Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
1 Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God.
3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
Matthew 5:13-20
13“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
*********
They’ve become Emeril Lagasse’s signature phrases. “Let’s kick it up a notch!” And the audience goes wild. Then “Bam!” as he throws some Cajun spices into the pan. For our food and our coffee, the word of the day is “Bold!” Bold flavors. Watch any cooking show from Worst Cooks in America to Iron Chef to Bobby Flay to Alton Brown. One of the keys to great food is proper seasoning. And the key seasoning is salt.
Now I know we hear regularly in the media how Americans have too much sodium in their diet, and that it’s a major contributor to high blood pressure. And I’m one of those who have to worry. But the reality of life is that we need salt in our diet to survive (we just don’t need quite as much as we consume).
Salt has been an important spice for millennia not only for its ability to preserve food, but to season it as well. Of course, today there’s no longer just simple table salt; now we have sea salt, and kosher salt, and even Himalayan salt blocks. But in the end it’s all about salt’s ability to enhance other flavors. Take out the salt and, frankly, food is just bland and unappetizing.
You are the salt of the earth! Yes, you. Just like we heard with the Beatitudes last week, this is a description, not instruction, not command. You already are the salt of the earth, salt that seasons life. So what does it mean to be salt, to give flavor to life? In his book, “I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church,” author Paul Nixon writes that vital churches are ones that choose bold over mild. Would you call our worship bold? Do we give bold flavor to the community here in Hector/Lodi? How does one even know?
You are the light of the world. Well, maybe that’s a little easier to relate to than salt. Light in the darkness is a symbol of hope. With so much uncertainty and suffering and struggle and death in the news every day what is needed most is hope. As followers of Christ we are called to be light for a world in need of good news. How do we embody light for the world, or even salt for the earth? According to Jesus, it’s through the mercy we show, the love we share, the justice we do.
The interesting thing about salt and light is you don’t need much. Just a pinch of salt brings out the flavor in foods. Even one candle does much to dispel the darkness. We don’t need to act heroically in the presence of a crazed shooter, or to protest against the government for human rights. It’s the little things God works through each of us to help another person. Even if we feel our efforts are minor or our congregation is too small to do much, we are capable of more than we can imagine through God’s Spirit.
Last Thursday we had a little excitement at the Office for the Aging luncheon here in fellowship hall. One woman wasn’t feeling well at the end of the meal. Others in the room went over to help, saw her symptoms and called 911. Folks stayed with the woman even though they had places to go, things to do. Within a few minutes the volunteer ambulance crew came. They assessed the situation and then expertly convinced the woman to let them take her to the hospital. As it turns out there was nothing seriously wrong, but the hospital was concerned enough to keep her overnight. Several of you freely gave of your time to help someone in need. I know you think that’s just what we do here and have been doing for a long time. Sometimes, though, we need to be reminded: this is how we are a light in the world.
This also points to another truth about salt and light – their benefit is not for themselves but for what is around them. Salt gives flavor to foods. We use it not so much for the taste of salt, but for the way it brings out the flavor of whatever you put it on. Put a little on something sweet and it doesn’t turn it salty; it actually makes the food even sweeter tasting. We light a candle not for the candle itself, but for the way the light drives back the dark and illumines everything in the room.
Our works are not for ourselves, or to make us look good. They are to help others and point people to God. Archbishop William Temple said, "The church is the only organization on earth that exists for those who are not its members." Before we read from Matthew, we heard God speaking through the prophet Isaiah. What is the best expression of faith? It’s not to go through the motions, which at that time was to fast. No, it’s to share bread with the hungry, provide shelter for the homeless, clothe the naked.
We have a couple in our church who have suggested renting a trailer and setting up a thrift store in our parking lot selling used clothing. It’s ambitious, involves some logistical challenges, and will take some volunteer time to sort through the donations, but we know there is need in our community. We see it every month at our food pantry, and twice a year when the mobile food truck comes.
When Jesus talks about salt and light, he offers a warning, possibly even a threat. If salt loses its saltiness, then it’s only fit to be tossed out and trampled underfoot. Of course, with the snow and ice we’ve had that salt would still doing something useful. But I suppose you could interpret Jesus to mean we are to take seriously our call to mission. But I struggle with how salt can lose its saltiness. Salt is a pretty stable compound, and about the only way to change that is to electro-chemically split the sodium from the chloride. Perhaps what is being described is an absurdity. Like lighting a candle and putting it under a bushel. Not only will it not serve any purpose, but it’s liable to go out or set the bushel on fire!
Salt can’t be anything but salty. A light illumines. We who follow Christ can’t lose our character as salt and light for the world, because that’s who God has created us, gifted us, and called us to be. "You are the salt of the earth! You are the light of the world. That's the way it is and that's the way it will stay. Period."(1) We can’t not be salt and light.
So now I have an assignment for you for the week. I want you to record examples of where God has worked through you to help someone else. Write it down on paper, type it into your computer. Then I would like to encourage you to send it to Pastor Nancy or myself so we can start a Salt & Light Log. Start talking about it during the coffee hour. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God.”
