Spirit Life Online

My blog is on hold as I attend to my growing, busy church. However, I am leaving my posts here for those who wish to peruse past entries.

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“Shine the Light”

Luke 9:28-43a

A preacher who is also an avid mountain-climber, writes of an experience on Mt. Ranier:

A few years ago, just after 5:00am I was climbing Mt. Rainier with some good friends. We stopped to watch the sun rise over the eastern edge of the Ingraham Glacier. One of my climbing buddies said it was the most unusual sunrise he had ever seen in the mountains, no small statement for someone who had been climbing for 30 years. If an awe-inspiring sunrise in the mountains is God’s signature upon the new day, marking the fact that this is the day the Lord has made, we can at least dimly perceive what it would be like to be ushered directly into God’s presence, and how our faces would shine with the glory of the sun slipping over the rim of Mt. Rainier.

We can imagine that Peter, James, or John had a similar experience on the mountain with Jesus. The transfiguration occurs about eight days after “these sayings,” which are teachings on discipleship. The setting is Caesarea Philippi, the location of the highest mountain in the area, Mt. Hermon, a little over 9,000 feet. Peter has just recently stepped up as the first disciple to call Jesus the Messiah. And perhaps that’s why Jesus chooses Peter, along with James and John to go to the mountain for a spiritual retreat. It is indeed a retreat, because they finally get away from the crowds. Jesus begins the retreat in a time of prayer. As he prays, he is transfigured. Then guest preachers arrive, Moses and Elijah, prophets who laid the groundwork for the Messiah. Up on the mountain, God makes it clear that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, “This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him!” If Peter, James, and John had any doubts the identity of Jesus, the transfiguration wipes those doubts away.

The divine presence of God is revealed in Jesus through the shining light. Jesus is physically transformed by bright light; his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white. Throughout the Bible, a bright light, sun or fire, is a powerful sign of God’s Spirit. God created light, and separated the light from the darkness. In the scriptures, light reveals the purity, glory, mystery, and guidance of God. The Psalmist writes, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” In the story of Moses, God is revealed in the fire of the burning bush. Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would come as a light, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. . .” At Pentecost, tongues of fire bring the power of the Spirit upon the disciples. I John 1:5 reads, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

Peter marvels at the bright light of God shining on Jesus. He realizes that Jesus is indeed the “light of the world.” He volunteers to build three dwellings for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Peter wants to stay on the mountain forever, on this spiritual high. He says to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here.” He wants to capture God’s light and keep it. Who wouldn’t want to capture that power, that presence? The Israelites attempted to capture God by building a tabernacle, a throne. They carried it with them as they wandered to the Promised Land. When they finally arrived and settled, they built a glorious temple for God. The ultimate hope of the Jews was that God would dwell with them. The lights on the altar in the temple in Jerusalem were a symbol of God’s presence in their midst. When Peter experiences God’s presence on the mountain top, he wants to put it in a mason jar and seal the lid, like you would a fire-fly. But what happens when you capture a fire-fly and put a lid on it? It dies doesn’t it?

The light of God in Jesus shined brightly on the mountain. That light penetrated into the hearts of Peter, James, and John. It reflected off all of the disciples. They would carry His light to the world, especially after the resurrection. Paul was blinded by that bright light on the road to Damascus, and then took that light to the Gentiles. But what about us? How brightly do we shine the light of Jesus into the darkness of the people around us? How bold do we shine the peace of Christ in the gloom and doom of the world? Do we reflect the nature of our savior in such a bright way, that others see Jesus in us? Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Did you ever hear about the little girl in the train? She couldn’t understand why the trainman was going through the car lighting the lamps. She said, “Mother, it is the middle of the day and the sun is shining, why is he turning on those lights?” The mother smiled, and said, “Wait a bit and you’ll see what the lights are for.” In a moment or two the train plunged into a long, dark tunnel, and then the little girl saw the wisdom of the lamplighting process.

Has there been a time in your life when the bright light of Jesus became even more clear because you were in a dark tunnel? You may have a friend, neighbor, or family member who is traveling down a tunnel of despair, grief, divorce, loneliness, addiction, or illness. They can not see the light at the end of the tunnel. You better turn up the power, use more wattage, and remove the lampshade. Some will never see the light, until we reflect it continually.

Thanks be to God, we have a continual power source. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). The light of God’s love overcame the darkness of the cross and the tomb. This light glows eternally, and we are called to share it, in the darkness of the world. Will you shine the light of God’s amazing grace?

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“God is Like a Mother Hen”

Luke 13:31-35

I watched one of my favorite movies the other night, “Freaky Friday.” In this teen flick, Jamie Lee Curtis plays a caring, but overly anxious parent of a teenager played by Lindsey Lohman. The teenager is rebellious, disrespectful, and plays guitar in a rock band. Curtis is a well-respected psychologist and author, who is about to be married to a wonderful man, who is despised by the daughter. The father in the family had recently died. Underneath the surface of the daily arguments, the mom and teen are struggling with deeper issues. Defiance, anger, and conflict are simply outward signs of an inner grief that both share. To “cure” the conflict, a wise Chinese woman facilitates a miracle - mom and daughter switch bodies. As they walk, talk, and live in each other’s shoes, they come to understand each other in a new way. The movie has all kinds of lessons about grief, second marriage, step-parents, sibling rivalry and teen rebellion, but the lesson I find most intriguing is how to be a good mother. Now mind you, Curtis makes some mistakes. But overall, she is a caring, attentive, loving, and patient mom, who wants what’s best for her children.

