Luke 2:1-20
“Close to Home: Invited Home”
Preached Friday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)
Our Mission statement here at Grace is to invite all into a joyous and caring Christian community. And tonight, if you are worshipping with us either here in the pews or online, you have accepted that invitation. Accepted the invitation to worship together, to celebrate Christmas, to be surrounded by love and care this night.
Welcome. Welcome into this space, a space we know is physical for those here and a space that is intangible, a state of mind and heart and soul, for those joining us from afar. Tonight, wherever you may be, may you feel at home. Welcome home. May you find God here tonight. The God of Love, Emmanuel, God-with-us, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. May you wonder at the Christ-child. May you find joy. May you be part of a Christ-centered community. May you feel like this place here tonight is home.
And speaking of invitations: the Christmas story can actually be tracked in invitations extended and invitations accepted.
Zechariah and Elizabeth accept the angel's invitation to have a child, John, who would be the one to prepare people for the Messiah.
The crowds in the desert accept John's invitation to repent, be baptized, and change the way they treat each other to be more just and loving.
Mary accepts God's invitation to be the Mother of God, to accept the impossible, to bring God-with- us into the world.
And when there was no invitation for a hotel or a traditional room, someone, an unnamed person, invited Mary and Joseph into their space - maybe all they had to give, so that the Christ-child could be laid in a manger.
Due to an invitation, newborn Jesus had a place to rest his head. Christ is born. Merry Christmas.
The invitations, however, don't stop here. Angels appeared to shepherds in the field and invited them to come and see the Savior, the Messiah, a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. The shepherds accept the angel's invitation and are among the first to worship the Newborn king…but can you imagine Mary's face and reaction when the shepherds just showed up right after having given birth and wanting to see her baby? SHE didn’t extend the invitation. Mary, still bleeding, covered in bodily fluids, exhausted beyond comprehension, hormones flooding through her body , trying to get baby Jesus to just latch deeply, a first-time mom holding the son of God to her breast in a space that is already less than ideal and then these uninvited guests show.
Shepherds were not considered unclean in the ritual, religious sense but most likely were unclean in the physical, smelling like sheep literal sense. Shepherds were among the lowest workers and could have been men, women, or even children. And they might even have brought their sheep with them! Divine revelations don't wait for shift changes or stop at the pen to drop off the sheep first…
So there Mary is, in all her after-birth, post-partum glory and these uninvited shepherds, their sheep, and all the accompanying smells, noises, and crowd come pouring in.
Oi vey.
Now, the Little Drummer boy is not Biblical but the shepherds showing up reminds me of all the memes on this very subject: Basically the idea that Mary, exhausted, having just gotten baby Jesus to Sleep is approached by a young man who thinks to himself: what this girl needs is a drum solo.
(images)
And as one fairly new mom to another, I would not have faulted Mary for kicking that drummer boy out or, back to the Scriptures, to say to the shepherds and the sheep. What are you DOING here!?
The uninvited guests don't stop there either. Although not present at the birth, the magi, wise men, three kings - whatever name you would like to call them - show up at the home of Mary and Jesus. Strangers from strange lands - invited by a star - not by you - showing up at your doorstep.
And really, this uninvited guests thing is a huge point of the Christmas story
Because when you invite Jesus into your life, your home, your heart - expect Jesus to then invite others without checking with you first. When you invite Jesus into your heart or accept Jesus's invitation to know him - both, really - you lose all control of the guest list. Jesus tells us as much when he tells us that he came for the last, the lost, and the least. His ministry is focused on extending invitations to those who society leaves out.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 25 that when we give the hungry food, when we give the thirsty a drink, when we see a stranger and welcome them in, when we give the naked clothes, when we visit the sick and the prisoner - we do these things to Jesus himself. When we welcome Jesus into our lives, we also welcome in the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and prisoner.
This Christmas as we welcome Jesus into this world and celebrate him in our homes, we are called to look towards the least, the last, and the lost. Christ truly invites ALL to his heavenly banquet table. We are also called to make our guests lists, our homes, our tables look more like Christ’s. This Christmas and beyond.
Knowing that uninvited guests show up at the nativity and in our lives when we invite Christ in, reminds us that we don't earn or deserve our spot on Jesus's invite list either. It's an invitation given not by merit, but by love. So this Christmas, let us all extend invitations of love - love to God, love to neighbor, love to all those whom Jesus came for, the last, the lost, and the least. Love to all. Period. There is the grace in knowing that none of us deserve our spots on the invite list - but they are given to us anyway, out of love. A love that God has for us that God came amidst great darkness, turmoil, stress - all the things of this world 2,000 years ago and our reality this night - God came in the midst of that to take on flesh, become human in the form of a newborn babe, God incarnate, God divine. Emmanuel. God with us. God loves us so much - that God came to Earth to invite us all home. Home with Jesus. This Christmas, you’re invited. Invited to know the love of God. So this Christmas, let’s extend that same invitation to all.
Merry Christmas. Amen.
Monday, December 27, 2021
Monday, December 20, 2021
"Close to Home: Seeking Sanctuary" a sermon on Luke 1:39-55
Luke 1:39-55
“Close to Home: Seeking Sanctuary”
Preached Sunday, December 19, 2021
This past Wednesday, bell hooks, prolific and profound feminist and womanist writer died at the age of 69. bell hooks wrote more than 30 about race, gender, religion, and class in ways that were both prophetic and deeply loving. While I encountered her work while in graduate school, her writing was accessible and jargon free. If you have not read any of her work, I highly recommend her to you and ask that you seek out her writings.
Her death is truly a loss for the world. The good news is that her work lives on in such titles as:
All About Love
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love
Communion: The Female Search for Love
Salvation: Black People and Love
When Angels Speak of Love
Just a few of her titles but you may have noticed a theme, yes, love.
bell hook’s writing was filled with love. Love for women, love for black women. Love too for men, black men, all men. Even in books where she deals with subjects of rage like the book “Killing Rage: Ending Racism” love undergirds all her writing. Love for self, love for others. That through lifting up the voices of women, of black people, and especially black women, all would find more room for love in their hearts and lives: Love that is not complacent with injustice, love that strives to end oppression, racism, sexism. That through the work of prophetic love, of speaking and writing truths, even hard truths, we all might come to be better, to do better, to love better.
On this Sunday that we light the candle of love, on this last Sunday of Advent, while we have been exploring the idea of home in worship and sermon series, “Close to Home” and while on this Sunday while many are missing the loving and prophetic voice of bell hooks I would like to quote her on the idea of homeplace in her book “Yearning: Race, Gender, and Cultural Politics.”
The idea of home place is about Black people making homes for themselves. Homes for themselves where they could thrive and not just survive. Homes for themselves where they could be viewed as subjects not objects. Homes for themselves where they could seek sanctuary and refuge despite the racism, sexism, and hardship that the outside world would thrust upon them.
She writes, “the task of making a home place…. was about the construction of a safe place where black people could affirm one another and by doing so heal many of the wounds inflicted by racist domination. We could not learn to love or respect ourselves in the culture of white supremacy, on the outside; it was there on the inside, in that homeplace most often created and kept by black women, that we had the opportunity to grow and develop, to nurture our spirits.”
She goes on to write that by making the home a homeplace, a place of love, it also made the home a place of resistance. Resistance against a world that treats others as less than due to their race, gender, and class. Through the safe loving refuge, sanctuary, that homeplace provided, those who were loved and affirmed within its walls could work outside the walls for a world where all are loved and affirmed.
For, as bell hooks said elsewhere (paraphrase): Love is transformative and challenges us in both our civic and private lives. “Real love will change you.”
This idea of the home being a sanctuary for love and love spurring us to transform the world to end oppression are the same themes found in our Gospel reading this morning.
Our Gospel this morning picks up with two other women of color, Mary and Elizabeth, both pregnant, seeking and creating homeplace together.
Mary had received news from the angel Gabriel that she was favoured by God and if she would consent, she would conceive and give birth to a Son, Son of the Most High! Holy Son! God’s Son! The Messiah. In this same news, she was also told that her cousin Elizabeth, through infertility and old age, had also conceived a child.
The text then says that Mary hurried - she went with great haste - to the house of Elizabeth. Like she got up from the angel talking to her and she went!
Why did she go? Did she go because she was afraid of how Joseph would react? Did she go because she needed the assurance and affirmation of Elizabeth? Likewise, did she want to offer assurance and affirmation to Elizabeth? Elizabeth who knew the pain of infertility, Elizabeth who herself may have been feeling the anxiety of her unlikely predicament…
I think it would be fair to say that the two women both needed each other. They needed to create a homeplace for the two of them and the unborn children in their wombs.
And so Mary “set out and went with haste…where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
When Elizabeth knows that Mary has come to her, to create a safe and loving place for them and their children, she and her child are overcome with joy. Filled with the Spirit. Filled with love in this space and the first thing she does is she blesses Mary - she gives her a blessing - blessed are you among women…You are blessed, you are welcomed her in the house, come, seek sanctuary here, here in this home where we have each other, where we can bless one another, love one another.
And Mary, having found the blessing, sanctuary, safe space and love that her soul needed, she starts singing a song, a song of praise for God, a song of love, AND a song that envisions a world of love for all:
“His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”
Because Mary found a homeplace, a place of sanctuary, a place where she could be affirmed and loved, she then prays to God, envisioning a just world for all: for the lowly, the hungry, the poor. A world where the oppressor is brought down and the oppressed lifted up. A world where, as the prophet Micah says, “they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth…” for the Lord of Love and Peace has come.
Now, in our daily Advent devotional, one of the writers called Mary’s Song, the Magnificat, a protest song. And, it is a protest song because it is a song of love. And love, as bell hooks said, love changes our private and civic lifes. Love causes change and transformation because love means we can not be complacent with injustice. And that is what Mary sings about, what Mary prays to God about. Having found a place where she is loved and welcome as she is, pregnant, young, poor, unwed, a member of an oppressed people - she then envisions a world where all are loved and welcomed as they are. A protest against a world where that is not the case.
We’ve been using bell hooks word, homeplace. I would also offer up a word I’ve used several times, a more religious and familiar word to us: sanctuary.
I would define sanctuary not as 4 walls with an altar table and pews…I would define sanctuary as a place where love flourishes. For some, this is our homes. And still for others we know that homes are not a safe place. For some, it is the church, the literal sanctuary. And yet we know the sad truth that, again, for many church has not been a safe place. Sanctuary can be a place, a person, a state of mind.
Today I ask: where or who or how is your homeplace, your safe place, your sanctuary? Where is it where you feel entirely affirmed and loved, as you are. Where is it that love flourishes. Where is it that you become filled with the Holy Spirit - where you are led to bless others, where you are lead to envision a better world for all - to want all the world to know sanctuary - to know love - to know God’s love - and to flourish in that love?
“Close to Home: Seeking Sanctuary”
Preached Sunday, December 19, 2021
This past Wednesday, bell hooks, prolific and profound feminist and womanist writer died at the age of 69. bell hooks wrote more than 30 about race, gender, religion, and class in ways that were both prophetic and deeply loving. While I encountered her work while in graduate school, her writing was accessible and jargon free. If you have not read any of her work, I highly recommend her to you and ask that you seek out her writings.
Her death is truly a loss for the world. The good news is that her work lives on in such titles as:
All About Love
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love
Communion: The Female Search for Love
Salvation: Black People and Love
When Angels Speak of Love
Just a few of her titles but you may have noticed a theme, yes, love.
bell hook’s writing was filled with love. Love for women, love for black women. Love too for men, black men, all men. Even in books where she deals with subjects of rage like the book “Killing Rage: Ending Racism” love undergirds all her writing. Love for self, love for others. That through lifting up the voices of women, of black people, and especially black women, all would find more room for love in their hearts and lives: Love that is not complacent with injustice, love that strives to end oppression, racism, sexism. That through the work of prophetic love, of speaking and writing truths, even hard truths, we all might come to be better, to do better, to love better.
On this Sunday that we light the candle of love, on this last Sunday of Advent, while we have been exploring the idea of home in worship and sermon series, “Close to Home” and while on this Sunday while many are missing the loving and prophetic voice of bell hooks I would like to quote her on the idea of homeplace in her book “Yearning: Race, Gender, and Cultural Politics.”
The idea of home place is about Black people making homes for themselves. Homes for themselves where they could thrive and not just survive. Homes for themselves where they could be viewed as subjects not objects. Homes for themselves where they could seek sanctuary and refuge despite the racism, sexism, and hardship that the outside world would thrust upon them.
She writes, “the task of making a home place…. was about the construction of a safe place where black people could affirm one another and by doing so heal many of the wounds inflicted by racist domination. We could not learn to love or respect ourselves in the culture of white supremacy, on the outside; it was there on the inside, in that homeplace most often created and kept by black women, that we had the opportunity to grow and develop, to nurture our spirits.”
She goes on to write that by making the home a homeplace, a place of love, it also made the home a place of resistance. Resistance against a world that treats others as less than due to their race, gender, and class. Through the safe loving refuge, sanctuary, that homeplace provided, those who were loved and affirmed within its walls could work outside the walls for a world where all are loved and affirmed.
For, as bell hooks said elsewhere (paraphrase): Love is transformative and challenges us in both our civic and private lives. “Real love will change you.”
This idea of the home being a sanctuary for love and love spurring us to transform the world to end oppression are the same themes found in our Gospel reading this morning.
Our Gospel this morning picks up with two other women of color, Mary and Elizabeth, both pregnant, seeking and creating homeplace together.
Mary had received news from the angel Gabriel that she was favoured by God and if she would consent, she would conceive and give birth to a Son, Son of the Most High! Holy Son! God’s Son! The Messiah. In this same news, she was also told that her cousin Elizabeth, through infertility and old age, had also conceived a child.
The text then says that Mary hurried - she went with great haste - to the house of Elizabeth. Like she got up from the angel talking to her and she went!
Why did she go? Did she go because she was afraid of how Joseph would react? Did she go because she needed the assurance and affirmation of Elizabeth? Likewise, did she want to offer assurance and affirmation to Elizabeth? Elizabeth who knew the pain of infertility, Elizabeth who herself may have been feeling the anxiety of her unlikely predicament…
I think it would be fair to say that the two women both needed each other. They needed to create a homeplace for the two of them and the unborn children in their wombs.
And so Mary “set out and went with haste…where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
When Elizabeth knows that Mary has come to her, to create a safe and loving place for them and their children, she and her child are overcome with joy. Filled with the Spirit. Filled with love in this space and the first thing she does is she blesses Mary - she gives her a blessing - blessed are you among women…You are blessed, you are welcomed her in the house, come, seek sanctuary here, here in this home where we have each other, where we can bless one another, love one another.
And Mary, having found the blessing, sanctuary, safe space and love that her soul needed, she starts singing a song, a song of praise for God, a song of love, AND a song that envisions a world of love for all:
“His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”
Because Mary found a homeplace, a place of sanctuary, a place where she could be affirmed and loved, she then prays to God, envisioning a just world for all: for the lowly, the hungry, the poor. A world where the oppressor is brought down and the oppressed lifted up. A world where, as the prophet Micah says, “they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth…” for the Lord of Love and Peace has come.
Now, in our daily Advent devotional, one of the writers called Mary’s Song, the Magnificat, a protest song. And, it is a protest song because it is a song of love. And love, as bell hooks said, love changes our private and civic lifes. Love causes change and transformation because love means we can not be complacent with injustice. And that is what Mary sings about, what Mary prays to God about. Having found a place where she is loved and welcome as she is, pregnant, young, poor, unwed, a member of an oppressed people - she then envisions a world where all are loved and welcomed as they are. A protest against a world where that is not the case.
We’ve been using bell hooks word, homeplace. I would also offer up a word I’ve used several times, a more religious and familiar word to us: sanctuary.
I would define sanctuary not as 4 walls with an altar table and pews…I would define sanctuary as a place where love flourishes. For some, this is our homes. And still for others we know that homes are not a safe place. For some, it is the church, the literal sanctuary. And yet we know the sad truth that, again, for many church has not been a safe place. Sanctuary can be a place, a person, a state of mind.
Today I ask: where or who or how is your homeplace, your safe place, your sanctuary? Where is it where you feel entirely affirmed and loved, as you are. Where is it that love flourishes. Where is it that you become filled with the Holy Spirit - where you are led to bless others, where you are lead to envision a better world for all - to want all the world to know sanctuary - to know love - to know God’s love - and to flourish in that love?