*********
(1) David Lose from workingpreacher.org, “Salt & Light” as is the idea of a Salt & Light log.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Sermon Jan 30
Micah 6:1-8 p 757
6Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3“O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! 4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.”
6“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 8He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? This is the word…..
Matthew 5:1-12 p 785
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. This is the word….
In 1985, Robert Schuller authored a book based on today’s text. Dr Schuller titled it “The Be-Happy Attitudes”. And that is a reasonable translation—and a catchy title. For the word we read as “blessed” can also mean happy, or fortunate. And Schuller was indeed fortunate. He grew a church in Garden Grove, California, into the first of its kind- a mega-church- which we know as the Crystal Cathedral. He influenced and comforted thousands of people with his church, his preaching and his television ministry.
When Jesus went up on the mountain, it was after a time of teaching and preaching and healing. Although I don’t believe his preaching was on tv.
A few weeks ago, we heard Jesus say: “Come and See”. Apparently, the people liked what they saw—and told their families—and their friends—and their friends—to the point that crowds from all over- from Israel and Samaria and Syria--are following Jesus.
Jesus is up on the mountain top. Like Moses. But this time, no thunder, no lightning, no clouds.
No, Jesus is sitting down on the mountain top, talking with the disciples and the crowds- but what he says is easily as earth shattering as any storm of thunder and lightning.
Because what Jesus is doing is setting the whole world upside down.
Jesus sees the crowds, and goes up to the mountain top to teach. And he begins teaching them in a way that is familiar to them. Traditional Middle Eastern instruction uses proverbs to teach an idea. In the Middle East, and in our own Bible, the Wisdom tradition is represented in proverbs—we have in our bible the book of Proverbs.
And this tradition teaches that if you behave in a certain way, then you will receive certain things. We teach our own children this way. It makes sense to us. Modern proverbs might be “blessed is the one who checks the air in his tires, for his journey will be a pleasant one,” or, “Blessed is the one who does not text while driving, for his insurance shall remain low.”
Wisdom tradition, as shown in those traditional proverbs, has it that you can deduce a lot about a person by his or her condition in the world. If you are rich, have a lot of healthy children, have a spouse who loves you, then God must be smiling on you—and God is smiling on you because you have lived a righteous life. And if you are poor, or ill, or alone, then God is not smiling on you, and it is because you have done wrong. You have sinned. You have not been righteous, and things will not get better until you repent, stop your sinning, and change your ways. And the way that we can tell that you are a sinner is because we can see your condition.
Jesus turns all this upside down. Jesus says to the people who are following him, and to us: You are blessed. You already are blessed, God already loves you. Even when your life doesn’t show it, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Jesus takes apart that cause and effect logic that we like so well. We like that logic because it makes sense—run with scissors, somebody’s going to get hurt. Jump on the couch, you’re gonna fall down. That’s the way the world is.
In our world, Jesus’ wisdom words don’t make sense. The meek don’t inherit much of anything- they just get stepped on. Those who long for justice & righteousness keep on being hungry and thirsty. In this world, the merciful most often get kicked in the teeth. How can you be glad when people revile you, and testify falsely against you? That’s a libel lawsuit, not something to be happy about.
But as Christians, we are used to having the world turned upside down—or at least I hope we are. Because we are a people who stand at a funeral and sing “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” We are a people who hold a little baby in church, and 2,000 years after the event, we say “Christ has died for you, little one, yes, you who have no knowledge of it yet”. We don’t believe six impossible things before breakfast, as the Queen says in Alice in Wonderland. But we do believe that an impoverished, unemployed preacher, a crucified savior, an absolute failure in the eyes of the world, is the One who lives and rules and makes all things new.
And what Jesus tells the crowd, is that even when you do walk in God’s ways, your life will not be a walk in the park. His blessing, Jesus’ be-happy attitude, is not always happy. This sermon serves as both blessing and warning. When Jesus said “Come and see”, when he said “Come and follow me and I will make you fish for people”—well, this is the fine print at the end of the contract. This is the disclaimer: warning: life in the kingdom of heaven will not always be happy. This is not the Kingdom of Disney. It is the kingdom of God.
The people who are coming to see Jesus that day are have traveled a long way to hear him and are suffering for it. The disciples have left their nets, and their families, and are here on a hillside. The people in the gospel writer Matthew’s community are being punished for their following of Jesus. They are getting thrown out of their synagogues, their families. People are saying things about them, refusing to do business with them. They are suffering—being persecuted, being rejected. All for following Christ.
This is something we have a hard time understanding. We live in America. We do not have to hide, it is not against the law, we do not have to register at the courthouse. Christians in Iraq are persecuted. It is illegal to be a Christian in Egypt. In India, the growing edge of Christianity is among the dalits- the untouchables—they were persecuted and oppressed, so a religion based on a suffering Savior makes sense to them.
Jesus words on the mount that day are a warning: you will mourn, you will be reviled and rejected. But they also are a promise: you are blessed, right now—and you will be fed, you will be filled, you will be comforted, you will inherit.