Could it be that God is like a mother hen, a caring, attentive, patient mother, who wants what’s best for her children - you and I? How strange is it to think of God as a mother, when we are taught to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven. . .” Images of God abound in the Bible: father, shepherd, king, creator, holy one, rock, light, strong arm, and dwelling place. But God as mother? These images are few and far in between. And yet that is exactly what Jesus offers us today in Luke.

In today’s passage, we see that Jesus is slowly getting closer to Jerusalem and the cross. In this particular story, the Pharisees warn him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” Funny that the Pharisees would issue a warning, since they want to get rid of Jesus, too. But the one who had the power to dispense with Jesus was Herod. Jesus responds, “Go tell that fox for me. . .I’m not done yet!” Then Jesus looks toward Jerusalem with sorrow. He knows that Jerusalem is the center of his people, ever since King David made it the religious and political capital, home of the temple. As Jesus looks at Jerusalem, he sees a city that “kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!” Distressed, he knows he will be the next prophet killed. He cries out with love and sorrow, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem. . .How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.”

Here we have an image of God gathering the chickadees of Jerusalem, as a mother hen gathers her brood. This hen would like to protect her brood from that sly fox Herod, a puppet of Rome. But yet, the chickadees would rather run away, to their own destruction. And their house will crumble. Jesus is quoting from another rejected prophet, Jeremiah, Chapter 22:5, “But if you will not heed these words, I swear by myself, says the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.” Indeed, the Jews do rebel against Rome, only to be crushed, the temple destroyed in 70AD, about 40 years after the death of Jesus. While Jesus teaches, “turn the other cheek and love your enemies,” the chickadees prefer to take matters in their own hands. Rather than find refuge under the mother hen’s wings, they go astray. Are we like those chickadees?

Is God like a mother hen? Most of us grow up thinking of God as an old man, with a long white flowing robe and a beard, sitting on a throne as in heaven. This is God, the distant, dominant father, a strong, all-powerful father figure. This image of God as father stays with us throughout life, unless we recognize that the scriptures offer different images of God. For some Christians, God as father is a healthy image, but for others, it may conjure up painful memories. I know someone who was sexually abused by her father from about the age of 10 until she moved out at 18. Praying to God as Father is not a healthy image for her and thousands of others who have suffered in this way. But then again, God as a mother hen may not be an adequate image for those who feel hen-pecked.

The scriptures offer images of God as mother. Isaiah writes:

⁹Shall I open the womb and not deliver? says the Lord; shall I, the one who delivers, shut the womb? says your God. ¹⁰Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her ” ¹¹that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom. ¹²For thus says the Lord: I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm, and dandled on her knees. ¹³As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:9-13

But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken men, my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:14-15

Even when we go astray as chickadees tend to do, God will not forget us. He will give us life, as a mother does. He will nurse and feed us. He will carry us in his arms and never forget us. This is why he sent Jesus. The chickadees, the Israelites, continued to go astray, but God was a persistent, patient, loving parent. He pursued the Israelites, and through the prophets, called them back home. And like a mother hen, he hovered over them and delivered them from enemies. When they turned away, he did not give up. And out of love, God sent Jesus into the world to reconcile, redeem, and rescue the lost chickadees. He came to give us life, and feed us bread and wine.

In the movie, Freaky Friday, a miracle happens as the mother enters the body of the teen and the teen enters the body of the mom. In the incarnation, a miracle happens, too. God dwells within the body of Jesus Christ. The Word becomes flesh and lives among us. And Jesus offers us his body broken, his blood shed, to save us from self-destruction, sin and death. Come and find the shelter of God’s motherly love, offered through Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.

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“One Body, Many Parts”

I Corinthians 12:12-31a

This sermon will not be a perfectly organized, 3-point essay with an attention-grabbing introduction and a logical conclusion. I get kinda’ bored with the same format, so I guess you must get bored, too! Today, you will be doing more work. I will not spoon feed you a clear biblical interpretation, a cute story, and some quotes from a famous theologian. Rather, I will read unconventional sources, authors you probably never heard in the pulpit. It will be up to you to listen closely, and discern the meaning of the parables.

We begin with Gray’s Anatomy, and I’m not talking about the TV show, but rather the most comprehensive study of the human body ever written.

(Gray’s Anatomy, www.bartleby.com/107/133html, January 19, 2007)

Those who have ears, let them hear the meaning of the parable. Is not the Body of Christ as complex and intricate as the human body, which is made of many systems and subsystems, a delicate and extraordinary miracle of interrelated parts? As the heart gives the tissues materials necessary for growth and nourishment, and removes waste products, so God also gives us spiritual nourishment and removes sin in our lives, so that we may live in unity. Within the church universal, the denomination, and our own congregation, we are connected and interdependent, just as, veins, muscles, capillaries, arteries, tissue, nerves, and bones are, as Ezekiel saw in his vision.

