I am celebrating. I was brave and I preached a sermon that was more prophetic than I'm used to being. The church that I am serving is open and affirming but they are very shy about it. The community is afraid that if they get too out there about their open and affirming stance that some folk will get angry and leave. I've been patient with it however yesterday I officiated a funeral for a woman who was married to another woman. The sanctuary was filled with many folk who felt uncomfortable being in a church because of their sexual orientation. Many in at the funeral had no idea that our Church is open and affirming. This put a fire under me to preach a sermon this morning that encouraged Smalltown Church to let their little open and affirming light shine. Here it is.
"Whom Shall I Fear"
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Psalm 27
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 13:31-35
In the musical Rent, there is a scene of men and women gathered together in a support group for person’s diagnosed with AIDS. They begin their group with introductions and then they sing a prayer together, “There’s only us, there’s only this, give in to love…or live your life in fear.” Then Gordon, one of the group members interrupts the song saying, “Excuse me, Paul I’m having trouble with this credo, my t-cells are low I regret that news ok.” And the group leader Paul asks him, “But Gordon, how do you feel today.” And Gordon replies, “Ok.” “Is that all?” Paul asks. Gordon then says, “Best I’ve felt all year.” And Paul responds by saying, “Then why choose fear?” “I’m a New Yorker,” says Gordon, “Fear’s my life….Look I find some of what you teach suspect. Because I’m used to relying on intellect but I try to open up to what I don’t know…Because reason says I should’ve have died three years ago.”
Gordon’s story of trying to overcome his fears in spite of the evidence that surrounds him is a common theme amongst many characters of the bible. In the Gospel of Luke we have read many stories of people being justifiably scared out of their wits….
When Zechariah father of John the Baptist encounters an angel in the temple he was terrified and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel says to him “Do not be afraid, your wife will bear you a son...and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Highly suspect because reason says that he and wife are too old to conceive a childe.
When the angel Gabriel came to Mary mother of Jesus with the salutation, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” She is much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. To which the angel said, “Do not be afraid Mary for now you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you will name him Jesus.” Highly suspect because reason says she is a virgin, how could this happen?
Then on the night that Jesus was born, there were shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night and an Angel stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day the city of David a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord.” Highly suspect because reason says that Bethlehem is under Roman Occupation and these dirt poor shepherds are living under the thumb of Roman oppression.
Do not be afraid…for you will bear a son filled with the Holy Spirit.
Do not be afraid…For you have found favor with God.
Do not be afraid…For I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.
Do not be afraid…
This morning we hear these words again…This time from God to Abram as God seals God’s covenant with Abram, “Do not be afraid Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be great.” Abram responds to God’s assurance in the same way that Gordon responded to his groups affirmation. “Oh Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue to be childless…you have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” God tells Abram that it will be his biological children which will receive Abrams inheritance. God takes Abram outside and shows him the sky, he tells Abram that his descendants shall outnumber the stars in the sky. This is quite suspect for Abram, because reasons says that up until now Sarai his wife is barren and now he and his wife are quite old and it would seem biologically impossible for them to conceive and birth a child at this late stage in his life. Abram could give into his disbelief, his fear, but he decides to trust in the promise of God rather than the evidence that surrounds him.
Then we have the gospel reading where the Pharisees warn Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” All the evidence shows certain death for Jesus and Jesus knows it. Yet this does not take Jesus away from the work that he knows he needs to get done. Knowing full well what will happen to him he continued to set his face to Jerusalem. “Go and tell that Fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.” Jesus knew that he was a threat to the powers and principalities of his time because how he lived his life and ministry going against the rules of his culture. He openly associated with the oppressed in his culture, the women, the sick, the tax collectors and called them blessed. He made it his mission to turn the domination system upside down by claiming that God is for the oppressed and stands for the oppressed. Jesus did not let fear get in the way of doing the work that God was calling him to do.
It is hard not to get caught up in our fears, both individually and as a faith community. We hear the still small voice of God calling us to go beyond our comfort zone however we respond with a “yeah but…” God calls us to share the good news of God’s love by inviting our friends to come to church with us, “yeah but…I’m afraid I’ll put off my friends if I bring up anything religious.” God calls the church to use it’s gifts and resources towards building the God’s kingdom here on earth, “yeah but…we hardly have enough to keep going ourselves.” God calls us to share with the world our radical ministry of inclusiveness, peace and justice making, “yeah but…if we get too out there, we might upset certain folk who aren’t comfortable with being a ‘just peace’ church or an ‘open and affirming’ church.”
