Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise

It will not be possible to make me shut up!  These are the prophet Isaiah’s words as he boldly acts as intercessor for Jerusalem.  Following the exile, when the Jewish people returned to their land, it was decimated, and it seemed to them like a desert.  The restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem met countless obstacles and delays. The Jewish people had been full of hope but, upon return to their homeland, they were battling deteriorating morale caused by broken dreams and crumbling faith.  They felt God had turned away in indifference.

          So, Isaiah laments and boldly protests, interceding on the people’s behalf, and he holds God accountable.  The notion of “holding God accountable” probably tends to make many of us squeamish, but the prophets frequently did this.  Upon the Jewish people’s return to Jerusalem following the horrific experience of exile, they faced despair. It is in that place of despair, when they deeply feel utterly depleted, a place where they feel the absence of God, that the prophet speaks.  Isaiah names their despair and holds God accountable.  Then, the prophet promises newness, transformation and even new names signaling joyful union for Jerusalem and all the land around her.  There will be change and transformation and abundant life will return!

In today’s gospel reading, John gives us a story that starts with a recognition of need, of emptiness, of depletion.  Jesus and the disciples are attending a wedding.  As the scene unfolds, in-laws are getting to know each other, old friends and relatives are seeing each other and reminiscing, and the bride and groom are interacting with their guests.  In my mind as I picture this scene, I always imagine people dancing and shouting out, much like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, when he sings “L’chai-im!  To life!”  Anyway, on the third day of the festivities, over in the corner of the room a nervous silence sets in.  There is the alarming discovery that the wine has run out, it has been depleted!  Wine, the sign of God’s abundance and a vital component of any wedding in that day, has run out and the party is far from over!!  There are still four days of partying left to go!! We can imagine the tension in the air.  For the groom’s family, this is not just an embarrassing situation, this is a major social faux pas. 

          So, Jesus’ mother sizes up the situation and swings into action.  And, like the prophet Isaiah, Mary will not remain silent.  She tells her son about it.  The implicit command is: “Fix it!”  Mary is a prophet who will not take no for an answer.  In fact, knowing her son can handle the situation, she says to the servants, “Do whatever my son tells you.”  Mary speaks and acts as intercessor for the wedding party and all the guests.  In Mary’s persistence, as she observes the difficulty, names it, and takes action to help, she provides the leadership for the miraculous sign that takes place.  When Mary tells the servants to do whatever Jesus says, Jesus then performs one of the most understated, yet mighty acts in John’s gospel.  

There were six large jars for water to be used in washing according to various Jewish purification rites.  Each jar could hold 20-30 gallons of water.  Jesus tells the servants to fill them to the brim and then he tells them to draw some out and take it to the man in charge of the feast.  When the steward tastes what had been water, it is wine, and it turns out to be the best wine at the party!  Not only is it the best, but there is an abundance of wine, more than the guests could possibly consume.  Jesus provides what would amount to an additional thousand bottles of wine!  The steward is so impressed with the wine that he pulls the groom aside and says, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk.  But you have kept the good wine until now.” 

In Jesus, Immanuel, God made flesh, there is abundance.  On the third day, a reference by the way to the resurrection, Jesus provides abundance. Jesus is the new wine! In this first miracle in the gospel of John, Jesus provides more wine, joy, and blessings than the people could possibly have imagined or deserved.  It is truly a story about God’s overwhelming, gracious abundance. 

As we gather today for worship, I am very aware of the deep need and despair present in our world. We are facing so many challenges. With Covid exploding around us, and the plethora of issues our country currently faces, we need a tangible miracle of God’s abundance. In light of today’s gospel reading, we cannot help but come face to face with the creative word of a living God and we do not take no as an answer! Today’s reading invites us to trust so much in God’s generosity and abundance that we, like the prophets of old and like Jesus’ mother, nudge God with our observation and our protest: they have no wine!  Like Mary, in the face of insurmountable need by so many people around this world, we too cry out and lift our voices in intercession for the hurting and powerless as we say to God, “Fix it; heal this land and bring comfort to the people!” In the words of scripture, we find words that address the timelessness of human need and human tragedy.  And, we also discover that we, like Mary, can become God’s servants as God uses us to help fill the needs of the hurting. When we pray, crying out to God, we are also called to action. We are called to speak up and use our gifts for the common good, which we are doing as we stock our food pantries, as we daily test kids for Covid, as we continue working with refugees, and as we provide food to health care workers. Prayer is not just a passive plea. Prayer calls us to action, to work for the good of neighbor, and work for the change for which we pray. We will NOT be silent!  We pray for this pandemic to end, so we will NOT be silent, and we will get vaccinated and boosted!

          On the third day, when the wine ran out, Mary the prophet would not keep quiet.  Jesus quietly addresses the problem and turns scarcity into abundance.  There is now so much wine, there is enough for all!  In Jesus, the one who provides enough wine for all, we see a God who is deeply responsive to human need.  In Jesus, we experience a God who is so responsive to human suffering that he entered the depth of our need and suffers with us, even to the point of being nailed to a cross. And then, on the third day, in the depth of monumental tragedy, hope was born, and the new wine flowed freely!   Hope is deeply embedded in the Resurrection. 

On this weekend, we celebrate the life of another prophet, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He was also a prophet who would not remain silent in the face of injustice. His speaking out helped to bring forth justice and change.  When prophets speak out and call for justice, it truly is a form of prayer.  As we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., and remember the many prophets who have gone before him, we name the problems and cry out to God to bring change and renew our lives and this land.  And, that form of prayer also requires us to respond and act in ways that help bring about the newness of God’s promises for all people. We trust God’s promises and look forward to that grand and glorious day when the wine of God’s abundance will again flow out of the disused, even abused dusty wine jars and into the streets where there will be dancing and joy.  Then, we will join with the wine maker of Nazareth as we shout out, “L’chai-im!  To life!”