Moreover, how can you be or help create sanctuary for others? Are you someone that others feel safe coming to? Do you create welcome, safe, and affirming spaces for those seeking sanctuary. Does your presence give permission for love to flourish? And not just for those in your family, your inner circles…also for those outcast and marginalized, those who experience sexism, racism, homophobia, bigotry… If someone comes to you, do they know that you will be affirming of who God created them to be, in all their beloved uniqueness? That is my prayer for each of you. Admittedly, we all could use some work to be better conduits of sanctuary for others. To educate ourselves, to test our assumptions and norms, to do the inner work, alongside God with prayer and discernment, to become better, sanctuaries for others.
That is my prayer for each of us this Christmas:
That we each may find sanctuary, that we find places and are with people who allow God’s love to flourish in our lives
And that we would each be sanctuary for others.
May it be so that we all could sing with Mary, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit rejoices in God my savior…”
Amen.
That is my prayer for each of us this Christmas:
That we each may find sanctuary, that we find places and are with people who allow God’s love to flourish in our lives
And that we would each be sanctuary for others.
May it be so that we all could sing with Mary, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit rejoices in God my savior…”
Amen.
Monday, December 13, 2021
"Close to Home: A Home for All" a sermon on Luke 3:7-18, Zephaniah 3:14-20
Luke 3:7-18
Zephaniah 3:14-20
“Close to Home: A Home for All”
Preached Sunday, December 12, 2021
I know a lot of people got all their Christmas shopping done early this year because of shipping delays and supply chain shortages - or perhaps some decided to buy mostly local or off the shelves at stores to try and avoid those issues. Some of you may have been done with Christmas shopping for weeks while others may not even have started. Anyone here done with their Christmas shopping?
I got a lot of my shopping done already but I still have a little to go. While I was looking over wish lists for family members this year, I got into a conversation that there are really two kinds of gifts that people ask for - those that are wanted and those that are needed.
Some people like giving gifts that might be a little more indulgent - something the recipient would appreciate but maybe not spend money on themselves. A treat if you will. For me these kind of things are Starbucks gift cards, chocolate, face masks, fancy hand lotions and candles - stuff I may not buy myself but, you know, things I’m thrilled to get as gifts. Of course, what the indulgent gifts are vary from person to person! Sports tickets, power tools, cars, vacations, video games - you know the person you shop for.
Still others prefer to give or receive more practical gifts. What does this person need? It can be anything from socks to home improvements, to cooking utensils. Maybe this is the kind of person who appreciates practical gifts or, for whatever reason, doesn't send money on themselves for the necessities or practical items - even when they'll make their everyday life better. I was recently talking with a friend who was sharing how excited she was to get a new good chef knife for Christmas - it was just gonna make her cooking every day that much better. And I have definitely gifted someone a toaster oven before.
So which kind of gift do you usually prefer to get? Indulgent people? Practical people? I'm an indulgent gift person. I mean, sure, I'll buy gifts of necessity for others but I love that stuff that I just wouldn't buy for myself - and this is also because, and I say this coming from an immense place of privilege, I recognize that, I am not sure there is any gift that I really need. Like really *need.* Recognizing that there are those who daily struggle for things they really need - money for the gas bill, or debt collectors, the high cost of prescriptions, food on the table, clothes for the kids… As Christians we are called to meet the needs of our neighbors in this season of gifting and beyond. Out of love of God and love of neighbor, knowing that what we do to the least of these we do to Jesus himself.
I want to acknowledge these very real and pressing needs first so they are not diminished as I pivot and talk about another kind of need: our spiritual needs. I said there is no gift I really need this holiday. Of course, I think, there are things I need that aren’t tangible things you can wrap under a Christmas tree - for example: a nanny, more hours in the day, a date with my husband... And still, those are superficial, surface level things even if you don't buy them in a shop.
It can be hard to let people know what you need. When someone asks what you need, it may be hard to admit you need something physical to meet your basic needs. It might be a little bit harder to admit you need help or to invest in relationships.
And still there is another layer: What do you need? What do you really need? What does your soul need? These aren't the kinds of things we put on wish lists - they might be hard to admit to ourselves, or to confide in a friend, let alone broadcast to the world. So in an effort to model transparency and vulnerability, I reflected on this question for myself: what does my soul need? And I’ll share a little with you today.
(deep breath)
Right now, I believe at a deep level my soul needs:
To know that I am enough and that I am loved because of who I am, who God created me to be.
To know that I am no more or less worthy of love based on my productivity, my to-do lists, my never-ending tasks.
I am not my failures, faults and struggles. I am also not my successes, wins, and gifts.
I am a child of God, inherently worthy of love and life, as I am.
God loves me. God equips and empowers me. God leads me to serve the Lord and to rest.
And I have to chuckle because you have probably heard this very message from me before. We preachers really do only have a couple of core sermons and, most of the time, we preach to ourselves.
This talk about needs, of spiritual needs, about what we really need, brings me to today's Gospel lesson where John the Baptist says “Merry Christmas ya filthy animal"- oh no wait - that's not it. What John does say is:
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance..."
Has anyone ever wondered why so many people went out to the desert to hear a wild man wearing animal pelts call them snakes and then dunk them in water?
In reading the text, we don't have personality or inflection taken into account. I think because of his words, we imagine him yelling them. I sometimes wonder if John said them with a laugh or a wry smile? Or gently, with love… John must have been a charismatic man for people to come from near and far to hear him, to be convinced they needed to repent, to be convinced they needed to be baptized - to turn their lives around based on his words and the experience they had in his company. Due to his preaching those who heard him began to treat each other differently, to live differently - and began to be prepared to follow Jesus.
I think it can be stated like this: John gave people a gift they needed, he gave them what their souls needed. He said the things that they really needed to hear.
He tells them that there is a way back to God, even if they've messed up, drifted, fallen short.
He tells them that God is waiting for them with open arms.
He tells them that there is One coming who will bring justice to all the injustices, who will set things right, that will liberate them.
He tells them that another way of life is possible - for those with two coats and those with none. For the tax collector, for the soldier, for every one. He even calls out some of the most powerful rulers of the day, telling them that there is still time to repent! Now, that does end up costing him his life but it was still something their souls needed to hear.
The point is, John had the unique spiritual gift of telling people what their souls needed to hear.
Most importantly, he told people that someone greater than he was coming. He pointed them toward the thing they needed above all else: Jesus.
"One who is more powerful than I is coming... So with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the Good News to the people."
Indeed - what better news is there than for someone to give you what you really need? And when what you really need is Jesus, a Savior, a Messiah, one who forgives, who teaches, who guides, who walks with, who saves, who is Lord, Ruler, Redeemer of ALL, who above all Loves - that is indeed GOOD news.
And when you are given exactly what you need - there is a deep joy in that. And so people flocked to John to find not only the waters of the Jordan River in baptism but also to find a deep, deep reservoir of joy in being shown exactly what their soul needs. As I said, I think John was a charismatic figure who himself was filled with joy - we read in scripture that he leaped for joy in his mother's womb out of knowing that the one was coming who he would spend his whole life pointing others to, that the one was coming who would be the Savior of the world. That joy, trust in his Savior, carried him through his life and ministry so that he could give others what they needed.
So in the spirit of John the Baptist, today I ask: as the church, what message are we giving people? Are we giving them what they need? Both their pressing physical needs and what their souls need to hear?
We often talk about church as a home - a church home, a faith home, a place where we find what our souls need: community, hope, peace, joy, love - and above all, Jesus who brings and gives these things.
Now, if we want others to find a church home here, to find a home in Jesus, we have to ask: Are we giving them what they need? What their soul needs. Are we giving them the heart-felt, deep soul knowledge that Jesus came to be Emmanuel, God-with-us, God-Incarnate, human and divine. That Jesus loves us and wants us to love others. And that there is absolutely nothing, nothing you can do, no power in heaven or earth that can separate you from the love of God.
Zephaniah 3:14-20
“Close to Home: A Home for All”
Preached Sunday, December 12, 2021
I know a lot of people got all their Christmas shopping done early this year because of shipping delays and supply chain shortages - or perhaps some decided to buy mostly local or off the shelves at stores to try and avoid those issues. Some of you may have been done with Christmas shopping for weeks while others may not even have started. Anyone here done with their Christmas shopping?
I got a lot of my shopping done already but I still have a little to go. While I was looking over wish lists for family members this year, I got into a conversation that there are really two kinds of gifts that people ask for - those that are wanted and those that are needed.
Some people like giving gifts that might be a little more indulgent - something the recipient would appreciate but maybe not spend money on themselves. A treat if you will. For me these kind of things are Starbucks gift cards, chocolate, face masks, fancy hand lotions and candles - stuff I may not buy myself but, you know, things I’m thrilled to get as gifts. Of course, what the indulgent gifts are vary from person to person! Sports tickets, power tools, cars, vacations, video games - you know the person you shop for.
Still others prefer to give or receive more practical gifts. What does this person need? It can be anything from socks to home improvements, to cooking utensils. Maybe this is the kind of person who appreciates practical gifts or, for whatever reason, doesn't send money on themselves for the necessities or practical items - even when they'll make their everyday life better. I was recently talking with a friend who was sharing how excited she was to get a new good chef knife for Christmas - it was just gonna make her cooking every day that much better. And I have definitely gifted someone a toaster oven before.
So which kind of gift do you usually prefer to get? Indulgent people? Practical people? I'm an indulgent gift person. I mean, sure, I'll buy gifts of necessity for others but I love that stuff that I just wouldn't buy for myself - and this is also because, and I say this coming from an immense place of privilege, I recognize that, I am not sure there is any gift that I really need. Like really *need.* Recognizing that there are those who daily struggle for things they really need - money for the gas bill, or debt collectors, the high cost of prescriptions, food on the table, clothes for the kids… As Christians we are called to meet the needs of our neighbors in this season of gifting and beyond. Out of love of God and love of neighbor, knowing that what we do to the least of these we do to Jesus himself.
I want to acknowledge these very real and pressing needs first so they are not diminished as I pivot and talk about another kind of need: our spiritual needs. I said there is no gift I really need this holiday. Of course, I think, there are things I need that aren’t tangible things you can wrap under a Christmas tree - for example: a nanny, more hours in the day, a date with my husband... And still, those are superficial, surface level things even if you don't buy them in a shop.
It can be hard to let people know what you need. When someone asks what you need, it may be hard to admit you need something physical to meet your basic needs. It might be a little bit harder to admit you need help or to invest in relationships.
And still there is another layer: What do you need? What do you really need? What does your soul need? These aren't the kinds of things we put on wish lists - they might be hard to admit to ourselves, or to confide in a friend, let alone broadcast to the world. So in an effort to model transparency and vulnerability, I reflected on this question for myself: what does my soul need? And I’ll share a little with you today.
(deep breath)
Right now, I believe at a deep level my soul needs:
To know that I am enough and that I am loved because of who I am, who God created me to be.
To know that I am no more or less worthy of love based on my productivity, my to-do lists, my never-ending tasks.
I am not my failures, faults and struggles. I am also not my successes, wins, and gifts.
I am a child of God, inherently worthy of love and life, as I am.
God loves me. God equips and empowers me. God leads me to serve the Lord and to rest.
And I have to chuckle because you have probably heard this very message from me before. We preachers really do only have a couple of core sermons and, most of the time, we preach to ourselves.
This talk about needs, of spiritual needs, about what we really need, brings me to today's Gospel lesson where John the Baptist says “Merry Christmas ya filthy animal"- oh no wait - that's not it. What John does say is:
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance..."
Has anyone ever wondered why so many people went out to the desert to hear a wild man wearing animal pelts call them snakes and then dunk them in water?
In reading the text, we don't have personality or inflection taken into account. I think because of his words, we imagine him yelling them. I sometimes wonder if John said them with a laugh or a wry smile? Or gently, with love… John must have been a charismatic man for people to come from near and far to hear him, to be convinced they needed to repent, to be convinced they needed to be baptized - to turn their lives around based on his words and the experience they had in his company. Due to his preaching those who heard him began to treat each other differently, to live differently - and began to be prepared to follow Jesus.
I think it can be stated like this: John gave people a gift they needed, he gave them what their souls needed. He said the things that they really needed to hear.
He tells them that there is a way back to God, even if they've messed up, drifted, fallen short.
He tells them that God is waiting for them with open arms.
He tells them that there is One coming who will bring justice to all the injustices, who will set things right, that will liberate them.
He tells them that another way of life is possible - for those with two coats and those with none. For the tax collector, for the soldier, for every one. He even calls out some of the most powerful rulers of the day, telling them that there is still time to repent! Now, that does end up costing him his life but it was still something their souls needed to hear.
The point is, John had the unique spiritual gift of telling people what their souls needed to hear.
Most importantly, he told people that someone greater than he was coming. He pointed them toward the thing they needed above all else: Jesus.
"One who is more powerful than I is coming... So with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the Good News to the people."
Indeed - what better news is there than for someone to give you what you really need? And when what you really need is Jesus, a Savior, a Messiah, one who forgives, who teaches, who guides, who walks with, who saves, who is Lord, Ruler, Redeemer of ALL, who above all Loves - that is indeed GOOD news.
And when you are given exactly what you need - there is a deep joy in that. And so people flocked to John to find not only the waters of the Jordan River in baptism but also to find a deep, deep reservoir of joy in being shown exactly what their soul needs. As I said, I think John was a charismatic figure who himself was filled with joy - we read in scripture that he leaped for joy in his mother's womb out of knowing that the one was coming who he would spend his whole life pointing others to, that the one was coming who would be the Savior of the world. That joy, trust in his Savior, carried him through his life and ministry so that he could give others what they needed.
So in the spirit of John the Baptist, today I ask: as the church, what message are we giving people? Are we giving them what they need? Both their pressing physical needs and what their souls need to hear?
We often talk about church as a home - a church home, a faith home, a place where we find what our souls need: community, hope, peace, joy, love - and above all, Jesus who brings and gives these things.
Now, if we want others to find a church home here, to find a home in Jesus, we have to ask: Are we giving them what they need? What their soul needs. Are we giving them the heart-felt, deep soul knowledge that Jesus came to be Emmanuel, God-with-us, God-Incarnate, human and divine. That Jesus loves us and wants us to love others. And that there is absolutely nothing, nothing you can do, no power in heaven or earth that can separate you from the love of God.
And that this God, who loves you unconditionally also came for the redemption of the world, and that includes you. He came, to paraphrase the prophet Zephaniah that was read in church today:
To rejoice over you with gladness
To renew you in love
To exult you with song
To remove disaster from you
To free the oppressed from the oppressors
To save the lame and gather the outcasts
To change shame to praise
And to bring you home - home in Jesus, a place where the needs of your soul are known and met with love.
And this gift - the knowledge of Jesus’s Love - is not just a gift that people need but in a world that tells us that unconditional love is scarce, in a world that tells us to satisfy our longings with material things, in a world where we think our worth is based on how much we do or what we do, in a world that always tells us that we’re not enough - to be given the gift of becoming aware of God’s love for you in THIS world? That is a gift that is not only needed, but can feel indulgent too.
Church, we need to give this gift to people. Sometimes I think the message of Christianity that we try to give to others can get watered down to pithy sayings, surface level platitudes that do not bring deep joy because they are not what people need to hear. For example: Everything happens for a reason, God helps those who help themselves, God won't give you more than you can handle, Thoughts & Prayers, Christianity is about following rules, how you vote, and where you are on Sunday morning - these aren’t things that people want or need. None of these things are the Good News that our souls need and they mostly aren’t even biblical!
So today, I want to leave you with two things to ponder as we get nearer to the miracle of Christmas:
1 - What does my soul really need? Like *really* need. Spend time in prayer and reflection. Tell God your needs. Yes, God knows them - tell God anyway. Turn them over to God. And, share with a friend who it’s safe to be vulnerable with.
And 2 - how can you give people what they really need this Christmas? If able, to meet the needs of those who are struggling to have their pressing needs met this season. And, how to share the gift that is God’s love with a world that so badly needs the joy that the Good News of Christmas brings: that there is hope, peace, joy, and love in this world - and we call him Jesus.
Amen.
To rejoice over you with gladness
To renew you in love
To exult you with song
To remove disaster from you
To free the oppressed from the oppressors
To save the lame and gather the outcasts
To change shame to praise
And to bring you home - home in Jesus, a place where the needs of your soul are known and met with love.
