Author Archives: RevJule

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About RevJule

RevJule is a pastor of the Presbyterian Church (USA). She is The Rev. Dr. Jule, who holds a BA in Theology from Valparaiso University, a Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University Divinity School, and a Doctorate of Ministry (in Gospel and Culture) from Columbia Theological Seminary of Decatur, GA. She soon recently completed a Certificate of Christian Spiritual Formation from Columbia Theological Seminary of Decatur, GA and is beginning to be trained as a Spiritual Director through the Haden Institute in North Carolina. RevJule has served in a variety of professional ministry settings ranging from specialized ministry among children and families to adult ministry to solo pastorate work. She began writing almost before she could read and it was her way to connect deeply with God, others, and her truest self. RevJule currently enjoys creating weekly worship experiences and sermons for a congregation she is leading on a journey of self-re-definition. She enjoys teaching and connecting with others about matters of faith and life. She makes time almost daily for sitting quietly, being with her closest friends, walking her toy poodle Rufus, reading great books, and digging into the soil of whatever garden she can create. If you like what you are reading here, contact her to schedule a retreat or other spiritual formation experience for your faith community.

Momma Hen vs. the Fox

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A Sermon for 21 February 2016 – 2nd Sunday of Lent

A reading from the gospel of Luke 13:31-35.

“At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ “”

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

My thirteen year old niece loves animals. All kinds of them. Last winter a stray cat was wandering near their house. She was all worried that cat would freeze to death outside in the frigid temperatures of their Wisconsin winters. So after a few days, out on their front porch; she made it a warm, welcoming home. She even named the cat Shadow. Then to lure Shadow in to the little shelter, she put up a sign reading: “Shadow is Loved Here!” . . . She has this amazing compassion for all kinds of animals – and for people too – but especially for animals. Though she lives in Wisconsin with the rest of our family, she’s not on a farm. Nonetheless, for the past several years she has been wanting to raise chickens. She and my sister baby-chick-sat one spring for my sister’s friend who raises chickens and provides fresh eggs to all her family and friends. Ever since then, my niece has been set on having a few cute little chicks of her own. For whatever reason, my sister hasn’t given in to her pleas. Perhaps because they live in the woods on Lake Michigan and my sister knows all other sorts of animals are around. Things like that stray cat and raccoons and coyote. Once when my niece was really young and used to take off by herself through the woods over to grandpa and grandma’s house next door, my sister told her she couldn’t do that because what would happen if a bear was out there in the woods between their houses? My sister insisted she was too little to face a bear alone. Rarely have there ever been bear in those woods, but my sister really didn’t want anything to happen to her so she tried to reign in my niece’s precocious nature with the potential presence of a ferocious bear. It didn’t really work. But the point is: cute, cuddly little chickens most probably wouldn’t have a chance at their house with all the other predatory animals around.

The amazing preacher and Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor has a beautiful sermon about animals that is inspired by the gospel text for today. Barbara speaks firsthand. Because after too many grueling years trying to keep up with the daily grind of pastoring for a big urban church in Atlanta, she moved as far away from civilization as she could in order to be the priest for a little country church. Part of why she left the city was to live in the middle of nowhere on several acres of land. There she and her husband built a chicken coop, planted a huge garden, and even made a little cabin back in the woods were Barbara can go into the quiet to listen and write. Out there on the land, Barbara learned all about chickens. Along with various rhythms of the natural world – including lessons learned about lurking predatory animals like owls and weasels and fox.

Jesus was a man of the land – most subsistence cultures are. While some trade was taking place in his day, it is believed that many of the people of the Galilee, where he was raised, grew their own food and tended their own small animals. He likely had fig trees and some sort of grain. Perhaps his family had a goat and a donkey and chickens running all about. It was a daily part of life so that they knew the lessons of nature – what it took for crops to grow. How to catch a fish – if you lived right on the Sea of Galilee. And which animals could and could not live peaceably together. Like: Jesus would have known all about mother hens. Their fierce instinct to protect their young – though without the kinds of talons of roosters and with such small beaks, about all a momma hen can do is cluck around while flapping her wings – trying to get her little brood under her safety. If that doesn’t work, as Barbara Brown Taylor states, a mother hen just “puts herself between (her chicks) and the fox, as ill-equipped as she is. At the very least, she can hope that she satisfies his appetite so that (the fox) leaves her babies alone” (Bread of Angels, p. 125). If you are a keeper of chicks, about the last thing you want anywhere nearby is a fox.

It would appear that Jesus choose his words very carefully. How long had God been trying – tirelessly trying to gather God’s beloved brood: God’s precious little fluffy chicks called Israel? . . . A plethora of prophets were sent – Jerusalem ignored and at times even had them killed. You’d think exile in unknown lands might have gotten their attention. Or, if not that life-altering experience, then certainly the restoration thereafter would have. None of it works! . . . At this point in the story, John the Baptist already has been beheaded by Herod. Supposedly he didn’t much like the accusations John had made about Herod’s unacceptable taking of his wife. The fox has proven himself to be a predator of any speaking truth. Jesus is his next target. Some Pharisees come to warn him. Nonetheless, Jesus’ course is set on Jerusalem. He travels with firm resolve. No fox scares him. He knows he’s the embodiment of the hen. He’ll do anything to protect his beloved chicks. . . . Content at revealing a stronger power, Jesus simply says, “Go and tell that fox: he may think he’s got the ability to interrupt God’s plan. But listen: I am continuing my work of casting out demons, performing cures, and on the third day I’ll be done” (Luke 13:32). He weeps when he considers the way Jerusalem again and again behaves like a fox. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” He mourns. “The city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34). Perhaps it’s just fuel for the fire in him that is determined to show a more excellent way: the way of laying down your life for the sake of another, so that all may live. Jesus is intent on showing that every time the way of the mother hen prevails against the fox.

Lent is a season for us to be reflecting upon which way we tend to live. Do we put our trust in the power of the mother hen, or do we acquiesce to the world’s way of the fox? Do we seek to shelter others who need protection, or do we seek first to satisfy our own appetites? Are we willing to lay down our lives for the sake of another, or do we devour one another as if other’s lives don’t matter beyond being prey to fill our own emptiness? Which nature more often rules in us: the way of the mother hen or the way of the hungry fox? . . . Pay attention little chicks, for we’re sheltered so that we too will live likewise. As intent as the mother hen in loving those about to be devoured. Refusing to run and vowing never to succumb to such destructive means. This is the path of our Savior, the path our mother hen invites us to follow each day. God grant us the courage to carry on for the sake of life for us all.

In the name of the Life-giving Father, the Life-redeeming Son, and the Life-sustaining Spirit, Amen.

© Copyright JMN – 2016  (All rights reserved.)

If

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A Sermon for 7 February 2016 – First Sunday during Lent

A reading from the gospel of Luke 4:1-13. On this first Sunday during the season of Lent, we hear the gospel of Luke’s version of what happened to Jesus right after he was baptized. Listen for God’s word to us.

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.’ ” Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'” Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus answered him, “It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.”

