This is indeed Sunday morning, and it is also Christmas morning. We, who are gathered here today, have taken a few brief moments from our time of celebrations with our families and friends to pause and worship God. We have come to praise God and to thank God for sending Jesus to be among us for a while.
Those who were gathered last night, heard once again the story of the birt of Jesus as found in the Gospel of Luke. But this morning, our Gospel reading was from the Gospel of John (1:1-14), and it appears to not have much to say about the Nativity Scene. However, we should be very careful about judging John’s Gospel so quickly. The first words in John’s Gospel inform us that"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 1 These words and thoughts of John have given some people trouble in understanding what John is writing about. One of the simplest ways to express what John is writing is to say that Jesus was one with God, and that God was one with Jesus since the very beginning.
We, as United Methodist, are called to believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one. Some individuals would claim that this is not possible. Since Jesus prays to God and talks of God in the third person, they would claim that God and Jesus have to be two totally different individuals. However, we know that even for simple, normal, humans it is possible to be two or three different persons. If you are having difficultity with these thoughts, it might help you to imagine your pastor having a conversation with his mother, his wife, and one of his daughters … all at the same time. Yes, I do know what it is like to be a son, a husband, and a father all at the same moment in time. Could it be possible for God the Creator, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to exist at the same time? Yes! This is the answer that John is writing about. This is one of the corner stones of our Christian Faith.
John is also writing about the Light of God coming into the world. I’m not sure about you, but to be honest it has taken me a very long time to be even "comfortable" in the dark. Actually, I’m not a true fan of absolute darkness; I mean I don’t mind dim light, especially when trying to go to sleep, and even the occasional "darkness" … but I do like being able to see what is around me. But we should also consider that John might be talking about a different kind of darkness; the darkness of the soul, the desire to not be in the presence of God – the one who can see the truth within the soul of each and every individual. And so John is telling us that Jesus came into this world to share the true light with everyone who is willing to be in a true relationship with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
That’s right, the choice is ours, and John is making it clear at the very opening of his Gospel …"But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God." 2 God gives us the power to become members of the household of God, but God also gives us the freedom to refuse this offer. If we do not want to live in the light of God’s world where everything we do, say, or feel will be visible for all to see, then we can choose to turn our back upon this offer … and head into the darkness.
Now there are some individuals who have asked, "If the offer of living in the light is given by God to the chosen, then why are we called to reach out to everyone?" I believe that the answer is simple. God continues to call each and every one of us to actively reach out to every one of our brothers and sisters. It’s not our job to judge them … rather it is our job to bring the light of God into the lives of all of those that we meet. Remember, we have been told by Isaiah that, "all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."3
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
"The Lord is with you."
In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Luke (1:26-38) we have once again heard the words that the Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, “Greatings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[1] Now wait a minute, of course Mary is the favored one; after all Mary is the mother of Jesus. And while we are at this point in our time of reflection; doesn’t it also seem very obvious that the Lord would be with the mother of Jesus … after all, Jesus is the Son of God! However, to be honest, these thoughts and feelings are in reality based upon our own personal knowledge of past events, as well as the teachings of our faith over these many years.
Is it possible for us to imagine, even for a few brief moments, what must have been the reality of these precious words spoken in their original setting? Imagine for a few moments that someone, claiming to be a messenger of God, has appeared before a young woman. This Angel then informs the soon to be married woman that she has found favor with God, and that to fulfill God’s plan, she must soon be with child. She is told that if she accepts the will of God, then she will give birth to a son. What thoughts would be going through our worldly minds now?
How can it be possible for this young engaged woman, who has not yet been with any man, to have a child? If she is ever found to be pregnant, then everyone else within her family and community will believe that she has done “something wrong” – “something immoral!”