And this gift - the knowledge of Jesus’s Love - is not just a gift that people need but in a world that tells us that unconditional love is scarce, in a world that tells us to satisfy our longings with material things, in a world where we think our worth is based on how much we do or what we do, in a world that always tells us that we’re not enough - to be given the gift of becoming aware of God’s love for you in THIS world? That is a gift that is not only needed, but can feel indulgent too.
Church, we need to give this gift to people. Sometimes I think the message of Christianity that we try to give to others can get watered down to pithy sayings, surface level platitudes that do not bring deep joy because they are not what people need to hear. For example: Everything happens for a reason, God helps those who help themselves, God won't give you more than you can handle, Thoughts & Prayers, Christianity is about following rules, how you vote, and where you are on Sunday morning - these aren’t things that people want or need. None of these things are the Good News that our souls need and they mostly aren’t even biblical!
So today, I want to leave you with two things to ponder as we get nearer to the miracle of Christmas:
1 - What does my soul really need? Like *really* need. Spend time in prayer and reflection. Tell God your needs. Yes, God knows them - tell God anyway. Turn them over to God. And, share with a friend who it’s safe to be vulnerable with.
And 2 - how can you give people what they really need this Christmas? If able, to meet the needs of those who are struggling to have their pressing needs met this season. And, how to share the gift that is God’s love with a world that so badly needs the joy that the Good News of Christmas brings: that there is hope, peace, joy, and love in this world - and we call him Jesus.
Amen.
Monday, December 6, 2021
"Close to Home: Laying the Foundation" Sermon on Luke 1:68-79 & Luke 3:1-6
Luke 1:68-79
Luke 3:1-6
“Close to Home: Laying the Foundation”
Preached Sunday, December 5, 2021
Each of the four Gospels start a little differently based on what the author felt was important; who they were trying to convey Jesus was and so forth.
Matthew starts with the genealogy of Jesus, which can actually give some really awesome insights - but that’s another sermon.
From there, as far as the Christmas story is concerned, we have a quick birth narrative, the visitation of the Magi and fleeing to Egypt
Now in Mark there is no birth narrative at all. Mark creates a feeling of urgency, a sense of getting right down to business, jumping in right at the start of Jesus’s public ministry.
Allow me to go out of order and skip to the Gospel of John. Of the four gospels, John is the most theological and doesn't have a birth narrative although he does include the beautiful line: And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John’s aim is to frame WHO Jesus is in relation to his divinity more than a story of how he came to be which leaves us with the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 3:1-6
“Close to Home: Laying the Foundation”
Preached Sunday, December 5, 2021
Each of the four Gospels start a little differently based on what the author felt was important; who they were trying to convey Jesus was and so forth.
Matthew starts with the genealogy of Jesus, which can actually give some really awesome insights - but that’s another sermon.
From there, as far as the Christmas story is concerned, we have a quick birth narrative, the visitation of the Magi and fleeing to Egypt
Now in Mark there is no birth narrative at all. Mark creates a feeling of urgency, a sense of getting right down to business, jumping in right at the start of Jesus’s public ministry.
Allow me to go out of order and skip to the Gospel of John. Of the four gospels, John is the most theological and doesn't have a birth narrative although he does include the beautiful line: And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John’s aim is to frame WHO Jesus is in relation to his divinity more than a story of how he came to be which leaves us with the Gospel of Luke.
Luke has most of what we've come to know as the Christmas story. But the interesting part (one of many interesting parts - the Gospel of Luke is my favorite) is that Luke doesn't start with the conception or birth of Jesus. He starts with the conception of John the Baptist, Jesus's cousin.
I ask your indulgence of me to summarize the story for you - for those who know it well, for those it’s a little fuzzy on the details, and for those who are not familiar with the story.
John's Father, Zechariah, was a priest and his wife, Elizabeth was a descendent of priestly lineage. Zechariah was praying in the temple alone, actually not just praying, but lighting incense in the holiest part of the temple with crowds and people waiting for him outside...and it is then when an angel of the Lord appeared to him, frightening him. The angel replied "Do not be afraid" And he told Zechariah that his and his wife's prayers would be answered and they would bear a son.
The Angel of the Lord said:
“Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. ...even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.”
Zechariah, however, questioned the angel - How can this be? The angel who now shares his name - Gabriel - may sound familiar, replies:
“I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”
And so Zechariah is rendered mute, unable to speak. The text says Elizabeth became pregnant after this vision - so for 9 long months Zechariah could not speak.
And then, John was born and still, he could not speak. On the 8th day the baby would be circumcised and named as was customary. And all gathered and asked what his name would be. They assumed Elizabeth would name him Zechariah - the naming right was the Father's, after all, and naming a firstborn son after the father was traditional, expected. Zechariah asks for a tablet so he could write out his response and he writes “His name is John.” - fulfilling what the angel Gabriel told him and with that his tongue was loosened and he regained the ability to speak.
And when he speaks, after many months of silence, the first words to escape his mouth are the words of prophecy that our liturgist read for us today. In Scripture they are often called Zechariah’s song. His words are a blessing, a promise of a savior, a trust in what the angel of the Lord had told him, and further trust in all that God would do through his son, John. As far as blessings, it was a powerful one.
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
...to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Yes, this is the story that Luke starts his Gospel with, the story of John who would come to be known as John the Baptist. The one who is to lay the foundation for Jesus, for the Savior, the Messiah to come.
In our Advent worship & sermon series we are talking about the theme of “Close to Home.” Every Sunday we’re talking about ideas of home - and how we live into the tension of this Advent season of the already but not yet. Christ has come in the form of a babe, God-Incarnate, God-with-us...but Christ has not yet returned to establish her reign, a new heaven and a new earth. Close to home...but not quite home yet.
And today we are talking about the foundation of our homes, our spiritual, faith, and even, church, home that is. Elsewhere in the Scripture, Jesus shares a parable about building a house. Jesus says that those who hear his words and act on them is like a person who, when building a house, digs deep and builds on rock. The house is studying and stands up through a flood. But the one who hears and does not act is as one who builds their house without a foundation - that’s Luke’s wording, Matthew says on sand - and when the flood comes the house is swept away.
So today I’d like us to consider: is our faith built on a solid foundation? On hearing and acting on Jesus’s words? Is it built on one that will withstands the storms and floods of life? Is the foundation of the church? And I’m not saying, you know, our physical building. But the institution as we’ve come to know it.
With these questions in mind let us turn back to the Gospel story at hand:
Zechariah with his blessing and prophecy, lays the foundation of the solid trust in God's promises to make way for John. He trusts in God and from his birth on, lays the foundation for John to be who God has called him to be.
And then, John, through his ministry, paves the way for people to come to Jesus. That was his divine calling. All he did prepared people for the coming of the Messiah. He preached, he teached, he baptized. He lived a radically different life that caught people’s attention and made them want to know more. All he does points toward Jesus.
In the second Gospel lesson we read today we heard John doing just this - preparing people for Jesus. And even calling out, giving a command for others to do the same:
'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;”
I ask your indulgence of me to summarize the story for you - for those who know it well, for those it’s a little fuzzy on the details, and for those who are not familiar with the story.
John's Father, Zechariah, was a priest and his wife, Elizabeth was a descendent of priestly lineage. Zechariah was praying in the temple alone, actually not just praying, but lighting incense in the holiest part of the temple with crowds and people waiting for him outside...and it is then when an angel of the Lord appeared to him, frightening him. The angel replied "Do not be afraid" And he told Zechariah that his and his wife's prayers would be answered and they would bear a son.
The Angel of the Lord said:
“Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. ...even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.”
Zechariah, however, questioned the angel - How can this be? The angel who now shares his name - Gabriel - may sound familiar, replies:
“I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”
And so Zechariah is rendered mute, unable to speak. The text says Elizabeth became pregnant after this vision - so for 9 long months Zechariah could not speak.
And then, John was born and still, he could not speak. On the 8th day the baby would be circumcised and named as was customary. And all gathered and asked what his name would be. They assumed Elizabeth would name him Zechariah - the naming right was the Father's, after all, and naming a firstborn son after the father was traditional, expected. Zechariah asks for a tablet so he could write out his response and he writes “His name is John.” - fulfilling what the angel Gabriel told him and with that his tongue was loosened and he regained the ability to speak.
And when he speaks, after many months of silence, the first words to escape his mouth are the words of prophecy that our liturgist read for us today. In Scripture they are often called Zechariah’s song. His words are a blessing, a promise of a savior, a trust in what the angel of the Lord had told him, and further trust in all that God would do through his son, John. As far as blessings, it was a powerful one.
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
...to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Yes, this is the story that Luke starts his Gospel with, the story of John who would come to be known as John the Baptist. The one who is to lay the foundation for Jesus, for the Savior, the Messiah to come.
In our Advent worship & sermon series we are talking about the theme of “Close to Home.” Every Sunday we’re talking about ideas of home - and how we live into the tension of this Advent season of the already but not yet. Christ has come in the form of a babe, God-Incarnate, God-with-us...but Christ has not yet returned to establish her reign, a new heaven and a new earth. Close to home...but not quite home yet.
And today we are talking about the foundation of our homes, our spiritual, faith, and even, church, home that is. Elsewhere in the Scripture, Jesus shares a parable about building a house. Jesus says that those who hear his words and act on them is like a person who, when building a house, digs deep and builds on rock. The house is studying and stands up through a flood. But the one who hears and does not act is as one who builds their house without a foundation - that’s Luke’s wording, Matthew says on sand - and when the flood comes the house is swept away.
So today I’d like us to consider: is our faith built on a solid foundation? On hearing and acting on Jesus’s words? Is it built on one that will withstands the storms and floods of life? Is the foundation of the church? And I’m not saying, you know, our physical building. But the institution as we’ve come to know it.
With these questions in mind let us turn back to the Gospel story at hand:
Zechariah with his blessing and prophecy, lays the foundation of the solid trust in God's promises to make way for John. He trusts in God and from his birth on, lays the foundation for John to be who God has called him to be.
And then, John, through his ministry, paves the way for people to come to Jesus. That was his divine calling. All he did prepared people for the coming of the Messiah. He preached, he teached, he baptized. He lived a radically different life that caught people’s attention and made them want to know more. All he does points toward Jesus.
In the second Gospel lesson we read today we heard John doing just this - preparing people for Jesus. And even calling out, giving a command for others to do the same:
'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;”
Make way for the Messiah in your lives and the world. Lay a solid foundation.
Now, of course John the Baptist cried out those words in the wilderness, making way for the one who will bring true peace, about 2,000 years ago. It is our job today too, to continue laying the foundation. A foundation that fills valleys. Lowers mountains and hills. Make the crooked paths straight. And the rough ways made smooth. A foundation that gets rid of all the stumbling blocks that keep people from God. There are too many to count but bigotry and any -ism, inequality, injustice, trauma, fear… And we can begin to see how hard the work of making a solid foundation for others, a path to Jesus may be. Filling valleys? Lowering mountains? These tasks are not easy.
And yet, we know, as Jesus tells us, faith the size of mustard seed can move mountains. And Jesus is, as a popular Christian song right now reminds us, the Way Maker.
Zechariah laid a foundation for John - with blessings, prophecy, supporting his son and God’s vision for him.
John laid a foundation for Jesus by everything he did pointing people to their need for a Savior.
Jesus laid a foundation for his disciples to lead a movement, to spread the Gospel, through empowering them with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
A foundation has been laid all the way down to us today. But this is not where it ends.
What foundation are we laying that will continue to point others to Jesus? Are we continuing the ministry of Zechariah - blessing the young and helping them pursue the Lord with all their lives? Are we following in the footsteps of John the Baptist - especially in calling out injustices so that the way to God may be made level?
As I was turning over my sermon in my head this week, I stopped in to talk to The Ladies of Grace Bible study. The Spirit must have been doing something among them and within me as preparation for this sermon for when I popped my head in I was asked: Pastor, how do we get young people to come to church? Now inviting young people to church is not the same thing as God's Kingdom. But it’s also not incompatible, if each disciple of Christ sows seeds of hope, peace, joy, and love in this world - well, inviting others to know Jesus is part of that and with each new believer there is hope that the world would be a better place, more like God’s Kingdom.
And I want to share with all of you today what I tried to share with the Ladies this week when asked this question:
First, it’s important to know that there is no one size fits all answer and no easy answer. If you google this exact question you will find hundreds if not thousands of articles and think pieces with people scratching their heads and offering a variety of advice, good and bad. The following are my thoughts, shared with fellow people my age and vetted for feedback:
The first thing to know is that most people come to church because of an invitation and an existing relationship with someone already "in" the church. There are a bunch of different numbers and statistics out there on church visitation and they vary. But one provided by Discipleship Ministries, a ministry of the United Methodist Church, is that 40% of church visitors said they went to a church for the first time because they knew someone there who invited them. That was the biggest reason a visitor came to a specific congregation. In this same study it shows that an invitation from a congregant was actually six times more effective than an invitation from a pastor. It’s not by a coincidence that our mission statement includes the verb “to invite” in it!
2 - as a follow up to the first thing you should know: If you don't know young people or unchurched people, regardless of age, think about your life and how you can interact with others. If we want people to come to church, we first have to meet them outside the church.
Which leads us to 3 - The days of "build it and they will come" are over. That went out the door in the 90’s - 3 decades ago - if not before. We have to go to people. Be where the people are. Through service, through community, in all sorts of ways. Again, we can’t expect people to walk through those doors unless we walk out of them and do the work of building relationships and meeting people where they are.
4. Be prepared, if young or unchurched people are different from you, or from our congregation, and they come to church, we must not only welcome them but welcome the change they bring. I am not necessarily talking about organ vs. electric guitar. I’m talking about the language people use, the causes people support, the way they dress, their priorities and what’s important to them. Every time someone new comes to a church, the culture of the church changes slightly.
5. At a larger level, our institutions need to invest heavily in young adult ministry. Especially on campuses and church camps.
And finally 6 - back to what is within our everyday power: We need to show the world that we, as followers of Jesus, are a people of Love. We are not the image the media and movies has of Christians: of bigots and hypocrites and shamers. And unfortunately, we know this is not just a prevalent image on TV. Many people want nothing to do with the church based on the Christians that they know. However, we can actively counteract that. We need to actively show people that we do not wish to be complicit or bystanders in the injustices often perpetuated by those claiming the name of Christ. No, we need to show that we are people who seek to live on the path of peace that John the Baptist showed and shared. Not just a peace that is the absence of violence, but an active peace that is the presence of justice. That is the presence of Love. We do this by being outspoken proponents every day for the things we talk about in church during the season of Advent: Of Hope, peace, joy, and love.
So you know, 6 easy, simple steps to get young people to come to church….Yeah, I know they’re not easy answers. As I was thinking over it all this week I was reminded how hard it is to fill valleys and lower mountains, to make way for God's Kingdom here on Earth, to make the path straight, easier, for people to come to know God. Again, God didn’t say it would be easy - God has just promised to be with us on the journey.
Today, let’s leave with this thought:
What is important to us in sharing the Gospel and laying a foundation for others to come to know Jesus and to make our world more like God’s Kingdom? Where would you start? How would you start? The most important thing is...to start: to sing praises and give blessings like Zechariah, to preach and teach and rail against injustice like John the Baptist, to empower others, to build new relationships, to extend invitations...As long as we build a strong foundation that is listening to Jesus and acting on his words:
For me, I am going to work to lay a foundation of all those things we talk about during Advent: hope, peace, joy, and love. I believe they will stand the test of time - so that many more will find their way to the one who we call Emmanuel, God-With-Us.
May it be so. Amen.
Now, of course John the Baptist cried out those words in the wilderness, making way for the one who will bring true peace, about 2,000 years ago. It is our job today too, to continue laying the foundation. A foundation that fills valleys. Lowers mountains and hills. Make the crooked paths straight. And the rough ways made smooth. A foundation that gets rid of all the stumbling blocks that keep people from God. There are too many to count but bigotry and any -ism, inequality, injustice, trauma, fear… And we can begin to see how hard the work of making a solid foundation for others, a path to Jesus may be. Filling valleys? Lowering mountains? These tasks are not easy.
And yet, we know, as Jesus tells us, faith the size of mustard seed can move mountains. And Jesus is, as a popular Christian song right now reminds us, the Way Maker.
Zechariah laid a foundation for John - with blessings, prophecy, supporting his son and God’s vision for him.
John laid a foundation for Jesus by everything he did pointing people to their need for a Savior.