The fears that I have named are legitimate. In a small church such as ours, we depend on everybody to support our ministries both in financial support and talents and when someone leaves the church, the whole body of the church does feel it. However we cannot let our fears get in the way of the ministry that God is calling us to do in the world. We need to set ourselves towards our ministry the same way Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem.
Just outside the doors of our church is a community of folk who are hungering to hear the good news of God’s love and grace given freely as shown to us through the life and ministry of Jesus. There are people who are wanting to join us in becoming God’s hands, feet and voice in bringing God’s justice to the world. There are people who are longing to find a community where they know everyone is welcome regardless of race, sexual orientation, economic means, or even previous religious experience. We have all these things here within Smalltown Church, but does the world outside our doors know this?
Yesterday I officiated a memorial service for a 28 year old woman who died of breast cancer, leaving behind her same gendered partner, her wife of only a year and a half. This sanctuary was filled with many people who have stayed away from church because they’ve been made to feel rejected due to their sexual orientation. For many of these folk, my sermon yesterday was the first time they heard that God’s promises are not conditional, that God’s mercy and love are freely given to us, not because we deserve it but because God created us whole-ly in God’s image just as we are and that God did not make any mistake in how God created us. It was a relief for many who sat here yesterday to hear for the first time that God loved them just as they are.
Yes, it takes great courage to stay true to our calling in a world that is divisive over issues of justice and inclusiveness. But remember Jesus faced the same kind of obstacles in his day knowing that he and his followers would face suffering. However do not let fear keep you from your calling. Stay true to your call: begin your journey with the end in mind just as Jesus did, but let go of the worry about that end, and be brave. Or as Charlotte Russell succinctly sums up the way to learn to do courage: “Show up, Listen. Tell the truth as you see it from your heart. Let go of the outcome.”+
May it be so.
Amen.
+SHELTERING WINGS: 2nd Sunday of Lent Sermon by Dan Stern, Broadview Church, 3/4/07
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
T-Fig
2 Corinthians 3:12 – 4:2
Luke 9:28-36
This morning’s text about the Transfiguration of Jesus is a difficult text. What my seminary book learning has taught me is that the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus is the foreshadowing of Easter. That when the resurrected Jesus appears to his friends, he is dazzling white just like the Jesus we see in this morning’s gospel reading.
Luke doesn’t give us a lot of details to help us flesh out the story. Throughout his gospel Luke emphasizes over and over again the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and son of God. Since Christmas, in this season of Epiphany, we have heard Luke’s stories that give us clues to who Jesus is. We remember when Mary and Joseph found their boy Jesus in the temple dialoguing with the scholars and rabbis. We witnessed the baptism of Jesus where the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form as a dove and a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved with You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) Then there was the time in the temple of his hometown of Nazareth where Jesus read from a scroll “the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news…Today the scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (4: 18, 4: 21) Then eight days before today’s story, Jesus revealed that he, the Messiah, the son of God would undergo great suffering and be rejected and be killed and on the third day be raised. All of these revealing moments, these epiphany stories, lead up to this morning’s mountain top experience. In each story the people don’t know how to react to what they see and hear. They are skeptical, wondering if this man is who he says he is, why does he have suffer? If he is the son of God, isn’t he special enough to be exempt from all suffering or at least smart enough to avoid it?
A few years ago I had attended a workshop on alcohol and drug addiction through the State of _______. The presenters taught us about the emotional, physical and spiritual effects of addiction to drugs and alcohol. However, what caught my notice was how they stressed over and over again that the disease of addiction is an easily treatable disease, that recovery is indeed possible if the person seeking to recover from their addiction is given the right tools and resources. Intellectually I was getting what they were saying…but as a director of a homeless shelter, where I daily interacted with folk caught in the net of drug and alcohol addiction, I wondered if it was truly possible.