It will not be possible to make me shut up!  These are the prophet Isaiah’s words as he boldly acts as intercessor for Jerusalem.  Following the exile, when the Jewish people returned to their land, it was decimated, and it seemed to them like a desert.  The restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem met countless obstacles and delays. The Jewish people had been full of hope but, upon return to their homeland, they were battling deteriorating morale caused by broken dreams and crumbling faith.  They felt God had turned away in indifference.

          So, Isaiah laments and boldly protests, interceding on the people’s behalf, and he holds God accountable.  The notion of “holding God accountable” probably tends to make many of us squeamish, but the prophets frequently did this.  Upon the Jewish people’s return to Jerusalem following the horrific experience of exile, they faced despair. It is in that place of despair, when they deeply feel utterly depleted, a place where they feel the absence of God, that the prophet speaks.  Isaiah names their despair and holds God accountable.  Then, the prophet promises newness, transformation and even new names signaling joyful union for Jerusalem and all the land around her.  There will be change and transformation and abundant life will return!

In today’s gospel reading, John gives us a story that starts with a recognition of need, of emptiness, of depletion.  Jesus and the disciples are attending a wedding.  As the scene unfolds, in-laws are getting to know each other, old friends and relatives are seeing each other and reminiscing, and the bride and groom are interacting with their guests.  In my mind as I picture this scene, I always imagine people dancing and shouting out, much like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, when he sings “L’chai-im!  To life!”  Anyway, on the third day of the festivities, over in the corner of the room a nervous silence sets in.  There is the alarming discovery that the wine has run out, it has been depleted!  Wine, the sign of God’s abundance and a vital component of any wedding in that day, has run out and the party is far from over!!  There are still four days of partying left to go!! We can imagine the tension in the air.  For the groom’s family, this is not just an embarrassing situation, this is a major social faux pas. 

          So, Jesus’ mother sizes up the situation and swings into action.  And, like the prophet Isaiah, Mary will not remain silent.  She tells her son about it.  The implicit command is: “Fix it!”  Mary is a prophet who will not take no for an answer.  In fact, knowing her son can handle the situation, she says to the servants, “Do whatever my son tells you.”  Mary speaks and acts as intercessor for the wedding party and all the guests.  In Mary’s persistence, as she observes the difficulty, names it, and takes action to help, she provides the leadership for the miraculous sign that takes place.  When Mary tells the servants to do whatever Jesus says, Jesus then performs one of the most understated, yet mighty acts in John’s gospel.  

There were six large jars for water to be used in washing according to various Jewish purification rites.  Each jar could hold 20-30 gallons of water.  Jesus tells the servants to fill them to the brim and then he tells them to draw some out and take it to the man in charge of the feast.  When the steward tastes what had been water, it is wine, and it turns out to be the best wine at the party!  Not only is it the best, but there is an abundance of wine, more than the guests could possibly consume.  Jesus provides what would amount to an additional thousand bottles of wine!  The steward is so impressed with the wine that he pulls the groom aside and says, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk.  But you have kept the good wine until now.” 

In Jesus, Immanuel, God made flesh, there is abundance.  On the third day, a reference by the way to the resurrection, Jesus provides abundance. Jesus is the new wine! In this first miracle in the gospel of John, Jesus provides more wine, joy, and blessings than the people could possibly have imagined or deserved.  It is truly a story about God’s overwhelming, gracious abundance. 

As we gather today for worship, I am very aware of the deep need and despair present in our world. We are facing so many challenges. With Covid exploding around us, and the plethora of issues our country currently faces, we need a tangible miracle of God’s abundance. In light of today’s gospel reading, we cannot help but come face to face with the creative word of a living God and we do not take no as an answer! Today’s reading invites us to trust so much in God’s generosity and abundance that we, like the prophets of old and like Jesus’ mother, nudge God with our observation and our protest: they have no wine!  Like Mary, in the face of insurmountable need by so many people around this world, we too cry out and lift our voices in intercession for the hurting and powerless as we say to God, “Fix it; heal this land and bring comfort to the people!” In the words of scripture, we find words that address the timelessness of human need and human tragedy.  And, we also discover that we, like Mary, can become God’s servants as God uses us to help fill the needs of the hurting. When we pray, crying out to God, we are also called to action. We are called to speak up and use our gifts for the common good, which we are doing as we stock our food pantries, as we daily test kids for Covid, as we continue working with refugees, and as we provide food to health care workers. Prayer is not just a passive plea. Prayer calls us to action, to work for the good of neighbor, and work for the change for which we pray. We will NOT be silent!  We pray for this pandemic to end, so we will NOT be silent, and we will get vaccinated and boosted!

          On the third day, when the wine ran out, Mary the prophet would not keep quiet.  Jesus quietly addresses the problem and turns scarcity into abundance.  There is now so much wine, there is enough for all!  In Jesus, the one who provides enough wine for all, we see a God who is deeply responsive to human need.  In Jesus, we experience a God who is so responsive to human suffering that he entered the depth of our need and suffers with us, even to the point of being nailed to a cross. And then, on the third day, in the depth of monumental tragedy, hope was born, and the new wine flowed freely!   Hope is deeply embedded in the Resurrection. 

On this weekend, we celebrate the life of another prophet, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He was also a prophet who would not remain silent in the face of injustice. His speaking out helped to bring forth justice and change.  When prophets speak out and call for justice, it truly is a form of prayer.  As we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., and remember the many prophets who have gone before him, we name the problems and cry out to God to bring change and renew our lives and this land.  And, that form of prayer also requires us to respond and act in ways that help bring about the newness of God’s promises for all people. We trust God’s promises and look forward to that grand and glorious day when the wine of God’s abundance will again flow out of the disused, even abused dusty wine jars and into the streets where there will be dancing and joy.  Then, we will join with the wine maker of Nazareth as we shout out, “L’chai-im!  To life!”