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

If you’re a fan of C.S. Lewis, then perhaps you remember his Narnia Chronicles. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are the siblings who step through the wardrobe door to discover the wonder-filled world of Narnia. The whole series is an adventure in that magical place where the siblings come to know their true selves. They live in the real world – and similarly at first in Narnia – unaware of who they really are and what their lives have been destined for from the start. It is as if the circumstances of life in the real world left them with a sort of amnesia. A film of forget-fullness regarding their true identity. Through a series of fanciful events in Narnia, the siblings finally see that they are royalty. Heroic kings and queens of the land – there to ensure the forces of evil are battled. Aslan, the great talking lion, guides them in their quest that is as much about them discovering who they are and what their lives have been destined for from the start, as it is about fighting against the malevolent forces trying to capture Narnia. . . . It’s the classic hero’s tale. The unsuspecting under-dog who rises to the challenge of their life to impact the world for good. To claim the fullness of who they are – the hidden powers within that are needed to battle inner and outer demons on the path that twists and turns until at last the hero stands triumphant. If only the hero can remember their true identity, then for sure all else shall be well.

If only . . .

Naturally the gospel of Luke is going to start the adventure with such a struggle. If only the hero can claim his true identity. If only the one of royalty can remember his deepest self. If only the one freshly baptized in the Jordan River by John and driven out by the Spirit into the wilderness place of testing. If only Jesus can remember who he really is and what his life has been destined for from the start; then, for sure, he will stand triumphant in the end. . . . Each Lent we’re given this story on the Sunday at the start of the season. Too often it’s been presented as some sort of super-human ability to best the devil at his own game. You know – withstand with the strongest will-power the deepest temptations of our lives; so that somehow people end up making empty vows during the season of Lent to overcome the temptations of certain vices – like chocolate cake or swearing or beer. As if that’s what the season of Lent is all about: shoring up our own will-power in order to beat some devil at his own game. . . . If only. If only. . . . If only we realized the testing in the wilderness is the hero’s training ground. It’s not so much about temptations as it is about amnesia – a forgetfulness of his true identity and the God-given destiny about which his life is to be.

A close reading of the text shows us that Jesus just has been baptized. He’s just heard the Voice declare: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). The very next voice he hears echos: “If . . .” Really? “If you are God’s son . . .” To the best of our knowledge no one was there but Jesus and the Tester – and the Spirit. Which goes to show that if is a powerful, little universal word that pops up in the voices in all of our heads. Forty days fasting in the wilderness left Jesus vulnerable. Would he remember The Voice? Would he remember the Way of the Voice: the self-emptying path of the Voice that is love – the greatest force for good the world ever has seen? Would he overcome any doubt the Tester sought to provoke? Would Jesus remember his true identity and that for which he had been destined from the start? . . . That’s what’s at stake out there in the wilderness. If only this one can remember.

If only we can. Because how easy is it for us to forget who we really are and what our lives have been destined for from the start? Lent is about that remembering. It’s our annual forty day testing ground to see if we can remember our true identity and that for which we have been destined. In years when snow doesn’t prevent it, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday – or today as we’ll do in a few minutes – with the self-emptying sign of love traced in ash. Right there on the same spot where we received our mark of baptism, we begin our Lenten journey with an ashen cross that calls us to deeper dedication in following the path of Christ. We are reminded that we too are royalty: sons and daughters of the Sovereign of the Universe! Children of the LORD God Almighty! Heroes on the winding way of life here to wrestle inner and outer demons until at last we stand triumphant. If only . . . If only we remember our true identity, then we too can empty ourselves of our own wills to pray in deepest trust with Christ in Gethsemane: “Thy will be done through me, O God. Thy will be done through me.”

Life out there in the real world can make us forget, or leave us wondering if it ever was true in the first place. The pains we experience, the losses, the other voices that shout. Before you know it, we succumb. If wins the day. The memory of the Voice grows dim. We take the path that’s easier than the way of self-emptying love. . . . The sun sets and the sun rises, and we are given a new opportunity to re-claim our true identity. To ground ourselves in God, so that we can face whatever challenge that comes. If God were afar watching, I’m sure there would be cheers of encouragement. Messages to get back up and give it another try. . . . The good news is that God isn’t afar at all, but within and all around. When we feel like we’re in the throes of the hardest battle, God is right there with us willing us to remember our true identity – pleading for us to rise to live out our destiny as sons and daughters of the Sovereign of the Universe – ones who follow the path in every encounter we have. If only . . . If only . . . We’ve got the rest of this special church season to remind us – and one another to encourage us along the path as well. For we’re needed in this world. We are in this world to live the alternative way of Christ – so that others will remember, or discover for the very first time, their true identity too. Until at last every other force is redeemed and for sure all else is forever well. . . . If only, brothers and sisters of Christ. If only we daily remember . . .

In the name of the life-giving Father, the life-redeeming Son, and the life-sustaining Spirit, Amen.

© Copyright JMN – 2016  (All rights reserved.)

Jesus’ Mission Statement

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A Sermon for 31 January 2016

A reading from the gospel of Luke 4:14-21. Listen for God’s word to us. And remember that each gospel tells the story of Jesus a bit differently. In a nutshell, this one has Jesus being born, John the Baptist showing up on the scene, Jesus being baptized by him, then being driven by the Spirit into the wilderness as a testing ground for his mission ahead. As he comes forth to begin the work of Christ among us, we hear this gospel tell of that beginning like this. Listen:

“Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.””

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

 

Do you remember this: “A man on the moon and back by the end of the decade?” The words of President Kennedy before a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961. (history1900s.about.com/od/1960s/a/jfkmoon.htm). . . . Or maybe you’ve heard this one: “We exist to create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere.” That one’s by Disney. (www.samples_help.org.uk/mission-statements/disney_mission_statement.htm). . . . Or this one: “. . . to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.” And indeed they have. Can you guess it? Facebook. (www.samples_help.org.uk/mission-statements/facebook_mission_statement.htm). . . . Maybe you’ve even heard this one a time or two: “The Great Ends of the Church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world” (PCUSA Book of Order, 2015-2017, F-1.0304).

Mission statements. Marching Orders. Fundamental purposes. Clear, succinct goals – at least the best ones out there are – that clearly tell all what we’re about. That to which we aspire. What we’re trying to achieve. . . . We can debate all day – and trust me, in my twenty years of ministry as a pastor, I’ve been in my fair share of church meetings that have done so. We can debate all day the differences between a mission statement, which is a unique description of an organization; and a vision statement that spells out the aspirations an organization has for its future; and core values, which form the constant foundation on which work is performed and by which people interact. You know, “the practices we use, or should be using, every day in everything we do” (www.nps.gov/training/uc/whcv.htm). . . . Whichever one we want to talk about; without a clear statement of purpose, which all together seek to fulfill, an organization will not succeed.

According to the gospel of Luke, Jesus had a mission statement. A very clear one. Marching orders which were not new to him. . . . To know his unique purpose in the world, to tell everyone clearly what he was about and what he aspired to achieve; Jesus looked to his Holy Scriptures. The prophet Isaiah in particular. . . . He was at the beginning of his ministry, as the gospel of Luke tells it. Straight out from the waters of baptism and temptation in the wilderness. When, filled with the power of the Spirit, he set off to head back to Galilee (Luke 4:14). He had been teaching in local synagogues. And things were going really well. Everyone seemed to be very impressed with what he had to say. Whether it was his charisma or his content, the start of the gospel of Luke records that he “was praised by everyone” (Luke 4:15). . . . And then he went home. Back to Nazareth where he had been raised.