“The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ²He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. ³He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” ⁴Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. ⁵Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. ⁶I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” ⁷So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. ⁹Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” Ezekiel 37:1-9

Aldo Leopold, the most well-respected conservationist of the 20^th c., and perhaps all time, writes this parable: “In Germany there is a mountain called the Spessart. Its south slope bears the most magnificent oaks in the world. American cabinetmakers, when they want the last word on quality, use Spessart oak. The north slope, which should be better, bears an indifferent stand of Scotch pine. Why? Both slopes are part of the same state forest; both have been managed with equally scrupulous care for two centuries. Why the difference? Kick up the litter under the oak and you will see that the leaves rot almost as fast as they fall. Under the pines, though, the needles pile up as thick duff; decay is much slower. Why? Because in the Middle Ages the south slope was preserved as a deer forest by a hunting bishop; the north slope was pastured, plowed, and cut by settlers. . .During this period of abuse something happened to the microscopic flora and fauna of the soil. The number of species was greatly reduced, i.e. the digestive apparatus of the soil lost some of its parts. Two centuries of conservation have not sufficed to restore these losses. It required the modern microscope, and a century of research in soil science, to discover the existence of these ’small cogs and wheels’ which determine the harmony or disharmony between men and land in the Spessart.”

Those who have ears, let them hear the meaning of the parable. Leopold writes, “The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: ‘What good is it?’ If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not-To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.” (Leopold, Aldo: Round River, A Sand County Almanac. New York: Ballantine Books, 1966).

What difference does it make that a child puts some quarters in an offering envelope for TAB (Trinity Assistance Bridge? Its mere change - not even worth counting. What about a small pledge, maybe $200 for the year? Its only minute, microscopic flora and fauna - it doesn’t really matter, does it? What difference does it make if you miss worship or Sunday School? No one will notice if you’re absent from church; it doesn’t really matter, does it?

“Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. . .If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?. . .God has arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose-As it is, there are many members, yet one body.” I Corinthians 12:14-15, 17-18, 20

“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ, There is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28,

Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, a message of Chief Seattle, chief of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest, 18^th c. writes this parable: “My mother told me, Every part of this earth is sacred to our people. Every pine needle. Every sandy shore. Every mist in the dark woods. Every meadow and humming insect. All are hold in the memory of our people. My father said to me, I know the sap that courses through the trees as I know the blood that flows in my veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. . .The wind that gave me my first breath also received my last sigh. . .This we know: All things are connected like the blood that unites us. We did not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.”

(Chief Seattle, Brother Eagle, Sister Sky. New York: Dial Books, 1991).

Those who have ears, let them hear the meaning of the parable. Is not the Body of Christ a web of relationships, within our congregation, the United Methodist Church, and the Church universal? We are connected in mysterious and complex ways that we don’t even notice or understand. What we do to the web, we do to ourselves. What difference does it make if you are absent from the Body? What difference does it make if you complete a Ministry Menu? What difference does it make if you submit a prayer card, telling the pastors that someone is homebound by illness and needs a visit?

Our Finance Committee voted last Monday night, January 15, to pay the balance of our 2006 apportionments, approximately $21,000. I delivered the check. We made this decision while biting our nails, because it means we don’t carry over a large cash cushion for the New Year. But we also made this decision, keenly aware that we are a part of a bigger web, the wider church beyond Trinity. What difference does it make that we support ministries in countries that we will never even visit: Zimbabwe, Africa or Nigeria or Nicaragua? How does our giving impact the web, and impact us?

“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united by the same mind and same purpose.” I Corinthians 1:10-13,

^“12As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body.” Colossians 3:12-14

Those who have ears, let them hear God speaking in the parables I have read from Gray’s Anatomy, The Round River and Brother Eagle, Sister Sky. Those who have open hearts, let them hear God speaking in the scriptures that I have read. What is the meaning of the Body of Christ for you, in your life? What does Paul’s message say to us as a church, as we face huge decisions about the future? Who is the Head of the Body, the Heart of the Body, the Spirit of the Body? Where does our Body need healing? Where is the Body strong and healthy? How are we blessed with many parts, all working for the mission of the church? How are we connected to the greater Body, the church universal, past and present? I leave you with the questions, and pray that God will speak the answers in these parables, in his holy Word, and in the Word become flesh, Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body.

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I’m sure you have seen the pictures either on your television, in The State newspaper or on the Internet. From the helicopter viewpoint, the houses look like a pile of match sticks or toothpicks. Cars are smashed, trees are uprooted, and the precious possessions of people’s lives are scattered across the Florida landscape. Is it just me, or do you think that natural disasters seem to come more frequently? Don’t you think they seem to get worse - each one bringing more destruction and devastation? One only has to think about New Orleans or the tsunami to realize that nature can be ruthless.

We are once again humbled and reminded that we do not have control. Our lives and the lives of our loved ones, and the lives of total strangers whom we see on TV, can be uprooted in an instant. I don’t know the cause. Some say global warming. Others blame God. I prefer to think of God as a God who creates, rather than destroys, a God who brings life, not death. In fact, I believe in a God who can bring life out of death. That’s exactly what God did when he raised from the dead, a crucified Jew, Jesus of Nazareth.

So when I see lives destroyed, I look to God for hope. And I know that people of all faiths are responding already to bring simple gifts - water, shelter, food, clothing - to those who have lost everything. When someone loses everything, they need more than material gifts. They need hope, love, peace, prayers, compassion, faith. These things remain. But the greatest of these is hope. Sorry Paul, I know you said, “love,” but at this time, I pray for hope in Florida.