When I worked as a chaplain in a hospital in Atlanta, I served not only the patients and their families, but also the staff as well. If I was on-call on Sunday, I led a worship service for whatever staff could come. Most often, it was the techs, the nurse’s aides, the cleaning ladies. They would give up their lunch time to be able to come to chapel. And when I would see them in the hall, I would ask them “How are you doing?” and I would hear this: “I’m too blessed to be a mess.” And there were times I would be shocked- because in chapel that morning, I had heard their stories- a son in jail, a car being repossessed, loss of custody of a child, a bad diagnosis. And yet these people, on the lowest end of the hospital totem pole, would be the ones testifying, witnessing to the blessings they were receiving. Because they knew the truth- the truth of the Beatitudes—which is that you are not solely what your life looks like, one cannot determine how righteous you are, how right with God you are, just by looking at your bank account, or your life situation. That is good news.
The Beatitudes are an assurance and a promise. And they are also something else. They are about behavior, but this is not a list of nine things to be or do in order to fit into God’s world. Instead Jesus is showing us how life is different in God’s world. Remember, Jesus has said “the kingdom of heaven has come near.” And in this near kingdom, how we live matters. Because we matter --to God. And this is good news.
Just like we heard in Micah- do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with our God—this is what life in the kingdom looks like, behaves like. The coming of the kingdom of heaven and the doing of the heavenly will are inseparable. As ones who are blessed, not for what we do, but for who we are, beloved children, we are to act out of that blessedness.
Because what is here, the Beatitudes, is not all that Jesus has to say, up on that mountain. The Sermon goes on. In the coming weeks, we will hear them. There are some hard sayings: love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. Those are hard words. But they are to give the people gathered on that mountain—and us—comfort and assurance and hope. The blessing enables us to go forward to live as we are called to live.
6Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3“O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! 4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.”
6“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 8He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? This is the word…..
Matthew 5:1-12 p 785
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. This is the word….
In 1985, Robert Schuller authored a book based on today’s text. Dr Schuller titled it “The Be-Happy Attitudes”. And that is a reasonable translation—and a catchy title. For the word we read as “blessed” can also mean happy, or fortunate. And Schuller was indeed fortunate. He grew a church in Garden Grove, California, into the first of its kind- a mega-church- which we know as the Crystal Cathedral. He influenced and comforted thousands of people with his church, his preaching and his television ministry.
When Jesus went up on the mountain, it was after a time of teaching and preaching and healing. Although I don’t believe his preaching was on tv.
A few weeks ago, we heard Jesus say: “Come and See”. Apparently, the people liked what they saw—and told their families—and their friends—and their friends—to the point that crowds from all over- from Israel and Samaria and Syria--are following Jesus.
Jesus is up on the mountain top. Like Moses. But this time, no thunder, no lightning, no clouds.
No, Jesus is sitting down on the mountain top, talking with the disciples and the crowds- but what he says is easily as earth shattering as any storm of thunder and lightning.
Because what Jesus is doing is setting the whole world upside down.
Jesus sees the crowds, and goes up to the mountain top to teach. And he begins teaching them in a way that is familiar to them. Traditional Middle Eastern instruction uses proverbs to teach an idea. In the Middle East, and in our own Bible, the Wisdom tradition is represented in proverbs—we have in our bible the book of Proverbs.
And this tradition teaches that if you behave in a certain way, then you will receive certain things. We teach our own children this way. It makes sense to us. Modern proverbs might be “blessed is the one who checks the air in his tires, for his journey will be a pleasant one,” or, “Blessed is the one who does not text while driving, for his insurance shall remain low.”
Wisdom tradition, as shown in those traditional proverbs, has it that you can deduce a lot about a person by his or her condition in the world. If you are rich, have a lot of healthy children, have a spouse who loves you, then God must be smiling on you—and God is smiling on you because you have lived a righteous life. And if you are poor, or ill, or alone, then God is not smiling on you, and it is because you have done wrong. You have sinned. You have not been righteous, and things will not get better until you repent, stop your sinning, and change your ways. And the way that we can tell that you are a sinner is because we can see your condition.
Jesus turns all this upside down. Jesus says to the people who are following him, and to us: You are blessed. You already are blessed, God already loves you. Even when your life doesn’t show it, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Jesus takes apart that cause and effect logic that we like so well. We like that logic because it makes sense—run with scissors, somebody’s going to get hurt. Jump on the couch, you’re gonna fall down. That’s the way the world is.
In our world, Jesus’ wisdom words don’t make sense. The meek don’t inherit much of anything- they just get stepped on. Those who long for justice & righteousness keep on being hungry and thirsty. In this world, the merciful most often get kicked in the teeth. How can you be glad when people revile you, and testify falsely against you? That’s a libel lawsuit, not something to be happy about.
But as Christians, we are used to having the world turned upside down—or at least I hope we are. Because we are a people who stand at a funeral and sing “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” We are a people who hold a little baby in church, and 2,000 years after the event, we say “Christ has died for you, little one, yes, you who have no knowledge of it yet”. We don’t believe six impossible things before breakfast, as the Queen says in Alice in Wonderland. But we do believe that an impoverished, unemployed preacher, a crucified savior, an absolute failure in the eyes of the world, is the One who lives and rules and makes all things new.