Now, Nazareth wasn’t that big. And the text claims it was his custom to be in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. So I’m guessing pretty much everyone present knew him already. They knew him as Joseph’s son: a good carpenter, just like his father. Maybe after thirty years, the question about whether his mother and father already were married — or just engaged – at the time of his birth. Maybe the talk of the town over that whole mess already had faded. Of course, if it had, he’s about to stir things all up again. . . . It’s possible Isaiah was a favorite of the people. The prophet who gave such hope, such comfort to their ancestors during their long trek from the fall from grace, into exile in Babylon, and back again. Quite possibly Jesus’ friends and neighbors in Nazareth resonated deeply with a people longing to hear God’s blessing on them again. To know, despite all appearances to the contrary as people living under the crushing yoke of Roman rule, that indeed in the eyes of God; they were precious. Beloved. Bound for freedom from all that would keep them captive.

Jesus is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and it seems this is the moment he decides to make his big statement. Great timing. It’s his proclamation to the world. To declare to those who know him best what he really is about. . . . Jesus intends to be clear about who he is. Why he exists, and what he aspires to do. It is time for his mission statement. His vision for the future. That which he values above all else.

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me,” Jesus says. . . . “I’m anointed to bring good news to the poor. To proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to those blind. To let the oppressed go free. To proclaim it is the time of God’s great favor” (Luke 4:18-19). It’s Jesus public statement of his mission. . . . And as the gospel of Luke tells it, he goes on from that moment focused. Centered. Clear. Every step thereafter he’s about fulfilling his mission. In fact, he’s so committed to what he’s about, he never wavers. Even if his mission doesn’t go over so well with others. Even if it’s gonna get him killed, Jesus accepts that not everyone is going to embrace the work to which he aspires. No matter. . . . Like the U.S. single-mindedly putting together all our best energies to fulfill President Kennedy’s 1961 order. Or Disney and Facebook doing everything they can to assure they successfully bring to life their missions. Jesus never wavers from what he’s declared his purpose to be.

We’d do well to pay attention to our Lord’s way. . . . Look on the fifth page of the bulletin – right under the final details of our order for worship today. Since June, the reason this church exists and the vision this church has for ministry has been right there each week – followed by your core values which flow in and out of this church’s purpose. You all have worked hard these past several years since you undertook New Beginnings in 2010. You’ve listened and dreamed and discerned well in order to clarify who you are as a church and what God has created and is calling you to be about! Find page 5 of the bulletin so we can read your purpose out-loud together. . . . Join me: Welcome to worship among this church which exists to be a community growing in Christ through worship, study, and service in order to support each other and those of the surrounding community through life’s challenges so that the gracious love of God will be experienced! We value: participating in liturgically-based worship and music, learning and growing in faith, caring for one another, helping those in need, and coming together in fellowship. . . . Beautiful! And it’s refreshing to see that we’re not that far off from the mission statement of our Lord. Growing in Christ through worship, study, and service that we might be a little bit more like him each day in supporting one another and those beyond this membership through the challenges we face in life so that God’s gracious love will be experienced. Though it’s not quite as specific as Jesus’ quotation of the prophet Isaiah, this church’s mission and vision for future ministry is similar to the purpose of Christ. If not, we need a task force to change it immediately. For an organization that is the living presence of Christ in and for the world today should look a whole lot like him if it dares to claim his name.

In all that we do. In all that we are. We’ve got our marching orders. Our clear purpose. That to which we aspire. Our statement of mission which clearly tells all what we’re about. What difference in the lives of people we seek together to achieve. . . . The question is: how do you think we – this church – you are doing at growing in Christ through worship, study, and service so that you will better support each other and those of the surrounding community through life’s challenges for the gracious love of God to be experienced?

You alone can determine how much you’ve grown in Christ over the past months and years of being a part of this congregation. Like: do you see yourself more ready to give to one in need who crosses your path? Do you find yourself drawn to the company of others of this congregation not just because you have a need you hope they can fill, but also because they have a need you know you can fill? In the past few months, I hope you’ve seen the statistics and heard the stories of how many, who have been struggling, have been helped through your food bank and Thanksgiving baskets and financial assistance to those in need coming right up to the church’s office door and more! . . . I certainly hope you’ve been a part of the outpouring of love to members of this church who have been thrown into the storms that sometimes rage in this life. Like how beautiful to see you all come together to be God’s presence for the families these past weeks who have lost loved ones and others who have been going through significant difficulties. It was wonderful to see you take the gracious love of God to our homebound members over the holidays and to witness you living the love of God among the children being brought to us on Wednesday nights who need a safe, loving community just to let them be the precious children that they are. We are to live this church’s mission – aspiring to this vision of supporting each other and those of the surrounding community through life’s challenges so that the gracious love of God will be experienced each day as we walk through the regular days of our lives. . . . One of my favorite stories from a church member comes from a grocery store experience. A young, struggling momma, her hands literally full with her child; when some stranger approached. She said she was expecting the other person to come tell her to get it together and snap her child into line or something like that – she could feel that a whole lot of people were glaring at her and her melted-down child. Imagine her surprise and absolute relief when the older woman approaching stepped up to ask if she could push the grocery cart for her while she tried to complete her shopping list and tend to her child. The unexpected expression of kindness felt like literal salvation to that overly-stressed, completely frazzled young mother. . . . I love that story because it just goes to show that it doesn’t take an organized mission project by a church committee to support someone who is hanging on to life by one, last, fraying thread – kinda like Jesus did everywhere he went.

It’s what we are about. That to which we aspire. All we’re here to achieve. Our purpose is clear. . . . So, filled with the power of the Spirit, like our Lord, may we get out there to live our mission each day!

In the name of the life-giving Father, the life-redeeming Son, and the life-sustaining Spirit, Amen.

© Copyright JMN – 2016  (All rights reserved.)

Alternatives

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“Having studied . . . theologians who could not bend, his faith was shattered when the storms of life overwhelmed his doctrine. . . . He never saw an alternative to the God of the inflexible doctrines he learned.”

(A summary of Pastor Wilmot in John Updike’s book In the Beauty of the Lilies.)

I am loving this quote today! I hope that you have encountered the God that is far beyond all of our inflexible doctrines! It’s a hard way to have to learn to be open, but it is a beautiful, joyous journey into the Great Mystery!

RevJule

Keep Christmas Alive

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A Sermon for 3 January 2016 – Epiphany Sunday

A reading from the gospel of Matthew 2:1-12. Listen for God’s word to us.

“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.”