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Luke 5:1-11

What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of a tornado, like the one that pounded Florida? Are you afraid of heights? Do you get nervous in an airplane? Are you afraid of falling? Are your children afraid of the dark? Do you get spooked by a scary movie? Are you afraid of getting sick or growing old? Are you afraid of the future? Do you have nightmares about the past? Do you fear violence, war or crime? Do your palms sweat when you walk to your car alone at night? What haunts you? Are you afraid of death?

Most of us have fears of some kind. In fact, it’s appropriate to be afraid of some things; fear teaches us to be careful. We want our children to have some fear, or they will be reckless. They may run into traffic, touch a hot stove, jump into deep water, or ride a horse without a helmet. Fear can be a healthy emotion, and when we overcome our fears, we learn how strong we are. As Roosevelt said to our country in crisis, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

The disciples were fearful folks. They were afraid, even when Jesus was with them. They had reason to be afraid, because they lived in a danger zone - under Roman oppression and under the scrutiny of the religious elite. Following Jesus was risky. They left behind their homes and families, their comfort zone. They had to find courage to cure the sick, touch the lepers, and confront the demon-possessed. Jesus called them to a life of sacrifice and service, facing challenges, even death upon a cross. He called them to leave behind their fishing nets, and follow him.

In today’s text, we have Luke’s version of the calling of the first disciples. Jesus is by the lake of Gennesaret, which is also called the Sea of Galilee or the Sea of Tiberius. The crowd is so big, it pushes him toward the lake, and he climbs into Simon Peter’s boat. Simon Peter, James, and John are off washing their nets, which had come up empty after an all-nighter. Jesus makes a pulpit out of the boat. You know, I’ve considered doing that at Lake Wateree, since many folks spend Sundays at the lake. Jesus teaches from the boat, and then he teaches in the boat, by telling Simon Peter to let down the nets. Peter responds, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.” Peter is the first disciple to call Jesus “Master” and Luke is the only gospel writer to use this term. It implies a close relationship of respect and obedience. Jesus is Master; Peter and the disciples are loyal followers. So, with obedience Peter relents, “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” And suddenly, the fish are flying everywhere; so many fish that the nets begin to break, the disciples call for help, and the boat nearly sinks. Now, is that a fish tale or what? Maybe the story got exaggerated in the telling, just like fishing stories do.

So what is the lesson? Is it a lesson about faith? Is it a lesson about obedience? Is it a lesson about humility - for Peter confesses, “Go way from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Or could it be a lesson about overcoming fears? Jesus ends his fishing miracle with these words, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” Evangelism - no other word in the church strikes more fear into people in the pew. Evangelism - the smallest committee in our church. Evangelism - a word that conjures up images of street preachers, Bible thumpers handing out tracts. Evangelism - “You want me to knock on a door and invite a new neighbor to church?” “I’m sorry, but I’d rather walk over hot coals or jump from the Eiffel Tower. I’m not afraid of doing that, but talking to someone about my faith scares me to death!”

Why did Jesus tell Simon Peter, “Do not be afraid?” After all, Peter doesn’t really express fear, but rather humility. And he isn’t so much afraid, as he is amazed. There is a difference. But perhaps Jesus knew Peter’s fears, and how Peter would deny him three times before the cock crowed. Perhaps Jesus knew human nature; that we can come into this safe place, a sanctuary, and proclaim in Word, prayer, song and creed, “I believe,” but walk out the door into the world, and quickly say, “Help my unbelief.”

We have recently finished our surveys for the Natural Church Development program. At least 30 or more of you received these surveys, and the results will soon be processed. These results will tell us our strengths and weaknesses. As pastors, Bob and I also had to complete surveys. The survey for clergy is slightly different. It had a question, “Has your church set a goal for the number of people you want to reach, the number of people you want to have?” What an odd question I thought. Sure we have predictions of our growth, based on community demographics, our historical growth rate, and recent membership data. But a prediction is different from a goal. What would it be like to set an individual goal; for each Christian to say, “In my lifetime, I want to fish for people, and bring ___ number of non-believers into the net, into the church? I will strive to share my faith with ___ number of people each year.” What would it be like to set a goal as a church? Trinity plans to reach ___ number of people each year with the Good News of God’s saving grace. Our church wants to actively seek ___ number of new Christians, and bring them into our fellowship.

A week or so ago, I was downtown having lunch with Trish Matthey, who has been our Evangelism Chair. As we walked out on Main Street, I could hear the street preacher in front of the State House. He had a small crowd around him, but his voice was booming to everyone within earshot downtown. It echoed off the buildings. He spouted Bible verses, shouting and scaring folks with his “hell fire and brimstone.” To be an evangelist, to catch people for Jesus Christ, doesn’t mean to scare the hell out of them. There are other ways to fish for people. And we are all called to be fishers of men. It is not simply the role of the Evangelism Ministry Team, the street preacher, or this preacher.

