Choosing the Fruits of the Spirit.

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Our lessons are full of symbols (or signs) today – from the rainbow in our Old Testament lesson, to the dove in our gospel lesson.

They give us hope in a world that does not always appear very hopeful.  We often struggle in this world to make sense in the things that happen around us.  And we are not perfect - as much as we would like to be.  We often do not come up with the best solution to the problems that face us on a daily basis.  We often do not react in a Christ like manner when we are confronted by problems that remind us of the past.  More often than not, we react out of our brokenness – the history we try to leave behind, but can’t because our healing has not yet been perfected.

At one conference I went to, the question was asked, how many have gone through some life changing experience that had shaped us and formed our lives.  The reference was to an experience that moved us toward the understanding that ultimately we are not in control of our own destiny.  One man talked about his daughter’s attempted suicide, and how that event had changed him forever.  We have no idea of the things that people around us might be dealing with on a daily basis.  And we need to understand that we are not always in control.  

But going back to our symbol - here in the beginning of Mark’s gospel we see some of the glory and power of God – “the heavens torn apart” and the Spirit descends – but not like thunder or lightning.  The Spirit descends like a dove – a gentleness that is not normally acknowledged in association with God.

But remember Elijah, fearing for his life and hiding in a cave, he hears the voice of God – not in the earthquake, fire or wind, but in the stillness he experienced the gentleness of God.  Or look at Jonah sitting on the hillside overlooking Nineveh, mad at God for not destroying the city.  God takes pity on him and causes a bush to grow to shelter him from the heat of the sun.

And so with Jesus, this same Spirit that descended with the gentleness of a dove, also drives Jesus out into the wilderness – to be tempted and to face his worse fears and nightmares – . . .   And only now, after learning firsthand about the hardships of life and standing firm and trusting on the Lord, Jesus comes through the ordeal and the angels minister to him.  He is ready to partner with God – knowing that it is not his own power, but God’s grace that will carry him through to the end.

It is only after John’s arrest that Jesus comes proclaiming the good news – the message goes on, repent and believe and follow me.  God has drawn near – he has come down - to deal gently with broken and needful humankind – as Isaiah says, “to bind up the brokenhearted, to free the captives, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

This Lenten season let us enter into our own period of wilderness experience – inviting God in – to teach us something new – or just to remind us of what we already know – that God himself is with us and is willing to partner with us as we journey through this life.  

I was reminded the other day of Trish Schlegel, who, a number of years ago, said that she chose joy for her Lenten discipline.  Joy is one of the Fruits of the Spirit.  In Galatians 5:22-23 we read, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  What if each of us chose one of the fruits of the spirit as our Lenten discipline?  How could we, embodying that fruit, have a positive effect on the world around us?  

We (mostly) have no idea of the kind of pain, or anguish, the inner turmoil or hopelessness that any person we meet might be facing.  

It might be dealing with a child who is ill or unruly or failing in school.  It might be dealing with a parent or other loved one who is dying or suffering dementia.  It might be worry over how to provide food for their children that evening.  I can’t even imagine what kind of pain would cause someone to take their own life; or to go into a school or other venue and begin to shoot innocent people.  What if some small kindness could give them pause, to think maybe there is hope in this world; maybe someone does care!

I was surprised earlier this week to have a deputy sheriff pay for my meal at the McDonald’s drive-thru.  I decided to “pass it on” and paid for the person behind me.  The whole experience set the tone for the rest of my day.   An act of kindness does not go unrewarded, even if only in the feeling you get when you have done something to make someone else’s day just a little brighter.  You may never know the difference your kindness might make to another soul, especially when they are sad, or depressed, harried or stressed or just having a rough day.

God calls us to reach out to others in a positive way, to make a difference in the world around us.  Truth be told, if we look around us, to see how we can make someone else’s day a little better, it will often make our own day brighter and our problems seem much smaller.  With a smile or a kind word, some small gesture, the love of Jesus might spread further and wider than this year’s flu.  I invite you to allow God’s grace to flow through you and reach out to others through acts of love, or kindness, or generosity, or patience, or any of the Fruits of the Spirit.  We might not be able to change the world, but with such small measures, we can spread a little joy to the joyless corners of the world - or at least here in Alvin.  So I ask you - What Fruit of the Spirit could you take on as your discipline, and share to help make someone else’s life just a little better today?