And what Jesus tells the crowd, is that even when you do walk in God’s ways, your life will not be a walk in the park. His blessing, Jesus’ be-happy attitude, is not always happy. This sermon serves as both blessing and warning. When Jesus said “Come and see”, when he said “Come and follow me and I will make you fish for people”—well, this is the fine print at the end of the contract. This is the disclaimer: warning: life in the kingdom of heaven will not always be happy. This is not the Kingdom of Disney. It is the kingdom of God.
The people who are coming to see Jesus that day are have traveled a long way to hear him and are suffering for it. The disciples have left their nets, and their families, and are here on a hillside. The people in the gospel writer Matthew’s community are being punished for their following of Jesus. They are getting thrown out of their synagogues, their families. People are saying things about them, refusing to do business with them. They are suffering—being persecuted, being rejected. All for following Christ.
This is something we have a hard time understanding. We live in America. We do not have to hide, it is not against the law, we do not have to register at the courthouse. Christians in Iraq are persecuted. It is illegal to be a Christian in Egypt. In India, the growing edge of Christianity is among the dalits- the untouchables—they were persecuted and oppressed, so a religion based on a suffering Savior makes sense to them.
Jesus words on the mount that day are a warning: you will mourn, you will be reviled and rejected. But they also are a promise: you are blessed, right now—and you will be fed, you will be filled, you will be comforted, you will inherit.
When I worked as a chaplain in a hospital in Atlanta, I served not only the patients and their families, but also the staff as well. If I was on-call on Sunday, I led a worship service for whatever staff could come. Most often, it was the techs, the nurse’s aides, the cleaning ladies. They would give up their lunch time to be able to come to chapel. And when I would see them in the hall, I would ask them “How are you doing?” and I would hear this: “I’m too blessed to be a mess.” And there were times I would be shocked- because in chapel that morning, I had heard their stories- a son in jail, a car being repossessed, loss of custody of a child, a bad diagnosis. And yet these people, on the lowest end of the hospital totem pole, would be the ones testifying, witnessing to the blessings they were receiving. Because they knew the truth- the truth of the Beatitudes—which is that you are not solely what your life looks like, one cannot determine how righteous you are, how right with God you are, just by looking at your bank account, or your life situation. That is good news.
The Beatitudes are an assurance and a promise. And they are also something else. They are about behavior, but this is not a list of nine things to be or do in order to fit into God’s world. Instead Jesus is showing us how life is different in God’s world. Remember, Jesus has said “the kingdom of heaven has come near.” And in this near kingdom, how we live matters. Because we matter --to God. And this is good news.
Just like we heard in Micah- do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with our God—this is what life in the kingdom looks like, behaves like. The coming of the kingdom of heaven and the doing of the heavenly will are inseparable. As ones who are blessed, not for what we do, but for who we are, beloved children, we are to act out of that blessedness.
Because what is here, the Beatitudes, is not all that Jesus has to say, up on that mountain. The Sermon goes on. In the coming weeks, we will hear them. There are some hard sayings: love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. Those are hard words. But they are to give the people gathered on that mountain—and us—comfort and assurance and hope. The blessing enables us to go forward to live as we are called to live.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Show and Tell
Psalm 40:1-11 p446
1I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
4Happy are those who make the LORD their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods.
5You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.
6Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
7Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
9I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.
10I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
11Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever. This is the Word of the Lord…..
John 1:29-42 p. 862
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o”clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
In the aftermath of the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Tucson, we are at first, stunned. Silent. We have no words to express our grief and outrage at yet another tragedy, yet another horrific shooting, at so many lives lost. But soon, and in this time of instant media, practically immediately, the finger pointing began. Fingers pointing at the gun lobby, or the store that sold a 31 bullet clip of ammunition just hours before the shooting, or at the laws that allowed that. Fingers pointing at Jared Loughner’s parents, at hateful political rhetoric, at a society that doesn’t deal well—or at all, really, with mental illness, at policy that says police can’t intervene until after someone gets hurt…..fingers pointing everywhere.
This morning’s text seems far away from that tragedy. There is finger pointing in here as well. But it is a different kind of finger pointing. John the Baptist sees Jesus walking by, and points. But John doesn’t only point. He proclaims: “Here is the Lamb of God”. John does two things-- pointing- and telling-“I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God”
We need to do both. Pointing to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Pointing to him with our lives. Pointing to him in the way we spend our money, the way we treat each other and our world, the way we make peace on this earth. Pointing our fingers not in blame, or anger, but in showing: “Look!”
And we need to tell about him. John testifies—that is witnesses—to what he sees and knows. John tells what he saw: the Spirit, descending and remaining with Jesus. And John tells also what he did not know: John freely confesses his journey: “I myself did not know him…but now I do”. John says that Jesus is the Lamb of God. And look at what the text says that Jesus does: he says “Come and See”. That’s all. No big fuss. No “where will you spend eternity?” No “Four Spiritual Truths”. No “you’re not one of us,” no vitriolic name-calling or mud slinging. Just—Come and See.