Jesus laid a foundation for his disciples to lead a movement, to spread the Gospel, through empowering them with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
A foundation has been laid all the way down to us today. But this is not where it ends.
What foundation are we laying that will continue to point others to Jesus? Are we continuing the ministry of Zechariah - blessing the young and helping them pursue the Lord with all their lives? Are we following in the footsteps of John the Baptist - especially in calling out injustices so that the way to God may be made level?
As I was turning over my sermon in my head this week, I stopped in to talk to The Ladies of Grace Bible study. The Spirit must have been doing something among them and within me as preparation for this sermon for when I popped my head in I was asked: Pastor, how do we get young people to come to church? Now inviting young people to church is not the same thing as God's Kingdom. But it’s also not incompatible, if each disciple of Christ sows seeds of hope, peace, joy, and love in this world - well, inviting others to know Jesus is part of that and with each new believer there is hope that the world would be a better place, more like God’s Kingdom.
And I want to share with all of you today what I tried to share with the Ladies this week when asked this question:
First, it’s important to know that there is no one size fits all answer and no easy answer. If you google this exact question you will find hundreds if not thousands of articles and think pieces with people scratching their heads and offering a variety of advice, good and bad. The following are my thoughts, shared with fellow people my age and vetted for feedback:
The first thing to know is that most people come to church because of an invitation and an existing relationship with someone already "in" the church. There are a bunch of different numbers and statistics out there on church visitation and they vary. But one provided by Discipleship Ministries, a ministry of the United Methodist Church, is that 40% of church visitors said they went to a church for the first time because they knew someone there who invited them. That was the biggest reason a visitor came to a specific congregation. In this same study it shows that an invitation from a congregant was actually six times more effective than an invitation from a pastor. It’s not by a coincidence that our mission statement includes the verb “to invite” in it!
2 - as a follow up to the first thing you should know: If you don't know young people or unchurched people, regardless of age, think about your life and how you can interact with others. If we want people to come to church, we first have to meet them outside the church.
Which leads us to 3 - The days of "build it and they will come" are over. That went out the door in the 90’s - 3 decades ago - if not before. We have to go to people. Be where the people are. Through service, through community, in all sorts of ways. Again, we can’t expect people to walk through those doors unless we walk out of them and do the work of building relationships and meeting people where they are.
4. Be prepared, if young or unchurched people are different from you, or from our congregation, and they come to church, we must not only welcome them but welcome the change they bring. I am not necessarily talking about organ vs. electric guitar. I’m talking about the language people use, the causes people support, the way they dress, their priorities and what’s important to them. Every time someone new comes to a church, the culture of the church changes slightly.
5. At a larger level, our institutions need to invest heavily in young adult ministry. Especially on campuses and church camps.
And finally 6 - back to what is within our everyday power: We need to show the world that we, as followers of Jesus, are a people of Love. We are not the image the media and movies has of Christians: of bigots and hypocrites and shamers. And unfortunately, we know this is not just a prevalent image on TV. Many people want nothing to do with the church based on the Christians that they know. However, we can actively counteract that. We need to actively show people that we do not wish to be complicit or bystanders in the injustices often perpetuated by those claiming the name of Christ. No, we need to show that we are people who seek to live on the path of peace that John the Baptist showed and shared. Not just a peace that is the absence of violence, but an active peace that is the presence of justice. That is the presence of Love. We do this by being outspoken proponents every day for the things we talk about in church during the season of Advent: Of Hope, peace, joy, and love.
So you know, 6 easy, simple steps to get young people to come to church….Yeah, I know they’re not easy answers. As I was thinking over it all this week I was reminded how hard it is to fill valleys and lower mountains, to make way for God's Kingdom here on Earth, to make the path straight, easier, for people to come to know God. Again, God didn’t say it would be easy - God has just promised to be with us on the journey.
Today, let’s leave with this thought:
What is important to us in sharing the Gospel and laying a foundation for others to come to know Jesus and to make our world more like God’s Kingdom? Where would you start? How would you start? The most important thing is...to start: to sing praises and give blessings like Zechariah, to preach and teach and rail against injustice like John the Baptist, to empower others, to build new relationships, to extend invitations...As long as we build a strong foundation that is listening to Jesus and acting on his words:
For me, I am going to work to lay a foundation of all those things we talk about during Advent: hope, peace, joy, and love. I believe they will stand the test of time - so that many more will find their way to the one who we call Emmanuel, God-With-Us.
May it be so. Amen.
Monday, November 29, 2021
"Close to Home: Homesick" a sermon on Luke 21:25-36
Luke 21:25-36
“Close to Home: Homesick”
Preached Sunday, November 28, 2021
Have you ever been homesick?
As a child I went to camp every summer, would spend nights at friend's house’s and grandma’s. I did so with excitement and was fairly independent for a kid, always excited to go and have an adventure. So I never expected homesickness to hit me... until it did.
I experienced tremendous homesickness during my two study abroad experiences. In the summer before my senior year of high school I spent 6 weeks in Sapporo, Japan and then, in college, I spent a semester, 4 months, in Kyoto, Japan.
That homesickness I felt in high school almost kept me from going back again - I didn't want to feel that again. I hated the feeling of homesickness so much, that I truly debated giving up this once in a lifetime experience to not have to feel that again. But after much prayer and deliberation, I decided to go forward with it and went back to Japan again. Now, I do have to say, to this day I am so so glad I did. The experience was formative, insightful, and, in retrospect, a lot of fun. AND, it wasn't long before the homesickness settled back in - honestly, it probably settled in while I was still on the plane and I had a panic attack as we were flying over the Artic. Only this time it was worse - I was living alone instead of with a host family and that definitely exacerbated it. And on top of that I had been dating this amazing man for 8 months when I left and I thought he could be you know, The One and I didn't want to lose him - spoiler alert: that man was my now-husband Zach so that all worked out... but in general, the homesickness came and it stayed - for four months. Until my feet were back on American soil and I was in my own home with my loved ones.
While homesickness may be something of the heart and mind, it's also something of the body. Doctors say that homesickness can affect sleep, cause fatigue, make it harder to concentrate, create a lack of appetite, stomach problems, headaches...homesickness can even be a trigger for hormonal imbalances and depression. Homesickness is a sickness that affects the whole body, heart, soul, and mind.
The best way that I can explain homesickness is - if you know that home is where the heart is, then it's the constant knowledge that your heart is not where you are. And what that constant knowledge does to your body and mental state.
When I think about my brief stints w/ homesickness - cause really, what are a couple months in the span of a lifetime? But when I think about my own brief stints, my heart breaks for those who homesickness has become a part of their regular lives - immigrants and refugees, those who serve abroad - military or otherwise, and those who have homes they can never go back to - war, destruction, exile, or even a family who doesn't love and accept them as God made them to be.
Homesickness is an almost universal feeling- WebMD estimates that 50-70% of adults have experienced homesickness at some point in their lives. How many here have ever experienced homesickness? Show of hands?
Now let's put a pin in this idea of homesickness and we'll come back round to it.
Before that, first - today is the first Sunday of Advent and we're starting a new sermon and worship series called "Close to Home."
“When something hits close to home, it affects us deeply. During the Advent and Christmas season, we journey through scriptures and rituals that are tender, heavy with emotion, and vulnerable. We carry the memories and truths of this season close to our hearts. The Close to Home theme acknowledges the “already but not yet” tension of our faith: Emmanuel is with us, and yet, God’s promised day—our everlasting home—is not fully realized. It names our deep longing for God to come close to us.” ( A Sanctified Art)
And so as we explore this theme together, every Sunday we will be talking about the theme of Home - starting today, with homesickness.
So now I want to go back to this idea of homesickness and ask - are we, as a society, as Christians, even, as a congregation, are we collectively homesick? For another world? Another place? Something of the past or something not yet?
The holidays can stir feelings of homesickness. For homes we can never return to. For homes we wanted but never had. Homesick for those missing from our tables and gatherings - for a multitude of reasons: distance, death, this blasted pandemic - Are we homesick for a pre-pandemic world? Desperate for things to go back to the way they were - and even sometimes in denial of the signs that they aren't and might never go back the that pre-Covid world.
I know that I miss many of your faces - I can relate to Paul who in his letter to the Thessalonians writes, "night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face." To be clear, this is not a shaming moment for those who have not, “returned” to the sanctuary. My own family is not back to church yet. We don't feel Covid levels are safe for our unvaccinated daughter to be in a crowd this size yet. I know many families and individuals have similar concerns. I also love and celebrate our live streaming ministry and its, well, convenience! All I am saying is, and hear this in the earnestness in which it’s offered, I miss you. There is always room for you here - in this church home.
Maybe we're homesick for a time gone - nostalgic for another time that we look back on and remember it as easier, safer- whether it actually was or not.
And as Christians, we are actually meant to experience homesickness - to be homesick for our true home: God's Kingdom. For we are not meant to be citizens of this world, but citizens of God's Kingdom. We are always meant to have our hearts turned not to things of this world but toward Christ's Reign of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
In today's Gospel Lesson from Luke, Jesus is painting a picture of that day when he shall return to establish his reign in a New Heaven and a new Earth:
“"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
And then Jesus says to them - look at the Fig Trees.
And as a former camp counselor, I had a little “aha” moment
See, I have experience not just of being homesick, but as a camp counselor, walking campers through their homesickness. At Camp Asbury, we never wanted to send campers home due to homesickness if we could help it. Working through homesickness is much more rewarding and helps you learn so much about yourself than turning in the towel and going home - I have found this to be true both in a camp setting and in my own personal life.
Preached Sunday, November 28, 2021
Have you ever been homesick?
As a child I went to camp every summer, would spend nights at friend's house’s and grandma’s. I did so with excitement and was fairly independent for a kid, always excited to go and have an adventure. So I never expected homesickness to hit me... until it did.
I experienced tremendous homesickness during my two study abroad experiences. In the summer before my senior year of high school I spent 6 weeks in Sapporo, Japan and then, in college, I spent a semester, 4 months, in Kyoto, Japan.
That homesickness I felt in high school almost kept me from going back again - I didn't want to feel that again. I hated the feeling of homesickness so much, that I truly debated giving up this once in a lifetime experience to not have to feel that again. But after much prayer and deliberation, I decided to go forward with it and went back to Japan again. Now, I do have to say, to this day I am so so glad I did. The experience was formative, insightful, and, in retrospect, a lot of fun. AND, it wasn't long before the homesickness settled back in - honestly, it probably settled in while I was still on the plane and I had a panic attack as we were flying over the Artic. Only this time it was worse - I was living alone instead of with a host family and that definitely exacerbated it. And on top of that I had been dating this amazing man for 8 months when I left and I thought he could be you know, The One and I didn't want to lose him - spoiler alert: that man was my now-husband Zach so that all worked out... but in general, the homesickness came and it stayed - for four months. Until my feet were back on American soil and I was in my own home with my loved ones.
While homesickness may be something of the heart and mind, it's also something of the body. Doctors say that homesickness can affect sleep, cause fatigue, make it harder to concentrate, create a lack of appetite, stomach problems, headaches...homesickness can even be a trigger for hormonal imbalances and depression. Homesickness is a sickness that affects the whole body, heart, soul, and mind.
The best way that I can explain homesickness is - if you know that home is where the heart is, then it's the constant knowledge that your heart is not where you are. And what that constant knowledge does to your body and mental state.
When I think about my brief stints w/ homesickness - cause really, what are a couple months in the span of a lifetime? But when I think about my own brief stints, my heart breaks for those who homesickness has become a part of their regular lives - immigrants and refugees, those who serve abroad - military or otherwise, and those who have homes they can never go back to - war, destruction, exile, or even a family who doesn't love and accept them as God made them to be.
Homesickness is an almost universal feeling- WebMD estimates that 50-70% of adults have experienced homesickness at some point in their lives. How many here have ever experienced homesickness? Show of hands?
Now let's put a pin in this idea of homesickness and we'll come back round to it.
Before that, first - today is the first Sunday of Advent and we're starting a new sermon and worship series called "Close to Home."
“When something hits close to home, it affects us deeply. During the Advent and Christmas season, we journey through scriptures and rituals that are tender, heavy with emotion, and vulnerable. We carry the memories and truths of this season close to our hearts. The Close to Home theme acknowledges the “already but not yet” tension of our faith: Emmanuel is with us, and yet, God’s promised day—our everlasting home—is not fully realized. It names our deep longing for God to come close to us.” ( A Sanctified Art)
And so as we explore this theme together, every Sunday we will be talking about the theme of Home - starting today, with homesickness.
So now I want to go back to this idea of homesickness and ask - are we, as a society, as Christians, even, as a congregation, are we collectively homesick? For another world? Another place? Something of the past or something not yet?
The holidays can stir feelings of homesickness. For homes we can never return to. For homes we wanted but never had. Homesick for those missing from our tables and gatherings - for a multitude of reasons: distance, death, this blasted pandemic - Are we homesick for a pre-pandemic world? Desperate for things to go back to the way they were - and even sometimes in denial of the signs that they aren't and might never go back the that pre-Covid world.
I know that I miss many of your faces - I can relate to Paul who in his letter to the Thessalonians writes, "night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face." To be clear, this is not a shaming moment for those who have not, “returned” to the sanctuary. My own family is not back to church yet. We don't feel Covid levels are safe for our unvaccinated daughter to be in a crowd this size yet. I know many families and individuals have similar concerns. I also love and celebrate our live streaming ministry and its, well, convenience! All I am saying is, and hear this in the earnestness in which it’s offered, I miss you. There is always room for you here - in this church home.
Maybe we're homesick for a time gone - nostalgic for another time that we look back on and remember it as easier, safer- whether it actually was or not.
And as Christians, we are actually meant to experience homesickness - to be homesick for our true home: God's Kingdom. For we are not meant to be citizens of this world, but citizens of God's Kingdom. We are always meant to have our hearts turned not to things of this world but toward Christ's Reign of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
In today's Gospel Lesson from Luke, Jesus is painting a picture of that day when he shall return to establish his reign in a New Heaven and a new Earth:
“"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
And then Jesus says to them - look at the Fig Trees.
And as a former camp counselor, I had a little “aha” moment
See, I have experience not just of being homesick, but as a camp counselor, walking campers through their homesickness. At Camp Asbury, we never wanted to send campers home due to homesickness if we could help it. Working through homesickness is much more rewarding and helps you learn so much about yourself than turning in the towel and going home - I have found this to be true both in a camp setting and in my own personal life.
So when you have a camper with homesickness what do you do?
You give them hope. You give them something to look forward to. We didn't share the whole day or week schedule with all campers all the time because we wanted them to be present in the moment. But when there was a homesick camper, I would take them aside and give them space to cry, to share their feelings, to process away from the rest of the group and then I'd pull out the daily schedule and say, let's pick something coming up today or tomorrow that we can look forward to, that will keep us moving, that will fill us with anticipatory excitement - and see, look! We have art 3 more times this week and before you know it it's the closing picnic and you're going home. And almost every time, honestly, every time - I can’t think of a time when it didn’t work - at the end of the week, the camper was so glad they saw it through.
So Jesus says to his disciples - “Look to the Fig trees" - they sprout leaves and you know that the summer is near. So too, you will see signs of the Kingdom of God and you will know it is near.
How do we know God's Kingdom is near? We live in this Already But Not Yet time - that God has already come to earth to be with us, Emmanuel, in the form of Jesus. God has already defeated death...Already...but the not yet part is that God has not yet returned to establish his reign on Earth, to create a new Heaven and a new earth, to share the resurrection with us all.
Already but not yet - another way to say it would be close to home... and not quite home yet.
So we look for those signs that God’s Kingdom is near.
Christmas is a sign. That first Christmas and every year since. The prophet Jeremiah points to that first Christmas as a sign of hope when he says,
“The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."
And every Christmas since - wherever there is hope, peace, joy, love in this world whenever we see glimpses of God in this world - those are signs that God’s Kingdom is near.
Jesus tells us that “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." In this homesick world, Jesus invites us to make him our home. To turn to him and have hope - to look for the signs. Signs that God's Kingdom is near. And it is near! But we know it can feel far away in our homesick world.
And so, today, with the candle of hope burning, let's look forward to God’s Kingdom, let’s look for the signs, and turn our minds toward our everlasting home in Jesus.
Amen.