Beyond the vision

The Last Sunday in Epiphany is always the story of the Transfiguration.  This year is Mark's version of the story.  They are all very similar differing only in minor details.  So I quite often like to go to the Old Testament lesson which is always different.  If you were here last year for the last Sunday in Epiphany, you heard me talk about a theophany, that is, a vision of God.  Years A and C both center around Moses up on the mountaintop.  Theophanies are not uncommon in the Old Testament.  You might remember things like Moses and the Burning Bush, Jacob's ladder to heaven, the Valley of the dry bones coming to life, the pillars of fire and smoke that led the Israelites out of Egypt.  The Old Testament is filled with these images of God.  This year we get Elijah being taken up in the "Chariot of Fire."  

There’s a story told by the Rev. Dr. Samuel Wells (a professor at Duke University) about a famous preacher who was a bit of a fraud, because the sermons were great but no one ever realized that in fact they’d all been written by the staff assistant. Finally the assistant’s patience ran out, and one day the preacher was speaking to thousands of expectant listeners and at the bottom of page two read the stirring words, "And this, my friends, takes us to the very heart of the book of Habakkuk, which is…" only to turn to page three and see nothing but the dreaded words, "You’re on your own now."

"You’re on your own now." Just what Elisha felt the day Elijah departed to heaven. Just what the disciples felt at Jesus’ ascension. "You’re on your own now." In England they say, "That makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable." In the US you are more likely to hear, "Yikes."  And our Old Testament lesson says that Elisha tore his garments.

Today's lesson shows Elijah and his disciple (apprentice) Elisha on a journey .  They travel from Gilgal, to Bethel, to Jericho and on to the Jordan.  And as they start out on each leg of the journey, and as a test, Elijah tells Elisha to stay there, but each time Elisha answers, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you."  They continue on until they reach the Jordan river.  To cross over, Elijah takes his mantle (like a coat or cape) folds it up and hits the water.  And lo and behold, the water parts and they walk across on dry land.  And what does that remind you of?  The Red Sea and the flight from Egypt.  The water parting is the sign of the presence of God.

Elisha asks for a favor - to receive double (twice) the spirit of Elijah.  He wants the elder son’s portion of the inheritance.  But there was a condition on his receiving his desire - he must see Elijah being taken up.  The answer is like saying, "Don't fall asleep, because if you miss it, you lose everything."  Now our lesson ends saying that Elisha tore his clothes.  In that time, tearing your clothes was a sign of great anguish.  But the story goes on... 

    13  Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14  He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.    15  When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

Elijah's mantle fell back to earth and Elisha picks it up.  He uses it to part the water of the Jordan to cross back over.  Again, this is a sign of the Lord's presence and that Elisha has indeed inherited Elijah's spirit.  This is a grand story about the transfer of power from one prophet to the next.  The fifty prophets who followed them to the Jordan can now attest that Elisha is now the prophet in Israel.

The New Testament doesn't have as many examples of a theophany.  But the gospels themselves present a kind of theophany.  If we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that he is God incarnate, then the whole story about Jesus is an extended theophany.  We get this vision of who God is and what God is like.  We see his interactions with the people around him.  The things he says are often confusing, but the things we see him do are powerful, inspiring. 

So, here we are, 6 days after Peter blurts out that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah.  Gosh, I love Peter, because he’s usually sticking his foot in his mouth and saying something stupid.  I figure if he can get it wrong as many times as he does and still be accepted as the rock on which the kingdom is built, then surely my mistakes can be forgiven, also.  

They are up on the mountain, and when Peter sees this transfiguration, and Elijah and Moses with Jesus, he blurts out, "Let's stay here and build 3 dwellings."  It says that he didn't know what to say because he was scared.  How many times do we get scared and start babbling to cover up our fear, or our lack of understanding?  

A cloud overshadows them - I can remember being on top of a mountain in Switzerland and there was a cloud forming over Lake Lucerne down below us.  It began to rise up until it enveloped us, and it was very hard to see the person in front of you as we were traveling along a narrow path to the top of the mountain, and after a few minutes, it had risen above us.  That can definitely make you nervous.  And a voice came out of the cloud - "This is my son, my beloved.  Listen to him."  And then the cloud was gone and they were left standing alone with Jesus.

