Christ, the image of God

Today is the last Sunday of the church year.  It seems strange this time of year to read this lesson of Jesus being mocked and crucified; very much out of season.  After all, this Thursday is Thanksgiving and next Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent, which begins a new church year.  Our church year always begins its celebration with the expectant birth of a baby, and concludes with the celebration of his reign as King of Kings.  And for today's reading, it is not so much the cruelty we focus on, but the sign hanging over his head.

Although we worship the God of the Jews, our focus as Christians is his son Jesus Christ.  Jesus is hung on a tree like a common criminal, but over his head is a designation, "King of the Jews."  Some protested at the proclamation.  Those who knew Jesus simply thought it was ironic if they noticed it at all.  But those who took offense thought it made a mockery of all they believed, and if it were true, -- then that meant they were very, very wrong.

This view of Jesus is not a view of power and authority.  It is a view of submission and of obedience.  Maybe this view helps us understand that what we see, the way things appear, may not in fact be true.  When we feel most powerless may be when God is working in us most strongly.

When I read only one interpretation of events or circumstances, that is most often when I misinterpret what is happening.  And when I get angry, and am filled with (what in my view is) righteous indignation – that is when I most likely will do something stupid like back my car into a tree.  Because I get caught up in my own perception of right and wrong, or worse yet, my sense of entitlement to some particular thing; when I try to be too assertive and take control of a situation, that’s when God so graciously brings me back down to earth.

During the time of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, the church is being persecuted.  And even in the face of pain and suffering, people of faith could say that Jesus Christ was the image of the invisible God.  In the Greek language, Jesus is "the icon" of God.  He is the God who suffers with us, the one who cares for us, the one who cries with us.

Paul tells us - "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created. . .  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, in heaven and on earth. . ."   Colossians 1

In Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God is with us now, in this present day and age.  We don’t have to wait until some glorious future.  We have to look behind the power and glamour. God is here with us in the nitty-gritty of everyday life. All through the gospels Jesus reminds us of the great reversals – the paradoxes of our faith:  the first shall be last; the master shall be servant; - - a king who is born in a stable.

In this day and age, especially in our current political climate, we can look at the political and professional mess of our leaders and remember that there is another kingdom where things are done differently.  When there is so little we can do to change the world, we can proclaim that God is sovereign and holds the world in his outstretched arms.

When we look around and see pain and suffering, from people hit by earthquakes in the Oklahoma around the world, from people who are held prisoner, indentured slaves right here in America to those who are living in refugee camps, from those who find themselves ravaged by cancer to those who find themselves without jobs or means of support, we can know that Christ understands and carries us during our deepest need.  In Christ we can seek comfort and strength when we lose someone we love, and we can look forward to seeing them again.

With this wonderful view of Christ on the cross – who, even through his suffering, reaches out to another – the thief who cries out, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”  (There was no hesitance, no “If you are who you say you are…”;  no “If you are a king…”; and no expectation for this life.)

And the wonderful assurance Jesus gives him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”  It was a little late for this guy to turn his life around or to make amends…  but Jesus still accepts him – as is.  This is an assurance that there is no one who can go so far that they are outside the reach of his saving embrace.  There is no piece of our human experience which cannot be redeemed.

In Christ we find a god who views the world from a different perspective.  In Christ we can live in the middle of a world that measures everything by power and popularity, and the lives of the rich and famous – and we can see a God who judges by a different measure.  His love is all encompassing – reaching out to those in need, who have no power, no authority, those who are not beautiful or popular.

With this coming season of Advent, I think the greatest gift we can give ourselves is the gift of not having to always be in control, not always having to be on top.  If we sit back and allow God room to work, we have more freedom to be ourselves and to live into his plan for our lives.  (The last few days, I have been overwhelmed by everything I saw that needed doing, so I'm in need of this message as much as everyone.  I had gotten the feeling that it was all up to me and leaving God out in the equation.)

During Advent, I invite you to ponder a god who comes to us, not as a powerful king, but as a little child.  Advent allows us to give Jesus "gestation time" - time to grow in us - before being born anew in our hearts. During Advent, ponder that this little child will grow and take on the cares of the world.  This little child will one day offer himself up to be a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.  And that one day, he will come again - in glory - to rule the world in perfect peace.  This is a victory he has already won – that glorious day many years ago on a hill called Calvary.   Amen.