The writer of Psalm 40 has experienced trouble and despair. And yet, her song is one of testimony. “God drew me up out of the desolate pit….God put a new song in my mouth.” And then this: “I have told the glad news of deliverance….I have not restrained my lips...I have spoken of your faithfulness”
The response of gratitude is always testifying, always witnessing to the goodness of God.
In the movie, Witness, a little boy, Samuel, witnesses a murder in a bathroom in Grand Central Station in New York City. The police detective, played by Harrison Ford, interviews Samuel, who is Amish. While at the police station, the boy looks at a cabinet full of awards and photos and baseball trophies. He sees a newspaper clipping with a picture of the killer—and points his finger. Ford, noticing the boy, and fearing for his life, since the man boy is pointing to, the killer, is another police detective, runs over, and folds the little boy’s finger back into his hand. It is a chilling moment. The two look at each other, knowing what this means, knowing what they see. They see the truth at that moment. Like John the Baptist standing near the water, they know now what they did not know before.
Come and see. While this is never expressed out loud in the movie, this is just what Harrison Ford’s character does. He goes to the Amish country, where the boy and his family live. Ford sees their life, and their witness of peace and non-violence and community. The little boy is fascinated, fascinated, with the guns he has seen. He wants to use one. His grandfather speaks to him about it. “I would only kill a bad man” the boy says. “And you know these bad men by sight?” the grandfather asks him. “You are able to look into their hearts?”
Jesus says to the disciples “What are you looking for?” and tells them “Come and See.”
And they do—and they call their brothers, and later, others, to come and see. And they stay with Jesus. Our translation misses it—the word “remain”, which appears a number of times in this text, is “abide, stay, dwell”, and is related to the word for tabernacle—the word for when God traveled with the people of Israel through the wilderness, camping with them in the desert. A kind of “sticking with,” a traveling together.
This mutual abiding, this mutual staying with, dwelling, is the work of the Holy Spirit. And it is the life we are called to. It is the life we call others to—Come and See, we tell them. Come and abide in this peace. The writer Madeleine L’Engle says it this way: “We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”
When John points his finger, he says “Look, the Lamb of God”. This was a reference to the Passover lamb, whose blood was spread across the door posts, to save the people of Israel. It is also a reference to the sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem, in which a lamb was ritually slaughtered every morning and every afternoon. Not a charming or attractive description of Jesus, the Anointed One.
But we who have studied Revelation this past year know the end of the story—or at least, a little more of the story. For in Revelation, it is the Lamb who was slain, who triumphs over sin and death. It is the Lamb, slaughtered but standing, that gives us life. It is the Lamb of God who has suffered violence, who is the Prince of Peace.
This week has been filled with death, it seems—multiple deaths in Tucson, tragedy in the life of a young man, a beloved friend who is gone too soon, finally at rest after a battle with cancer. But we know the One who is the Lamb of God. And we abide with him, and He in us. He is the One we call others to Come and See. Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Amen.
1I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
4Happy are those who make the LORD their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods.
5You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.
6Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
7Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
9I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.
10I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
11Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever. This is the Word of the Lord…..
John 1:29-42 p. 862
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o”clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
In the aftermath of the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Tucson, we are at first, stunned. Silent. We have no words to express our grief and outrage at yet another tragedy, yet another horrific shooting, at so many lives lost. But soon, and in this time of instant media, practically immediately, the finger pointing began. Fingers pointing at the gun lobby, or the store that sold a 31 bullet clip of ammunition just hours before the shooting, or at the laws that allowed that. Fingers pointing at Jared Loughner’s parents, at hateful political rhetoric, at a society that doesn’t deal well—or at all, really, with mental illness, at policy that says police can’t intervene until after someone gets hurt…..fingers pointing everywhere.
This morning’s text seems far away from that tragedy. There is finger pointing in here as well. But it is a different kind of finger pointing. John the Baptist sees Jesus walking by, and points. But John doesn’t only point. He proclaims: “Here is the Lamb of God”. John does two things-- pointing- and telling-“I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God”
We need to do both. Pointing to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Pointing to him with our lives. Pointing to him in the way we spend our money, the way we treat each other and our world, the way we make peace on this earth. Pointing our fingers not in blame, or anger, but in showing: “Look!”
And we need to tell about him. John testifies—that is witnesses—to what he sees and knows. John tells what he saw: the Spirit, descending and remaining with Jesus. And John tells also what he did not know: John freely confesses his journey: “I myself did not know him…but now I do”. John says that Jesus is the Lamb of God. And look at what the text says that Jesus does: he says “Come and See”. That’s all. No big fuss. No “where will you spend eternity?” No “Four Spiritual Truths”. No “you’re not one of us,” no vitriolic name-calling or mud slinging. Just—Come and See.
The writer of Psalm 40 has experienced trouble and despair. And yet, her song is one of testimony. “God drew me up out of the desolate pit….God put a new song in my mouth.” And then this: “I have told the glad news of deliverance….I have not restrained my lips...I have spoken of your faithfulness”
The response of gratitude is always testifying, always witnessing to the goodness of God.