I don’t know about you, but I have been quite challenged by the way COVID-19 is constantly causing us to alter our plans and make changes in our daily lives.  Shifting again to online worship only for this Sunday and next Sunday is just one example of this challenge. Throughout these past two years, I have experienced a constant struggle within myself as we routinely must make new decisions while responding to the latest, unexpected challenges COVID-19 creates before us and around us. And, quite frankly, we will not see an end to this struggle and constant state of uncertainty and change until more people are vaccinated!

We all struggle with change in one way or another. Some change is helpful and transformative, and some change can be devastating.  One of the greatest challenges for all of us is the change that ensues when unexpected situations arise, and our very world seems to shift on its axis.  Such change is often abrupt, disruptive, life-threatening and life changing. This is the type of change we experienced when COVID initially broke into our lives. As we experience this kind of change, we tend to find ourselves in a place of languishment and fear, fear about an uncertain future.

When talking about such monumental change, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Long, a Presbyterian theologian, shares a story about the historian, Eric Hobsbawm.  Long writes:

Hobsbawm remembered when his safe and secure world became a world of terror.  He grew up as a Jewish orphan in Berlin.  On a cold January day in 1933 when he was only 15 years old, he was walking his little sister home from school when he saw at a newsstand a headline bearing frightening news that would change his life, change the life of all Jews, change the life of the whole world.  “Adolph Hitler Appointed Chancellor of Germany,” the headline read.  Later in his life, Hobsbawm reflected on that moment and said it was as if “we were on the Titanic, and everyone knew it was going to hit the iceberg.”  As Europe hurdled out of control toward World War II, the old world was violently ripped apart, and the new and uncertain world began to be born.  Hobsbawm said that it was difficult to describe “what it meant to live in a world that was simply not expected to last.”  It was like living, he said, “between a dead past and a future not yet born.”

For multiple reasons, that is the kind of change we are experiencing, and it creates a feeling of fear and uncertainty.  In many ways, we are living between a dead past and a future not yet born.  And, that is also what the Jewish people had been experiencing at the time of Isaiah’s writing in our Old Testament reading today.  Isaiah was writing to and for Jewish exiles who had experienced monumental, earth-shattering change. Jerusalem had been destroyed and the Jewish people had been taken into captivity in Babylon!  Their world had been shaken and turned upside down.  Living in exile, their past was dead, obliterated.  They were in a hard place, living in fear and imagining themselves on the precipice of extinction under Babylonian domination.  Feeling abandoned by God, their future seemed truly uncertain.  Into this setting the prophet speaks a word from the Lord saying, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”

Do not be afraid. These few words are some of the most frequently spoken words we hear in scripture.  When the angel appeared to Mary announcing she would give birth to a son – talk about an uncertain future for a teenage, unmarried girl, especially at that point in time – the angel said, “Do not be afraid.”  When the angels appeared to the shepherds at the time of Jesus’ birth, they said, “Do not be afraid.”  The first words spoken to the disciples at the empty tomb on Easter morning were, “Do not be afraid.”  And, when the resurrected Christ appeared to his disciples who were huddled in a locked room because of fear, his words were, “Do not be afraid.”

I have to say that, as I studied these scripture readings for today, they meant a great deal to me and brought comfort to my struggling, aching heart.  We are living in a time when the past and so much of what we knew as normal is dead. Quite frankly, our world will likely never again be what it was before COVID-19. As COVID continues to explode around us, the future that we long for is not yet born, and we really do not know what that future will look like. Yet, amid this uncertainty, we hear the words, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”

There is much in our lives today that creates a sense of fear. If we follow the news and keep abreast of what is happening within our own political system and present culture, there is a plenty that can produce uncertainty and fear within us.  We daily hear rhetoric that is intended to produce division, fear, and anxiety. The challenges we currently face seem monumental. However, we need to understand that every day of our lives is lived between the days of a dead past and days of an uncertain future not yet born.  And, while this creates within us a sense of fear and anxiety, Isaiah’s words to us on this day cut to the core of our anxiety as they graciously descend into the depth of our fear. Listen as Isaiah speaks the message of God to us, to you, “Do not be afraid, I am with you.  I created you.  I formed you.  I have redeemed you.  I have called you by name.  You are mine.”

Today, we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord and, as we celebrate this day, we remember our baptisms. We remember that we have been baptized into the community of faith.  When water was poured on our heads, we heard our very name spoken as we heard that we were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We heard God’s Word spoken to us, saying, “I created you. I formed you. I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.”  Our names are forever joined to God’s name.  God has called us by name and claimed us as God’s own. 

We have no idea what the future holds for anyone of us.  We pray our lives will be filled with joy, with health, and with peace.   However, we also know that because we are human, we will face some very challenging times in life. We will pass through the waters of life’s hardship.  Just as the Jewish people discovered, faith does not protect us from the realities of being human and the reality of pain and hardship in life.  Yet, we also know that God knows our very names. God will never forget us, God will never leave us alone, and God will never let go of us.  God will be present to us at every turn.  God says to each one of us:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.  When you pass through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.  When you walk through the fire, the flame shall not consume you.  I have called you by name and you are mine.

Knowing this, we can live with hope, trusting our entire life journey, both our present and future, to the God who holds us and loves us.

The late Catholic priest and theologian, Henri Nouwen, once told a story about a terrible dream that plagued him for many nights.  He dreamed that he was traveling in some distant city, and he ran into someone with whom he had gone to high school.  This former classmate would say, “Henri, haven’t seen you in years.  What have you done with your life?”  Henri felt that question sounded like judgment.  While he had done some good things with his life, he also had had some struggles and challenges.  When his old classmate asked this question, he did not know what to say.  Then, one night Henri had another dream.  He was waiting outside the throne room of God, and he found himself quivering in fear.  He just knew the almighty God would speak to him saying, “Henri, what have you done with your life?”  Then, in his dream, when the door opened to God’s throne room, the room was filled with light and he was astonished to hear God speaking to him in a gentle voice as God lovingly said, “Henri, it’s good to see you.  I hear you had a rough trip, but I’d love to see the pictures of your journey.” 