Creating all things new

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We live in a changing world.  Nationally a new president will soon take office.  Locally, Grace church will soon begin the process of searching for a new rector.  As much as we would like to hold on to the familiar, we have to acknowledge that things change.  Jesus addresses this same idea of a changing world in today's gospel.

The thing that reached out and grabbed me was the statement, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”  It just seemed to cry out to me.  The things of man, of this world -- these things that we have made; they are all passing away.

The things that people make today are all eventually being torn down and new things built in their place.  I think of old hotels and large department stores that have been imploded to make way for new buildings, new projects – not one stone left on top of stone. Even the twin towers of the World Trade Center that were brought down by two airplanes - and not one stone left on stone.

I ran across a picture of the old church the other day - the one that Tommy and I grew up in.  The only things left from that church are the window above us here, and the altar in the children's chapel.

Things made in this day and age seem to be easy to get rid of.  Many of the ancients built things to last – I'm awed by things like the pyramids, Stonehenge, and Easter Island - the huge stones that have lasted for centuries..   Even the old western wall of Herod’s temple – if you take the tour down underneath the Western Wall, you will see these massive stones, still one on top of another – not complete by any means, but you wonder how people of old could have moved stones as massive as these stones are.  They were as long as this building and almost as tall.  No wonder the disciples were impressed.

For the Jews, this temple was considered to be God’s dwelling place on earth.  That is where you would go to be near God’s presence - to make sacrifices to him.  The synagogues were where you went to learn about God and to worship him.  But his presence was at the temple in Jerusalem according to the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Now Jesus uses this discussion of the temple adornments as a springboard to launch into an eschatological discussion – that is a discussion about the end times.  And the disciples take off with it, wanting to know when these things were going to take place.

They missed the point - the point that things do not stay the same.  Everything is subject to change.  They wanted to be able to pinpoint it so that they could have some modicum of control or at least inside knowledge – so that they can be prepared.  And Jesus lets them know that it’s not going to be tomorrow – not anytime in the near future.

There’s danger in thinking that Jesus is coming back tomorrow.  Some of the people of Thessalonica were convinced that Jesus was coming back within days.  So they quit living for the future – they quit working and started meddling in other people’s business and living off the handouts of the others in the community. They are reminded in today’s lesson that Paul set them an example while he was among them – working and earning his keep and he encourages them to do the same.  We can't just give up because change is coming.  We have to stay engaged.

Our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah starts off telling us that God is about to do a new thing – create new heavens and a new earth – and the former things shall not be remembered.  Maybe each generation needs to have something to look forward to.  Isaiah is writing this after the Babylonian exile.  The people are coming back to Jerusalem and looking at the ruins of the former glory.  They are lamenting the ruin and rubble of the destroyed temple.

And they wonder if it will ever be the same.  God tells them “no” it won’t be the same – God will recreate in a different way, and so should they.  He encourages them to build a better world – and gives them an image of the perfect world – where all live together peacefully.

And so they began to build - and the new temple is the same one that Jesus and the disciples are looking at in our gospel lesson - the very one that Jesus says is going to be torn down.  (And it is only seventy years later, when the temple is torn down.)

These scriptures carry a message for us today.  Not only as a nation, but for us here at Grace.  We are in transition, just as the Israelites were as they returned from Babylon.  Each person is expected to do their part in preparing a place for your new rector.  Paul tells us that we are not to be idle and let others do the work if we want to succeed.  Everyone has a part to play to make this church a success.

You can’t say, I’m too old and feeble.  Moses was 80 when he was asked to bring the people out of Egypt and he spent 40 years doing just that.  Don’t say I’m just a kid – what can I do?  The Bible tells us very plainly that a little child shall lead them.  Don’t say I’m not smart enough. . .