You give them hope. You give them something to look forward to. We didn't share the whole day or week schedule with all campers all the time because we wanted them to be present in the moment. But when there was a homesick camper, I would take them aside and give them space to cry, to share their feelings, to process away from the rest of the group and then I'd pull out the daily schedule and say, let's pick something coming up today or tomorrow that we can look forward to, that will keep us moving, that will fill us with anticipatory excitement - and see, look! We have art 3 more times this week and before you know it it's the closing picnic and you're going home. And almost every time, honestly, every time - I can’t think of a time when it didn’t work - at the end of the week, the camper was so glad they saw it through.
So Jesus says to his disciples - “Look to the Fig trees" - they sprout leaves and you know that the summer is near. So too, you will see signs of the Kingdom of God and you will know it is near.
How do we know God's Kingdom is near? We live in this Already But Not Yet time - that God has already come to earth to be with us, Emmanuel, in the form of Jesus. God has already defeated death...Already...but the not yet part is that God has not yet returned to establish his reign on Earth, to create a new Heaven and a new earth, to share the resurrection with us all.
Already but not yet - another way to say it would be close to home... and not quite home yet.
So we look for those signs that God’s Kingdom is near.
Christmas is a sign. That first Christmas and every year since. The prophet Jeremiah points to that first Christmas as a sign of hope when he says,
“The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."
And every Christmas since - wherever there is hope, peace, joy, love in this world whenever we see glimpses of God in this world - those are signs that God’s Kingdom is near.
Jesus tells us that “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." In this homesick world, Jesus invites us to make him our home. To turn to him and have hope - to look for the signs. Signs that God's Kingdom is near. And it is near! But we know it can feel far away in our homesick world.
And so, today, with the candle of hope burning, let's look forward to God’s Kingdom, let’s look for the signs, and turn our minds toward our everlasting home in Jesus.
Amen.
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
"What Day Is It?" A sermon on Mark 12:1-8
Mark 13:1-8
“What Day Is It?”
Preached Sunday, November 14, 2021
The end of Daylight Savings Time has caused some minor chaos and an above average consumption of caffeine in the LeBrun household over the last week. As our child has been working through a nap transition AND a time change, well, we’ve seen 4AM multiple days over this past week. Is it really an hour more sunlight in the morning when you’ve been up for several hours before the sun rises?
“What Day Is It?”
Preached Sunday, November 14, 2021
The end of Daylight Savings Time has caused some minor chaos and an above average consumption of caffeine in the LeBrun household over the last week. As our child has been working through a nap transition AND a time change, well, we’ve seen 4AM multiple days over this past week. Is it really an hour more sunlight in the morning when you’ve been up for several hours before the sun rises?
A time change with a lack of sleep has been leading us to ask, over and over again, “What time is it???” And, if I’m being honest, on several occasions even, “What DAY is it!?”
Did anyone else seem to lose track of all sense of time this past week?
This sense of confusion as to time was compounded by a devotional I led at Admin Council on...what day was it??? Just kidding, it was totally Tuesday. For those who have not served on the Administrative Council while I’ve been pastor here, I start every meeting with a short spiritual devotional. I decided to do something themed for Christ the King Sunday as it was or, well, IS the next high holy day on the church calendar. So on Tuesday night we listened to the words to the Charles Wesley hymn, “Rejoice, The Lord is King” in the style of lectio divina, that is, listening closely to how God could be speaking to you through the word. You read it once to take in the meaning. Twice for a word or phrase that jumps out at you, snags your attention, calls to you. And a third time to focus on that word or phrase to see what God could be saying to you through it. This is a great tool or technique for reading Scripture prayerfully. So we did that with the hymn, “Rejoice, The Lord is King.” If you didn’t know the hymn before, we sang it as our opening hymn this morning.
As we were going around the table at Admin Council and sharing, several people shared how the words brought them great comfort in these anxious times that we live in, especially the word’s in the first line of the third stanza: "His Kingdom cannot fail.” That these words brought comfort in the midst of all that is happening in the world - that no matter what goes on in our world, what upset, what tragedy, what confusion or terror - GOD’S Kingdom cannot fail. And in that moment, as I listened to my parishioners, you, talk, my sermon just clicked in my head and I got so excited! Yes! Those words from the hymn paired so well with this week's difficult Gospel Lesson. I knew what I was going to preach! Yes, I was going to take this Gospel Lesson, known as Mark’s Little Apocalypse and pair it with this line from the hymn and the theme of Christ being King.
What clicked for me was this simple but also deeply true, powerful and comforting thought: That while all things in this earth may fail, fall down, crumble, institutions and empires - God's Kingdom CAN NOT FAIL. Cannot fail!
That while there may be wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and truly a million little apocalypses where it feels like our worlds are ending, God's Kingdom CANNOT FAIL! So where should we place our trust, our hope?
In a Kingdom where Jesus is King! In a Kingdom where Jesus reigns! In a Kingdom where Jesus reigns, as the hymn says, with truth and love! And oh the sweet sweet promise that Jesus gives us - that he came to usher in this Kingdom, that his Kingdom is near - this gives us reason to rejoice! Not to succumb to the anxiety, fears, and turmoils of this world and this worldly kingdom - but to rejoice in glorious hope that God’s Kingdom is near!
Now - let’s put a pin in this. We’ll come back to it. But first - back to that moment of realization of what I should preach in the Administrative Council meeting. My excitement didn’t last long when I realized I had made a mistake about what day it was - or what day this Sunday, today, would be. My issue was the pairing of this hymn with this Scripture worked so nicely in my head because I thought this Sunday, today, was Christ the King Sunday. Christ the King Sunday, also known as The Reign of Christ Sunday, is the last Sunday in the liturgical year, the Christian calendar, and it is meant to be a holy day reminding us that Christ is indeed in charge.
And here’s the thing - today is NOT Christ the King Sunday -that's NEXT Sunday and the hymn was recommended for NEXT week where the Scripture is Pilate asking Jesus if he is a King. Okay, deep sigh and I went back to the sermon drawing board to try and find another way the Spirit would speak to me through the text, another sermon idea to flesh out and preach... and, STILL, I couldn't shake these two thought:
One - first thought: Is Christ not King every Sunday - every DAY?
And two - second thought - well, the worship team and I decided to leave the white paraments up...Since technically last Sunday was white and this Sunday green and next Sunday white but that was a lot of work so we were just gonna leave the white up for three Sundays...
So yes, I decided that, this Sunday, today, regardless whether this day is a specific liturgical day or not, I will proclaim that Christ is King. Christ is king in the sanctuary and in worship. Christ is King when buildings and institutions and kingdoms come crashing down. Christ is King in natural disasters and war, in rumors of war, in times of unease and distress. Christ is King in world ending or world altering events, Christ is King, yesterday, today, and tomorrow too. Christ IS King.
And, in essence, that is what Jesus is conveying to his disciples in Mark’s Gospel Lesson today.
We often interpret this passage to be about THE end, THE apocalypse, but the language here is not necessarily THE END but "a" end.
In Greek, Eschaton would be THE end where Christ returns in final victory and establishes a new heaven and a New Earth. And here in this passage we have Jesus using a different word. Jesus uses the word telos for end, *A* end, the end to the way things currently are.
How often do "the way things are'' change or “the world as we know it” end in our lives? I’d say more often and more rapidly than we’d prefer or like to think. War, a natural disaster, buildings and lives crumbling - when these things happen, the world as we know it ends. It changes. And we can never go back to how it was before.
In my lifetime I can think of multiple examples of this, in just my short 30 years.
9/11 - never going back to the way things were before.
The subsequent wars and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan - never going back to the way things were before.
Covid - March 2020. Never going back to the way things were before.
In some your lifetimes,
JFK being assassinated - never going back to way things were before
The moon landing - never going back to way things were before
The civil rights area and the assisination of MLK - never going back to way things were before
The Vietnam War - never going back to the way things were before
The Cold War - never going back to the way things were before
Even those things that pushed us forward like the moon landing and the civil rights era - once those things happened, the world was irrevocably changed. Like the Temple that Jesus was saying would fall down and crumble. While the temple was standing in Jesus’s lifetime, when the Gospel of Mark was written, that temple was no longer standing. And for the Jewish people whose lives were centered around that temple - that was a world ending, world changing event. They could never go back to how it was before.
Jesus references these world changing events as birth pangs - and, well, literal birth pangs are another thing that, once they start, your world will never be the same.
Every ending of the world as we know it is a chance for something more - more peaceful, more just, more loving, more like God's Kingdom. Now, do we always get that right? No, sometimes we do exactly what Jesus warns his disciples against - we are led astray. We are led astray by people telling us that we have to pick sides, we have to fight, we get caught up in the war, we go to war - trying to trust the nations and kingdoms and ways of this world that fight and rise up against each other... and eventually ALL will fail and fall. We do this instead of focusing on the Kingdom that will be there after every ending, the Kingdom that Jesus showed us, the Kingdom that Jesus invites us to build - God's Kingdom of truth and love, a Kingdom where Jesus reigns from his eternal throne, a Kingdom that cannot fail.
And so today, whatever day it is, and every day, let us put our trust in Christ, a king whose Kingdom cannot fail - rejoice in that glorious hope.
Amen.
Did anyone else seem to lose track of all sense of time this past week?
This sense of confusion as to time was compounded by a devotional I led at Admin Council on...what day was it??? Just kidding, it was totally Tuesday. For those who have not served on the Administrative Council while I’ve been pastor here, I start every meeting with a short spiritual devotional. I decided to do something themed for Christ the King Sunday as it was or, well, IS the next high holy day on the church calendar. So on Tuesday night we listened to the words to the Charles Wesley hymn, “Rejoice, The Lord is King” in the style of lectio divina, that is, listening closely to how God could be speaking to you through the word. You read it once to take in the meaning. Twice for a word or phrase that jumps out at you, snags your attention, calls to you. And a third time to focus on that word or phrase to see what God could be saying to you through it. This is a great tool or technique for reading Scripture prayerfully. So we did that with the hymn, “Rejoice, The Lord is King.” If you didn’t know the hymn before, we sang it as our opening hymn this morning.
As we were going around the table at Admin Council and sharing, several people shared how the words brought them great comfort in these anxious times that we live in, especially the word’s in the first line of the third stanza: "His Kingdom cannot fail.” That these words brought comfort in the midst of all that is happening in the world - that no matter what goes on in our world, what upset, what tragedy, what confusion or terror - GOD’S Kingdom cannot fail. And in that moment, as I listened to my parishioners, you, talk, my sermon just clicked in my head and I got so excited! Yes! Those words from the hymn paired so well with this week's difficult Gospel Lesson. I knew what I was going to preach! Yes, I was going to take this Gospel Lesson, known as Mark’s Little Apocalypse and pair it with this line from the hymn and the theme of Christ being King.
What clicked for me was this simple but also deeply true, powerful and comforting thought: That while all things in this earth may fail, fall down, crumble, institutions and empires - God's Kingdom CAN NOT FAIL. Cannot fail!
That while there may be wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and truly a million little apocalypses where it feels like our worlds are ending, God's Kingdom CANNOT FAIL! So where should we place our trust, our hope?
In a Kingdom where Jesus is King! In a Kingdom where Jesus reigns! In a Kingdom where Jesus reigns, as the hymn says, with truth and love! And oh the sweet sweet promise that Jesus gives us - that he came to usher in this Kingdom, that his Kingdom is near - this gives us reason to rejoice! Not to succumb to the anxiety, fears, and turmoils of this world and this worldly kingdom - but to rejoice in glorious hope that God’s Kingdom is near!
Now - let’s put a pin in this. We’ll come back to it. But first - back to that moment of realization of what I should preach in the Administrative Council meeting. My excitement didn’t last long when I realized I had made a mistake about what day it was - or what day this Sunday, today, would be. My issue was the pairing of this hymn with this Scripture worked so nicely in my head because I thought this Sunday, today, was Christ the King Sunday. Christ the King Sunday, also known as The Reign of Christ Sunday, is the last Sunday in the liturgical year, the Christian calendar, and it is meant to be a holy day reminding us that Christ is indeed in charge.
And here’s the thing - today is NOT Christ the King Sunday -that's NEXT Sunday and the hymn was recommended for NEXT week where the Scripture is Pilate asking Jesus if he is a King. Okay, deep sigh and I went back to the sermon drawing board to try and find another way the Spirit would speak to me through the text, another sermon idea to flesh out and preach... and, STILL, I couldn't shake these two thought:
One - first thought: Is Christ not King every Sunday - every DAY?
And two - second thought - well, the worship team and I decided to leave the white paraments up...Since technically last Sunday was white and this Sunday green and next Sunday white but that was a lot of work so we were just gonna leave the white up for three Sundays...
So yes, I decided that, this Sunday, today, regardless whether this day is a specific liturgical day or not, I will proclaim that Christ is King. Christ is king in the sanctuary and in worship. Christ is King when buildings and institutions and kingdoms come crashing down. Christ is King in natural disasters and war, in rumors of war, in times of unease and distress. Christ is King in world ending or world altering events, Christ is King, yesterday, today, and tomorrow too. Christ IS King.
And, in essence, that is what Jesus is conveying to his disciples in Mark’s Gospel Lesson today.
We often interpret this passage to be about THE end, THE apocalypse, but the language here is not necessarily THE END but "a" end.
In Greek, Eschaton would be THE end where Christ returns in final victory and establishes a new heaven and a New Earth. And here in this passage we have Jesus using a different word. Jesus uses the word telos for end, *A* end, the end to the way things currently are.
How often do "the way things are'' change or “the world as we know it” end in our lives? I’d say more often and more rapidly than we’d prefer or like to think. War, a natural disaster, buildings and lives crumbling - when these things happen, the world as we know it ends. It changes. And we can never go back to how it was before.
In my lifetime I can think of multiple examples of this, in just my short 30 years.
9/11 - never going back to the way things were before.
The subsequent wars and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan - never going back to the way things were before.
Covid - March 2020. Never going back to the way things were before.
In some your lifetimes,
JFK being assassinated - never going back to way things were before
The moon landing - never going back to way things were before
The civil rights area and the assisination of MLK - never going back to way things were before
The Vietnam War - never going back to the way things were before
The Cold War - never going back to the way things were before
Even those things that pushed us forward like the moon landing and the civil rights era - once those things happened, the world was irrevocably changed. Like the Temple that Jesus was saying would fall down and crumble. While the temple was standing in Jesus’s lifetime, when the Gospel of Mark was written, that temple was no longer standing. And for the Jewish people whose lives were centered around that temple - that was a world ending, world changing event. They could never go back to how it was before.
Jesus references these world changing events as birth pangs - and, well, literal birth pangs are another thing that, once they start, your world will never be the same.
Every ending of the world as we know it is a chance for something more - more peaceful, more just, more loving, more like God's Kingdom. Now, do we always get that right? No, sometimes we do exactly what Jesus warns his disciples against - we are led astray. We are led astray by people telling us that we have to pick sides, we have to fight, we get caught up in the war, we go to war - trying to trust the nations and kingdoms and ways of this world that fight and rise up against each other... and eventually ALL will fail and fall. We do this instead of focusing on the Kingdom that will be there after every ending, the Kingdom that Jesus showed us, the Kingdom that Jesus invites us to build - God's Kingdom of truth and love, a Kingdom where Jesus reigns from his eternal throne, a Kingdom that cannot fail.
And so today, whatever day it is, and every day, let us put our trust in Christ, a king whose Kingdom cannot fail - rejoice in that glorious hope.
Amen.
An Order of Worship For Christ the King Sunday including A Festival of Scripture & Song for the End of The Christian Year
Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship (Psalm 93)
L: Let us join in praising God using the 93rd Psalm.
All: He is exalted, the King is exalted on high; I will praise him.
L: The Lord reigns and is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed and is girded with strength.
P: The Lord has established the world;
it shall never be moved.
L: Your throne has been established from of old;
you are from everlasting!
P: The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice,
the floods lift up their roaring.
L: Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
the Lord on high is mighty!
P: Your decrees are very sure;
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, for evermore.
L: This has been the Word of the Lord. Let us worship in Word and song.
All: He is the Lord, forever his truth shall reign, heaven and earth rejoice in his holy name. He is exalted, the King is exalted on high. Amen.
Opening Hymn: Christ the King
Crown Him with Many Crowns, vs. 1 & 3, UMH 327
Prayers of the People
L: Lord in your mercy,
P: Hear our prayers.
The Lord’s Prayer
Invitation to Generosity
The Doxology
Call to Worship (Psalm 93)
L: Let us join in praising God using the 93rd Psalm.