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

 

Just before the holidays in 2007, something extraordinary took place. We could call it a Christmas miracle! . . . The setting for this miraculous event wasn’t a stable in Bethlehem in the dead of winter. Rather a Starbucks drive-thru on an overcast day in South Florida. (www.huffingtonpost.com/arthur-rosenfeld/pay-it-backwards-an-act-o_b_151793.html) . . . On his way to teach a morning tai chi class, a gentleman decided to warm himself up with his favorite cup of Starbucks tea. It started like any other Starbucks drive-thru. “Welcome to Starbucks. Would you like a tall, venti, or grande?” The gentleman placed his order at the menu board then pulled up as far as he could to wait his turn to pay. No sooner did the gentleman place his order and pull up in the line as far as he could, than the guy in the SUV behind him started laying on the horn. He obviously had left home before having his first cup. Shouting all sorts of expletives, and throwing in a hand gesture or two for certain effect, the guy in the SUV apparently was ticked that he STILL wasn’t close enough to the menu board to place his order. . . . It was just a few days before Christmas – nerves sometime can be quite frayed. The tai chi centered gentleman in the car in front was about to get out to let SUV man have it. Teach him a lesson or two about messing with a martial arts master. In his own words he reports that “my heart beat was up, my hands were clamming, my muscles were tense, and the whole world had constricted down to the tiny business of completing my hostile mission.” One last time he glanced in his rearview mirror, when suddenly he noticed that the twisted, hate-filled angry face of the man in the SUV behind him had become the same one staring back at him in the features of his own face. In that moment, he didn’t like what he saw – hostile ill-will quickly rising in that Starbucks line. . . . As he pulled forward to pay for his own tea, he took out an extra $10 and told the barista to throw in the cost of the order for the guy behind him. Shocked, the barista reminded him of what a jerk SUV man was being. Was he sure? Especially because SUV man just had ordered breakfast and coffee for five – totaling a small fortune at Starbucks. The extra $10 wasn’t nearly enough to cover the cost of the order. . . . He didn’t have to do it. He could’ve just taken back his money and pulled away. No one would have been the wiser. Instead, in an act far exceeding the norm, he pulled out his credit card and told the barista to run it. After all, it was just a few days before Christmas. “Peace on earth, goodwill to all, and all that jazz.” It would be his unexpected gift of goodwill to all – not only to transform his own spirit, but maybe to do a little for the undeserving jerk in the SUV behind him. . . . The miracle was that when SUV man pulled forward, his face still seething in impatient anger, the barista explained to him to keep his own credit card because his order had been paid for by the gentleman in the car in front of him. Instantly the generous act melted SUV man’s heart. He insisted to pay for the order of the car behind him. It was the least he could do. And for the next several hours, in that little Starbucks drive-thru in South Florida, humankind was on fine display . . . as one driver after the other graciously accepted the unexpected gift, then in turn enacted the same generosity to the person in line behind them. . . . No angels showed up to herald the good news. But on that day, those who had driven through that Starbucks not only experienced, but they also, in turn, embodied the true spirit of giving. Christmas in a nutshell.

So many of us love Christmas because it is a time for seeing the generosity in people all around. There’s something about Christmas that makes many of us a little merrier. Even if we never will any other time of the year, at Christmas we more freely express our appreciation for one another. We’re kinder – even to total strangers. The whole world shines a little brighter. . . . Maybe it’s the carols that cheer us. Or the excitement in children that has the capacity to get under the toughest skin. I know a lot of us carry deep pain over loved ones lost that seems even harder to bear during the holidays. . . . And many of us get all stressed out trying to make for that one perfect night. . . . But if we’d stop long enough, we might realize that growing inside us is a desire to give to those around us as freely and as joyfully as was given to the world that first Christmas night. The true generosity of Christmas.

Today we’re nearing Epiphany – on January 6th when the twelve days of Christmas come to a close at least for this year. It’s the Sunday at last for the wise men. The ones for whom we can give great thanks – for that’s what they’re doing: embodying the generous spirit of Christmas! . . . Even if we typically have them right there in the nativity with the shepherds and the angel, the gospel of Matthew alone records the story of the travelers who came from afar under the glow of that star. Whether they arrived the night of the birth or a few years later, as is suggested by King Herod’s hateful edict to slay all the children two years old and younger. Whether there were three or a whole caravan of twelve as some scholars have suggested. We know that the gospel of Matthew places these generous gift-bearers at the start of the story – a significant way to begin the good news of what God is up to in the world and how God hopes for the world to respond. . . . They are foreigners from another land. Most probably professional star-gazers who spent their lives waiting for something. . . . Really it’s quite odd; their story half-plausible. I mean, why would anyone from so far away even care about a new star rising in the sky? And how did they know to link that star to a new king born of a little clan so far-off in Judea? It kinda makes you wonder what they already knew of the Messiah’s prophecy, as it’s entirely possible they were from what once was Babylon where Jewish exiles kept hope alive with stories of a Messiah someday to come set the world aright. Had these wise ones heard and hoped all along? Is that what caused them to risk such a trek and not be deterred until at last they reach the house where the child Jesus is? . . . “Overwhelmed with joy,” the scriptures read. “They saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage” (Mt. 2:10-11). Somehow they know something amazing is in their midst: a gift beyond measure that floods their spirits with the very same generosity. . . . With them they carry chests of treasure. Items they must have considered precious – worthy for a new born king. They offer the child gifts. . . . Even though Mary and Joseph know his impressive future, this display must have seemed as unexpectedly miraculous to them as the revolution of generosity in that Starbucks drive-thru a few years back.

Epiphany is about giving gifts – humankind’s real reason for generosity. For Epiphany is the story of the manifestation of God’s great gift spreading out into the world as the wise ones return from their Bethlehem trek – like a light expanding from its source to inspire us with overwhelming joy that we might live the same generosity as God’s amazing gift. . . . I’m sure many of us have taken down the trimmings of the season. We’ve packed away the Christmas carols and returned the less-than-satisfying gifts. The cheer of the season’s about worn off as it’s time to figure out how to pay off the incoming bills and get back to business as usual – at least for another three hundred-fifty-some days.  . . . But here we are with travelers from afar. Ones of exceeding wisdom whose gratitude moves them to act – to give their very best gifts in honor of the One who gave the greatest gift to us all. . . . We’d do well to spend some time with these wise ones. To meditate upon their example – not just for one season, but every day of the year. . . . Because wouldn’t it be awesome if even a few of us kept the generosity of Christmas alive all the days of the year? Wouldn’t it be remarkable if even a handful of us return from this year’s Bethlehem trek like a light from its source radiating something different because of what we’ve made such a fuss to celebrate? Wouldn’t that be the most wonderful miracle from Christmas this year?

One of the songs of the season that I fell in love with the instant I heard it – and most probably have shared with you before – includes these words: “Emmanuel. Prince of Peace. Love come down for you and me. Heaven’s gift: the holy Spark to light the way inside our hearts. Bethlehem, through your small door, came the hope we’ve waited for. The world was changed forevermore when love was born. I close my eyes and see the night when love was born” (When Love Was Born, Mark Schultz, WOW Christmas 2011). . . . Love come for you and me. Heaven’s gift: the holy Spark to light the way inside our hearts. . . . I wonder if God’s amazing gift just might be enough to overwhelm us with gratitude until our lives are changed each day and forevermore.

Happy Epiphany, brothers and sisters in Christ! . . . Every day let us live the Light of the Lord our God!

In the name of the life-giving Father, the life-redeeming Son, and the life-sustaining Spirit, Amen.

© Copyright JMN – 2016  (All rights reserved.)