This world in which we live can at times be dangerous, and we all live between a dead past and an uncertain future, a future yet unborn. However, we live knowing that Immanuel, God with us, is lovingly present to us and walking with us throughout life.  And, we can place our trust in this God who cherishes us and loves us with a love that will never let us go. God is saying to each one of us, “Fear not.  I know you.  I have called you by name and you are mine.”

As we come together on this night, we gather to celebrate what the heart of God is all about. We come to celebrate God’s heart of love for the entire world.  It is all about God’s desire to reach deep into this world, deep into humanity, into our very flesh, touch our hearts, and change them. Christmas is all about God’s love for us. And, quite frankly, love is messy.  Sometimes I think the choice to love others and the work of love could be described and labelled as “Outreach in a state of mess,” because love can be difficult, hard, messy work.  Christmas is about God reaching into the messiness of our lives, into our very flesh, to say, “You are loved. Have a heart of love!”

Why heart? Because God knows that logic and reason and might only go so far. If logic, reason and might were all that is necessary, there would be no hatred, no poverty, no violence, no racism, no sexism, no xenophobia, no war, no greed, no selfishness. And with our great military might, we would have everything necessary to enable this world to live in peace, to have a “silent night…” and to truly “…sleep in heavenly peace.” But we don’t, and we can’t because logic, reason and might have definite limits. So, tonight we celebrate the amazing, overwhelming risk God has taken on this world and on us, the great risk God has taken just to know us, just to know you. God knows that our default position, like King Herod, is to ostracize or kill the things and the people who unsettle us. So, Christmas is about God’s great risk, attempting to maybe, just maybe, reach past our often hard, well defended, heavily fortressed selves, to reach down deep and through our commitment to hostility and willful ignorance, to get through all of those securely protected walls, get through our fear, and reach right into the flesh of our lives and the depth of our hearts.

As we look at the story of this night, the good news of Christmas comes first to the vulnerable, to those ready to receive love, to people gathered in a dirty, messy barn, to the poor people living outdoors. Maybe the good news of this baby comes first to flocks of sheep and shepherds, not the corridors of power, because power corrodes hearts. Maybe this baby comes to the field first and not the temple because those people at the temple had more religion than heart. At Christmas, through Mary’s baby boy, we see God reaching out from God's heart, first to the most vulnerable, and through the most vulnerable, to the heart of all humanity. We see God keeping God's heart open to us, even as we reject God and harm one another.

On a night like this, I find the arts often enable me to better express God’s message to us.  So, I am going to reference an unexpected work of art through which we can garner some wisdom. I am going to ask you to remember the movie A Charlie Brown Christmas!  I am sure all of you have seen this movie at least once in your life and you know the story. Lucy suggests that Charlie Brown should direct a Christmas play. But Charlie Brown, with all his insecurities, wants something more than the status quo, something more than a performance of seasonal sentiments. And, as often happens, we watch him get frustrated and, yes, depressed. He’s almost ready to give in and forsake what his heart yearns for. Then, in walks Linus, Lucy’s brother. You remember Linus, right? Linus ALWAYS has his security blanket in hand. He is NEVER without that blanket. And, in this Christmas movie, you really must watch carefully as Linus speaks, or you’ll miss what happens. As Linus begins to recite the Christmas story, the music stops and the spotlight focuses on him. We hear him recite:

“And there were in that same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not…”

And, that’s when you really need to push the pause button on your remote or you just might miss what happens. Right when the angel says, “fear not,” an astonishing thing happens: Linus throws down his blanket. Now, I am sure many of you have seen that movie dozens of times, and I also am sure many of you have never noticed that gesture. In all other movies or cartoons, Linus hardly ever lets go of that blanket. After all, it’s his security. But now, in this movie when the angel says, “fear not,” Linus’s blanket has been replaced – replaced by the Christmas story. The very thing Linus relied on, that essential blanket, was cast aside for something else. Something better. Someone better. Linus goes on to finish the story. His hands are up, and his face is now smiling because of a joy that is released by the story. Linus is not just reciting words, Linus is showing something of incarnation, something of the change that happens when God enters the scene, when God enters our lives. In that moment, Linus’s insecurities and fears are gone, and he is transformed. 

Linus continues telling the story, saying:     

“Fear not, for I bring you good news of glad tidings that shall be for all people. And this shall be a sign for you, you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will to all people.”

On this night, Linus can teach us something about the Christmas message and the heart of God.  Linus experiences the contagious, even invasive, love of the heart of God, and he is transformed, so much so that he let’s go of his insecurities as he lets go of his blanket. 

When we understand the message of Christmas, we discover that we can let go of fear and hatred, of partisanship and bigotry, let go of racism, sexism, and xenophobia, let go of our need to control and our desire for power and violence, let go of all that divides us as people, and all that we do that is harmful to others. Christmas calls us to open our hearts to the love of God, the love God has for the whole world. Christmas is about God reaching into our hearts and inviting us to change, to be made new, to see one another as brother and sister, to work for justice and mercy in this broken world, to give up our weapons and guns and work for peace. The heart of God is inviting us to open our hearts and let go of all that hardens our hearts. Christmas is all about God’s heart touching our hearts, and our hearts touching one another, and that is what this world needs more than anything!

So, on this night of nights, leave your false securities and your fear behind, and open your hearts, make room in your hearts, give the God of love more square footage in the depth of your being, and welcome the Christ child.  And, do not just welcome the Christ child, but nurture the child, and give the child room to grow.  Because this God of love is going to love you into newness, love you into wholeness, and give you more heart, a bigger heart.  In fact, this God of love will not only grow, but will burst the boundaries of your hearts. 