This was the second affirmation in Mark's gospel concerning Jesus' divinity.  The first time (at his baptism) - only Jesus heard the voice.  Now his disciples also hear the voice.  What we are to take away from this has to do with Jesus, his image and his divinity.  

Our lesson from 2nd Corinthians says that "Christ is the image of God."  I would take that a step further and say that Christ is the only perfect image of God.  We are also made in the image of God, but being human we are imperfect.  That is why Christ died on the cross for us - to complete us by making that sacrifice; to pay the price for our imperfection, for our sin, and only that makes us worthy to stand before God.  

So, what are we to do with this vision of Jesus?  The disciples didn’t really understand any of it.  Following this encounter, they returned to the valley and the city below.  They had this monumental experience and immediately they were met by a man who is looking for healing for his son who is possessed by an evil spirit.  It’s back to business as usual, nothing is changed in the world around them.  Only them.  This is just one of the many things that helps them put together the puzzle of the incredible life they are living as they follow Jesus.  After he is raised from the dead, they remember all these miraculous things they have seen and finally begin to understand their significance. 

God makes his light to shine on us and in us and through us so that all might see his glory and come to the shining of his light.  Therefore, it is up to us to carry that light out into the world, so that others, when they encounter us, will know there is a God alive and active in the world today.

Amen.

Looking for Jesus

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Today’s gospel picks up Jesus as he leaves the synagogue – if you were here last week, we read the story about Jesus driving the unclean spirit from a man at the synagogue.  Today we see Jesus leave – he doesn’t go very far – just down the street to Peter’s house.  This is a typical Sabbath – after church they go home for the noonday meal and then probably lay around or sit around, telling stories and laughing and generally enjoying the afternoon.  

Oh, yes, and the healing – Peter’s mother-in-law.  She had a fever and Jesus touched her, he took her hand and lifted her up.  She got up and the fever left and she served them.  It was as simple as that.  And now Jesus and his friends are enjoying an afternoon off.

But when evening comes, it’s a different matter.  The Sabbath is over – that means people come out.  When Sam and I were in Jerusalem, we went to Ben-Yehuda pedestrian street before dark on the Sabbath.  There were a few tourists wandering around, n//ot a single shop was open.  It was almost like a ghost town.  As the sun went down, the shop doors began to open and merchants placed their wares out on the sidewalk to attract customers.  Before long it was so packed with people that it was hard to move.  

At one end there was a large crowd gathered and we could hear music coming from the center.  They were watching a group of dancer to performing to typical Israeli music.  An old Rabbi frantically went from one side of the group to the other yelling “messianics” – warning people that these were believers in Jesus – beware of them…  This place had literally come alive from an hour before where all seemed to be deserted.  

So I can see this group gathering around Peter’s house just after dark – shoving and pushing and trying to see who was there and what was going on -- hoping that this miracle worker might do some more --magic.  Bringing friends and relatives who had not been at the synagogue that morning to see this miracle worker.  If Jesus wanted proof of the efficacy – the effectiveness -- of his ministry here, this was it.  This was the proof that what he was doing was good and vital and much to be desired by the people.

Finally, after a very long day, late at night, the last of the visitors leaves and this motley crew, Jesus and his four followers, finally fall fast asleep.  Morning comes, birds singing, sounds of people beginning to stir in the distance – the guys wake up and realize that Jesus is not there.  They look around some and can’t find him.  Neighbors start showing up at the door wanting to see Jesus – but he’s nowhere to be found.

So Peter and Andrew, and James and John spread out a little further looking for Jesus. And eventually they find him up on a hillside overlooking Capernaum.  He’s sitting under a tree – he’s been there since about 4 in the morning.  The NRSV calls it a “deserted” place – but the word heramos really means more than that.  This is a place where one might go when crucial decisions need to be made.  It is a place where you are not only alone, but also quiet enough to hear the voice of God.