 

Believe

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A Sermon for 20 December 2015 – 4th Sunday of Advent

A reading from the gospel of Luke 1:24-38. Listen for God’s word to us in what I assume is a very familiar story to us. Listen.

“After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.” In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.”

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

 The story continues with a reading from the gospel of Luke 1:39-56. Listen for God’s word to us.

“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 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 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 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. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.”

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

I’ve been captivated of late by Macy’s. . . . If you know anything about the department store, then perhaps you’re familiar with their Believe campaign. It’s been going on for nearly a decade and they splash it all over their red shopping bags. “Macy’s: A million reasons to Believe!” . . . It’s a confusing message – at least in my mind – because it seems an ad just to get us to buy more, maybe even as a sign of our belief? . . . My last few years of living in Chicago, I made it a personal ritual to visit Macys the mid-December day of their big sale on Christmas Frango candy-cane chocolates. Yum yum! They’re the best thing about living in Chicago! In the Macys stores there, you have to go downstairs to the candy counter to get the special Christmas mints which sit next to their jolly Santa display. “Believe!” says the red mail box in which we’re encouraged to drop our letters to Santa. It’s hard not to read it all as that whole “give me what I want, Santa,” thing. You know: his naughty and nice list, and the joy of jolly ole St. Nick bringing us exactly what we deserve this Christmas! For Macy’s it’s most certainly tied to that classic Christmas movie which declares: “There really is a Santa Clause, Virginia!” . . . Believe.

A few years ago, Macy’s even declared a National Believe Day. This year they introduced a magic believe pen as a part of it all too. And I so wanted to buy one just to see if, as in the commercial, the magic pen would brighten everybody’s day. For every letter dropped into the red Letters-to-Santa Believe box and a portion of every pen bought, Macy’s promises to donate to the Make a Wish Foundation. Then, on National Believe Day – which was two Fridays ago this year – through the Make a Wish Foundation, Macy’s makes wishes of children come true. Again: it might be a marketing ploy to get us in their doors – I know it makes me wanna race over to the mall to write my letter to Santa. Their donations are one way Macy’s is showing that the spirit of St. Nick is alive and well.

You know the legend, I hope of the Greek Bishop of Myra of the Fourth Century who during the night used to drop off gold coins and other items to families in need. That’s where Santa Clause came from, though it’s gotten way outta control in our market-driven economy. Macy’s National Believe Day, with their gifts to struggling children seems a perfect example of the generous spirit of giving which Saint Nicholas began. That’s something in which we all can believe!

The first time I learned about National Believe Day, was the year the whole nation learned of a place called Sandy Hook. The mass shooting at the elementary school there was three years ago. Something none of us ever wants to believe as a possibility in our world. Something entirely unacceptable, enraging to behold. Emergency vehicles everywhere. Parents searching. Children single-file holding hands as their teachers led them out safely to the fire station next door. We’ve seen the scene over and over since then – far too often. But it’s especially chilling to see such an atrocity at an elementary school among some of the youngest children of our country – all on National Believe Day. . . . Even this time of the year, we know it can be extra difficult to believe. Believe this Christmas will be merry despite the difficulties your family might have experienced this year. Believe the pain will dissipate – if only for those 24 Christmas day hours. Believe it’s all going to be ok.

Believe. . . . What we believe is so very important. What we believe shapes our choices. Our actions. Will we too give generously to another – especially one in need? Will we find a way to endure in the midst of the un-endurable? Will we hold our leaders to the promises they’ve made to us to ensure every child grows well into adulthood? . . . What we believe shapes our very lives. . . . And the truth we’re reminded of, especially today, is that every now and again, we need someone else to believe for us. To hold the torch of faith while our weary spirits doubt. It just might be so, that another’s belief, over time, can inspire us to believe again.

We hear it in Luke’s gospel. This lovely scene recorded alone by the gospel of Luke. . . . We don’t really know how pregnant Mary is at the time. It’s in Elizabeth’s sixth month that Mary is visited and asked to believe herself a part of the most impossible to believe. At some point after that, Mary scurries away. I wonder how long the trek took her – a week or two traveling to the hill country. . . . We don’t really know why she went. Was she trying to escape what most certainly would have been a lot of doubt-filled, shaming stares? Did her parents send her away, as used to be the case with so many other unwed teens? Maybe Mary was afraid to face Joseph so she split. Or did she just need time to herself to process how all this could be? Even the most certain among us second-guesses God’s mysterious ways now and again. . . . One commentator has suggested that Mary needed a little affirmation and went with haste to see the miracle of her old Aunt Elizabeth’s big belly (Feasting on the Word, Michael S. Bennett, p.94). The baby in Elizabeth’s barren womb was proof indeed that the God enlisting Mary in this most marvelous plan was the One able to turn the whole world upside-down until at last it all would be re-set aright.

It is wise old Elizabeth who hallows Mary first. When Elizabeth heard Mary had arrived, the one to be called John went crazy kicking in his mother’s womb. Elizabeth broke out into her own proclamation: “Blessed! Blessed are you! And blessed indeed is the little one growing in you, Mary! . . . Blessed is she who believed! (Luke 1:42-45). Maybe Mary had been rehearsing her song the whole trek long. I know a lot of us need to believe the mother of our Lord never wavered. Others of us take comfort in the plausibility that Mary’s own belief needs Elizabeth’s insistence. Kinda like all of us need now and again. Believe. . . . Believe in the goodness of God. In the favor God has for us. In the mercy God is that causes God to turn upside-down the wrongs of this world until it is re-set aright. . . . To believe that even what seems the most impossible is not beyond the possibility of our God.

It’s our job, O church, to believe. With Elizabeth to proclaim – especially during this season. For a world of people still find themselves in darkness. So many are filled with unbelief: the circumstances of their lives clouding their spirits so they feel as if there is no hope. Even us who doubt along this path that can throw us such curvy, windy ways. . . . We all need each other to believe.

It might seem unlikely. All the evidence may point to the contrary. Still, we can believe. We must. Emmanuel . . . God is with us. For us. In us – forevermore.

May our spirits be ready with Mary to rejoice! Our souls all set to magnify! For the Mighty has done great things for us. The promise is fulfilled. . . . This Christmas, let us all believe!

In the name of the life-giving Father, the life-redeeming Son, and the life-sustaining Spirit, Amen.

© Copyright JMN – 2015  (All rights reserved.)

 

Shaking the Foundations

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A Sermon for 13 December 2015 – Third Sunday of Advent

A reading from the gospel of Luke 3:7-18. Listen for God’s word to us.

“John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.”

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

 

I wonder if you have anyone in your life like my friend Rita. She’s a dear ole soul and I love her immensely. She’s an amazing listener really and always wants to know the most up-to-date goings on in my life. In some ways she’s like my Tennessee momma, because she’s my parents’ age and has that way of wanting to know all the kinds of things really nurturing mommas want to know. Rita’s great fun! But she’s got this one thing about her that I don’t always appreciate. She knows. Rita, in her own words, loves to slap ya’ up. She never does it literally, just figuratively when she senses you’re wallowing in your own pity party, or caught up in your own stuff, or not quite being the well-mannered person she believes we all need to be. She’s got no problem calling out your foibles – which she does for the sake of love, I know. I like when she wants to slap up others in my life who really need it because of their bad behavior but I never seem to have the guts to do it myself. She always volunteers. I just don’t always appreciate Rita stepping in to slap me up when I might really need it, but certainly don’t want it! She’s like the ever-nurturing mother who suddenly can turn stern to let you know it’s time you change your ways. And off she goes with her good ole’ fashion slapping! Really, do you have anyone in your life like this? Someone who knows you well enough and someone you know who loves you deeply – warts and all – so that they’re able to speak the truth you need to hear now and again when you wander off the path?