Tonight, we celebrate a God who has laid bare God’s very heart because of love for you. So, open your heart to the love that has entered this world.  And, what is so amazing is that you will discover this God who has laid bare God’s very heart for you, has always been holding you in love, loving you just as you are, and loving you with an everlasting love, a love that will never, ever let you go.

Pastor Ellen: At this time of year, I deeply appreciate the gift of the arts – the performing arts, the visual arts, drama, poetry, music, and song.  I find the arts become a pathway to deeper understanding of the meaning of Christ’s presence in this world. The writer of Luke’s gospel also seemed to appreciate the arts. Luke is an excellent storyteller and he used the gift of poetry and song to capture the meaning of Christ entering this world in the person of Jesus. Today, we hear Mary, her response to God’s call, and her transformational song, one of the most beautiful songs in all of scripture. Today, God speaks to us through the gifts of poetry, song, and drama. So, we invite you to open your hearts and minds to receive that gift and be transformed.

St. John of the Cross once wrote:

If you want, the Virgin will come walking down the road

pregnant with the holy, and say,

“I need shelter for the night, please take me inside your heart, my time is so close.” Then, under the roof of your soul,

you will witness the sublime intimacy, the divine, the Christ, taking birth forever, as she grasps your hand for help,

for each of us is the midwife of God, each of us.

Yes, there, under the dome of your being

does creation come into existence eternally,

through your womb, dear pilgrim – the sacred womb of your soul,

as God grasps our arms for help: for each of us is his beloved servant, never far. If you want, the Virgin will come walking down the street pregnant with Light and sing….

Narrator:  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

Commentator:  Nazareth? God sent an angel to the podunk, insignificant, nothing of a town called Nazareth?

Narrator:  Yes, 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,

Angel: “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

Narrator:  But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Commentator:  What kind of greeting is that Mary? Had you ever been called favored before? Mary. They are all called Mary aren’t they? Mary the sister of Lazarus, Mary from Magdala, that other Mary, and Mary the mother of Jesus. So common a name. Almost as though when the writers couldn’t remember a woman’s name, they just automatically called her Mary. Like Jane Doe – it’s just this side of forgettable Mary. So common, but yet now angelically deemed “favored one”. What kind of perplexing greeting is this calling a common Mary “favored one.” Did you look behind you to see if someone else named Mary was standing behind you? Mary; common and favored.

Narrator:  The angel said to her,

Angel: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."

Commentator:  You found favor with God? Or was it more that, with God, you are the favored one though not so much favored elsewhere. What did you do to become so favored?  We aren’t given a litany of all the things you did and personality traits you inhabited that made you favor-able. Perhaps it is the fact that you are chosen by God that makes you favored, not that your favorableness made you choose-able.

Angel:  "And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and he 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.”

Commentator:  Mary, you are a marginalized young Jewish girl living in the midst of an occupied land.  But, you now hear these words “throne …reign … kingdom.” This is nothing less than cultural, political, religious, and spiritual insurrection for the common to be favored and the favored to be common.

Narrator:  Mary said to the angel,

Mary: “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

Narrator:  The angel said to her,

Angel: “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.”

Commentator:  Elizabeth – barren yet pregnant. One of God’s favorite ways to prove that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts is to create out of nothing. God’s ways are not our ways…God seems to be continually challenging and even violating our polite family values. Elizabeth – barren and pregnant. Mary – common and favored. This is the invasive fruitfulness of God. Willing life where there is no life. Making a way where there is no way. Messing with all of us in the way that only true love and mercy can do.

Narrator:  Then Mary said,

Mary: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

Narrator:  Then the angel departed from her.

Commentator:  Mary, did we correctly hear what you just said?  You said, “Yes,” to this proposition! You said, “Here I am.” …just like Isaiah after the coal touched his mouth. Here I am you say. Send me. Did it burn you too, like it burned Isaiah’s own lips? Let it be with me according to your word you said. “Here I am, the Servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your word”. So beautiful. We try and domesticate you Mary like a trinket of docile, submissive womanhood, but you are so much bolder than that, even almost defiant. Some, like Moses and Jonah and Elisha try to hide from their calling.  But, you said “Here I am.  Sign me up.”  Did you know what this word was going to mean for you?

Narrator:  And Mary said,

Mary: (Magnificat is sung as psalm chant by Mary)

My soul proclaims the greatness |of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in | God my Savior, for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your | lowly servant. From this day all generations will | call me blessed;

Commentator:  Is that what being blessed looks like? We go around and use that word so carelessly, quite differently. You know, like, “You’re so blessed to have that new boat.” Or, “I am so blessed to have a good job.” We tend to connect that word to our material belongings. So, Mary, how exactly are you using that word? Did you feel blessed as your unwed belly grew under the gaze of disapproving others?  Did you feel blessed when you went into labor and gave birth amongst sheep and cows and straw? Mary, common and favored…Did you feel blessed when your heart dropped realizing you left your 12-year-old son in Jerusalem?  At his arrest did you feel blessed seeing rope dig into the wrists of both God made flesh and the flesh of your flesh? Did you feel blessed when they lifted him up on a cross?  No one else was his mother. Just you.  Blessed are you among women.  Common and favored.  And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. God and Man. It is interesting; Martin Luther once proclaimed, “We hail Mary, Queen of Heaven because in her we come to know that ours is the God who comes nearest to us in our brokenness.”

(Mary continues psalm chant)

You, the Almighty, have done great | things for me, and holy | is your name. You have mercy on | those who fear you, from generation to | generation. You have shown strength | with your arm; and scattered the proud in | their conceit, casting down the mighty | from their thrones and lifting | up the lowly. You have filled the hungry | with good things, and sent the rich | away empty. You have come to the aid of your | servant Israel, to remember the prom- | ise of mercy, the promise made | to our forebears, to Abraham and his chil- | dren forever.