When you fish, it’s always important to offer a little bait. Take a brochure about Trinity or one of the little cards with the worship schedule and a map. Take a loaf of bread to a new neighbor, and simply ask them if they have found a church home yet. Offer a Bible to a friend who is in crisis, and mark some of your favorite scriptures. Leave an Upper Room in a mailbox, with a simple note, “Thinking of you and offering you God’s love and my prayers.” Not only do you need bait, but it’s important to know where to look for fish. You drive by your neighbors every Sunday morning, and you see who is working in the yard or washing the car. You know who is un-churched. The problem is not that we don’t have bait, or that we don’t know where to fish. The real problem is fear. Eleanor Roosevelt also had some words about fear. She said, “You must do the thing you think you can not do.”

We can do “all things through him who strengthens us.” And He can do more in us and through us than we dare ask or imagine. What are you afraid of? “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” For Jesus called us to be his disciples, to fish for people, and he promised, “I am with you always.” The sacrament is a sign of his everlasting presence. When the disciples gathered, after Jesus had been crucified, they felt his Spirit in a powerful way every time they shared in the holy meal. He is here in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup. These gifts are His love, poured out for the entire world. How can we be afraid of sharing love? How can we be afraid of sharing hope? How can we be afraid of sharing faith? We live in a world full of fear. Let us find courage to offer Jesus in the face of fear.

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“Our Father’s House”

Luke 2:41-52

Well, have you made your New Year’s resolutions? I bet they sound a lot like mine: gonna’ exercise more, and eat healthier, loose weight, spend more time with family, visit those old friends I’ve been meaning to see, read a book and actually finish it (I’m bad at starting about 4 or 5 books at a time, but not always finishing them), gonna’ save more, spend less, stay within the budget. Are those your resolutions, too? I think there is only one list, just like there is only one fruitcake - and no one ever eats it; it just gets passed around from person to person.

What about New Year’s resolutions of a spiritual kind? How about spend more time with God in prayer, go to church regularly, or maybe this is the year you’ll join a Sunday school class or take Disciple Bible Study. Obviously, Jesus spent more time on these commitments, and from a very young age, he spent more time in his Father’s house.

We find today’s passage in Luke’s gospel, a gospel that has more infancy and childhood stories than Matthew, Mark, or John. You’ll remember that on Christmas Eve. We read the Luke birth story, and it was full of elaborate details. Today’s story is about Jesus at 12 years old, and it is preceded by 2 other stories of Jesus as an infant. In the preceding verses, we see that Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple at 8 days old for circumcision, and then presented him in the temple to dedicate him to God. In today’s text, we see Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple for the Passover festival. This story can’t literally be true because first of all, a 12 year old wants to go to church and even stays long after his parents leave? And in verse 51, it says that he was “obedient to them.” No, this story can’t be literally true. What 12 year old wants to stay in church and is obedient to his parents? But maybe it is a true story; listen to verse 48. His parents are full of anxiety and ask him, “Child, why have you treated us like this?” Now that sounds like a typical family with a teenager.

Today’s text raises important questions that parents face, and that we as a church face. How will our children have faith? Is it even possible for this miracle to happen in our church - that a teenager loves going to the Lord’s house so much, he stays behind after his parents leave? And should a parent make a child or teenager go to church?

Jesus’ parents serve as role models in this story. As I said, the preceding passage tells us that they took him to be circumcised on the 8^th day, according to the law. Then they presented him in the temple, and kept the ritual of purification, according to God’s commandments. Then today’s passage begins with verse 41, “Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover.” Mary and Joseph lost Jesus because they probably thought he was with Uncle Fred or Granny. You see the entire extended family, along with friends, would go to the Lord’s house for the Passover, much like Christmas Eve, many of you came to the church with your entire family.

Mary and Joseph started when Jesus was very young, 8 days old, to raise him in the faith. For Jewish families, the parents play a key role in teaching the faith at home; the Sabbath begins with a Friday night family meal and ritual. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple at 8 days, much like we in our Methodist tradition bring an infant to the baptismal font at an early age. We believe that this child belongs not only to his or her parents, but to God and to the family of God, and all of us will play a role in raising that child in the faith. And it takes all of us living out our baptismal vows to bring a child up as a disciple from baptism onward.

But what happens after baptism, when a child gets older, and after Confirmation, when they are a teenager. Should parents make the teenager go to church, Sunday school, MYF? My daughter Hannah doesn’t have a choice, and that would be true, even if I wasn’t a preacher. Proverbs tells us, “Raise up a child in the way he should go, and he will not depart from it.” There are very few things that I make Hannah do. I made her get back on a horse one time, after she cantered and was scared. She cried and whined about it, and told me she wanted to quit. But I made her go back, and when the lesson was over, she leaned down off the horse and told me, “I don’t want to quit.” Hannah doesn’t have a choice. She will be in Sunday school, worship, MYF, and Bible study. Some parents think “If you force them to go, they will rebel against it, and have a bad taste for religion.” Well, it’s a role of the dice. My parents raised 5 girls, and 3 of us are in church regularly; the other 2 aren’t but they still draw on their faith for strength. As parents, and as a church, we plant seeds of faith, but we don’t control the harvest. God does.