Maybe because the lectionary fears not enough of us have Ritas in our lives who will slap us up when necessary, we get John the Baptist each Advent. Crying out in the wilderness to get ready to walk in the ways of the Lord! Sometimes I just can’t believe the way he talked to his listeners and got away with it! “You brood of vipers,” he starts out. Name-calling: children of slithering snakes! . . . These people came to him to be baptized – they wanted to do something and he talks to them like that?! I certainly wouldn’t appreciate it, say if Christmas Eve, one of our favorite worship services of the year, the preacher got up here to tell us all: “You little snakes! Who warned you to flee from a horrible end?” . . . The thing that is absolutely amazing is that they listen! The wildman in the wilderness tells them that nothing they relied upon before is enough and they listen!?! They beg to know what they need to do.

If only it would be that easy. That we could be bullied and terrified into an open stance so that we really would cry out: tell us then what we should do! I mean, we know, don’t we? One commentator writes of our annual Advent visit from John the Baptist that “there is no getting to Bethlehem and the sweet baby in the manger without first hearing the rough prophet in the wilderness calling us to repentance. . . . Trying to avoid or sugarcoat John’s words is just not possible. Faithful and fruitful arrival at the manger will be possible only after the careful self-examination and recommitment called for by John” (Feasting on the Word, Yr. C, Vol, 1; Kathy Beach-Verhey, p. 69). We know we have to make our hearts ready if we want to stand in Bethlehem with any sense of wonder, gratitude, and joy. But as we’re just a dozen shopping days shy of Christmas Eve, who really has the time? Here alone this week we have the Christmas Joy lunch right after this, followed by a session meeting for some of us, and assembling care gifts for our homebound members this afternoon too. Then getting ready for Wednesday’s Christmas cookie exchange, and an end of the year Dinner Club party next Saturday. If you’re in the choir, you’ve got notes to get right for your upcoming pieces next Sunday and Christmas Eve too. And that’s just here! Hopefully you’re almost ready at home! If you don’t have your packages shipped soon, you know delivery by Christmas Eve cannot be guaranteed. And while all of it can be great fun and very meaningful to participate in the wonderful traditions of Christmas in the church and in our individual lives, we’re right here hearing from John the Baptist to change our ways! With his crowds, we might be wondering: “What should we do?” Focus, of course, on the love of God and the love and care of neighbors because nothing else is enough!

It’s Advent, but today John takes us back to our baptisms. He reminds us that we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire. We made promises – or had them made for us as children and confirmed them later for ourselves – that Jesus Christ is the One we follow. He’s all that can save us – not our own efforts to make the most perfect Christmas or any other day of the year. We promised we would turn from the ways of the world (renouncing evil and its power in this world) and turn to the Way of the One who lived simply among us — embracing life as the most precious gift to be savored as we seek connection with God and each other. We promised, in our baptisms and confirmations, that we would “be Christ’s faithful disciples, obeying his Word and showing his love” as The PCSUA Book of Common Worship’s baptismal vows go (1993, p. 407, #1). Which means that even in these final Advent days, we will put first Christ’s call to follow in the footsteps of his self-emptying love for the sake of Life in this world – for the sake of those who experience little love in this world and need the reminder that Light always outshines any darkness. All is well because God-in-flesh has come to dwell with us! And God, in the Holy Spirit will keep on working in us until all that is unfaithful in us is blown away in the same way chaff is parted from the wheat in winnowing to leave the wholesome grain. . . .

Something I read this week suggested we actually include a renewal of our baptismal vows in worship today – not only to satisfy John the Baptist’s insistent instruction, but also to align ourselves more firmly during this time of the year which is ours – which belongs to Christ Jesus our Lord, but has become so incredibly consumed by the societal pressure to buy and sell and get ready to get instead. . . . If we were to do so, I’d go over by this baptismal font and ask you to respond to these questions: “trusting in the gracious mercy of God, do you turn from the ways of sin and renounce evil and its power in the world? Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Lord and Savior, trusting alone in his grace and love? Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple, obeying his Word and showing his love?” (The PCSUA Book of Common Worship, 1993, p. 407, #1.) Because especially at this time of the year our families and friends and neighborhoods and countries need to see something else in the midst of these busy holidays. They need to see the kind of generosity we see in the face of a newborn child being swaddled by his willing mother in a cave out back because there was no other place for them. They need to see the kind of awe the angels observed on the faces of simple shepherds who were overcome that they too would have a role to play in the drama of God’s grace. They need to see peace that resides in each one of us because the Light broke into this world that cold, dark night to let us know that God’s final word to us is love: good will; for the favor of God rests upon us all! We need to re-commit ourselves these very days to the vows of our baptisms so that the whole world can see that God’s endeavor to live among us anew was not in vain. Our lives are the proof! . . . What then should we do? Once again, say yes! Say yes! Say yes; then go forth faithfully to love and serve the LORD! Children of the covenant; followers of the Way!

In the name of the life-giving Father, the life-redeeming Son, and the life-sustaining Spirit, Amen.

© Copyright JMN 2015  (All rights reserved.)

Guide Our Feet Into the Way of Peace

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A Sermon for 6 December 2015 – 2nd Sunday of Advent

A reading from the gospel of Luke 1:68-79. Listen for God’s word to us as we hear this proclamation from the priest Zechariah on the birth of his son John the Baptist. Listen.

“”Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. God has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus God has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness before God all our days. 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. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.””

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

 

A Washington Post article appeared early this week that I found very disturbing. (The Washington Post, Christopher Ingraham, “There have been 334 days and 351 mass shootings so far this Year,” 30 Nov. 2015). It came out Monday, before the event at the special needs facility in San Bernardino, California. The article was a piece on mass shootings in America in 2015. The article defined mass shootings as “incidents in which four or more people, including the gunman, are killed or injured by gunfire.” According to the article, it’s a definition a bit broader than some sources that reduce the definition of mass shootings to incidents that only count deaths and not injuries by shooters. And while I’m sure there are good reasons why the difference is delineated, four or more killed or injured, versus four or more killed seems unnecessary hairsplitting really when we’re talking about such unacceptable degradation of human life. You probably remember the shooting at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs Thanksgiving week. And maybe you remember the shooting at the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in June when nine people were ruthlessly killed while at a Wednesday night prayer meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. Maybe you even remember the last school shooting this year on October 1 at a small community college in Roseburg, Oregon where ten people were killed and seven others injured before the shooter killed himself. If you remember only those, then you might be shocked to learn that according to the article in The Washington Post, as of November 30; there have been 351 mass shootings in America in 2015’s 334 days. That’s an average of more than one a day – a number that already has surpassed the total number of shootings in 2014 and is well above how many took place in 2013. Though we only may have heard of the one shooting in Colorado Springs the day after Thanksgiving, the article reported that there actually were twelve mass shootings in our country during the week of Thanksgiving. . . . Could the poetry of Zechariah have fallen upon us at a more opportune time, so that we might join our prayers with his words in calling out to God: “Guide our feet into the way of Peace!” (Luke 1:79).