We might be tempted to say, crucial decisions?  What decisions?  He’s a hit, a success; people want him to stay – what’s to decide?  Go back down and be their pastor.  But the problem is, success has a tendency to turn one’s head – we get puffed up.  More often than not, when things are going well, we just sort of keep up the momentum – keep moving, why stop when we’re on a roll…   When we do that, we are often operating out of our own power – rather than relying on God’s power.  Too many people don’t think about calling on God until they’ve gotten things into such a mess that the only way they can get out is with God’s help.

But Jesus, at the beginning of his success in Capernaum, goes out to a lonely hill, to talk to God, to pray, to revitalize, to listen to God’s voice telling him where to go – what to do – next.  Jesus doesn’t let success put him over the edge.  He remains focused and he tells the disciples – “We move on.  Others need to hear the message.”

How often do we stop in the middle of our busy-ness and talk to God about what is going on in our lives?  I know for me it’s not really often enough – quite often just enough to get me through whatever it is that is foremost at hand. 

Jesus’ decision here was not between the good and bad.  Our choices seldom are that simple – black or white.  I know that regardless of where I am, God can and will use me to his purpose.  If I were still a school teacher, God would still use me to touch the people where I was.  But I also know that since he called me out of that place in my life, I have touched even more lives in different ways.

Our effectiveness as Christians in this world is directly affected by our continued communication with God.  I remember one course in seminary, it was a one hour ‘lab’ attached to our Old Testament class. The text book was called “The Word is very Near You” and the idea is that a small group got together once a week to practice being in the heramos – listening to God’s voice through scripture and spending that time in silent prayer.

One of the young men in our group was a Lutheran and he was impatient and rebelled at everything the senior leader tried to do.  His comment was, “I don’t have to pray.  My whole life is a prayer.”  Here a number of years later, I remember that remark and think, if anyone at all had a right to say that, it was Jesus – yet, here he is, out in the heramos, talking to his Father, recharging his batteries, deciding where to go and what to do next.

We are encouraged to find some time to spend with God each day.  Out of the three examples we have of Jesus praying in Mark’s gospel, one is in the morning and two are in the evening.  The second time Jesus prays was after feeding 5000 people – he went up on a mountain to pray – following another success – and he walks on water after he finishes praying.  The third time is in the garden of Gethsemane – another decision point – a time of great need – a need for strength to go through his passion.

One of the things that I find, a value or benefit, from morning time with God is that I don’t know what is going to face me on any given day.  People expect certain things out of me – a beneficial word, a comforting word, direction, understanding, whatever.  It just really helps me, to have started my day in prayer, to be able to respond to each person in the way they need.  When I’ve done even the minimum prayer time early, I find that I don’t panic when faced with a situation, I don’t jump to conclusions, I don’t run off in my own direction.  I am able to focus on what God has placed before me and tie into the gifts and knowledge he has given me.

The other thing about today’s gospel that really strikes me – the disciples tell Jesus, “Every one is searching for you.”  This is almost an admonishment – why aren’t you where people can find you?  My co-author wrote a book called “Looking for Jesus” – she said it really surprised her that people were looking for Jesus, because growing up, she thought Jesus lived in their house. 

I think there is a very important point in this idea of looking for Jesus.  We are all looking for something in this life; maybe to help us hold it together, to get past the stumbling blocks of our life, to get ahead, to try to figure what to do, where to go next.  There are many people who are searching for meaning, for love, for significance, for acceptance, for assurance that their life has purpose.  Some people look for it in drugs, sex, alcohol.  Some people are so desperate for attention that they will settle for a poor or abusive relationship or act out because negative attention is better than no attention.

The people from Capernaum saw in Jesus someone who could help them ‘solve their problems’ – but what they may have overlooked was that Jesus was someone who could help them “past their troubles.”  He was someone who could help them move on from the place where they were.

This reminds me of a song that I’ve never actually sung by itself, but it totally expresses what I have grown to know is true; it goes something like this:

Jesus is the answer, for the world today.

Above him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.

Jesus is the answer, for the world today.

Above him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.

If you have some questions

In the corners of your mind,

And traces of discouragement

And peace you can not find.

Reflections of the old past

They seem to face you every day,

There's one thing I know for sure

That Jesus is the way.