And so, we are now beginning to see what depth of faith Mary must have truly had in these promises of God. For it was her faith that gave Mary the strength to put behind her any considerations for what her family and the rest of her community – or for that matter the entire world – would be thinking or saying. Mary answered, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”[2]
Many of us gathered together here in this time of worship have experienced the presence of God. We also know that explaining these encounters to others who have not yet experienced this presence is very often difficult, but one of our key beliefs is that with God all things are possible. Now modern day scientists have come a long way in coming to more fully understanding the physical world around us, but without faith in an Ultimate Creator they still do not have all of the answers.
And this is what it means to have faith: to trust that God will be with us. We are encouraged to trust that we will not be required to face the challenges of our physical world alone. Like Mary, if we are willing to follow the call of God, willing to be a humble servant, rather than always demanding that we alone have the power to create our own futures, then we, like Mary, can always trust that we will forever be close to God.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
“… I will make an everlasting covenant with them.”
The Prophet Isaiah is announcing the coming of a time of good news[1]; a time when there will be great rejoicing - for God will be bringing good news to the oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, and those who mourn. They are the ones who for so long have lived in the darkness of this world. And yet the saddest of realities is to know and understand that they are still among us even today. As we prepare for the arrival of our great celebrations of Christmas, there are still among us the oppressed and the brokenhearted, those who are being held as captives and as prisoners, and those who continue to mourn.
Do not be deceived, there are individuals even within our society – right here in America – who still struggle with different forms of oppression. Maybe they don’t speak English, or maybe they can’t speak at all. Maybe they have no hearing, or maybe they are blind. Maybe they are the wrong gender or race. Maybe they are in love with the wrong gender or race. Maybe they are too old, or maybe they are too young. Maybe they are being held prisoner by an abusive spouse, parent, or child. Maybe they are being exploited by an employer or government to the point of slavery.
But there is hope, for this is the promise that has been given to us; there shall come the light of God’s salvation into the lives of all. The real question is whether we will seek to follow the true light of God, or shall we be distracted by the false lights of this world and the ones of our own imaginations.
John the Baptist was sent by God to testify to the true light of God. But those who were in power – those whose authority among mortals was derived and assigned by the worldly powers – came to question John. At first glance it might seem that they were asking John if he is the light[2].
However, those of us who remember later parts of the story of John the Baptist know that these others – the servants of the Pharisees – were there to ask questions to set a trap against John. They also were there to guard against any individual who would attempt to take away their power within the community. Their future plans would be ignored by the masses if this distraction was not stopped as soon as possible.
Has this time come again? Are there all around us such loud voices who are calling out to us … to each one of us … so that we have somehow forgotten the path to the true light of God’s hope and God’s love? Have we become so distracted and blinded by the glitter and the glamor of our secular world that we have lost sight of the very essence of the true meaning of the coming event? Have we become so overwhelmed by the messages of this secular world that we do not hear the gentle whisperings of the Holy Spirit calling us back into the arms of God?
The choice is ours to make. God has given each one of us the freedom to choose. We can follow the teaching of this world, or we can seek to follow after the true light … the light sent by God to lead us home.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
“… he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark (1:1-8), we have clearly heard that the prophet Isaiah had declared many years earlier that there would be a messenger sent ahead of the coming Lord. The task of this messenger was to warn all of us that we are to prepare ourselves for the day of the coming of the Lord. Indeed, John the Baptizer was and continues to be this messenger. John himself was a deeply faithful man of God, but he understood that the real function of his calling was to point the way to the true Son of God; to the true presence of God among us.
John had become somewhat famous as a servant of God, and most often referred to as “John the Baptist.” He preacher to anyone who would be willing to listen, that we are only the creation of God and not the true masters of all that we may see. John’s message was that we should return to a life of obedience to God, and that the laws of our faith in God are still viable in today’s world. Those who came to listen to him and then decided to dedicate their lives to obeying God were symbolically washed clean of their past sins by being baptized.