Will Willimon, a United Methodist Bishop in Mississippi, wrote one of my favorite books entitled, “Remember Who You Are: Baptism, a model for Christian Life” It’s such a favorite that it’s falling apart from use - I have to hold it together with this clip. He writes: “I believe that many of us parents suffer from a failure of nerve in regard to nurturing our children’s faith. We are certain that we will send them to school because we are confident in the value of education. We are certain that they will take piano lessons because we are sure that art enriches a person’s life. We insist that they do household chores because we know that the ability to work is basic to adult happiness. But we lack confidence that in matters of religion we have anything special to offer them. . . ‘We simply tell our children what we believe, but we also tell them that they are free to make up their own minds,’ some people will say. There was also the father who told me, when I asked why his 12 year old son was not in church one Sunday, ‘Well, he doesn’t seem to care too much for church, and after all, you can’t force him to go. Can you?’ This same father, I noted, had no problems with forcing his child to go to baseball practice, junior high school, piano lessons, and Boy Scouts. I assume that he ‘imposes’ these activities upon his son because he, as a parent, is sincerely convinced that participation will make for a richer and more satisfying life for his son in the future. Why not feel the same way about the church?” (William H. Willimon, Remember Who You Are: Baptism, a model for Christian Life, Abingdon Books, Nashville: 1980)

Of course, two things occurred to me as I re-read this favorite chapter. First of all, if we as parents commit to taking our kids to Sunday school, TLC, and MYF, then we must also be there. Adults will have to be in a Sunday school class, if they take their kids. The second thing I realized is that Willimon’s book was published in 1980, 20 plus years ago. A lot has changed. Since 1980, the media, internet, television, and movies have taken a keen interest in all things religious. Our children can watch “Charmed” or “Touched by an Angel.” They can go see Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of Christ” or the recent movie, “The Nativity.” They can glean from the “spirituality” of Harry Potter or “The Davinci Code.” They learn about world religions in social studies and from their classmates. Spirituality is all over the internet, and our kids are exposed to a proliferation of religious books and news stories. They can get their religious education anywhere they choose; will they get it from Hollywood or the church?

Who will teach our children and teenagers? Mary and Joseph taught Jesus at home. Then he was in his Father’s house, at the temple, engaged in discussion and asking questions of the priests and rabbis. He was even teaching. Kids learn from their peers. When Hannah is in Sunday school, she not only learns from the Coverts and the Hannas, but from Hunter Watkins and Fuller Walker and Nick Williamson. Who will teach our children? Did you see the article in The State paper on November 27, 2006, “The Bible as literature,” by Devon Copeland? Rev. Teddy Higgins is an Episcopal priest, but also a science teacher and cross country coach at Batesburg-Leesville H.S. He teaches a class for credit about the Bible as literature. It’s not a faith-based class, but rather an academic approach to the Bible. So for instance, the Psalms are studied for their poetic traits, rather then their faith lessons. The SC Released-time Credit Act allows students to take religious courses for credit. Students may also leave campus and take religious classes in churches or synagogues, not for credit, but for spiritual enrichment. Will the public schools teach our children faith and Bible? I remember having this discussion with a religion class I was teaching at Columbia College. The students were hot on the topic of prayer in school, and argued that prayer and Bible study should be allowed in school. I told them that I would prefer Hannah to learn her faith in the context of the church family, where I know she is learning from folks like Linda Peace and Kathy Winged, who have both been teaching Sunday school here for 15 plus years. No offense to public school teachers, and I am okay with studying the Bible as literature, but I would rather Hannah learn from mentors like Cindy Brown in MYF and Darlene and Stephanie in Confirmation and the Coverts and the Hannas in Sunday School. We have such talented and dedicated teachers in our church; O.J. Lane has been teaching Junior High SS for 12 years, Bryan and Teresa Hannah have been teaching K-5 for 8 years. Our children learn from all of us, as mentors, teachers; it takes a whole church to raise a disciple of Jesus Christ.

That is what we profess whenever we recite our baptismal vows: Minister: “Members of the household of faith, I commend to your love and care this child, whom we this day recognize as a member of the family of God. Will you endeavor so to live that he may grow in the knowledge and love of God, through our Savior Jesus Christ?” Congregation: “With God’s help we will so order our lives after the example of Christ, that this child, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to life eternal.” (United Methodist Hymnal, Cokesbury Publishing House, Nashville: 1989)

I propose a New Year’s resolution. That we all strive, as parents and as a church, to live out the Baptismal vows and raise our children and youth in the faith. The number one priority in our Long Range Plan is to increase funding for children and youth ministry. Yes, more money will help. We discussed in the Staff-Parish Relations Committee the need for a full-time youth minister and full-time children’s minister. We lamented the fact that only about 25 youth come to MYF, when we have about a hundred on the roll. We can add more staff, more funding, more exciting programs. But the fact of the matter is that unless parents bring their kids, they will not be there. I propose we increase our commitment, not just our funding. We increase our commitment as parents, volunteers, teachers, as an entire church, to live out our baptismal pledge. And we may find that our children and youth will find Jesus in our Father’s house. They will experience his presence, and learn from him.

Can we do that for the New Year? Can we make that commitment to each other, to God, and especially to our children and youth?

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“A Baby God”

Christmas Eve, December 24, 2006

Luke 2:1-20

I still remember the words on a card given to us when Hannah was born. “Babies are bits of stardust blown from the hand of God.” Perhaps you’ve had the experience of holding a new born recently. Several families in our congregation had babies this Advent, and two more babies are due in the next couple weeks. Bob Vincent was born on Christmas Day. You know, the Incarnation takes on new meaning when a family welcomes a new baby during this Holy Season. When you touch that tender, fragile gift of life, you realize the miracle that God came in human form, not as a king, a prophet, a royal priest - but as a tiny baby, nestled in the manger straw.