In the movie, Witness, a little boy, Samuel, witnesses a murder in a bathroom in Grand Central Station in New York City. The police detective, played by Harrison Ford, interviews Samuel, who is Amish. While at the police station, the boy looks at a cabinet full of awards and photos and baseball trophies. He sees a newspaper clipping with a picture of the killer—and points his finger. Ford, noticing the boy, and fearing for his life, since the man boy is pointing to, the killer, is another police detective, runs over, and folds the little boy’s finger back into his hand. It is a chilling moment. The two look at each other, knowing what this means, knowing what they see. They see the truth at that moment. Like John the Baptist standing near the water, they know now what they did not know before.
Come and see. While this is never expressed out loud in the movie, this is just what Harrison Ford’s character does. He goes to the Amish country, where the boy and his family live. Ford sees their life, and their witness of peace and non-violence and community. The little boy is fascinated, fascinated, with the guns he has seen. He wants to use one. His grandfather speaks to him about it. “I would only kill a bad man” the boy says. “And you know these bad men by sight?” the grandfather asks him. “You are able to look into their hearts?”
Jesus says to the disciples “What are you looking for?” and tells them “Come and See.”
And they do—and they call their brothers, and later, others, to come and see. And they stay with Jesus. Our translation misses it—the word “remain”, which appears a number of times in this text, is “abide, stay, dwell”, and is related to the word for tabernacle—the word for when God traveled with the people of Israel through the wilderness, camping with them in the desert. A kind of “sticking with,” a traveling together.
This mutual abiding, this mutual staying with, dwelling, is the work of the Holy Spirit. And it is the life we are called to. It is the life we call others to—Come and See, we tell them. Come and abide in this peace. The writer Madeleine L’Engle says it this way: “We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”
When John points his finger, he says “Look, the Lamb of God”. This was a reference to the Passover lamb, whose blood was spread across the door posts, to save the people of Israel. It is also a reference to the sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem, in which a lamb was ritually slaughtered every morning and every afternoon. Not a charming or attractive description of Jesus, the Anointed One.
But we who have studied Revelation this past year know the end of the story—or at least, a little more of the story. For in Revelation, it is the Lamb who was slain, who triumphs over sin and death. It is the Lamb, slaughtered but standing, that gives us life. It is the Lamb of God who has suffered violence, who is the Prince of Peace.
This week has been filled with death, it seems—multiple deaths in Tucson, tragedy in the life of a young man, a beloved friend who is gone too soon, finally at rest after a battle with cancer. But we know the One who is the Lamb of God. And we abide with him, and He in us. He is the One we call others to Come and See. Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Amen.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sermon Jan 9 2011
Isaiah 42:1-9 p 584
42Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. 9See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
Matthew 3:13-17 p 784
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
This is the word of the Lord…..thanks be to God
The story of Jesus’ baptism is a very short narrative—only 4 verses—but it is packed full.
Matthew has John the Baptist ask a question that we want to ask: why does Jesus get baptized? Jesus is sinless, and John is preaching a baptism for forgiveness of sin—so what is Jesus doing out there in the middle of the Jordan?
Jesus comes out to meet John, to be baptized. John didn’t want to do it, but Jesus commands him, saying “permit it. It is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness”.
And there is the first thing I want us to notice: “it is proper for US”. Baptism is a gift of God, the claim of God upon us—but it always happens in a community of faith, in and through the church. It took John, and Jesus, and God, out there in the water. Here, it takes all of us. When we baptize (and it is usually an infant, but it doesn’t have to be an infant) the family stands up and makes promises for the child. But the elder will turn and ask the congregation: “do you promise to guide and nurture this child, by word and deed, with love and prayer, encouraging her to know and follow Christ and to be a faithful member of his church”. Then we sit down—and we should be stunned by what we have just promised. We just promised to guide and nurture someone, in the manner of Christ, who, by the way, died for us, and we have promised to help that one know and love and follow Christ, using our words and deeds, our very lives. Yikes.
I have been at countless baptisms. I have never, ever seen anybody sit down and say “whoa. Nope. Too hard” when we come to that part in the service.
It is said that Martin Luther, discouraged, would pat himself on the top of his bald head, and say “I am baptized”. In some churches, a common greeting to the congregation is “Remember your baptism, and be glad.” Now, most of us here probably can’t remember our baptism—it’s almost a joke, “remember your baptism”. But even that is significant: perhaps we can’t remember our baptism, but we can remember that God loved us, and claimed us, long before we could ever have any knowledge of it, ever have the ability to make a choice for God. God has claimed us.
The second thing I want us to notice in the text about Jesus’ baptism is this: after Jesus comes out of the water, he sees the heavens being opened, and a voice is heard “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I take delight.” God breaches the boundaries between heaven and earth. It is a decisive moment: if there was any doubt, about who Jesus is, here it is, proclaimed out loud, in a voice from heaven. If the genealogy, and the angels, and the dreams, and the wise men showing up to pay homage to the infant king didn’t tell you, here it is. “This is my Son”
And that is what happens in our baptism as well. We understand that in baptism, we are claimed by God, and our truest identity is revealed—as a child of God, and a member of the household of faith. Which is why we don’t use last names when we baptize—have you noticed? We say “Nancy Ellen, child of the covenant, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism, joined to the household of faith, made Christ’s own forever.” Maybe that’s what we should say, when we get discouraged, instead of Martin Luther’s I am baptized--say “I am a child of God, made Christ’s own.”