Commentator:  Wow!  There’s nothing like a song to warm the heart.  But, this song is about upturning the whole social order!  Mary, you are singing about turning the world upside down and rearranging the whole social order!  That is rather scary….  Hmmm…..  So maybe that’s what God is up to here. Transgressing the boundaries of human society. The podunk, insignificant town of Nazareth becomes a Jerusalem. The favored become common and the common become favored. The barren are pregnant. The hungry are filled. The rich become hungry. The proud are leveled and the downtrodden are lifted up, until it’s all blurred past distinction.  You are a prophet, Mary, and you are prophetically singing in the new, inverted reality of God’s kingdom on earth, and this is the fight song of God’s new reality. And, it’s your song, people, all of you gathered here. A song of this God who entered so fully into this muck of human existence, and upturned our expectations and religiosity and self loathing and self satisfaction so much that God ushers in a whole new reality. And this reality is that God became one of us so that we might become children of God. Gregory of Nyssa writes, “What was achieved in the body of Mary will happen in the soul of everyone who receives the Word.” It is all about saying yes to God’s incarnate love as it breaks into the most unexpected places and in the most surprising ways in each of our lives, saying yes so God is again borne into this world.

You, all of you, each and every one of you, are blessed and full of grace. So, may the God through whom nothing is impossible help each one of you to become Mary….carrying the gospel into this hurt-filled, broken and beautiful world. May it be with all of you according to God’s Word.

It is good to be back with you, even though we gather online. Last week, Pastor John compared the circumstances in which we presently live to a wilderness experience. I will be honest with you, I deeply feel that wilderness experience, and so I need to hear the word God gives us on this day because I have been discouraged. I have been discouraged by living with four weeks of illness, by struggling with Covid-19, by the cavalier and careless attitude people are taking toward this deadly virus, and by the lack of respect, love, and care for neighbor exhibited by far too many. I have also been deeply distraught by the horrific killing that took place at Oxford High School less than two weeks ago. And then, when only days later, some elected leaders posted Christmas messages with pictures showing each member of their family, some children, holding a gun, we saw how deeply the idolatry of gun worship is infecting our culture. Our nation’s worship of guns is dangerous and wrong! Yes, I desperately need to hear the word God gives us on this day.

Richard Rohr writes, “The word of God confronts, converts, and consoles us – in that order.” In today’s readings, God’s word comes to us and does just that, it confronts, converts, and consoles. From the prophet Zephaniah, we hear: “Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” However, prior to today’s passage, Zephaniah has just confronted and condemned Israelite idolatry and society’s oppression of the poor. Zephaniah told the people that God has commanded obedience to the covenant, and God will punish offenders. Then, after that confrontation and call for conversion, a call for people to change their ways, the prophet consolingly sings about God’s promised salvation. Zephaniah says that as people return to the covenant, God stands inside the city, enlivens it, and rejoices over God’s people. Oh yes, I need to hear this word from God right now on this third Sunday of Advent.

In today’s gospel reading, we hear of John the Baptist and, quite honestly, he seems to be quite crabby. I understand his mood because I have been feeling rather crabby. In his unique way, John is confronting the people and calling them to convert, to turn around and change their behavior. And, like the people in his time, we need to hear the words of John the Baptist, words of one who will speak prophetically and clearly in this wilderness in which we are presently living. We need a John the Baptist who will warn us that judgement is at hand, that God will not tolerate the violence that seems to have become normal, everyday violence in our culture. We need a John the Baptist who will tell us, “The chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” We need one who will name the sins that pervade our relationships and our communities, and name the injustices that permeate our broken world. And, we need a John the Baptist who calls us to change, one who points us to the path God has set before us.

As the crowds hear John speak, they wonder how they should respond. So, John tells them what worthy response looks like. He speaks of the fruit that comes from a changed heart. He tells them to love their neighbors! Give them your coat, your food. He calls them to live out acts of grace, mercy, and love. An encounter with the grace, mercy and love of God brings consolation and comfort into our lives. And, a changed life then lives out the grace and mercy one has received as one shares that grace and mercy with others who are in pain. It is interesting that even the despicable tax collectors want to change their ways. They come asking the question, “What should we do?” We might expect John to instruct these servants of Roman power to get new jobs helping those in need, to stop serving their imperial masters and instead love the neighbors they previously had taken advantage of. No, instead, John calls them to be good tax collectors, to collect only that which is required of them. And, then the soldiers come asking, “What should we do?” We might expect John to instruct these soldiers to lay aside their instruments of violence and embrace a way of peace. Instead, John tells them to not use their position of power to steal life or livelihood from anyone. Be good soldiers, he demands of them. He calls them to live lives of grace and mercy.

So, what might John the Baptist say to each one of us today, in the wake of the shooting at Oxford High School, in the wake of the violence and hatred that seems to permeate our daily lives? Quite honestly, I don’t think he would show any restraint. He would name what is wrong and harmful. He would name the way we are idolizing guns and violence. He would name the way we are damaging God’s good creation. He would name the racism, sexism and xenophobia that is so present in our society. He would name our lack of care and love for neighbor. He would say, “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.” He would say we are being judged by a God whose heart yearns for justice and mercy. He would call us to change, to convert, to turn around, and he would call us back to the way of God’s love, mercy, grace, and peace. He would then give us words of consolation and comfort as he would call us to live out love and care for our neighbor and live out ordinary acts of grace, mercy, and love. He would call us to give away some of what we have. And, he would call us to the radical idea that our ordinary lives can be filled and permeated with the extraordinary Spirit of God that transforms the world.

True and lasting change, the change John calls us to make, engages both interior awareness and exterior action; it harmonizes inner change of heart and outer change which creates right relationships. John challenges us to act with more compassion. You see, changing our patterns of conduct can lead us to discover our blind spots, our idolatry, our prejudices, and our self-defeating thinking. While this may make us feel vulnerable, it also enables our hearts, our state of mind, our body, and our spirit to be open to the Holy Spirit. When God’s Spirit shows up in us, we find a new openness to others, new generosity, and new life-giving energy. The Spirit of God changes our hearts so we can then be more compassionate and truly love others. These are the fruits John calls changed people to bear.