Peace.

Ten years ago, one pastor sent me these words and since receiving them, I have kept them close: “Peace. It’s not the absence of conflict or an enemy threatened or pummeled into submission. Not a boot squarely and securely placed on the neck slowly squeezing life from a hostile windpipe. It is the overwhelming desire for and commitment to overcoming violent differences via communication, risk, trust. A reciprocal recognition of inherent worth and mutuality; the bell that tolls for the demise of ego, pride, greed, and, most of all, fear” (“Peace,” by Todd Jenkins, 2005). Peace.

Might it be possible that the opposite of peace isn’t violence but ego, pride, greed, and most of all, fear? . . . Zechariah gave great thanks to God for a history of rescuing the people from the hands of their enemies in order to serve God without fear. In other words, in peace. More than once, according to the long history of their people which we come to know in Scripture as our own history too. God sets us free in order to serve the LORD without fear – in peace. The prophet Isaiah long ago spoke for God to the people reminding of the way we are to be repairers of the breach, restorers of streets to live in (Isaiah 58:12). Healing springs up quickly, the prophet proclaims (Isaiah 58:8), when we live in ways that bear our name: repairs of the breach – those broken places. Restorers of streets to live in. . . . We are to be people who live peace – that overwhelming desire for and commitment to overcoming violent differences via communication, risk, and trust. It is like that beloved Christmas carol charges: Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us!

But how? We can’t storm into everyone’s homes and take away weapons. We can’t round up all the troubled young men – as seems to be the profile of those who commit these mass shootings – we can’t round up anyone we might suspect as a potential threat and suddenly fix whatever’s broken in them that would conceive such destructive violence. What can we – a little ban of followers of the Prince of Peace do as we seek to serve God without fear? What can we do that all feet might be guided into the way of Peace?

I think the first thing all of us must do is pray –because prayer changes things – it has the power to change the very energy in the atmosphere around us. . . . Sometimes I wonder if the world around us is getting more violent because the world inside us all is becoming more violent. It is as if the very air we breathe has become toxic. It seeps into our bodies, minds, and spirits until we don’t want to talk to those who are different from us. We don’t dare risk and we definitely find it difficult to trust. While twenty minute segments work best, even five minutes a day seeking to cultivate interior quiet allows the Spirit of God to work in us. To pull out the negativity that gets in from outside and pops up from inside too. It’s like the silence just rakes that all away for the beautiful calm of God to pervade us instead. We must start there because we serve the One who started there all the time. According to the gospels, all the time, Jesus was out somewhere communing in quiet with God. Some churches have begun weekly centering prayer groups as part of their peacemaking ministry efforts. The groups cultivate inner peace as a first step in affecting any sort of peace between families and communities and countries. Anyone can do this – this simple act of peace through quiet, centering prayer. And if you want to give it a try but don’t know how, or feel like you haven’t been successful at it in the past, then let me know and we’ll learn and practice together.

From such a place of inner peace, we can begin praying for others who need peace. 351 mass shootings, and a few more this week too –if it’s just the minimum number of people killed or injured in each shooting, that means that at least 1,500 families all across this nation this year are trying to figure out how to go through these holidays for the first time since losing their loved one to the unspeakable violence done to them at the hand of another person. That’s a lot of grieving parents – a lot of hurting siblings – a lot of grandparents whose hearts are breaking this year over the loss of their loved one.

You know the story of the peace crane, I’m sure. Tomorrow marks the anniversary of our nation being bombed at Pearl Harbor. Well, the peace crane is a paper crane one little girl in Hiroshima, Japan lifted up on her deathbed as a way to work for peace in the world. She started out hoping to make 1,000 of them to bring about her own wish for healing from the cancer she developed, which was believed to be a result of her exposure to the atomic bomb. Upon her death, her classmates took up her cause. The children collected enough money to build a statue in her honor that reads: “This is our cry, this is our prayer: Peace in the world” (www.budddhistcouncil.org). . . . What child doesn’t want to grow up in a world free from violence? There are easy instructions online of how to make the origami peace cranes and wouldn’t it be an interesting Advent practice to make a crane each day as you pray for peace and for those reeling from the loss these mass murders have brought? You even might consider making a paper peace crane each day with the name of a child you know on it – maybe even with the name of one of the children of this church or of the children of the community who are coming to be with us on Wednesday nights – as you pray for their daily safety and self-esteem as they seek to grow in the world we’re giving them.

I know not everyone gets excited about peacemaking – because after all, memories of “peace protests” in our nation’s history can leave a bitter taste. But did you know that the Presbyterian Church has a long history of peacemaking ministries? Since 1983, more than 4,500 PCUSA congregations around the United States have signed the Commitment to Peacemaking. Because, as a denomination, we believe that “peacemaking is not a peripheral issue but a central declaration of the gospel” of Jesus Christ (www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/peacemaking/pdf/commitment.pdf; p. 3). Congregations commitment to everything from worship expressing God’s desire for our peace, to peacemaking pledges offered to families as guides for how to live together at home, to study of global issues that affect human rights, to being a part of local peacemaking ministries however the church chooses to define such efforts. Congregations who take the pledge begin to see that everything they do to build relationships and uplift the needs of the downtrodden and learn about living together is done as ways of making peace. As ones praying to God to guide our feet into the way of peace.

It’s not enough for us to turn off the news. Or helplessly wring our hands when we hear of another shooting. Or shake our heads naively believing it could never happen here. It is our call to join our best efforts – to use our hearts and minds and creative imaginations as we call out to God to guide our feet into the way of Peace! Guide our feet into the way of Peace. Teach us, LORD, show us this Advent the way we are to walk as the ones who follow the great gift of Peace. . . . Let peace be our prayer, our commitment, our overwhelming desire.

In the name of the life-giving Father, the life-redeeming Son, and the life-sustaining Spirit, Amen.

© Copyright JMN – 2015  (All rights reserved.)

My Emancipation From American Christianity

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Hmmmmm. Interesting article. What do you all think?

Source: My Emancipation From American Christianity

Not of this World?

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A Sermon for 22 November 2015 – Christ the King Sunday

A reading from the gospel of John 18:33-37. We break into the portion of the gospel when Jesus has been brought before Pilate to be condemned to crucifixion. Already Pilate has been outside to talk to the religious leaders who have brought Jesus to the local Roman ruler. And Pilate’s wondered if this man isn’t innocent. He returns to his headquarters to speak to Jesus directly. Listen for God’s word to us.

“Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

 

There’s a couple in my new neighborhood who have been really welcoming to me. The first day when I was moving in some boxes, they walked by and made a point to introduce themselves. Then a few weeks ago they stopped in to tell me of an upcoming neighborhood potluck. I didn’t know for sure where they lived until one morning when I passed by a house and the man was outside doing something to his car. He’s always so chipper – no matter the early hour. It’s impressive to me as I barely am awake most mornings when I’m out there walking my dog. One day I noticed a sticker on the back window of their car. It reads: “Not of this world.” . . . I’ve been a little confused as to what exactly they intend with their sticker. Especially because it’s on the back window of their sleek, silver Infiniti, which leaves me wondering if they bought the car to keep themselves focused on infinity, as in eternity; or if they really are focused on a luxury vehicle and the sticker is just an after-thought.