The people of Capernaum came` looking for Jesus in the same place where they last saw him – but he’s moved on from there – he knows there are more places to go, more people to help, more demons to overcome.  Jesus doesn’t stay in the last place we saw him – he’s always ready to lead us down new paths – the question is, are we ready and are we willing to follow him.  

Are we like Andrew and Peter and James and John – have we gone out to meet Jesus and to follow him into the world and new adventures?  Or are we still back in Capernaum looking for Jesus in the same old places?

Amen.

The Voice of Authority

Speaking of unclean spirits:  Several years ago the San Jose State University football team wasn’t doing too well.  Instead of scheduling extra practices, the head coach placed an ad for an exorcist who could place a hex on their opponents.  

Although we don't necessarily look for demons under every pew, our movie producers would have us believe that they are more common than we think.  Beginning with movies like "The Exorcist" and continuing through more than we have time to name, they have regaled us with demons around ever corner. 

Now I'll admit, I don't go to movies like that.  I don't have to do that to myself.  I think I have a proper perspective on the demonic.  I'm not going to say that demon possession is impossible, because some of the things we hear not the news today sound very demonic, but it's not nearly as common as some people would have you believe.

But yes, people do still seek exorcism for family members.  I may have told you this before, but the last year I was at Redeemer, I came in one morning to be met by my secretary telling me that there was a family waiting to see me who were looking for an exorcist.  My secretary, a good Baptist girl, had eyes as big as donuts when she relayed that information.  So it was with a great amount of trepidation that I went in to meet them.  Their story unfolded and I listened to them and the story ended with their having been sent to see a particular priest.  It was with great relief that I gave them directions to the Catholic Charismatic Center where the named priest was on staff.

Tom Wright, former Bishop of Durham, in his book, “Mark for Everyone,” tells a story about a disaster at sea in which a boat loaded with tourists begins to sink. Everyone aboard begins to scream as panic sets in.  “Suddenly one man –not a member of the crew –took charge. In a clear voice he gave orders, telling people what to do. Relief mixed with the panic as people realized someone at least was in charge, and many managed to reach lifeboats they would otherwise have missed in the dark.  The man himself made his way down to the people trapped in the hold. There he formed a human bridge: holding on with one hand to a ladder and with the other to part of the ship that was nearly submerged, he enabled still more to cross to safety. When the nightmare was over, the man himself was found to have drowned. He had literally given his life in using the authority he had assumed –the authority by which many had been saved.“

This story is not unlike the story of Jesus himself.  The important part in today’s gospel lesson is not the demonic, but the authority that Jesus assumed in his teaching.  This is the first place where we see Jesus teaching in the gospel of Mark.

Here we see Jesus having entered the synagogue.  It was not unusual in that day for visitors to be given the opportunity to read the scriptures or to teach.  Jesus was invited to read and teach.  He was not hesitant or shy in his teaching.  He was very confident in both his message and his delivery and it was obvious to those present that this was a very special person – one with authority.

  

This is the third time Jesus speaks in the Gospel of Mark and we are not told what his teaching is at this point.  But whatever his teaching, the people there are amazed at his authority.  But apparently it greatly disturbs one man there.  The man interrupts the service by challenging Jesus’ teaching.  It says here is that this man is possessed by an unclean spirit.  This spirit is disruptive and recognizes Jesus for who he is.  He calls Jesus, “the Holy One of God” and challenges his teaching and his very right to be there.

The man was not an outsider – he was apparently a member of this synagogue.  The implication is that the teaching in this place had become distorted.  And when Jesus comes, teaching with authority, this unclean spirit lashes out.  He can no longer sit back and be comfortable as he had been with the scribes’ teachings.  Self-preservation kicks in as his existence and belief is being challenged.  

This story is how Mark relays the rise of Jesus, and explains why people followed him and flocked to hear him teach.  It was the authority of his teaching and his presence that brought hope and healing to the broken world of Palestine. 

And today’s world is broken.  If you think it’s fine, then you haven’t listened to the news lately.  People are doing the most horrendous things because they don’t have hope, or they’ve listened to those voices that come from a source other than God.  They may not be coming in the churches, so they don’t heard about the love that is offered to them through Jesus Christ.

Even today there are various teachings in the church and there are people who will rise up to challenge the authority and teaching that they hear.  God will send prophets to speak out, and God’s love will rise up to sustain the body of Christ if we only have eyes to see it.  God’s new teaching is always based on where we are right now, and the direction in which God wants us to move.  

