – Zephaniah and the people realize that indeed God is with them. And they can go on with their lives. Finally Zephaniah is able to tell the people to rejoice because the journey is over – they can celebrate that God allowed them to struggle, but today the struggle is over. All of their troubles will have meaning, all those who fought them will honor them, all that they attempt will happen, all that they have lost will be restored. Simply because they have come out of their apathy and realized that God is with them on the journey. Joy is knowing that God is with you on the journey. Joy is not in whether good things or bad things happen, joy is in knowing that everything that happens for a reason, and that God will reveal that reason.
Joy is in having a deep longing for change and knowing that change is about to come. Joy comes when you can see for yourself that joy is coming- it doesn’t have to be here just yet, but you know that it is coming.
Someone once said that joy is the flag flown from the heart when the king of glory is present there. Joy is looking into the face a baby for the first time, joy is sitting down to have coffee with a friend and having a good conversation, Joy is watching an amazing sunset, joy is coming home after a long day and smelling fresh bread in the oven, Joy is watching the man down the street who yells at everyone being willing to help older neighbors shovel the snow from their driveways. Joy is not a feeling, joy is an experience in life that brings you closer to god. I have mentioned what joy is to other people, I invite you to think about what joy is for you. When have you felt the overwhelming presence that God is with you and that all is right with the world? Joy is our peace in the midst of the storm. Joy is knowing that whatever happens, no matter how many rejections you get, that does not change who you are and how much God loves you. It is usually in our deepest moments of sorrow and pain that we learn the true meaning of joy. The truth is that You can’t separate the two. And you can’t have one without the other.
A woman- who was relatively young – 53 passed away after a long battle with cancer. At her funeral – they did a presentation of her life. There were baby pictures, pictures of her growing up, pictures of her family, pictures of her prom, her graduation, her wedding, pictures of her when she had children. Actually she had a pretty normal life. There was nothing really noteworthy about her life or about her pictures. The pastor noticed that while this was going on, her husband was holding the hands of his children. And he was smiling. He was actually very excited and happy, he was really enjoying those pictures. And as he watched the montage on the screen, he was reliving his life with his wife. All of those memories and good feelings were coming back to him in this touching moment of grief. The pain and sorrow of his loss had carved an empty space in his heart. It created a longing for relief. And ache for healing. And God was filling that woundedness with joy in that moment. If God can enter into that moment and heal the pain of death, then surely God can heal the pain of the difficult emotions in our life.
C.S. Lewis – a Christian writer writes a lot about joy he said that joy was the guiding principle of life for his. In his book surprised by joy he says that joy is not a pleasure or happiness, joy is a longing, perhaps a deep satisfaction in life that all is cared for.

C.S. Lewis talks about another image ... at the end of a long
dusty road (life) -- being bathed in the Presence of God.
Bathed not in the sense of dutiful washing... but bathed as in a child's
bath time - full of gleeful splashing and playing with the water upon and around
them - enjoying the water (the Presence), enjoying the 'wet-ness', enjoying being refreshed more than 'merely' being washed.
He reminds us that just being aware of the presence of God in our lives is the difference between joy and something else going on. As long as we know God is with us- anything we go through is a learning experience to make a better person. We don’t have to stay stuck in those difficult emotions that something must be wrong in our lives. The symbols of advent are hope, peace, joy and love. Joy is the heart of every one. Without joy you cant even begin to think of the others, much less feel them and put them in your lives.
Joy is not some frivolous emotion, it is knowing that God is here with you – so sing Cornerstone – rejoice with all of your heart. Let us pray…. Amen.