I’m not so sure I like the sticker – what with a long Christian history of abuse of physical matter in this world due to misguided understandings of God. After all, if spirit was all good and matter was all bad, God never would have created physical matter. This beautiful earth with all its creatures including us, who are an interesting elixir of spirit and matter. The breath of God breathed into the soil of the earth, according to the Genesis 2 telling of it (Genesis 2:7). If the world was all bad and the spirit was all that was good, then certainly God wouldn’t have taken on our physical flesh in Jesus the Christ. I know we focus a lot on his death and resurrection, but he really was a living human being – like each one of us. It must have been so cool to be him – excited each day to wake up in a home with parents around him, and feet to put on the ground, and taste buds to take in that first sip of whatever it was he’d drink each morning. He finally had ears to hear the sweet songs of the birds and muscles to feel the strain of physical labor – the wood in his hands as he worked alongside his dad. He could feel the hot sun on his back as they built and notice the beautiful colors as it began to set each night. He had a brain to think and try to keep calm. And a heart beating in the center of his chest with which he could feel the full range of human emotions. I do believe that if God didn’t value the physical stuff of this world – including all the stuff of human flesh, then God never would have chosen to be in-fleshed among us in Jesus the Christ. . . . I don’t like stickers that lead people to believe that the matter of this world somehow needs to be escaped. Because we wouldn’t need to waste any time on Advent and Christmas if that was the case. . . . For God so loved this world, God in Christ came to us in a new and wonderful way!

It’s Christ the King Sunday – the final Sunday of the liturgical year. It’s the culmination of the cyclical story that takes us in Advent through the waiting, waiting, waiting for God to act among us in a new way, to the in-breaking of Christ as a baby in Bethlehem, to his radical way of living among us which led directly to his death but could not be the end for a God who is Life and would start something amazing among us through the Spirit so that we would grow together in this world to walk that same radical path of love. Today we remember Christ is King! He reigns supreme with the strongest power known in the universe. Not force, in which the powers of this world put all their hope; but love.

This year in the Christ the King lectionary, we’re taken right to the judgment seat of Pilate. Here in the gospel of John a seemingly private conversation between Jesus and Pilate is recorded. . . . It might be helpful to remember that John is the latest written gospel and it begins with that beautiful poetry of “In the beginning” (John 1:1-14). There was God. There was Word. There was Spirit and the outflow of their love created the world. The continuing outflow of their love caused it to be that Word would take on flesh to dwell among us. . . . Jesus attempts to explain this to Nicodemus when Nicodemus comes to him in the shadow of night trying to understand what Jesus might be up to. As the gospel of John records the story, it’s the first teaching of Jesus and it begins like this: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above” (John 3:3). If you’re scratching your head going: “Huh?” Don’t be alarmed. Supposedly Nicodemus was a part of those who devoted their whole lives to understanding God and he’s just as confused as the next.

In her book entitled The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind, Cynthia Bourgeault makes the case that Jesus isn’t just the Savior of the world – here to die and be raised to new life for us, as we’ve primarily come to emphasize in the Christian tradition of the West. Jesus also is a wisdom teacher – one among us to perk our consciousness that we might come to know how to live. How to follow the path of his Way. It’s why so much of what Jesus teaches is hard for us to grasp. People seek to take him at face value like he’s a teacher who rattles off fact after concrete literal fact. When wisdom teachers speak, according to Bourgeault, “pithy sayings, puzzles, and parables” all for the sake of the transformation of the human being (The Wisdom Jesus, p. 23). Bougeault points out that much of Western Christianity has seen the kingdom of God in one of two different ways. She writes: “A lot of Christians . . . assume that the Kingdom of Heaven (or of God) means the place where you go when you die – if you’ve been good.” . . . Others “equate the Kingdom of Heaven with an earthly utopia . . . a realm of peace and justice, where human beings live together in harmony and fair distribution of economic assets” (Ibid., p. 30). I’ve heard of both, haven’t you? In fact, one or the other, or both, seem the concern of Pilate. He’s Rome’s representative in Jerusalem, after all. If Jesus is a King, he needs to know if the Caesarea has anything to be worried about.

As Jesus stands before Pilate, he’s asked: “Are you the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33). In the vein of a true teacher of wisdom, Jesus turns back the question on the questioner: “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” (John 18:34). He might as well have been saying: “What do you think, Pilate? You see the leaders out there wanting to do me in. Am I the King of the Jews?” Insisting Jesus reveal his crimes, Jesus finally tells Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. That’s easy enough to see or else my followers would be here storming the gates to free me. Using the very same force Rome and the powers of this world rely upon” (John 18:36). . . . I wish the gospel writer would have used a word other than the same one used in the rest of the gospel of John. Like instead of saying: “The Word was in the world, and the world came into being through him . . . And for God so loved the world” (John 1 & 3); I wish the word on Jesus’ lips before Pilate would have been translated society. Culture. Even way, as in: “my kingdom is not like your way.” Anything to keep us from thinking that Jesus wants nothing to do with the physical stuff of this world. His kingdom is not of this world in the sense of the norms, rituals, and values of so much of our society. But it is right here and now; in this world. . . . He says it himself when elsewhere the Pharisees ask him when the Kingdom of God will arrive. Luke 17:20-21 records his answer as: “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed . . . for in fact, the kingdom of God is within you.” . . . In Putting on the Mind of Christ, Jim Marion suggests a third way to think about it. He concludes that the kingdom of God might just be “a metaphor for a state of consciousness . . . a whole new way of looking at the world, a transformed awareness that literally turns this world into a different place” . . . an awareness that sees no separation between God and humans, and humans and other humans. (The Wisdom Jesus, pp. 30-31). It’s a Oneness. A mutual indwelling, which Jesus tells his followers about a few chapters earlier in the gospel of John when they gather together that fatal night. He tells them: “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you . . . abide in me” (John 14:20; 15:4). When we’re aware of that kind of oneness – when we’re living that kind of unified sense, then the kingdom of God indeed is in us.

I want to believe that’s how my new neighbors mean it as they dash around the neighborhood in their Infiniti. It could be the source of the man’s cheeriness every morning. For maybe when he greets me, he realizes I’m no stranger. Not some other who moved into the house one of his dear friends had to move out of in order to sell it. Maybe he sees us as one. Knows we’re not of this world because we’re in Christ and Christ in us; which makes us foreigners really to the ways propped up as heroic in the society in which we live. Maybe we’re both celebrating today that Christ is King – the One reigning in the kingdom that is present in us each and every day because we are citizens first of that Way. I want to believe we’ve both heard that truth from the lips of the One who deeply loves the physical, living matter of this world – you and me and all this precious earth. The One who shows us how to live in this world as ones not of this world. That’s Christ our King.

In the name of the life-giving Father, the life-redeeming Son, and the life-sustaining Spirit, Amen.

© Copyright JMN – 2015  (All rights reserved.)