Luke records this miracle birth in Chapter 2, with great historical detail. It was the time of Emperor Augustus, the time of the census, the time when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Luke locates the event not only in time, but place. Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. And Luke tells us another important historical tidbit - that Joseph is of the family of David - the most important royal family in the history of Israel. Luke paints a quaint picture - the most elaborate of all the birth stories in the gospels. There are shepherds and angels and a “multitude of heavenly host praising God.” It’s a beautiful scene, but not at all as we would imagine God would arrive. First of all, it’s a little too poor and peasant-like, a stable is not a very extraordinary place. Its kinda’ smelly and dirty. And second of all, it’s a birth, and no matter how pretty Luke paints the picture, if you’ve been around a birth, you know it’s messy, painful, risky, and sometimes loud. And babies - why would God choose to come as a baby? Babies may be bits of stardust, but they are more than that, and not all of it pleasant.

Babies are loud. They cry. No, its more like a scream. I read somewhere that the cry of a baby in the first few months is at an ear-piercing decibel that can not be ignored. If you’ve ever been sound asleep, dead tired, deep in a dream, you know that a baby’s cry can jump-start you right out of the bed. After those first few months, the ear-piercing scream begins to soften and change, and parents learn how to discern which cry means hungry, wet, tired, or angry. Why would God come as a screaming, crying, whining baby; perhaps because a baby can’t be ignored. God speaks to us loud and clear through the baby Jesus - calling us to attention in the midst of our lazy, sleepy discipleship. He screams at us to pay him homage, to worship him alone, and to listen to his ever present and persistent voice. The scriptures tell us that God spoke to Moses, to the prophets, to the chosen people. Sometimes God’s voice was a still small voice, a whisper, but often it was like the cry of a newborn baby - loud and powerful, as Psalm 29 describes. ³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters. ⁴The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. ⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. . .⁷The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. ⁸. . .⁹ The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

What is the baby Jesus saying to you this holy Christmas Eve? Does He call us to repentance? Does he proclaim forgiveness and Good News of God’s unconditional love? Does he speak through the music, through the sacrament of bread and wine? What is God whispering in your ear, “Come, take up your cross and follow me.”

The other peculiar thing about a baby is that she can re-arrange your entire life the minute she is born. All of a sudden, your world is turned upside down, your priorities re-arranged, your house re-designed, your schedule completely dictated by this little 7 lb. innocent bundle of joy. I recall thinking, “How can something so tiny demand so much?” Anyone who has a baby, a grandchild, a niece or nephew knows that a tiny child can change your life in a BIG way, almost overnight. In the same way, God came in the still of the night, as an innocent, tiny baby and turned the world upside down. Mary sang of this earth-shaking change in her song, the Magnificat in Luke 1, 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. The coming of the Christ child shattered social, political and even religious norms. This tiny baby demands us to change our habits, our priorities, and even our friends. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies,’ but I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

But a baby is more than a loud, demanding, earth-shaking disturbance. A baby is also irresistible. When you see a new baby in the shopping mall, you immediately feel drawn; you want to look into the stroller, maybe even touch a foot or hand, or pick the baby up into your arms. I was amazed how total strangers would come up to us when we had Hannah out in public. They would marvel, and “ooh” and “ahh.” One night in a restaurant, a total stranger came up and gave us a silver dollar for her. A baby is a magnetic, as Jesus is. We can not resist the call of Jesus, who speaks to us, “softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, come home.” He calls us to come home to God’s love and forgiveness. He calls us to come home to the church, the place where we find nourishment at God’s dinner table and fellowship in the family of God. The love of Jesus Christ is irresistible, and his teachings are too. If we read the gospels, and study his words in Disciple Bible Study or Sunday School, we find that we are drawn closer into a relationship with God and with one another. And here at the table, as we commune with God and one another, the baby Jesus breaks into our world once again. He speaks loud and clear, demanding our attention. He dares to transform our lives and re-arrange our priorities. And he offers us irresistible love and grace. The baby Jesus is a bit of stardust blown from the hand of God. Let us receive this precious gift of the Father’s unfailing love.

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“The Visit“

Luke 1:39-45

Christmas is a season of running to and fro - shopping, decorating, wrapping, cooking, and visiting. Just how many people will you visit by the time this holiday season comes to an end? Every year, Charlie and I try to figure out how we are going to visit his family and mine. Its always a troubling problem because my family lives in Greenville, except one sister, who lives in Barnwell. Charlie’s sister and her family live in Atlanta, and Charlie’s folks live in western Kentucky, about 9 hours by car. We vowed never to drive to Kentucky again at Christmas, after driving through ice and snow from Asheville to Nashville, a 9 hour drive turned into a 15 hour, nail-biting experience.

I suppose we have Mary to blame for starting this tradition of visitation during the Christmas season. It was Mary who made that first Christmas visit to Elizabeth. In fact, the title of today’s passage is “The Visitation.” In many ways, it was an ordinary visit, two relatives sharing a common bond of pregnancy. But it was an extraordinary visit. Let us look at where, when and who to understand “the visitation.”