One of the presenters, Lois caught my eye as she led the class in a discussion on the process of recovery. She was a very well dressed, articulate woman who reminded me of the professors I had in seminary who were of the same demeanor and stature. I paid close attention to what she said but I had a bit of skepticism because I didn’t think she was exposed to the same people that I worked with at the shelter. In the middle of her lecture on recovery she stopped talking about people struggling with addiction as them or they and started talking about recovery using the pronouns us and we. When I noticed her change in the use of her pro-nouns my ears perked up along with the rest of the class. She paused and said, “Yes you heard me right, I am a recovering drug addict.” And she began to share her story.
Twenty years ago Lois had been addicted to crack cocaine. Her addiction had taken such a hold on her that she lost her job, her husband and children and her home. She was living under a bridge and eating oranges from the trees in people’s yards. It was through the grace of God and the help of others that she was able to stop using crack and embark on her journey into recovery. She went into the field of drug and alcohol education to show people that there is always hope of being able to stop using drugs and alcohol and that there is no bottom deep enough that cannot be overcome into recovering from addiction.
At that moment I could relate to how Peter must have felt as he saw Jesus’ face shine, his clothes become dazzling white and Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus. After Lois’ talk I came up to her and thanked her for her story. I told her that I was amazed at how her story reminded me of the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain. That when Peter saw Jesus in all of God’s glory he wanted to build three dwellings in honor of the moment and now I can see why. Lois was humbled by what I said but she also corrected me saying, “do not put me on a pedestal, instead just share my story.”
Some note that at the moment of transfiguration, Peter wanted to freeze this image of a dazzling Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah and to commemorate the place where this happened. But that is not what faithfulness is about. As we look closer into the text we see that the conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah was about Jesus’ departure. They were talking about of Jesus’ impending persecution, suffering and death. However the text states that Jesus’ face was shining and his clothes were dazzling white to show that the death of Jesus would not be the final word, that on the third day Jesus will raise from the dead and “enter into his glory” again! Now, the danger of such intense experiences are that we fail to learn from them as we ought to or that we may want to withdraw from the day to day struggles that fill most of our lives.[i]
However the purpose of these transfiguration moments is to remove the veil of despair and reveal to us the glory of resurrection which shows us that with God, indeed all things are possible and that there is hope, especially in the murkiness of our everyday struggles both individually and as a church community. God’s voice tells us, “This is my son, my Chosen ; listen to him.” (9:35)
In this morning’s Epistle reading we hear the apostle Paul speaking to the struggling church community of Corinth Corinth
However when God sent his only son Jesus Christ, the veil was lifted. Jesus revealed to the world the power of God’s grace through his life and ministry. Paul reminds the Corinthian church that they are called to unveil Jesus to the world through their ministry, that as they are transformed by Christ’s grace so to they are called to reflect that transformation to the world.
In this community of faith we participate in the revelation of God’s glory through the sharing of the word of God and in the act of worshiping together. However, we are also called to unveil Jesus to the world through our ministry so that the world can know God’s grace which is freely given. We as a church need to prayerfully discern how God is calling us to be God’s hands, feet and voice in building God’s kingdom here on earth. Where is Jesus needing to be unveiled in this town, this state, this nation? Where do people need to hear the good news of God’s love for all of God’s creation? What resources do we have in our community of faith that can be used towards a life giving ministry that reveals that with God resurrection is possible.
This Wednesday begins our Lenten season. It is a time in the church year where we meditate upon Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem
May it be so.
Amen.
[i] R. Alan Culpepper, “Luke 9:28-36” New Interpreters Bible: Volume 10: Luke, John. (Abingdon Press: Nashville, 1995), 205-208.
[ii] Charles Couser, “Last Sunday After Epiphany” Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on NRSV – Year C. (Westminster John Knox Press: Louisville, 1994),176
[iii] Fred Craddock, “Last Sunday After Epiphany” Preaching Through the Christian Year: Year C. (Trinity Press: Harrisburg, 1992), 124
The Knitting Olympics
I am the biggest Olympics geek. I love the Olympics, I will watch it from beginning to end, taking in as many events as I can. As I am writing this I am watching NBC anxiously awaiting the first of the morning events.
In the spirit of the Olympics Yarn Harlot has challenged to participate with her own unique spin on the festivities. Lifted from her website:
The 2010 Knitting Olympics
Eligibility: Any knitter who, embracing the "Citius, Alitius Fortius" ideal, would like to challenge themselves while embracing the Olympic spirit, and is just whacked enough to play along with me.