John’s fame had become so great and wide spread that many of those who came to see him began to believe that he was the Messiah that they and their ancestors had been promised. Now not many of the people alive today, who believe in the promised coming of the Lord, are willing to claim that the Lord has arrived and that they can show him to you and others. And at this point in the Gospel of Mark, John is clearly “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”[1]
John makes clear in his teachings that all he can do for those who have come to him is to help them cleanse themselves of their past sins, and guide them back on to a path headed in the direction of becoming closer to God. In our present world we need to take care, for there are many individuals who would claim to be able to help us to find greater wealth and true happiness. However, the reality has been that these individuals have all too often have only been interested in taking control of what little wealth we may have so that they could find their own personal happiness.
John did not want to live a life of great comfort and fame. In fact, he told all who would willingly listen to him, that another was coming; One who was truly greater than John himself. In fact John told everyone that, “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”[2] John was making it clear to everyone who would listen to him that he was not the promised Messiah – the savior of the world. That job was for someone else. That job would be assigned by the one who had promised that a Savior would be sent into this world.
Do you remember what powerful words of comfort the author of Isaiah (40:1-11) wrote in this morning’s reading? The words which stand out the strongest for me where these: “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.”[3] It is God who has promised that all who would follow the will of God would be rewarded with eternal life in the House of the Lord. And so the choice is ours to make: will we follow the teaching of this world, or will we believe in the promises of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?
Sunday, November 27, 2011
“… you do not know when the time will come.”
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark (13:24-37) we clearly heard what at first may seem to be a very disturbing message given directly from Jesus to all of those who would willingly listen. On this first Sunday of Advent we might have expected to hear some other kind of message; maybe one about the need for the coming of the promised Savior into this world to be announced by a prophet, but instead this morning we are hearing Jesus telling all of us to be continuously prepared for the end of our time here on earth. Apparently Advent is not only a time for all of us to prepare ourselves for the up-coming celebration of the season of Christmas, but it is also time for us to remember the true reason for this season of celebration; the celebration of the coming of God directly into this world in human form to bring us clear messages of hope and salvation.
Maybe the most well-known passage in the Bible is one that most of us have seen advertised on placards at almost every sporting event around the world; John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” But the truth is … there is more to this verse.
John 3:16 really says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”[1] That second part of the verse is really very important. If we are expecting to be “saved,” then we must “truly” believe in God and in Jesus. And if we are true believers, then God and Jesus will be able to tell as they will be our final judges.
Now we need to be very careful at this point, for being a “believer” is not just a matter of words. Time and time again, we can find stories and passages in the Bible where the being a “believer” is not just a matter of words. Being a true believer is also a matter of actions. Being a believer is about both words and actions.
There has been in the past, in a few faith traditions, the practice of final absolution; the chance to confess our sins upon our death bed, be forgiven, and thereby gain entry into eternal life. There have also been those times in the lives of different individuals, when they would knowningly sin with the expectation of being able to “buy, earn, or repent” their way into forgiveness. And to be honest with you, I’m not about to claim that any of this is either true or false.
I do believe that God and Jesus will be our final judge. I do believe that we will be held accountable for all of our actions and all of our intentions. But I also believe in the mercy and love of God and Jesus. Which one of us, as parents, would not embrace and love any of our children who having done something wrong and then honestly admitted to it and humbly asked us for forgiveness?
But in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus also included a dire warning; “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.”[2] If we are counting on having time to confess and repent at a later date, then we may end up missing the mark. The mistake for any of us would be to think that it will be okay to break one of the Ten Commandments, after all we can confess on our death beds. That of course is assuming that you will be given advanced notice. Personally, I’ve survived at least 3 heart attacks, 1 car crash, and a 12 gauge shotgun round striking the ground 3 feet to the right of me. There is no guarantee that we will have advanced notice of our death.
And of course there is also the question of intention. I’m not 100% sure about God and Jesus, but I do know that I’ve all too often “not forgiven” an individual who smugly came to me with a fake confession, or even worse – they knew that as a Christian “I had to forgive them.”
When we pray to God for forgiveness, maybe we should remember the words of the author of Isaiah when they wrote,”Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever.”[3]
Sunday, November 20, 2011
"When was it that we saw you ... ?"