All: He is exalted, the King is exalted on high; I will praise him.
L: The Lord reigns and is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed and is girded with strength.
P: The Lord has established the world;
it shall never be moved.
L: Your throne has been established from of old;
you are from everlasting!
P: The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice,
the floods lift up their roaring.
L: Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
the Lord on high is mighty!
P: Your decrees are very sure;
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, for evermore.
L: This has been the Word of the Lord. Let us worship in Word and song.
All: He is the Lord, forever his truth shall reign, heaven and earth rejoice in his holy name. He is exalted, the King is exalted on high. Amen.
Opening Hymn: Christ the King
Crown Him with Many Crowns, vs. 1 & 3, UMH 327
Children’s Moment & Teaching of the Christian Year
A Festival of Scripture & Song for the End of The Christian Year
Introduction: Christ Is King
Revelation 1 tells us: “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Today is the last day of Christian year. Much like, in the secular year, it is a chance to pause and reflect, to take stock of what has been and what is to be. It is a chance to turn the past year over to Jesus and to ask him to guide us through the next. It is a chance to praise the one who is Alpha and Omega, who is and who was and who is to come.
It is a chance to remember that Christ reigns in every season of our lives. And a chance to remember the journey we walk alongside Christ in the Christian year. And that is what we will be doing today, through song and Scripture we will journey through the Christian year together, praising the one who is Alpha and Omega, King in every season.
We begin in the new year with Advent.
Advent: Isaiah 11:6-9 & “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” UMH 196
Christ is King in the season of Advent. Although our world is at its darkest, we look toward the one who is Light. We prepare ourselves not only for the festival of Christmas, but for the day when Christ shall come again and establish his Reign of Peace and Love here on Earth. In Advent we cry out with all of Creation to the One who is King: Come, Lord Jesus, Come!
Isaiah 11:6-9:
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Christmas: Isaiah 9:6-7 & “What Child Is This,” vs. 1-2, UMH 219
Christ is King in the season of Christmas. God took on flesh in the form of a helpless babe, born in Bethlehem. In the manner of his incarnation and birth, God showed us what kind of King he is: a King who knows us intimately, a humble and lowly King, a King who came to serve, to walk among us, to be Emmanuel, God with us. It is this child King, Love Incarnate, God who took on Flesh that we hear about through the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:6-7:
For a child has been born for us,
A Festival of Scripture & Song for the End of The Christian Year
Introduction: Christ Is King
Revelation 1 tells us: “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Today is the last day of Christian year. Much like, in the secular year, it is a chance to pause and reflect, to take stock of what has been and what is to be. It is a chance to turn the past year over to Jesus and to ask him to guide us through the next. It is a chance to praise the one who is Alpha and Omega, who is and who was and who is to come.
It is a chance to remember that Christ reigns in every season of our lives. And a chance to remember the journey we walk alongside Christ in the Christian year. And that is what we will be doing today, through song and Scripture we will journey through the Christian year together, praising the one who is Alpha and Omega, King in every season.
We begin in the new year with Advent.
Advent: Isaiah 11:6-9 & “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” UMH 196
Christ is King in the season of Advent. Although our world is at its darkest, we look toward the one who is Light. We prepare ourselves not only for the festival of Christmas, but for the day when Christ shall come again and establish his Reign of Peace and Love here on Earth. In Advent we cry out with all of Creation to the One who is King: Come, Lord Jesus, Come!
Isaiah 11:6-9:
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Christmas: Isaiah 9:6-7 & “What Child Is This,” vs. 1-2, UMH 219
Christ is King in the season of Christmas. God took on flesh in the form of a helpless babe, born in Bethlehem. In the manner of his incarnation and birth, God showed us what kind of King he is: a King who knows us intimately, a humble and lowly King, a King who came to serve, to walk among us, to be Emmanuel, God with us. It is this child King, Love Incarnate, God who took on Flesh that we hear about through the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:6-7:
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Epiphany & The Season Thereafter: Matthew 2:1-2 & “We Three King,” vs. 1 & 5, UMH 254
Christ is King in Epiphany and the season thereafter. On Epiphany we recount how the Magi followed the star the place Jesus was and laid gifts before him. Moreover, the story of Epiphany and the trials with Herod show us that Christ being King is not like the Kings of this world. His ways are not their ways. Kings of this world rule with fear, violence, and political manipulation. Christ rules with peace, truth, and love. On Epiphany and the season after, we are reminded through the life of Christ to follow not the kings of this world but, along with the magi, the one who is the true King.
Matthew 2:1-2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Lent: Luke 23:33-43 & “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” vs. 1, UMH 286
Christ is King in the season of Lent. After his baptism, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, undergoing temptations, and preparing himself his earthly ministry. In the season of Lent we too practice fasting and sacrifice, walking the journey of discipleship to the cross. It is in this season that we remember how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of Hosanna that would soon turn into shouts of “Crucify Him!” We remember how the only crown that Jesus wore on earth was a crown of thorn, a king mocked and derided, but a king nonetheless.
Luke 23:33-43
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Easter: John 20:11-18 & “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” vs. 1 & 3, UMH 302
Christ is King in the season of Easter. Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen, Indeed! Death could not hold him. Our glorious King has rose again, defeated the grave, triumphed of Hell and death. In his Resurrection, Christ promises us that he is but the first fruit. That day will come when he is seated on the throne of a New Heaven and a New Earth and we all shall share in the resurrection of the body. In the Kingdom of our Lord, death has no sway.
Please stand for the reading of the Gospel, an account of the resurrection of our Lord. John 20:11-18
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Pentecost & The Season Thereafter: Acts 2:1-4 & “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” vs. 1 & 7, UMH 57
(You may be seated)
Christ is King on the day of Pentecost and the season thereafter. At Pentecost we remember how, following Christ’s ascension to his heavenly throne, God gave us the gift of The Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, the One who is and who was and who is to come, to dwell and stay here among us. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit we are daily sanctified and moved ever toward ushering in that Kingdom where Christ will reign forever. Every time we move toward perfect love of God and neighbor, we move toward that day where every tongue will confess and every knee shall bow, worshipping Christ as King.
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Conclusion: Christ Is King
We have traveled through the Christian year together, bringing us back to this day, Christ the King Sunday. Christ is King in every season of the year, and every season of our lives. May we always trust in Jesus while praying for and working to bring forth the Reign of Christ. Let us pray together:
God of Eternity, we stand with the courage of those who insisted, even in perilous times,
that not even the most powerful rulers of this earth hold our eternal destiny in their hands.
We are secure in Christ, whose reign is just, whose power is endless, and whose love is unfathomable.
God of Eternity, we join the chorus of saints who continue to declare that Christ is our King.
Amen. (Discipleship Ministries)
Sharing of Joys and Concerns
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Epiphany & The Season Thereafter: Matthew 2:1-2 & “We Three King,” vs. 1 & 5, UMH 254
Christ is King in Epiphany and the season thereafter. On Epiphany we recount how the Magi followed the star the place Jesus was and laid gifts before him. Moreover, the story of Epiphany and the trials with Herod show us that Christ being King is not like the Kings of this world. His ways are not their ways. Kings of this world rule with fear, violence, and political manipulation. Christ rules with peace, truth, and love. On Epiphany and the season after, we are reminded through the life of Christ to follow not the kings of this world but, along with the magi, the one who is the true King.
Matthew 2:1-2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Lent: Luke 23:33-43 & “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” vs. 1, UMH 286
Christ is King in the season of Lent. After his baptism, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, undergoing temptations, and preparing himself his earthly ministry. In the season of Lent we too practice fasting and sacrifice, walking the journey of discipleship to the cross. It is in this season that we remember how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of Hosanna that would soon turn into shouts of “Crucify Him!” We remember how the only crown that Jesus wore on earth was a crown of thorn, a king mocked and derided, but a king nonetheless.
Luke 23:33-43
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Easter: John 20:11-18 & “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” vs. 1 & 3, UMH 302
Christ is King in the season of Easter. Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen, Indeed! Death could not hold him. Our glorious King has rose again, defeated the grave, triumphed of Hell and death. In his Resurrection, Christ promises us that he is but the first fruit. That day will come when he is seated on the throne of a New Heaven and a New Earth and we all shall share in the resurrection of the body. In the Kingdom of our Lord, death has no sway.
Please stand for the reading of the Gospel, an account of the resurrection of our Lord. John 20:11-18
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Pentecost & The Season Thereafter: Acts 2:1-4 & “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” vs. 1 & 7, UMH 57
(You may be seated)
Christ is King on the day of Pentecost and the season thereafter. At Pentecost we remember how, following Christ’s ascension to his heavenly throne, God gave us the gift of The Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, the One who is and who was and who is to come, to dwell and stay here among us. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit we are daily sanctified and moved ever toward ushering in that Kingdom where Christ will reign forever. Every time we move toward perfect love of God and neighbor, we move toward that day where every tongue will confess and every knee shall bow, worshipping Christ as King.
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
This ends the reading. Let us sing.
Conclusion: Christ Is King
We have traveled through the Christian year together, bringing us back to this day, Christ the King Sunday. Christ is King in every season of the year, and every season of our lives. May we always trust in Jesus while praying for and working to bring forth the Reign of Christ. Let us pray together:
God of Eternity, we stand with the courage of those who insisted, even in perilous times,
that not even the most powerful rulers of this earth hold our eternal destiny in their hands.
We are secure in Christ, whose reign is just, whose power is endless, and whose love is unfathomable.
God of Eternity, we join the chorus of saints who continue to declare that Christ is our King.
Amen. (Discipleship Ministries)
Sharing of Joys and Concerns
Prayers of the People
L: Lord in your mercy,
P: Hear our prayers.
The Lord’s Prayer
Invitation to Generosity
The Doxology
Closing Hymn
He is Exalted, x2, FWS 2070
Responsive Benediction
L: Grace United Methodist Church, what is our mission?
P: To invite all into a joyous and caring Christian community.
L: People of Grace, Christ is King. May we go out from this time of worship, at the close of our Christian year, in the hope and promise of the Kingdom that is to come. And in faith, to live into God’s Kingdom today. Now go in peace in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
He is Exalted, x2, FWS 2070
Responsive Benediction
L: Grace United Methodist Church, what is our mission?
P: To invite all into a joyous and caring Christian community.
L: People of Grace, Christ is King. May we go out from this time of worship, at the close of our Christian year, in the hope and promise of the Kingdom that is to come. And in faith, to live into God’s Kingdom today. Now go in peace in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
"Those We've Loved," sermon on John 11:32-44 & Revelation 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44
Revelation 21:1-6a
“Those We’ve Loved”
Preached November 7, 2021, All Saints Sunday
This morning we are presented with two of the most powerful images in Scripture...that being said, I am pretty sure I told you the same thing two weeks ago. And give it a week or two and I may tell you the same thing again. Of course that is because Scripture does, indeed, have power. It shapes our worldview, it gives us life, it feeds our souls, it challenges, it confronts, it comforts - it is powerful.
Today’s passages have power on their own. The vision of a new heaven and a new earth from Revelation. And the passage from which comes the shortest verse in all of Scripture, by no means lessening its impact: Jesus wept. (Read today as “Jesus began to weep.”)
Moreover though, when you read these passages side by side, they create a very meaningful juxtaposition, imbuing them with more power than they may have on their own.
Indeed we have two scenes, imagine them with me, open your heart to feel their emotions:
First from the Gospel of John. Mary, at the feet of Jesus, weeping and maybe even - mad at Jesus? Glad to see him but oh how her words sting! “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” What use are those words? Should she have said them? All she has is a lump of pain in her chest, a hole where she can physically feel her brother missing. And all those around her, weeping and crying and now Jesus - shedding tears! It just adds to the heightened emotion of this moment. Jesus too! Jesus, too, weeping.
Revelation 21:1-6a
“Those We’ve Loved”
Preached November 7, 2021, All Saints Sunday
This morning we are presented with two of the most powerful images in Scripture...that being said, I am pretty sure I told you the same thing two weeks ago. And give it a week or two and I may tell you the same thing again. Of course that is because Scripture does, indeed, have power. It shapes our worldview, it gives us life, it feeds our souls, it challenges, it confronts, it comforts - it is powerful.
Today’s passages have power on their own. The vision of a new heaven and a new earth from Revelation. And the passage from which comes the shortest verse in all of Scripture, by no means lessening its impact: Jesus wept. (Read today as “Jesus began to weep.”)
Moreover though, when you read these passages side by side, they create a very meaningful juxtaposition, imbuing them with more power than they may have on their own.
Indeed we have two scenes, imagine them with me, open your heart to feel their emotions:
First from the Gospel of John. Mary, at the feet of Jesus, weeping and maybe even - mad at Jesus? Glad to see him but oh how her words sting! “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” What use are those words? Should she have said them? All she has is a lump of pain in her chest, a hole where she can physically feel her brother missing. And all those around her, weeping and crying and now Jesus - shedding tears! It just adds to the heightened emotion of this moment. Jesus too! Jesus, too, weeping.
And then there are those mocking Jesus, challenging him - “can heal a blind man but can’t save his own friend.” Said while crying.
I am pretty sure you can find almost every stage of grief at this scene, denial and anger and depression, a whole truckload of heavy emotions intermixed with each other and the crowd.
And not to mention, not to mention Jesus’s bewildering words: “Take away the stone.”
And then the stench, oh the stench of four days dead.
Can you imagine this scene?
Can you feel this scene in your chest?
Overflowing with conflicted emotions, with tears, with loss.
Secondly, we have the scene from Revelation. A promise, a vision of a new heaven and a new earth. Of no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain. A beautiful, glimmering scene, a vision of beauty like a bride adorned for her husband. A voice, a voice like no other, a voice that is the Alpha and the Omega, finally completing all the promises that were ever made to us by God, a voice that says “See, I am making ALL things new.”
Now, what the juxtaposition of these passages does not do and should not do, is negate the pain, the grief, the tears of the Gospel passage. The vision from Revelation of no more grief does not negate the grief in John’s passage.
Nowhere in the Gospel story does Jesus negate the mourning of Mary or Martha or any of those present. He doesn't tell them, stop crying, it will be all right! He doesn’t tell them that Lazarus is not dead or that he won’t be dead soon. He doesn't tell them that all will be okay. He doesn’t offer any platitudes or excuses or superficial words of comfort.
Jesus himself is greatly disturbed and weeps alongside Mary and Martha and all those weeping. Jesus weeps. Jesus weeps...even though he surely knew what he was about to do. Jesus weeps...even though he knows this vision from Revelation, a vision which hasn't even been given to John yet and still- Jesus would have had God's - the Triune God’s endgame in mind...And yet, Jesus STILL WEEPS.
Jesus weeps because his friend has died and he is human.
Jesus weeps because he loved his friend and in that moment, his friend is gone.
Jesus weeps because he is mourning.
Ecclesiastes famously reminds us that there is a time for everything: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.
We know that the laughing does not negate the weeping and the dancing does not negate the mourning.
We have both in our lives. We go through seasons. And sometimes that laughing and dancing can seem so far away. And other times laughing and dancing are even mingled with the weeping and the mourning in a way we can’t fully explain. But again, they don’t negate each other. They are things we fully feel and fully experience, on their own. We are capable of laughing and weeping, mourning and dancing. Fully allowing ourselves the full range of emotions of what it means to be human and what it means to be alive.
They don’t cancel each other out, they just are.
Just as we know that Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead does not negate the tears that Jesus wept.
Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead does not negate all that his sisters went through for those for 4 days.
The promise of a day when mourning, crying, pain, death will be no more does not negate the mourning, crying, pain, and death we go through and experience here and now.
All of us, like Jesus, have people we’ve loved - people we love still - whose loss has caused us to weep. And that’s okay. That’s human. Our pain and grieving are real and made no less real by the promises we believe as Christians.
The Good News is that the promises of God means we do not, as 1 Thessalonians tells us, we do not grieve like those who have no hope. We grieve and we mourn and we weep, yes. But we do so as those who have HOPE.
Hope that one day, this will be no more.
Hope that one day, death will be no more.
Hope that one day again there will be laughing and dancing.
And yes, hope, that, one day, we will all share in the glorious resurrection alongside those we’ve loved.
Not only do we have the present hope for “one day” - we also have The Spirit with us, this day. In the midst of our loss and grief we can take comfort that our God is a God who has mourned, a God who was wept. Our God is a God who mourns with us now, weeps with us now, and gently, wipes away our tears, offers comfort, love, hope.