Fred Craddock tells a story about a young boy, who was born out of wedlock. He lived in a little mountain town in the South. The boy had been baptized, and had occasionally attended the church, but the shame of his position was such that he and his mom didn’t go very often. Well, the little church called a new minister. And the boy, hearing the news, decided to go to church and see what the new minister was like. The boy determined to arrive late, and sit in the back, and sneak out before the last hymn ended, so he wouldn’t have to hear any ugly talk about himself or his mother, or his dad, who was married to someone else. But that minister was fast on his feet- so fast, that he got to the door for shaking hands before the boy could slip out. So, trembling, the boy got in line, to pass the new minister and shake his hand at the doorstep. The minister shook his hand, and asked the boy’s name. When the boy whispered his name, he feared the worst, the stories, the looks, the questions. The minister took the boy’s chin in his hand, and said “Why, son, I would have known you anywhere. You look just like your daddy.” Here it is, thought the boy, I am about to be shamed in public...again. “Yes sir” said the preacher, “you have the look of your Father, God the creator, all over you. I should have seen the resemblance immediately.”
In baptism we are claimed by God, joined to the household of faith, and marked as Christ’s own. Forever.
Which is a good thing. Because after Jesus is baptized, the very next thing that happens is that he is out in the desert, undergoing trials. And much the same thing happens to us. Baptism does not give us immunity from trouble. Baptism is not a vaccination; it is not about “luck”. Baptism is a claim of God upon us. Wherever we go—and whatever we go through—we are still held fast in God’s hand, we are still a child of God.
One of my favorite hymns is How Firm a Foundation. And one of the verses says “when thru the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow, For I will be with thee”
The river Jordan, like most rivers, ebbs and flows with run-off. It is seasonal—and in some places, you can walk across with barely getting your feet wet. In other places, it is deep. Jesus went all the way under, under the water. Jesus went out into the wilderness, to be tested. In all these places, he was God’s beloved. And in our times of trial, and testing, when it seems like the water is closing over our heads, we can rest in that assurance as well: “You are my child, my beloved. In you I take delight.”
So, to ask the question John asks, why does Jesus go out into the wilderness, the Jordan, to be baptized? Because Jesus, fully divine, is also fully human—and he knows what we go through. As Immanuel, God with us, Jesus joins us in our life.
And that is the last thing I want us to note. It is in our daily life, in the elements of our daily, human living, bread and wine, water—that we encounter God, and remember God’s love for us. Remember your baptism—and be glad. Amen
42Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. 9See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
Matthew 3:13-17 p 784
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
This is the word of the Lord…..thanks be to God
The story of Jesus’ baptism is a very short narrative—only 4 verses—but it is packed full.
Matthew has John the Baptist ask a question that we want to ask: why does Jesus get baptized? Jesus is sinless, and John is preaching a baptism for forgiveness of sin—so what is Jesus doing out there in the middle of the Jordan?
Jesus comes out to meet John, to be baptized. John didn’t want to do it, but Jesus commands him, saying “permit it. It is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness”.
And there is the first thing I want us to notice: “it is proper for US”. Baptism is a gift of God, the claim of God upon us—but it always happens in a community of faith, in and through the church. It took John, and Jesus, and God, out there in the water. Here, it takes all of us. When we baptize (and it is usually an infant, but it doesn’t have to be an infant) the family stands up and makes promises for the child. But the elder will turn and ask the congregation: “do you promise to guide and nurture this child, by word and deed, with love and prayer, encouraging her to know and follow Christ and to be a faithful member of his church”. Then we sit down—and we should be stunned by what we have just promised. We just promised to guide and nurture someone, in the manner of Christ, who, by the way, died for us, and we have promised to help that one know and love and follow Christ, using our words and deeds, our very lives. Yikes.
I have been at countless baptisms. I have never, ever seen anybody sit down and say “whoa. Nope. Too hard” when we come to that part in the service.
It is said that Martin Luther, discouraged, would pat himself on the top of his bald head, and say “I am baptized”. In some churches, a common greeting to the congregation is “Remember your baptism, and be glad.” Now, most of us here probably can’t remember our baptism—it’s almost a joke, “remember your baptism”. But even that is significant: perhaps we can’t remember our baptism, but we can remember that God loved us, and claimed us, long before we could ever have any knowledge of it, ever have the ability to make a choice for God. God has claimed us.
The second thing I want us to notice in the text about Jesus’ baptism is this: after Jesus comes out of the water, he sees the heavens being opened, and a voice is heard “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I take delight.” God breaches the boundaries between heaven and earth. It is a decisive moment: if there was any doubt, about who Jesus is, here it is, proclaimed out loud, in a voice from heaven. If the genealogy, and the angels, and the dreams, and the wise men showing up to pay homage to the infant king didn’t tell you, here it is. “This is my Son”
And that is what happens in our baptism as well. We understand that in baptism, we are claimed by God, and our truest identity is revealed—as a child of God, and a member of the household of faith. Which is why we don’t use last names when we baptize—have you noticed? We say “Nancy Ellen, child of the covenant, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism, joined to the household of faith, made Christ’s own forever.” Maybe that’s what we should say, when we get discouraged, instead of Martin Luther’s I am baptized--say “I am a child of God, made Christ’s own.”