Today is Christ the King Sunday. Upon first reflection, it may seem strange for us, as American citizens, to claim and even acknowledge that we are under the rule of a King, but we should remember two very important facts. The first is that we are not just American citizens, for we are also Christians. And as such we have professed a faith in a higher authority than any to ever be found among the humans of this world. Secondly, we are among the believers and the followers of Jesus Christ who are not only expecting his return, but are also looking forward to openly acknowledging him as our King.
In today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew (25:31-46), we hear about the coming day of the final judgment. Matthew begins this disclosure by telling everyone that the Son of Man will be seated in full glory on the Throne of Judgment; for it is before this throne that every single member of humanity will be required to await the final judgment to be pronounced by Jesus himself.
What is the criterion for judgment? Will we be required to repeat from memory one or all of the Affirmations of Faith found in the back of our United Methodist Hymnals? Will we be required to list all of the Ten Commandments? Will we be required to show all of the accounts to prove our tithe? Which one of the Old Testament Laws did I violate? Having broken it, did I remember to make the correct sacrifice? How many wrong answers do I get before I am actually thrown into the pit? What is the criterion for this final judgement?[1]
Jesus tells everyone who would be willing to listen and understand the implications, just exactly what the final judgment will be like. Those who will be invited to inherit the kingdom are the ones who have given him food, drink, welcome, clothing, care, and visitation. Those who will be required to depart into the eternal fire are the ones who have not given him food, drink, welcome, clothing, care, and visitation.
It is interesting that both groups of individuals responded with the same question; “Lord, when was it that we saw you …?”[2] Both those who are invited to inherit the Kingdom and those who are sent away are claiming that they never once saw Jesus in any state of distress or need. But the reality is found in his answer; “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”[3]
Please don’t misunderstand my words or the Scriptures. Jesus is not giving a new list of things to do. Rather Jesus is talking about our attitude ... our attitude towards God … our attitude towards each other … and our attitude toward ourselves. If we are willing to embrace this attitude of reaching out to all of our brothers and sisters in the world, then we will understand more clearly this lesson given to us by Jesus.
In closing I wish to share two thoughts. The first is from Paul’s letter written to the Ephesians, “so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.”[4] And the last is the first verse of Hymn 441: “What does the Lord require for praise and offering? What sacrifice, desire, or tribute bid you bring? Do Justice; love mercy; walk humbly with your God.”[5]
[1] “… the criterion of judgment is not confession of faith in Christ. Nothing is said of grace, justification, or the forgiveness of sins. What counts is whether one has acted with loving care for needy people. Such deeds are not a matter of ‘extra credit,’ but constitute the decisive criterion of judgment presupposed in all of verses 23-35 …”
The New Interpreter’s Bible Volume VII, © 1995 by Abingdon Press, Nashville. Page 455
[2] Matthew 25:37 and 44 NRSV
[3] Matthew 25:40 & 45 NRSV
[4] Ephesians 1:18 NRSV
[5] Albert F. Bayly, 1949; alt. UMC Hymnal © 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House. Number 441.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Encourage One Another
In preparation for today’s sermon I have been doing a lot of deep thinking, for there are several interesting and yet disturbing aspects of this Parable of the Talents1. I’m not disturbed by the idea of a slave being entrusted with the property of the master, nor am I disturbed by the idea that the master issued different amounts of "Talents" to different slaves. And while we are talking about the term "Talents," I want to remind some of you that in the time of Jesus a "Talent" was a brick of pure silver worth more than 15 years’ wages of a laborer. And so the "Master" gave one man the wages of 75 years worth of labor, the second man was given the wages of 30 years worth of labor, and the last man received 15 years worth of wages for a laborer. This master must have truly trusted these men.
Now the trust of the master was well placed in the case of the first 2 men, for both of them returned double what they had been given after a long time. As for the third man; his fear of the Master’s wrath led him to bury what was given to him so that he would not "lose" any of it.