We worship a Savior who knows what it’s like to have loved someone dearly and to have lost them.
And Jesus took the time to mourn that loss.
And that is what we do today, on this All Saints Sunday. We hold together the tension of our present mourning with the hope of the promises of God, a hope that one day, death will be no more. And today we take comfort knowing that the God who promises that day, is also a God who is always with us, in weeping or laughing, mourning or dancing. God is here, offering us hope.
Amen.
I am pretty sure you can find almost every stage of grief at this scene, denial and anger and depression, a whole truckload of heavy emotions intermixed with each other and the crowd.
And not to mention, not to mention Jesus’s bewildering words: “Take away the stone.”
And then the stench, oh the stench of four days dead.
Can you imagine this scene?
Can you feel this scene in your chest?
Overflowing with conflicted emotions, with tears, with loss.
Secondly, we have the scene from Revelation. A promise, a vision of a new heaven and a new earth. Of no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain. A beautiful, glimmering scene, a vision of beauty like a bride adorned for her husband. A voice, a voice like no other, a voice that is the Alpha and the Omega, finally completing all the promises that were ever made to us by God, a voice that says “See, I am making ALL things new.”
Now, what the juxtaposition of these passages does not do and should not do, is negate the pain, the grief, the tears of the Gospel passage. The vision from Revelation of no more grief does not negate the grief in John’s passage.
Nowhere in the Gospel story does Jesus negate the mourning of Mary or Martha or any of those present. He doesn't tell them, stop crying, it will be all right! He doesn’t tell them that Lazarus is not dead or that he won’t be dead soon. He doesn't tell them that all will be okay. He doesn’t offer any platitudes or excuses or superficial words of comfort.
Jesus himself is greatly disturbed and weeps alongside Mary and Martha and all those weeping. Jesus weeps. Jesus weeps...even though he surely knew what he was about to do. Jesus weeps...even though he knows this vision from Revelation, a vision which hasn't even been given to John yet and still- Jesus would have had God's - the Triune God’s endgame in mind...And yet, Jesus STILL WEEPS.
Jesus weeps because his friend has died and he is human.
Jesus weeps because he loved his friend and in that moment, his friend is gone.
Jesus weeps because he is mourning.
Ecclesiastes famously reminds us that there is a time for everything: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.
We know that the laughing does not negate the weeping and the dancing does not negate the mourning.
We have both in our lives. We go through seasons. And sometimes that laughing and dancing can seem so far away. And other times laughing and dancing are even mingled with the weeping and the mourning in a way we can’t fully explain. But again, they don’t negate each other. They are things we fully feel and fully experience, on their own. We are capable of laughing and weeping, mourning and dancing. Fully allowing ourselves the full range of emotions of what it means to be human and what it means to be alive.
They don’t cancel each other out, they just are.
Just as we know that Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead does not negate the tears that Jesus wept.
Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead does not negate all that his sisters went through for those for 4 days.
The promise of a day when mourning, crying, pain, death will be no more does not negate the mourning, crying, pain, and death we go through and experience here and now.
All of us, like Jesus, have people we’ve loved - people we love still - whose loss has caused us to weep. And that’s okay. That’s human. Our pain and grieving are real and made no less real by the promises we believe as Christians.
The Good News is that the promises of God means we do not, as 1 Thessalonians tells us, we do not grieve like those who have no hope. We grieve and we mourn and we weep, yes. But we do so as those who have HOPE.
Hope that one day, this will be no more.
Hope that one day, death will be no more.
Hope that one day again there will be laughing and dancing.
And yes, hope, that, one day, we will all share in the glorious resurrection alongside those we’ve loved.
Not only do we have the present hope for “one day” - we also have The Spirit with us, this day. In the midst of our loss and grief we can take comfort that our God is a God who has mourned, a God who was wept. Our God is a God who mourns with us now, weeps with us now, and gently, wipes away our tears, offers comfort, love, hope.
We worship a Savior who knows what it’s like to have loved someone dearly and to have lost them.
And Jesus took the time to mourn that loss.
And that is what we do today, on this All Saints Sunday. We hold together the tension of our present mourning with the hope of the promises of God, a hope that one day, death will be no more. And today we take comfort knowing that the God who promises that day, is also a God who is always with us, in weeping or laughing, mourning or dancing. God is here, offering us hope.
Amen.
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
"Celebrate: Where Our Hearts Are" a sermon on Exodus 36:1-7 & Matthew 6:19-21
Exodus 36:1-7
Matthew 6:19-21
“Celebrate: Where Are Hearts Are”
Matthew 6:19-21
“Celebrate: Where Are Hearts Are”
Preached Sunday, October 31, 2021
In middle school, my class was given an assignment: pick a topic you are passionate about and give a speech/presentation on it. The objective, of course, was for students to practice their public speaking skills but at the time, we were all just excited to truly be able to pick any topic. But I had a realization, even at that young age, which has stuck with me all these years since. I love watching people talk about things that they are passionate about, that fill them with life, that give them a glow of excitement. As I watched my classmates I realized that I had never seen some of them so animated, so filled with life. Honestly, so...beautiful. I remember thinking, “Wow! Who are these people all of a sudden?” And, because I was already steeped into church, I remember thinking: “Is this how God sees them?”
Throughout the class’s speeches I started looking at every speaker through new lenses - I was trying to look at each of my classmates as God sees them. Not as people in different friend groups or jocks or nerds - but to try and see each of them as God saw them - as full, unique, beloved children of God. The memory sticks with me all these years later because that day, for just a brief window of time, I think I did look at my classmates like God looks at them - children, worthy of love. Seeing them so full of passion and life made that easier for me. And to this day, still does.
So today I want YOU to think - what are you passionate about? What fills you with excitement and life and puts a kind of glow around you?
Moreover- as a collective community, as a church - what are we passionate about? What fills us with life? What gives us a glow? What causes people to see us through the eyes of God?
Our Vision team sought out to answer these questions. And you have heard a lot about this work already...
And what I want to drive home today is that we didn’t just make up that stuff. We didn’t make up our mission statement or our shared values - we looked hard at our church to see what fills us with life. We asked - How does God see us? In the passions God gave us, the abilities and Spiritual gifts God has given us, the things that God believes we can do…
That’s what we identified. That’s what we sought to name - to name that which gives us life, that sparks passion inside of us, which helps us see each other as individuals and each other together as a community and people looking at us from outside - gives all of us that glow that is the image of God inside of us shining forth.
So today, today we are going to celebrate that. We are going to name the mission God has called us to. We are going to name the values that we share. We are going to name what we are to do together as a community. We are going to name and CELEBRATE these things. How will we celebrate them? We will celebrate by doing one of our favorite things, lifting our voices in song, singing hymns that directly relate to our mission, our values, and our strategy. My prayer is that the singing of these hymns will be a celebration of who we are and where our hearts lie, in our joyous and caring Christian community.
Jesus tells us where our treasure lies, there our hearts will be. It’s kind of a chicken and egg situation. Do we give our treasures where our hearts are? Do our hearts follow our treasures? The answer, of course, is yes. And it truly works best when our treasure and hearts are in the things that fill us with joy, that bring forth the imago dei , the image of God in us, that do the work of God in this world.
And for us here at Grace, that’s well...us, here at Grace. This joyous and caring Christian community that has been a gift in each of our lives, that bolsters our faith, that works to change our community and world to make it look a little more like God’s Kingdom, overflowing with life and love.
In this morning’s reading from Exodus, we see a people whose hearts and treasures are in their faith community. The Israelites are building their sanctuary. And that’s the mission God has given them.
Mission: build the sanctuary in order to love God with all their heart, soul, and might
They have a leader: Moses
They have workers whose hearts are invested so they give of their time and their skills:
“Moses then called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful one to whom the Lord had given skill, everyone whose heart was stirred to come to do the work”
Then, even in ancient times, monetary gifts and items were needed to do the work of the faith community - and the people, the Israelites, their hearts are completely in this and so they pour their treasures into it - tying their hearts to the sanctuary even further. And an amazing thing happens! They give so much they have to be told to STOP giving!
“Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing; for what they had already brought was more than enough to do all the work.”
Friends, we have the mission - to invite all into a joyous and caring Christian community
We have the leaders - humbly, me, alongside so many of you who lead our church
We have the workers - again, so many of you who give your time and talents to the church
And yes, we have the monetary gifts. Thank you so much for your continued generosity - I would like to tell you today that we have more than enough for the work before us and to restrain you for bringing anything more! And that is not yet the case - and we can pray that one day it will be so!
So as we now celebrate who we are through sharing our mission, values, and strategy - I pray that your hearts are stirred for this community and for this work, that through our celebration, you may search out where you heart is in this community and to find the joy when are treasures, our time, our talents, our whole lives match with where are hearts are.
Now - let us celebrate and sing!
In middle school, my class was given an assignment: pick a topic you are passionate about and give a speech/presentation on it. The objective, of course, was for students to practice their public speaking skills but at the time, we were all just excited to truly be able to pick any topic. But I had a realization, even at that young age, which has stuck with me all these years since. I love watching people talk about things that they are passionate about, that fill them with life, that give them a glow of excitement. As I watched my classmates I realized that I had never seen some of them so animated, so filled with life. Honestly, so...beautiful. I remember thinking, “Wow! Who are these people all of a sudden?” And, because I was already steeped into church, I remember thinking: “Is this how God sees them?”
Throughout the class’s speeches I started looking at every speaker through new lenses - I was trying to look at each of my classmates as God sees them. Not as people in different friend groups or jocks or nerds - but to try and see each of them as God saw them - as full, unique, beloved children of God. The memory sticks with me all these years later because that day, for just a brief window of time, I think I did look at my classmates like God looks at them - children, worthy of love. Seeing them so full of passion and life made that easier for me. And to this day, still does.
So today I want YOU to think - what are you passionate about? What fills you with excitement and life and puts a kind of glow around you?
Moreover- as a collective community, as a church - what are we passionate about? What fills us with life? What gives us a glow? What causes people to see us through the eyes of God?
Our Vision team sought out to answer these questions. And you have heard a lot about this work already...
And what I want to drive home today is that we didn’t just make up that stuff. We didn’t make up our mission statement or our shared values - we looked hard at our church to see what fills us with life. We asked - How does God see us? In the passions God gave us, the abilities and Spiritual gifts God has given us, the things that God believes we can do…
That’s what we identified. That’s what we sought to name - to name that which gives us life, that sparks passion inside of us, which helps us see each other as individuals and each other together as a community and people looking at us from outside - gives all of us that glow that is the image of God inside of us shining forth.
So today, today we are going to celebrate that. We are going to name the mission God has called us to. We are going to name the values that we share. We are going to name what we are to do together as a community. We are going to name and CELEBRATE these things. How will we celebrate them? We will celebrate by doing one of our favorite things, lifting our voices in song, singing hymns that directly relate to our mission, our values, and our strategy. My prayer is that the singing of these hymns will be a celebration of who we are and where our hearts lie, in our joyous and caring Christian community.
Jesus tells us where our treasure lies, there our hearts will be. It’s kind of a chicken and egg situation. Do we give our treasures where our hearts are? Do our hearts follow our treasures? The answer, of course, is yes. And it truly works best when our treasure and hearts are in the things that fill us with joy, that bring forth the imago dei , the image of God in us, that do the work of God in this world.
And for us here at Grace, that’s well...us, here at Grace. This joyous and caring Christian community that has been a gift in each of our lives, that bolsters our faith, that works to change our community and world to make it look a little more like God’s Kingdom, overflowing with life and love.
In this morning’s reading from Exodus, we see a people whose hearts and treasures are in their faith community. The Israelites are building their sanctuary. And that’s the mission God has given them.
Mission: build the sanctuary in order to love God with all their heart, soul, and might
They have a leader: Moses
They have workers whose hearts are invested so they give of their time and their skills:
“Moses then called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful one to whom the Lord had given skill, everyone whose heart was stirred to come to do the work”
Then, even in ancient times, monetary gifts and items were needed to do the work of the faith community - and the people, the Israelites, their hearts are completely in this and so they pour their treasures into it - tying their hearts to the sanctuary even further. And an amazing thing happens! They give so much they have to be told to STOP giving!
“Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing; for what they had already brought was more than enough to do all the work.”
Friends, we have the mission - to invite all into a joyous and caring Christian community
We have the leaders - humbly, me, alongside so many of you who lead our church
We have the workers - again, so many of you who give your time and talents to the church
And yes, we have the monetary gifts. Thank you so much for your continued generosity - I would like to tell you today that we have more than enough for the work before us and to restrain you for bringing anything more! And that is not yet the case - and we can pray that one day it will be so!
So as we now celebrate who we are through sharing our mission, values, and strategy - I pray that your hearts are stirred for this community and for this work, that through our celebration, you may search out where you heart is in this community and to find the joy when are treasures, our time, our talents, our whole lives match with where are hearts are.
Now - let us celebrate and sing!
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
"Celebrate: From Generation to Generation," Sermon on Deuteronomy 6:1-9 & Luke 1:39-56
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Luke 1:39-56
“Celebrate: From Generation to Generation”
When I think of the lineage of my faith, I trace my faith to the faith of my great grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother. All 3 who were or are extraordinary women of faith. Deeply involved in the lives of their churches, ever seeking to love God and neighbor as self, and teaching and passing on their faith. I am sure the line of women and men of faith extends beyond that, though I don’t know their names or their stories - I am humbled to consider myself a part of their faith lineage. I hope and pray that as I tell the stories to my daughter - the stories of the faith and the stories of how her great great grandmother, her great grandmother, her grandmother and mother have lived out the faith - I pray and hope that, one day, my daughter sees herself as a part of this heritage of faith too.
It makes me want to ponder the question with you today: Where does our faith come from?
Some can trace the lineage, the family tree of their faith, like I can.
Others may have come to the faith on their own or had a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or some other mentor or friend in the faith - blood relative or not - who they consider as a parent of their faith, teaching them the faith, passing it on to them.
Whatever the religious backstory of our family origin may be, when you become part of a faith community, when you claim Christ, God adopts you into a heritage of faith that stretches back to the beginning of creation. The faith story of Abraham and Sarah. Isaac, Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Hannah, Samuel, Moses, Ruth, Esther, Mary, Joseph, Paul, Peter......and the names go on. They become your fathers and mothers in the faith - part of your spiritual lineage. Those who taught the faith, passed on the faith, from generation to generation, down to us sitting in these pews.
Has it changed over the last 2,000 years and surely the thousands of years before Jesus? Oh yes, and still - there is a thread - or many threads - tying us to them, them to us. As members of the household of God, we become a part of something so much bigger than ourselves and our families - we become a part of the tradition of the saints, all those who have gone before us in the faith, that great cloud of witness. We are a part of something so much bigger than us and in it, we are never alone.
Now - remember, this sermon series is called Celebrate! AND that is something to celebrate. We are a part of something bigger! We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
AND, our faith isn’t all about looking backwards about who came before us, the mothers and fathers of our faith, the stories they lived, the Scripture passed down to us - a very important part of our faith is looking forward.
Which, in part, brings me to today’s Scriptures - today we read what are, arguably, two of the most central texts in the Bible, the Shema from Deuteronomy and the Magnificat from Luke.
First, the Shema. Shema is Hebrew for “Listen” or “Hear” as in “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might.” This is an ancient prayer that has a very central role in the faith of our Jewish siblings. To help you understand its importance in the Jewish faith, to make a comparison for you, it is like the Jewish Lord’s Prayer - as far as the centrality of it for Jewish faith and practice. Many Jews pray it twice a day. They keep a tiny rolled up scroll of it on the doors of their houses. Some Jews will literally bind these words on their hands and on the foreheads as they pray. This passage of Scripture comes from Moses’s speech before the next generation enters the promised land. He didn’t want this generation to make the mistakes of their parents and those who had gone before them - instead respond to God with love, faithfulness and obedience. Indeed Shema means hear or listen but in a sense of letting something sink in. Let the Love of God sink in you that you love God so much that you remember it in the morning and in the evening, when you come and when you go, when you teach your children...This idea of reciting the faith, the prayer that the Lord in one and to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul, and might, is an integral one to both the Jewish and Christian faiths.
Now I want to pause a moment to acknowledge that the faith or religion of our children is a tender spot for many.