The church is not a static entity, but one that is growing and changing even as our culture and technology and the world itself changes around us.  We have to listen carefully to the different voices that vie for our attention and hear the one with authority.  Being Anglican, I believe that voice is somewhere in the middle – not on the extreme edges.  But it is up to us to ponder love and to listen for the voice of Jesus coming down through the centuries calling us to be a people formed in his own image.

In our second lesson, Paul tells us that “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”   It is this love of Jesus for all people that seen so strongly in this gospel passage.  The synagogue is a microcosm of the world today.  Our world is filled with people who are fighting with their own particular demons: emotional issues, addictions, abuse, abandonment, chemical dependencies or imbalances, illnesses or physical demons that torment them in many varied ways.  God sent his very own Son to free them all from those things that keep them bound and unable to respond to God’s love.   He sent his Son Jesus to free us all from our particular demons, to bring us hope when things seem hopeless, and to point the way to a better future and life eternal.  

Where do you hear the voice of Jesus?  How is he calling you to live out your life empowered by his love and healing presence?

Follow that star.

Today we celebrate the Epiphany.  Twelve days after the birth of Jesus.  This is the third week that we have surrounded ourselves with narratives concerning the first month of Jesus’ life.  Today’s story concerns the coming of the Magi, the ‘Wise men’ or Sages who saw a star and left home and hearth to follow a dream.  We’ve been told all our lives that these were Gentile astrologers, and I’ve preached that in the past, but that is not the understanding given in my new study Bible.

It is the Jewish Study Bible, a Bible written by Jews for Jews, Messianic Jews - those who believe in and follow Yeshua Messiah, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.  Many of the leaders of the Jewish leaders had been carried off to exile in Babylon around 600 BCE when Judah and the first temple fell to Nebuchadnezzar.  

Many years later (60-80), after the Persians had conquered the Babylonians, King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return home, but not all of them did.  Probably close to half remained in Babylon where they had become established with homes and jobs and families.  They were still Jews and they studied the Torah and worshiped Yahwah, the God of the Jews.  So according to my new Bible, these sages were members of the Jewish community established and led originally by Daniel in Babylon.

We celebrate the coming of these sages or Magi 12 days after the birth of Jesus.  We don’t know exactly when they came, but our scripture today says, “after Jesus was born...”  After, not when.  Tradition says it was 12 days later, but from scripture we know that it might have been as much as 2 years after his birth.  After all, it takes time to see the star, search and interpret scripture, prepare for a journey and then travel.

Many of you will remember that on Christmas Eve, I talked about the Son of God lying in a manger and those who heard and who cared enough to go out of their way to see this child.   These Magi saw the star and went out of their way to see this thing that the Lord had prepared.  500 miles out of their way - by donkey, or horse back, or camel, it doesn’t say.  It is estimated that it would have taken them any where from 25 to 50 days to travel one way.  They had to prepare and take their own supplies, there were very few inns or restaurants on this trip.  This was not a small undertaking.  

The important thing is that they saw this star and said “yes” to this journey.  Too many of us might consider this to be a fool’s journey.  Well, today’s gospel lesson is a prime example. Here we have a number of people – the gospel doesn’t tell us how many – tradition says 3, because there were three gifts. Anyway, the Magi are people maybe Jewish, maybe not, who have seen a sign in the sky, who go out of their way to discover what that means.  

But these wise men, sort of like university professors of today – single focused – continued on their journey until they came to the Christ child in a house (not a manger) and knelt down before him. They also brought him gifts – gold and frankincense and myrrh – gifts for a king. According to tradition the gifts had special significance – gold represented his deity and purity; frankincense represented the fragrance of his life, and myrrh represented his sacrifice and death. 

But the most important part of today’s lesson is the light – the Magi followed the light and we live in that light.  St. John tells us, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” The Magi followed that light and Herod tried to snuff it out, but it wouldn’t snuff. 

Our first lesson today says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” Jesus had come into the world.  And Jesus has come into our world, too. And the question is, what are we going to do about it?  These Magi said ‘yes’ to God, to following the star.  How can we as individual, and as a church, say ‘yes’ to God?