Fred Craddock tells a story about a young boy, who was born out of wedlock. He lived in a little mountain town in the South. The boy had been baptized, and had occasionally attended the church, but the shame of his position was such that he and his mom didn’t go very often. Well, the little church called a new minister. And the boy, hearing the news, decided to go to church and see what the new minister was like. The boy determined to arrive late, and sit in the back, and sneak out before the last hymn ended, so he wouldn’t have to hear any ugly talk about himself or his mother, or his dad, who was married to someone else. But that minister was fast on his feet- so fast, that he got to the door for shaking hands before the boy could slip out. So, trembling, the boy got in line, to pass the new minister and shake his hand at the doorstep. The minister shook his hand, and asked the boy’s name. When the boy whispered his name, he feared the worst, the stories, the looks, the questions. The minister took the boy’s chin in his hand, and said “Why, son, I would have known you anywhere. You look just like your daddy.” Here it is, thought the boy, I am about to be shamed in public...again. “Yes sir” said the preacher, “you have the look of your Father, God the creator, all over you. I should have seen the resemblance immediately.”
In baptism we are claimed by God, joined to the household of faith, and marked as Christ’s own. Forever.
Which is a good thing. Because after Jesus is baptized, the very next thing that happens is that he is out in the desert, undergoing trials. And much the same thing happens to us. Baptism does not give us immunity from trouble. Baptism is not a vaccination; it is not about “luck”. Baptism is a claim of God upon us. Wherever we go—and whatever we go through—we are still held fast in God’s hand, we are still a child of God.
One of my favorite hymns is How Firm a Foundation. And one of the verses says “when thru the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow, For I will be with thee”
The river Jordan, like most rivers, ebbs and flows with run-off. It is seasonal—and in some places, you can walk across with barely getting your feet wet. In other places, it is deep. Jesus went all the way under, under the water. Jesus went out into the wilderness, to be tested. In all these places, he was God’s beloved. And in our times of trial, and testing, when it seems like the water is closing over our heads, we can rest in that assurance as well: “You are my child, my beloved. In you I take delight.”
So, to ask the question John asks, why does Jesus go out into the wilderness, the Jordan, to be baptized? Because Jesus, fully divine, is also fully human—and he knows what we go through. As Immanuel, God with us, Jesus joins us in our life.
And that is the last thing I want us to note. It is in our daily life, in the elements of our daily, human living, bread and wine, water—that we encounter God, and remember God’s love for us. Remember your baptism—and be glad. Amen
Tragedy
I am struck virtually speechless as I contemplate the tragedy in Tucson earlier this week. I am also struck nearly speechless as we now begin to hear stories of heroism from those who were there at the shooting. Our hearts grieve for all those killed, and for the shooter and his family. One of the confessions of the Presbyterian Church USA (PC(USA)) is "A Brief Statement of Faith" and it says "in life and in death we belong to God". These weeks the Scripture texts are about Jesus' baptism, and what that reveals and means for us. Jesus' baptism did not confer immunity from bad things to him--he died a violent death--and neither does our baptism. It does mean, however, that we belong to God--and nothing can separate from the love of God in Jesus Christ. Baptism also is the beginning of Jesus ministry--and it is ours, too. Our ministry to be peacemakers. Our ministry to be actors-out of love, not hate, life, not death, health, not illness. This is our calling.
Pastor Nancy
Pastor Nancy
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Epiphany
Jokes about Wee Three Kings, or "tried to smoke a rubber cigar..." aside, it is not yet Epiphany- the day the church remembers and clebrates the 3 Wise people. We are pretty much all back at our usual lives, and for many of us, teh tree is down, the leftovers are gone, the New Year's resolutions have started. But the Wise Men (and women) are stilll searching for Jesus. Estimates say they traveled at least 2 years, following the star, before they got to see tha baby Jesus. (who was a toddler by then, apparently). What do you search for in your life? What have you been following for years? It is something that gives light and life, soemthing taht will lead to Jesus? Or have you (and I include myself in this) been following something,been paying attention to something, for years, that will not lead you to the Prince of Peace? Spend some time is silence and prayer, asking yourself: What am I searching for? What can I let go of searching for?
Blessings in this Epiphany time- Pastor Nancy
Blessings in this Epiphany time- Pastor Nancy
Thursday, December 30, 2010
New Year
The New Year always brings up a mixed bag of cultural stuff for me--the whole big party, New Year's Eve, watch the ball drop/resolutions/next year will be better/top ten lists, baggage. The New Year will be both good and bad, like most other years. What is constant is the love and care of God. Psalm 139 says "If I ascend to heaven, you are there, if I make my bed in utter darkness, you are there". We might say: "In 2011, you are there, O God. No matter what the time, or where we are, you are always there." No matter what 2011 brings, we can trust in God, who is always there.
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