I know that people in this congregation have children who grew up in the church but have left the faith - and when we look at how the church in our world has hurt people, failed to live up to the words of Jesus, and missed the mark so many times - who can blame them? Perhaps your children have left the church but not left God - or left the church but not left the morals, ethics, and teachings that were instilled in them in Christian community - to love their neighbor and to care for the least of these.
Wherever your children are and for many of you, your children’s children are, in their faith journies, know that God loves them deeply.
Or maybe you never had kids - for a variety of reasons - but when we talk about teaching the faith to children, we are not just talking about children we birthed, adopted, or raised. We are talking about whole subsequent generations of faith. We all have a Christian moral duty of love to build the church for the future, to think about the next generation of believers in every decision we make.
A colleague recently told me that he had a parishioner tell him that her dream for the church was that it would last until she died and then, and I quote, “You can do whatever you want.” This woman voiced a sad reality that is the mindset of many people today - as the church we can get stuck looking back to “how it used to be” and wanting to go back there - but friends, the church is never going back there. Or we want what the church has to offer us now - but recognize with the struggles the church faces - the church of the future is a big question mark, a point of anxiety - or even that the church of the future needs to look much different from the church of the present and we *like* the church of the present so...make changes, sure...but not on my watch!
And these are pitfalls that we can so easily fall into but we do not need to get trapped in them because the church NEEDS to be looking forward. We are called to look forward. We are called to look towards the children and youth of today, and even the children and youth that will follow them, and boldly make the church be the church of the future, the church for them - trusting in God’s promises that no matter what church looks like, who it’s comprised of, if the institution stays or goes, if the building stays or goes, if this changes or that changes - trusting in God’s promises that God will be there for every generation.
Which brings us to our second Scripture of the day, the Magnificat, also known as Mary’s song from the Gospel of Luke. Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits the house of her cousin Elizabeth. When Elizabeth sees Mary and affirms her and the child inside her, Mary bursts out into praise and song. It is a song of praise. And it is also a song of revolution, a song of challenging the status quo, a song where Mary imagines a more just and equitable world for the generations that are to come, from every generation forward - thanks to the child in her womb, based on trusting God’s promises, all that God has done, all that God is doing, all that God will do.
She sings “his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.”
Other translations use the word honor in place of fear. It’s getting at that wonder, awe, trembling that we have before the almighty God. It could be said, “his mercy is for those who love the Lord their God will all their heart, soul, and might - from generation to generation.”
Mary’s song is a song of JOY, of rejoicing - My soul magnifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” For Mary is looking not only at the past and the present - but is looking toward the future, hoping, trusting, rejoicing in all that God will do.
Today, we are called to rejoice alongside Mary.
Let’s do that, repeat after me:
My soul magnifies the Lord (repeat)
My spirit rejoices in God my savior (repeat)
We are called to look back, to know that great lineage of faith we inherit when we claim Christ and Christ claims us.
We are called to tend to the present - to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and might - and loving our neighbor as self - so too our neighbors who comprise youth, children, and generations to come.
Luke 1:39-56
“Celebrate: From Generation to Generation”
When I think of the lineage of my faith, I trace my faith to the faith of my great grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother. All 3 who were or are extraordinary women of faith. Deeply involved in the lives of their churches, ever seeking to love God and neighbor as self, and teaching and passing on their faith. I am sure the line of women and men of faith extends beyond that, though I don’t know their names or their stories - I am humbled to consider myself a part of their faith lineage. I hope and pray that as I tell the stories to my daughter - the stories of the faith and the stories of how her great great grandmother, her great grandmother, her grandmother and mother have lived out the faith - I pray and hope that, one day, my daughter sees herself as a part of this heritage of faith too.
It makes me want to ponder the question with you today: Where does our faith come from?
Some can trace the lineage, the family tree of their faith, like I can.
Others may have come to the faith on their own or had a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or some other mentor or friend in the faith - blood relative or not - who they consider as a parent of their faith, teaching them the faith, passing it on to them.
Whatever the religious backstory of our family origin may be, when you become part of a faith community, when you claim Christ, God adopts you into a heritage of faith that stretches back to the beginning of creation. The faith story of Abraham and Sarah. Isaac, Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Hannah, Samuel, Moses, Ruth, Esther, Mary, Joseph, Paul, Peter......and the names go on. They become your fathers and mothers in the faith - part of your spiritual lineage. Those who taught the faith, passed on the faith, from generation to generation, down to us sitting in these pews.
Has it changed over the last 2,000 years and surely the thousands of years before Jesus? Oh yes, and still - there is a thread - or many threads - tying us to them, them to us. As members of the household of God, we become a part of something so much bigger than ourselves and our families - we become a part of the tradition of the saints, all those who have gone before us in the faith, that great cloud of witness. We are a part of something so much bigger than us and in it, we are never alone.
Now - remember, this sermon series is called Celebrate! AND that is something to celebrate. We are a part of something bigger! We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
AND, our faith isn’t all about looking backwards about who came before us, the mothers and fathers of our faith, the stories they lived, the Scripture passed down to us - a very important part of our faith is looking forward.
Which, in part, brings me to today’s Scriptures - today we read what are, arguably, two of the most central texts in the Bible, the Shema from Deuteronomy and the Magnificat from Luke.
First, the Shema. Shema is Hebrew for “Listen” or “Hear” as in “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might.” This is an ancient prayer that has a very central role in the faith of our Jewish siblings. To help you understand its importance in the Jewish faith, to make a comparison for you, it is like the Jewish Lord’s Prayer - as far as the centrality of it for Jewish faith and practice. Many Jews pray it twice a day. They keep a tiny rolled up scroll of it on the doors of their houses. Some Jews will literally bind these words on their hands and on the foreheads as they pray. This passage of Scripture comes from Moses’s speech before the next generation enters the promised land. He didn’t want this generation to make the mistakes of their parents and those who had gone before them - instead respond to God with love, faithfulness and obedience. Indeed Shema means hear or listen but in a sense of letting something sink in. Let the Love of God sink in you that you love God so much that you remember it in the morning and in the evening, when you come and when you go, when you teach your children...This idea of reciting the faith, the prayer that the Lord in one and to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul, and might, is an integral one to both the Jewish and Christian faiths.
Now I want to pause a moment to acknowledge that the faith or religion of our children is a tender spot for many.
I know that people in this congregation have children who grew up in the church but have left the faith - and when we look at how the church in our world has hurt people, failed to live up to the words of Jesus, and missed the mark so many times - who can blame them? Perhaps your children have left the church but not left God - or left the church but not left the morals, ethics, and teachings that were instilled in them in Christian community - to love their neighbor and to care for the least of these.
Wherever your children are and for many of you, your children’s children are, in their faith journies, know that God loves them deeply.
Or maybe you never had kids - for a variety of reasons - but when we talk about teaching the faith to children, we are not just talking about children we birthed, adopted, or raised. We are talking about whole subsequent generations of faith. We all have a Christian moral duty of love to build the church for the future, to think about the next generation of believers in every decision we make.
A colleague recently told me that he had a parishioner tell him that her dream for the church was that it would last until she died and then, and I quote, “You can do whatever you want.” This woman voiced a sad reality that is the mindset of many people today - as the church we can get stuck looking back to “how it used to be” and wanting to go back there - but friends, the church is never going back there. Or we want what the church has to offer us now - but recognize with the struggles the church faces - the church of the future is a big question mark, a point of anxiety - or even that the church of the future needs to look much different from the church of the present and we *like* the church of the present so...make changes, sure...but not on my watch!
And these are pitfalls that we can so easily fall into but we do not need to get trapped in them because the church NEEDS to be looking forward. We are called to look forward. We are called to look towards the children and youth of today, and even the children and youth that will follow them, and boldly make the church be the church of the future, the church for them - trusting in God’s promises that no matter what church looks like, who it’s comprised of, if the institution stays or goes, if the building stays or goes, if this changes or that changes - trusting in God’s promises that God will be there for every generation.
Which brings us to our second Scripture of the day, the Magnificat, also known as Mary’s song from the Gospel of Luke. Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits the house of her cousin Elizabeth. When Elizabeth sees Mary and affirms her and the child inside her, Mary bursts out into praise and song. It is a song of praise. And it is also a song of revolution, a song of challenging the status quo, a song where Mary imagines a more just and equitable world for the generations that are to come, from every generation forward - thanks to the child in her womb, based on trusting God’s promises, all that God has done, all that God is doing, all that God will do.
She sings “his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.”
Other translations use the word honor in place of fear. It’s getting at that wonder, awe, trembling that we have before the almighty God. It could be said, “his mercy is for those who love the Lord their God will all their heart, soul, and might - from generation to generation.”
Mary’s song is a song of JOY, of rejoicing - My soul magnifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” For Mary is looking not only at the past and the present - but is looking toward the future, hoping, trusting, rejoicing in all that God will do.
Today, we are called to rejoice alongside Mary.
Let’s do that, repeat after me:
My soul magnifies the Lord (repeat)
My spirit rejoices in God my savior (repeat)
We are called to look back, to know that great lineage of faith we inherit when we claim Christ and Christ claims us.
We are called to tend to the present - to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and might - and loving our neighbor as self - so too our neighbors who comprise youth, children, and generations to come.
And we are called to look forward - having deep trust in God’s promises. And what do we call having deep trusts in God’s promises? The deep trust that knowing through God all shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well?
We call that joy!
We look to the future not with anxiety or fear...but with rejoicing!
For we KNOW that God’s mercy is for every generation, the faith that passed on to us and the faith that we pass on.
God’s goodness extends in a long line behind us, to creation and before. God’s goodness is here now. God’s goodness extends to the next generation and to the next and to the next, until the last generation, and even then beyond.
Now that is cause for rejoicing.
Let’s end this sermon one more time with a repeat after me for all of God’s goodness and God’s promises:
My soul magnifies the Lord! (repeat)
And my Spirit rejoices in God my savior! (Repeat)
From generation to generation. Amen.
We call that joy!
We look to the future not with anxiety or fear...but with rejoicing!
For we KNOW that God’s mercy is for every generation, the faith that passed on to us and the faith that we pass on.
God’s goodness extends in a long line behind us, to creation and before. God’s goodness is here now. God’s goodness extends to the next generation and to the next and to the next, until the last generation, and even then beyond.
Now that is cause for rejoicing.
Let’s end this sermon one more time with a repeat after me for all of God’s goodness and God’s promises:
My soul magnifies the Lord! (repeat)
And my Spirit rejoices in God my savior! (Repeat)
From generation to generation. Amen.
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
"Celebrate: A Community Rejoicing" Sermon on Nehemiah 8:9-12, 12:43
Nehemiah 8:9-12, 12:43
Romans 12:9-18
“Celebrate: A Community Rejoicing”
Preached Sunday, October 17, 2021
When I was picking out hymns for this Sunday and the first of three weeks on a sermon series called Celebrate, any guess on what I couldn’t get out of my head?
“Celebrate Good times, come on, doo do doo do do do do doo”
Okay, now that I’ve gotten that earworm stuck inside your head let’s actually talk about the commandment to rejoice and to celebrate…
And yes, I said commandment! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit - joy is the deep seated trust in God that all shall be all, all shall be well, and all shall be well. One can have joy even when they are not happy and even in the darkest times of their lives. AND, signs of the moving of God’s Spirit in our lives are also levity, thankfulness, hope. When you have multiple people together who have deep joy, levity, a shared spirit of thankfulness, and hope - well, THAT is the recipe for a celebration! And Paul tells us that not only are we to weep with those who weep - a sensitive act of care, companionship, and love - we are also called to rejoice with those who rejoice! This is also an act of care, companionship, and love! Our burdens are lightened when we share them and our celebrations are multiplied when we share them!
But sometimes us Christians can get a reputation for being a little bit of...um...sticks in the mud? Sour-pusses? Fuddy-duddies? You know what I’m saying. And by and large this does NOT characterize us here at Grace. We truly are a joyous and caring Christian community where we celebrate together and laughter comes easily when we’re together.
But still, we know the reputation that some Christians have, right? Those Christians that are always so serious about everything and about their faith? I mean, not to say that faith isn’t about serious stuff, right? Like, we talk about life and we talk about death and we confess our sins and we are constantly challenged and called out to do better...and many people take that to just be, you know - so serious. We can think of the puritans clad all in black with dour expressions, tight-lipped faces that are not amused...and for some, that puritanical attitude toward the faith and life has continued on.
And yes, we are called to consider serious things as Christians...and let’s think about what we believe about those things
Life - That we are called to have life and to have it abundantly. That in life we are to love God and love neighbor as self, to treat every person, especially the least of these, the hungry, thirsty, imprisoned, homeless, immigrant, to treat every person like they are Jesus...to weep with those who weep, to rejoice with those who rejoicing...so that we may all have life and share in that abundant life together.
Death - That death does NOT have the final say! That Christ has rose again and defeated the grave. And Jesus is but the first fruit of the resurrection which we will all experience. That death has lost its sting and the grave has no victory of which to boast.
Confession of sin - That when we repent, we are forgiven. That there is freedom from all that holds us down. That we are loved, unconditionally.
Challenged to do better - we call that sanctification. That we know God wants our best from us and we are capable of reaching that perfect love where all we do is shaped by love of God and love of neighbor.
Wow. Instead of being all serious about life, death, confession, and being challenged to do better...it sounds like we have some things to celebrate! Right? Give me a “woo!”
When we remember all that God has done - promises made and promises fulfilled - and we remember all that God HAS promised and WILL fulfill, that is cause for celebration.
In the church we have seasons of fasts like Lent, we also have seasons of feasts like Christmas and Easter...but even in the fasts, Sundays are considered mini-feasts, mini-reflections of the great feast that is Easter. Because every Sunday is the Lord’s Day, a day to remember that Christ came, died and rose again. That Christ was resurrected and so too shall we be! Every Sunday, even on days we confess our sins and even on days when we are challenged and even on days we are mourning...Those Sundays, those Lord’s Days, are celebrations. Where we come together, to remember what God has promised, what God has done, and what God will do.
This is what the Israelite community does in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah is a short book in the Bible, one you can sit down and read in one sitting - and it’s even shorter if you skim over the long list of names. Now, the book is about a small re-constituted community of Israelites after Judah was destroyed by the Babylons. This community is smaller than they were, they have fallen from power, they are in exile. And they have forgotten the commandments they were supposed to be keeping. Enter Ezra and Nehemiah - the two books in the Bible were originally actually one book and somewhere along the way they got split into two. Ezra and Nehemiah work for the King but their loyalties are with Jerusalem. Nehemiah has a vision from God to go to Jerusalem and have them rebuild the walls, a way to remember who they are and what God has asked of them.
And so the walls are rebuilt with some strife from without and some strife from within. And as the walls were finished the whole community of Israelites gathered together outside of them and Ezra took out the scrolls, the law. And he read them to all gathered. Not only did he read them, priests stood among the people and walked around and explained what the scrolls meant - they were interpreting the law, preaching, and teaching.
And upon hearing the reading from the book of Moses, the people wept.
Why did they weep? Perhaps they wept cause of how far they had strayed. Perhaps they wept because of how much they had lost. Perhaps they wept cause they remembered the way things used to be.
But then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and all the Levites - the priests - told the people:
“This day is holy to the Lord your God. Don’t mourn or weep…Go, eat rich food and drink something sweet and send portions of this to any who have nothing ready! This day is holy to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy from the Lord is your strength!”
And the people had a great celebration! After many days of celebration the people gathered together, communally confessed their sins, then dedicated the wall and celebrated some more!
They were to celebrate because they had received the law. They were read from the scrolls and called to remember who they were, who God was calling them to be, all that God had already done for them and all yet that God had promised to do for them!
God is not done with us yet and God keeps God’s promises!
Now there is a reason to celebrate!
And today we say the same thing here at Grace. Actually, say it with me, repeat after me:
God is not done with us yet! (repeat!)
And God keeps God’s promises! (repeat!)
Grace, today and over the next 2 Sundays, for the rest of the month of October, we are going to be in a season of celebration. In addition to a sermon series on celebration, we are going to be celebrating ministries in our church AND where we are feeling those ministries are being called to grow - and how through your faithful stewardship of your prayers, presence, gifts, and witness you can work alongside God in this church to better live out our mission to invite all into a joyous and caring Christian community.
After such a hard, well, almost 2 years. And a pandemic that has rocked us and isn’t done with us yet - it is more appropriate than ever to celebrate. To come together and remember all that God has done - and all that God will do.
So come on - celebrate good times come on, doo do do do do dooo
Amen.
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