There is a study in improv where one person throws out an idea.  The next person must say, “yes” and add to that idea.  And this continues around the room with each person saying ‘yes, and...’  We can do that same thing here in church.  When someone comes up with a new idea, instead of shooting it down or listing reasons why not, say, ‘yes’ and think of ways you can help or expand on the idea.  One woman said when her church decided to have a health fair, she immediately thought, I’m not a doctor or nurse, how can I possibly help?  Then she remembered to say, “yes, and...” and she found ways she could be involved and help to make it a success.

Grace needs new ideas on how to expand our fellowship with one another to help us become a solid community in Christ. and to work together to reach out to others.  Several new ideas have been put forth that I believe are worth pursuing.  I would like to see Grace church begin to develop a closer community life through fellowship and working together on projects beyond the Fish Fry and the Pumpkin Patch.  What can each of us do to further a closer bond that brings people in and furthers the life of the parish?  As ideas are put forth, follow the example of the Magi by saying, “Yes, and ...” And find ways to help, expand or promote to begin to make Grace Church a thriving community of Christ’s love once again.  In 2018, as we call a new rector, prepare a place that is welcoming and alive.    

Amen

Christ is coming.

In our Old Testament lesson Isaiah said, "O that you would tear open the heavens and come down so that the mountains would quake at your presence - to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!"

And in our gospel Jesus said, "The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away before all these things have taken place."

Even our epistle from Paul says, "…you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ…" 

These lessons look forward to the end of the world.  During the first century, the new church was sure that Jesus would return during their lifetime - he said he would.  

This message was time-sensitive – the young Christian sect had to get it out - and the message spread like wildfire.  The only problem is that it didn't happen - and then they remembered that he also said, "But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  

The message that Christ is coming is what Advent is all about: the coming of the Messiah.  Advent is always the four Sundays before Christmas.   Advent looks forward to the coming of Jesus  -  And it acknowledged that the Messiah comes to us in four ways.

1 - He came in the flesh - he was born as a baby in Jerusalem.  A star and the heavenly hosts heralded his coming.  But those who noted it were few: Three wise men, a few shepherds and an old prophet and prophetess.

2 - He came in power - healing the sick, driving out demons and bringing hope to a nation that didn't recognize him.  "Prepare the way" was the call of John the Baptizer.  "Prepare the way of the Lord.  Make straight his paths."

3 - He came in Spirit as the Risen Lord to empower the church to spread the gospel to a world broken and torn by strife.  The fire of the Holy Spirit danced on their heads and the Word of the Lord was made known.  And he still comes in Spirit to guide and direct us.

4 - But most importantly, he will come again - this time in glory - "coming in clouds with great power and glory."  This is what we look forward to on this the first Sunday in Advent.

Advent is a season full of hope and anticipation - Advent is pregnant with expectation.  Advent is a time of preparation - to prepare for the Lord's coming.  We've been preparing for a long time.  The Old Testament prophets predicted his coming and the people waited with hope for the Messiah who was to come.  But when he came so many didn't recognize him, didn't accept him. 

For people in Palestine in the first century - the world was not a friendly place - you could get killed.  The Roman army didn't need a reason - they just took what they needed and did what they wanted.  They totally destroyed the temple and drove the people out.  

This new sect, the one called Christian, was not a favored religion - they were hunted and killed.  And the church grew - it thrived - Nero was the anti-Christ and war and pestilence marked the beginning of the end.  Jesus was going to return - in power and glory.  

But time passed, Christianity became an accepted religion and later the official religion.  And the people grew complacent.  

This is a pattern that has come down through the ages.  World War II was the war to end all wars, Hitler was the anti-Christ and the establishment of the Jewish state in Palestine signaled the beginning of the end. So said Hal Lindsey in his best selling book, The Late Great Planet Earth.  He claimed that Jesus would return in 1988.  Well, maybe Hitler wasn't really the anti-Christ after all.  

So we, as a people, have grown complacent.  When I was growing up, there was the cold war - which occasionally heated up.  People talked about building bomb shelters.  The television and movie theaters were full of information about the Atom Bomb and we were warned to be prepared in case we were attacked.  