Concept: You must cast on a project during the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, Friday, February 12, 2010 and finish before the Olympic flame goes out Sunday, February 28. That's 17 days.
Rules:
1. The project must be a challenge for you to complete in 17 days.
2. There are no rules about what a challenge would be. Like the real Olympics, there are many areas to compete in. If you are a new knitter, then a garter stitch baby sweater might do...If you are experienced, use your own conscience.
3. While this is intended to be somewhat difficult (like the Olympics) it is not intended to ruin your life. Don't set yourself up for failure. (Olympic athletes may cry, but they do not whine pitifully, sob and threaten members of their family with pointed sticks because they haven't slept in five days. ) This is intended to (like the Olympics) require some measure of sacrifice, and be difficult, but it should be possible to attain.
4. No casting on before the flame is lit. (The opening ceremonies run from 6-8 pst. If you can't watch, then I'd pick a time in there.)
5. Finish before the flame goes out.
6. You may swatch before the games. (I consider this "training.")
Medals?
The Knitting Olympics has only a gold medal. (There is only do- or do not.) Finishers get a gold medal button for their blog, their name entered into a draw for a chance at a prize from me, and the joy of knowing that they are an Olympic level knitter, no matter how experienced they are. You are only competing against yourself. (Well. And the Olympic schedule.)
Who's in?
If you're just crazy enough itching to be part of the Knitting Olympics, fill in this form, and your name and link will show up on the list of athletes here. (Many thanks to the clever and competent David, who made that page go and offered to host it.) Consider carefully. Done right, this will suck up 17 days of your life and be an epic work.
(Crappy button made by yours truly. Really good button for finishers will be made by Franklin. Feel free to swipe and save to your own server.)
What am I knitting?
Whistler. I figure that if I'm going to propose that you all take this on, that I set a fine example of being so completely out of my mind it's almost scary embracing the ideal.
17 days, many knitters, one dream. The Knitting Olympics.
Good luck.
Concept: You must cast on a project during the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, Friday, February 12, 2010 and finish before the Olympic flame goes out Sunday, February 28. That's 17 days.
Rules:
1. The project must be a challenge for you to complete in 17 days.
2. There are no rules about what a challenge would be. Like the real Olympics, there are many areas to compete in. If you are a new knitter, then a garter stitch baby sweater might do...If you are experienced, use your own conscience.
3. While this is intended to be somewhat difficult (like the Olympics) it is not intended to ruin your life. Don't set yourself up for failure. (Olympic athletes may cry, but they do not whine pitifully, sob and threaten members of their family with pointed sticks because they haven't slept in five days. ) This is intended to (like the Olympics) require some measure of sacrifice, and be difficult, but it should be possible to attain.
4. No casting on before the flame is lit. (The opening ceremonies run from 6-8 pst. If you can't watch, then I'd pick a time in there.)
5. Finish before the flame goes out.
6. You may swatch before the games. (I consider this "training.")
Medals?
The Knitting Olympics has only a gold medal. (There is only do- or do not.) Finishers get a gold medal button for their blog, their name entered into a draw for a chance at a prize from me, and the joy of knowing that they are an Olympic level knitter, no matter how experienced they are. You are only competing against yourself. (Well. And the Olympic schedule.)
Who's in?
If you're just crazy enough itching to be part of the Knitting Olympics, fill in this form, and your name and link will show up on the list of athletes here. (Many thanks to the clever and competent David, who made that page go and offered to host it.) Consider carefully. Done right, this will suck up 17 days of your life and be an epic work.
(Crappy button made by yours truly. Really good button for finishers will be made by Franklin. Feel free to swipe and save to your own server.)
What am I knitting?
Whistler. I figure that if I'm going to propose that you all take this on, that I set a fine example of being so completely out of my mind it's almost scary embracing the ideal.
17 days, many knitters, one dream. The Knitting Olympics.
Good luck.
A friend of mine is pregnant with twins so rather than making the usual matched set of knitting cuteness I've decided to make a lil' devil hat and a lil' angel hat. What an appropriate kind of present from her pastor pal. I don't have a pattern for the angel hat, so I will improvise the lil' devil hat using white and gold yarn of course!
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