It all begins with joy

Just a few days ago while walking through the North Riverside mall, a woman was passing out flyers, telling everyone to bring their old gold to her, and she would give them money for it. Everyone seems to want you to sell you old rings, jewelry, even the gold fillings in your teeth for money. I have even heard of gold parties – like a Tupperware party – but you bring in all of your gold – a salesman tallies it all up and gives you money on the spot for your gold.
And that don’t care what it is that you are selling, because they are just going to take it and melt it all together into one lump of gold. Gold is a rather malleable metal, so when you put it into the fire – it melts and refines itself pretty easily.
Malachi speaks of we as people being put into the fire and refined ourselves – so that we can come out as pure. Sounds pretty painful. Someone said it is a lot like being put through a carwash without a car – you might get pretty beat up – but at least you have had a really good bath.
Malachi is the last book in the Hebrew bible. We don’t know who Malachi is, or even what he was trying to address. From his language, we can guess that he was probably a priest in the temple, who realized that things needed to change. People were going through the motions of being religious, but no one was sincere. Not the people, not the priest. Something had to change. Malachi is not a proper name, but a generic term for a messenger. People were beginning to ask, where is the god of justice? The message was that God was sending a messenger who would make everything right. The question is not where God is – but where are you? What part do you play in the present situation of injustice? And are you really doing what God calls you to do, or are you going along with the flow? Are you following the path that God made for you, or are you following the path of everyone else.

Story of lady visiting the silversmith
A group of women in a bible study were looking at this verse from Malachi, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver" (Malachi 3:3), and they wondered what on earth it could mean. One of them decided to find out about the process of refining and purifying silver, and promised to report back to the women in the Bible Study at their next meeting.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you k
Now when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy-when I see my image in it."

The question is not where is God – where are we? We are the silver –being refined to reflect the image of God.

Advent is a time to reflect on how our lives reflect God to others.

I am so excited – this advent the united Methodist news service started a program reminding churches of the importance of prayer and getting back into prayer ministries. Prayer is our way to see how god is working in our lives, and where God is leading us to, what god is calling us to leave behind, and what we are being called to turn away from as we turn to god.

That is the message of Malachi – God is coming the god who promised us salvation is coming- in order to be prepared we have to turn away from whatever we have been doing and be willing to turn to god – to repent and receive god’s forgiveness.

Going through the carwash with a car may indeed by a challenge, it may even be painful but it is not meant to punish us. Saying things that challenge us is not always a bad thing – it is often an act of love. Only those who love us are willing to be perfectly honest with us and tell us that we need to change.

God loves us enough that God is not going to let us get away with being incomplete and not living up to our full potential. If there is something that God sees in us that needs to be worked on, God is not going to leave us alone until it is finished. God’s work in this world is salvation, he began it long ago, and he continues to bring people in the world and in our lives to work with us so that we can be a part of the great work. God made a promise that God would fulfill all of our needs and give us all grace, peace, love and joy. And God will not stop until that promise is fulfilled. That work begins here in our hearts, but it is fulfilled amongst the people. Philippians says that God began a good work in you and will complete it in Jesus Christ.

Advent is the season of hope, peace, love and joy. I still believe that everything starts with joy and is interspersed along the way with joy.

At the thanksgiving service – Rabbi Weiss told three stories of the abiding joy of faith in our lives. My favorite was a question – like that asked of Malachi – where is the god of justice. Why should we praise God in the good times and the bad? Why should we thank god for bad news, just as well as good. Why should we treat god the same when things go our way as well as when things don’t. there was a man who set out to ask that question – he went to all of the rabbis to get understanding, he read all of the books and someone told him to visit a farmer – and ask him – why should we love and honor god in all things – why should we feel the same things about God no matter what happens. The farmer replied – that is a very good question, but I don’t know why someone would ask me – I wouldn’t know the answer to that. Perhaps you should ask someone who gets depressed all of the time – because I don’t know why you I wouldn’t praise and worship God in all things in all times. There is never a time in my life when I don’t love God and long for a relationship with God.
The message in that story for me is that in order to have hope, peace and love – it all has to start with joy. Joy is the condition of our hearts. Joy is the good work that begins in us and gets completed in Jesus Christ.
Philippians is actually called the epistle of joy. Paul is writing to his favorite church and praising them for supporting him while he is in prison. He begins with a prayer of thanksgiving for them. And he encourages them to continue to good work that they started – God will complete it. My prayer is that your love will overflow with knowledge and insight to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless and produce a harvest of righteousness.
God is about to do a new thing – a terribly new thing. New because it is different, terrible because it is challenging. It will challenge our sense of wellbeing, our understanding of us, and our sense of normalcy in the world. Who can stand and endure the pain of that day.
Those who begin their advent season with joy, and are able to carry it all the way through. Let us pray…… Amen.