There is a story told about a young man named Johnny with downs syndrome.  He worked as a sacker at a neighborhood grocery store.  One day the vice president gave a speech about how each employee could make a difference at the store.  Johnny thought and thought how he could make a difference.  He finally happened on an idea of finding a “thought of the day.”  He and his dad searched for a thought and when they found one, his dad helped him set it up on the computer and they printed out multiple copies and cut them into individual cards.  Johnny would put a card in the grocery bag of each customer and tell them to “have a good day” and “thanks for shopping with us.”

The number of customers grew as people found themselves drawn back to the store even when they only had a few items to get.  There came a day when the store manager noticed a long line at one check out stand – the one where Johnny was.  The manager had employees open up other counters, but the people would not move to the other counters. They wanted to get Johnny’s thought for the day.

Other employees, inspired by Johnny, began to find ways to make a difference also.  Each of you can make a difference, too.  I invite you to use your imagination to find your contribution.  The success of Grace is the responsibility of each member working together with every other member.

Those of you who are Daughters of the King are familiar with the motto:
I am but one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
What I can do, I ought to do.
What I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do.
Lord, what will you have me do?

No one person can do everything.  But each person has something they can contribute.  I invite you to entertain this idea – take the bulletin home, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the scriptures for the day – and pray for the future of the church.  Plan what you can do – what God calls you to do.  Where is it that God is calling you to make a difference today?

All the Saints

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Today we come together to celebrate All Saints Day.  Our gospel reading today is a funny little story about heaven.  The Sadducees come to Jesus with a hypothetical question about resurrection and heaven.  Now you have to understand that the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection, so their question is outrageous in order to demonstrate how absolutely ridiculous the idea of resurrection is.  Jesus just tells them that they don't understand what resurrection is or what heaven is going to be like.

But he also makes a statement that we need to remember; one that should affirm our belief in resurrection.  Jesus said, "Moses speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

Today, we turn our focus on those who have gone on before us, from this life on to the greater life that awaits all of us someday.  Today we remember, not only those special Saints that have been canonized by the church, but also those saints (little "s") who have touched our own lives in very tangible ways.  One of my favorite songs growing up in the church was the one we opened with this morning, "I sing a song of the saints of God" . . .   This song reminds us that we all go in to make up the body of Christ -  we are all saints of God.

We are all sorts of people, we are all different.  One congregation described themselves to be "demanding, intelligent, eccentric, crazy, sad, muddled, confused and sometimes part of the holy people of God - but never boring."  Paul called all followers of Christ - Saints.  It was the term that he used to identify those who had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Those of us who try to live according to the teachings of Jesus - we are the saints of God.

The saints of God are people just like you and me.  Many of them have gone on to be with Christ in heaven.  And those who have had a positive impact on our life, we miss them greatly and we remember them fondly.  We are still left here.  It is part of the life circle that we all are born, we live, and we die.  But those of us who have accepted our Lord Jesus Christ  have something more to look forward to.  I see God as giving us two promises:  In life, God will be with us - and in death, we will be with God.

In this life, we are not promised happiness, riches, health, love, or any other thing that many people desire in this life.  The promise we have from God is that regardless of what happens to us, regardless of what state we find ourselves in – God will be there with us!  God will be with us – to encourage us, to strengthen us, to comfort us, to fill us, and to love us.  That is his promise for our life here on earth.  When we are going through tough times – when we are in pain, when we are alone, when we grieve, God is there with us.  He is there with us in both the good times and the bad times.  He laughs with us, he cries with us, he rejoices with us, he grieves with us.  He is there to share with us.  We don’t see him, but we can feel his presence.  We are never alone.

That’s the first promise and the second is like it… in death, we will be with him.  Jesus tells the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise."  A lifelong follower or a last minute conversion, "today you will be with me in paradise."  In the first letter of John we hear, “we will be like him – for we will see him as he is.”  Even Genesis says that we are made in his image – and that means we will see ourselves as we are – the spirit of God that lives within us.  This is the pledge of our inheritance as the family of God - Life everlasting - to be with God in heaven - Saints now and forever.

So today we honor all those who have gone before, all those Saints, who for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ have left their mark on the world.  And we know that one day, we will join them in that place "where there is no mourning or crying or pain, for God himself will be with us and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes."   Amen.