There were drills at school so we would know what to do if we were bombed.  The television and the radio were full of tests of the emergency broadcast system - on a daily basis. We lived with the threat of annihilation.  People went to church.  Apocalypse - Second Coming - whatever… annihilation seemed to be a real threat.  

By the time I graduated from high school we had entered the race for space and John Glenn had made his historic trip around the world and we had mostly forgotten the threat of the A-bomb.  In October of 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis - people stayed glued to their TVs praying against war.  Vietnam followed Korea and our young men and women were sent out in droves.  

Lots of people were tired of trying to handle the tension of the constant threat and totally rebelled and so started the peace movement - flower power… make love, not war… for many, drugs were a way to forget the threat… and it was all reflected in the music that became so popular.

Where have all the flowers gone...  Johnny's gone for a soldier…  Blowing in the Wind… Groups like Peter, Paul and Mary sang their hearts out - protesting against the tension - trying to find relief or expression or to just forget.  For some, Jesus was an example they could cling to and proclaim.  Others drifted away from the church, from religion, from home and family, and eventually from life.  

As the millenium approached people once again predicted the end.  There were hundreds of books on the market about the Second Coming, the rapture and prophecy fulfillment.  Harold Camping first predicted might return on September 6, 1994.  When that did not occur he then predicted the rapture on May 21, 2011.  When that didn’t happen, he said no, it was actually October 21.  Well, that came and went, and we’re still waiting.

A later prediction was not by Christians, but by New Age-ers.  It was based on the really old Mayan calendar with ends on December 21, 2012.  A lot of people jumped on that band wagon, but again it did not occur.

And even now we see the kinds of signs that have many wondering if the end is coming soon.  Just in the past few months there have been mass shootings, earthquakes, hurricanes bringing death and destruction - a confrontation with North Korea causes anxiety so that Hawaii is reactivating it’s air raid siren system - an oddly shaped large asteroid from outside this solar system recently passed very close to earth bring questions from various corners.

Notice that our Gospel story for today begins in the future tense - the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, the stars will be falling.  This is yet to come - we do not know when.  The lesson then continues in the present tense - learn the lesson of the fig tree, when it puts on leaves, you know that summer is near.  It suggests that the coming of Christ is a certainty that makes a difference in how we live our lives right now.  

Then our story ends with a parable in the imperative.  A man is going on a journey.  He has put his servants in charge, each with his own work and commands them to "Watch!"   This is something that is going to happen and a response is required of us, both as a church and as individuals.  The servants are not singled out in this parable as they have been in some of the other parables.

This is the message for all of us. Together we are to keep watch - each with our own work.  We are to be prepared to meet our Lord whenever he comes - whether it’s tomorrow or a million years from now.  We are to spread the gospel message that Jesus is alive and that he is coming and that he offers us hope of a better world.  He offers us those things that the world cannot give us; fullness in our hearts, peace in our minds, joy in our souls.  He offers us forgiveness for our sins and eternal life.  He offers us stability when our world falls apart around us.  

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian. He was hanged by the Nazis in 1945 for his steadfast loyalty to Christ and his unswerving opposition to Hitler and the Third Reich.  Bonhoeffer disapproved of the new trend he called "cheap grace" - this talking about love without judgment, belief without loyalty, and forgiveness without repentance. 

Bonhoeffer tells us there is a cost for following Jesus.  He demands our loyalty, our sincerity.  We are not only to pay lip service to Jesus, but we are to follow his example.  We must not only talk the talk, but we must also walk the walk.  That's what Jesus calls us to do - let our actions speak for us.

Be aware of the fact that Christ is coming.  Begin to prepare your life for his appearance.  Align your values and attitudes with those of Christ.  Make commitments and seek activities that reflect Christ's love for the world.  Make the worship of God an integral part of your life - not only on Sunday but every day.  To help you reflect on the coming of Christ each day in Advent, I have a book from Living Compass to give each family.  We will pass them out during the announcements.u 

This Advent be aware of Christ coming into your life.  Be involved in and support the work of the church in the world.  When you find yourself falling into habits that do not reflect the love of Christ, turn around and start anew.  Prepare yourself for the Advent of Christ in your life so that when he bursts in on you unexpectedly you may not be found wanting.       Amen.