Paul also speaks to the fruits we bear when our hearts and lives become changed. He writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again: Rejoice!” In other writings he says, “Let your fairness, your kindness, your gentleness, your unselfishness, your inner peace – let these qualities be known to all human beings.” Paul, like John, is clear about who is the source and the power behind any genuine transformation. But, unlike John’s vision of fire that brings judgment and destruction, Paul sees the fire of the Holy Spirit as the spiritual energy that inspires people toward greater generosity and the passion to persevere. Paul’s words temper John’s somewhat crabby way of speaking when he says, “Rejoice and bear fruits worthy of a transformed heart because Christ is near.” This is the path to the divine peace that surpasses all human awareness; the peace that keeps watch over our hearts and minds. Paul’s guidance to not worry does not mean for us to be superficially cheerful or to pretend that nothing disturbs us. Distress and concerns and grief will continue to be part of our human experience. Paul is reminding us that God is always present to us. He calls us to connect the nearness of God, to everything that we experience – everything that frustrates, or saddens, or discourages us; everything that delights us or astonishes us; everything that puzzles or embarrasses us, lifts us up or makes us impatient. We can practice giving all our life experiences to God in prayer simply because God is so near to us. In all things, the nearness of the God of hope and peace enables us to become aware that we are always bathed in God’s loving presence. Inspired, changed, consoled, and comforted by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do what John calls us to, things like loving our neighbor, or sharing with someone who has less or none of what we have. We can use our gifts to work for justice and mercy for all people. So, on this day, hear God’s Word – be confronted, be converted, be consoled. Bear the good fruit of a changed life, live out God’s love. And, rejoice because God is truly near!

Notes for Sermon on the Second Sunday of Advent at Faith, Okemos, December 5, 2021 based on Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius…the word of God came to John. 

And in this first year of Joseph Biden’s presidency….when Gretchen Whitmer is governor, Elissa Slotkin, our district 8 congressional representative, Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, our senators, Craig Satterlee, our synod bishop, and Elizabeth Eaton, our presiding bishop, the word of God still comes to us:  comes to me, to Deb, to Bruce, to Chris, to Phylis here in this worship space and to all worshiping with us online. 

To us now in this still beautiful, but lately too often also dangerous wilderness, in a country deeply divided over masks and vaccinations, in a violent world – filled with tragedies like that at Oxford High School, with unsettling threats of violence from a student at Holt Junior High, in a world infected by a wily, ever mutating virus, in a nation embroiled in heightened tensions over the fate of Roe v.Wade… to us in this violent, tension-fraught wilderness, the word of God still comes...  It is a voice crying in the wilderness:  Prepare the way of the Lord….

It is a voice I so want my children to hear.  I can see in the faces of our three children  a pervasive weariness, both physical and psychological. I see and read and hear over and over  the wide spread anxiety of a  world  more and more characterized by meanness and hardness of heart,

But to us the word of God has come, still comes, “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”  The word of God calls us to an immersion, a deep and daily washing away of our sins and of the sins of the world…calls us to a baptism, acknowledging our need and earnest desire for a stirring in our hearts, for the mercy of God to save us, for God to save the people of Okemos, of Michigan, of the United States, of South Africa, of Namibia, to Syria, of Afghanistan, of Ukraine, of Germany, of Russia.

The word of God has come and is still coming to me, to Ellen, to Deb, to Bruce,  to Phylis, and to you  online.  The word of God is calling us to a deliberate, repeated turning (the meaning of repentance) toward the mercy and kindness of God who is both our judge and our savior.

It is the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins that can raise us from this deep valley of darkness.  It has the power to make tunnels through the otherwise insurmountable mountains of hatred and exploitation, of shame and disgrace.  The gift of repentance for the forgiveness of sins has the power to make the crooked straight and the rough ways smooth.

This word of God proclaiming the baptism of repentance spoken with fierce love can open the doors of our hearts to the presence of Christ like nothing else. And it is Christ Jesus who then works within us to eradicate, to burn away our hatreds and prejudices.  It is then Jesus who through his own suffering and death and resurrection transforms our rigid. hardened hearts with God’s forgiveness, God’s compassion and mercy and kindness,

Our daily immersion in the waters of baptism, of repentance and forgiveness enables us to keep our eyes on the future, on the coming dawn that will follow a dark night, a day when all will see the salvation of God.

But know this:  God’s way to this future for us and for the whole world is the way of the cross. With Jesus we will suffer misunderstandings, yes, recurring hatred and rejection and abandonment along this way toward a more peaceful, harmonious, loving world…  Yet though it is hard and painful, we will never walk this path alone.  With Jesus, the valleys of death and darkness will be filled, the mountains brought low, the crooked paths made straight, the rough roads made smooth.  With Jesus healing and wholeness will in God’s time supplant hardened hearts and shattered relationships.

To be clear, we are not Jesus, that is, we are not the Savior of the world, let alone of our own selves.  But when the word of God comes to us, we can be John the Baptist. 

John’s dad, Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit after the birth of his son, spoke these words to his son:  “…..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.

By the grace and power of God we can be John the Baptists.  Because the word of God still comes to us, we can with bold love proclaim to our neighbors near and far God’s tender compassion and mercy for them.  In this wilderness of darkness, of division and disease, we can proclaim God’s salvation for them, God’s forgiveness for them, experienced over and over through the baptism of repentance, of turning their lives and hearts toward this most gracious and loving God.  We can proclaim to them that God will guide their feet into the way of peace.  Amen.                                                       JDS                                                                                                  

This is a special musical presentation of Listen Here, Listen Here by soloist Chris Lewis at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Over the past week and a half, while struggling to get well after being quite ill, I became increasingly aware of the way we are living in a time of tension between the quarantine lockdown of 2020 and a hopeful future time when we might, just might move beyond Covid-19. This present time is fraught with disease, danger, and chaos. And, what is blatantly and manifestly clear is that full recovery and a return to normal will not come to fruition until more people get vaccinated. So, we indefinitely live in what might be called “in-between times.”