And here comes what at first troubled me; not that the Master told the slave that he should have at least invested the money with the bankers, nor that the Master gave the "Talents" to the one who was now in possession of ten "Talents", but rather that the Master had the "worthless slave" tossed into the "outer darkness."
And then it occurred to me that these "Talents" in the parable just might not be bricks of silver. What if the "talents" given to each and every one of the servants were those that are defined by Webster as "a natural gift or ability"? What if those who were listening to this parable of Jesus were being told about what will happen upon The Day of Final Judgment to them if they were to decide to withhold or bury their God given talents rather than sharing or using them with their brothers and sisters … regardless of race, creed, wealth, or behavior?
These thoughts make more sense to me than those that would focus upon Jesus giving a lesson about being a financially responsible servant to the wealth of this world to his follows, to those within the crowd, or even to the Scribes and the Pharisees. Yes, I do believe – and I do practice – tithing. If we want to give a gift to God, if we want to truly give from the heart, then these gifts should come after we have tithed. And I do not for one minute believe that tithing is restricted to our worldly wealth … I believe that we are also called by God to use our talents not just for our own interests, but also for the interests of our sisters and brothers.
Do you remember what was read at the beginning of the 5th and final chapter of the 1st of Paul’s two known letters to the believers at Thessalonika2? What a scarey passage about the coming day of judgment. But this reading also has great words of encouragement: "But you, beloved, are not in darkness … for you are children of light …"3 And as children of the light we are called upon to reach out to everyone that we meet. We are called upon to use our talents to answer the challenge that Jesus calls us to and that Paul sent to the Thessalonians as well as to us … "Therefore encourage one another and build up each other …"4
1 - Matthew 25:14-30
2 - 1st Thessalonians 5:1-11 NRSV
3 - 1st Thessalonians 5:4a & 5a NRSV
4 - 1st Thessalonians 5:11a NRSV
Now the trust of the master was well placed in the case of the first 2 men, for both of them returned double what they had been given after a long time. As for the third man; his fear of the Master’s wrath led him to bury what was given to him so that he would not "lose" any of it.
And here comes what at first troubled me; not that the Master told the slave that he should have at least invested the money with the bankers, nor that the Master gave the "Talents" to the one who was now in possession of ten "Talents", but rather that the Master had the "worthless slave" tossed into the "outer darkness."
And then it occurred to me that these "Talents" in the parable just might not be bricks of silver. What if the "talents" given to each and every one of the servants were those that are defined by Webster as "a natural gift or ability"? What if those who were listening to this parable of Jesus were being told about what will happen upon The Day of Final Judgment to them if they were to decide to withhold or bury their God given talents rather than sharing or using them with their brothers and sisters … regardless of race, creed, wealth, or behavior?
These thoughts make more sense to me than those that would focus upon Jesus giving a lesson about being a financially responsible servant to the wealth of this world to his follows, to those within the crowd, or even to the Scribes and the Pharisees. Yes, I do believe – and I do practice – tithing. If we want to give a gift to God, if we want to truly give from the heart, then these gifts should come after we have tithed. And I do not for one minute believe that tithing is restricted to our worldly wealth … I believe that we are also called by God to use our talents not just for our own interests, but also for the interests of our sisters and brothers.
Do you remember what was read at the beginning of the 5th and final chapter of the 1st of Paul’s two known letters to the believers at Thessalonika2? What a scarey passage about the coming day of judgment. But this reading also has great words of encouragement: "But you, beloved, are not in darkness … for you are children of light …"3 And as children of the light we are called upon to reach out to everyone that we meet. We are called upon to use our talents to answer the challenge that Jesus calls us to and that Paul sent to the Thessalonians as well as to us … "Therefore encourage one another and build up each other …"4
1 - Matthew 25:14-30
2 - 1st Thessalonians 5:1-11 NRSV
3 - 1st Thessalonians 5:4a & 5a NRSV
4 - 1st Thessalonians 5:11a NRSV
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