Today marks the beginning of a new church year and, on this first Sunday of the new year, we are reminded of the way we live within the tension of yet another form of in-between times. As Christians, we live between the “Already” and “the Not yet” … that is, between “the Kingdom that has come” and the “Kingdom that is yet to fully come.” We live in “in-between times.” As we begin the season of Advent, we are invited to look in two directions – to look back to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, and to look forward to Jesus' return when he will bring God's kingdom on earth to fulfillment at the end of time. Therefore, Advent begins with a reading that looks toward Jesus' return. In other words, we begin this season by looking deep into the future – to the end of time. And, today, as we begin traveling through the gospel of Luke, we are given a cosmic picture, one that reaches out in time, incorporating the end of history. We are given words that remind us to be watchful, to be alert and be ready, not for the coming of a baby, but for the second coming of Christ. These are words about the end of time as we know it and, yes, there will be an end, whether it is the end of our lives, or the ultimate end of the world.

          This section of Jesus’ speech from the temple in Jerusalem is full of frightening images, confusing metaphors, and shocking admonitions. As we begin our journey to the manger, we do not encounter the sweet baby Jesus people wait for during this season. Instead, we encounter a stern, adult Jesus, picturing the whole universe being shaken and turned upside down. Quite honestly, it is not a passage most preachers are thrilled to explore, especially at a time when faith communities are full of people who cannot understand why the church “cannot just get on to Christmas already!”

Luke’s gospel was written around 80 CE and the people to whom Luke was writing had already seen the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. They had waited and waited for Jesus’ promised return, but they had not seen it happen. Life for them was difficult and chaotic as Christians were facing persecution. They were truly struggling with “the when” of Jesus’ promised return. Luke addresses this, but he does not give the specific time when Jesus will return. Rather, Luke stretches out that time indefinitely. In today’s reading, Jesus’ words provide assurance that there will be chaos – chaos in the heavens above and chaos in the sea below. Luke’s Jesus tells us the powers of the world will be shaken. The Greek word used for “world” is oikoumene, a word that specifically means the political and economic realm. This is a word that intentionally addresses the powers of the empire, the political and economic powers of the nations. And, he tells the people to look up and raise their heads because an end will come and there will be redemption, liberation and freedom. 

          Today, as we begin a new church year, our world is plagued and overwhelmed by Covid-19. The world is beset by warring factions. Political parties are increasingly divided, and bitterness towards others spews out of people’s mouths like venom. We have seen violent, gun carrying, homegrown terrorists violently attacking innocent people in our streets and even at our nation’s capital, while at the same time, attempting to create fear. Rampant greed has and continues to create growing economic disparity. Mass shootings have become routine, everyday experiences. Systemic racism is a driving factor in the function of every structure and system. Climate change is upon us. The fear in people’s lives is palpable as we face an uncertain future. Oh, yes, how we long and yearn for God’s presence, how we yearn for a different way. Oh, how we long for “justice and righteousness in the land.”  And, as we wait and yearn for an end to evil and sorrow, we wonder how are we to live? Jesus says to us, “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Just what do Jesus’ words mean for us as we wait for Christ to come, for Christ’s advent among us? Well, the truth is, if Advent is anything, it is a season of painful waiting in the world while not becoming detached from the world. It is a season of darkness before the light comes; a season about a future that is not yet, but a future in which redemption is "drawing near.”  As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Advent is like sitting in a prison cell. One cannot do anything except hope, pray and wait; deliverance must come from the outside.” 

For Christians, we live our lives reminding each other to not cower in fear but to stand up and raise our heads, for our redemption has already drawn near in Jesus. As Christians, we are called to boldly stand up and raise our heads. Yes, stand and do not fear! Do not fear because fear is more dangerous than violence. Do not fear because fear causes us to forget our identity as named and claimed children of God. Do not fear because fear causes us to see people in need as the enemy. Do not fear because fear causes us to place our safety and comfort above the needs of those who suffer. Do not fear because fear leads us to betray our most cherished values. Do not fear because, today, Jesus reminds us that he is the Lord of history, and he is the one who will bring all things to a good end.

In this in-between time, a time fraught with chaos, foreboding events, and tensions of all kinds, we wait also knowing this time is infused with hope and courage because we already know the end of the story! While not yet here, the end has already been written by the resurrected Christ and God has this. God’s redemption will come!

Yes, as we live during these “in between times” and as we continue to wait, we stand with courage, sharing and living out the compassion and love of Christ. We stand with courage as we treat all persons with the love of God because we have known and continue to know God’s love. We stand and raise our heads because, as we live together within the context of Christian community, we can be a place of light in the darkness. We can be a place of hope, courage and confidence because God’s presence shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome God’s presence.  We courageously stand together, affirming time itself as God’s home and workplace, not a calendar of accumulating years but as a movement toward the fulfillment of God’s dream for all people. We stand together as a community, affirming our trust in God’s promises, past, present, and future.

As we live during these in-between times, Jesus’ words to us today are all about the faithfulness of God. They are not words of terror. They are words of hope and promise. And, the promise is, “Yes. There will be an end. God is coming! The future reign of God is definitely coming. Justice, hope, and love are on the way. But, in the meantime, God is at work and very present, in the chaos, in spite of all appearances to the contrary.  Be watchful, be alert, and be ready. For no one knows the time or when, but there will be an end and the reign of Christ is coming!” 

This is a special musical presentation of Praise to the Lord, the Almighty by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.