Throughout his gospel, Luke always gives details of time, place, and characters. Luke wants to locate the story of Jesus in real, concrete circumstances. In Luke’s gospel, we find a lot of phrases like, “in the sixth month,” “at the end of eight days,” “in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar.” Remember that Luke is a physician, an educated man who knew the social and political details of his day. He paints his theology of Jesus against a backdrop of historical details.

Even in this brief story about Mary’s visit, Luke gives a few clues about the political and religious context. First, he tells us ‘where’ the visit takes place, in a town in the hill country of Judea. Judea was the southern region of the kingdom of Herod. Judea was an arid land, in between two bodies of water, the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. Judea was a remnant of the Promised Land. It was the center piece of King David’s former kingdom, because it included Jerusalem, where the temple was built.

Not only does Luke tells us “where” the visitation happened, but he also tells “when.” If we follow the chronology of Chapter 1, we can figure it out. In the previous passage, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. The annunciation takes place “in the sixth month” of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, and at the beginning of Mary’s pregnancy, late March.

Verse 39 begins with, “In those days. . .” - those were terrible, dark days of violence and shattered dreams. The Jews were living under the thumb of Caesar, where they enjoyed some of the benefits of the Roman Empire, such as well-built roads and mercantile trade. But they paid the price in heavy taxes and the loss of independence. The Jews longed for the glory days of King David, for God to restore Israel.

As if to add insult to injury, Caesar Augustus had made Herod King of Judea. Herod was a corrupt, puppet ruler of Caesar. Herod’s Jewish heritage was questionable, since his grandfather had been forced to convert to Judaism. Caesar Augustus had made Herod King, with the expectation that he would regain Judea from the Parthians. Well, Herod not only conquered the Parthians, but he terrorized the Jews. Herod’s 33 years of reign were years of ruthless power. For example, Herod ordered the killing of all male Hebrew children in Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Christ.

Those days when Mary visited Elizabeth were marked by trouble and hopelessness. Even though Mary and Elizabeth are celebrating the coming of their babies, a dark cloud was hovering. What kind of a world would these two babies to be born into? If Mary and Elizabeth could have seen into the future, that John is beheaded and Jesus is crucified, perhaps they wouldn’t have celebrated. Madeleine L’Engle, a gifted Christian author describes the time of the Christ child,

A Time Like This

It was a time like this

war and tumult of war,

horror in the air.

Hungry yawned the abyss -

and yet there came the star

and the child most wonderfully there.

It was a time like this

of fear & lust for power,

license & greed & blight -

and yet the Prince of bliss

came in the darkest hour

in quiet and silent light.

And in a time like this

how we celebrate his birth

when all things fall apart?

Ah! wonderful it is

with no room on the earth

the stable is our heart.

It was a time like this, when Mary went to visit Elizabeth in the Judean hill country. Luke has given us the “where” and the “when.” But the “who” is perhaps most important. Mary and Elizabeth are the central characters. Mary is a young, unwed, pregnant, peasant woman, engaged to be married to Joseph. We don’t know much else about Mary, but Luke tells us more about Elizabeth earlier in the chapter. Elizabeth is married to Zechariah, a priest who belonged to the order of Abijah, a well-respected lineage. Elizabeth was a descendent of Aaron, the brother of Moses. In a Jewish family tree, you can’t get much better than that! Elizabeth and Zechariah had a righteous reputation. Luke tells us in Chapter 1:6, “Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.”

As important as Elizabeth is, there are other characters waiting in the wings. And baby John kicks within Elizabeth’s womb, as if to remind us that he is important, too. This baby in Elizabeth’s womb will become the prophet, crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord. Baby John will later proclaim, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming.”

Elizabeth, moved by John’s kick and by the Spirit, praises the miracle before her - Mary is carrying the Son of God. Elizabeth praises Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” These words come from Deuteronomy 28:1-4, a blessing for obedience. The words of Elizabeth are the foundation of the Hail Mary, recited by Catholics with the rosary beads. “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”

Mary is God’s servant. “. . .she believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” Mary remembered the promises of God, despite the “tumult of war and horror in the air. Mary believed what the Lord had spoken through the prophets and through the angel Gabriel. But not everyone believes. Many years ago, I heard a beautiful story read by Paul Harvey. There was a man who didn’t believe in the Christmas message. His wife and children went to church regularly, and as was their custom, they bundled up on a cold Christmas Eve to go to the late night church service. While they were gone, the man sat by the fire, warm and cozy, not feeling as if he missed out on anything. While sitting in the quiet night, he heard a rattling and banging outside by the nearby barn. He looked out the window, and saw a flock of sparrows fluttering about in the snow by the barn, trying to find shelter from the cold night. He thought it would be easy to coax them into the barn, so he bundled up in his winter coat and gloves and went outside. As he approached them, they flinched in fear. He opened the barn door as wide as it would go, and tried to shoo them in. But no matter how he chased after them, and waved his arms, they would not go. They seemed to go in the opposite direction. The snow continued to fall, and the temperature to drop, and he worried that the birds would freeze to death in the cold night. He tried to throw a towel over them and scoop them up, but that just scared them more. Finally, an idea came to his mind. “If only I could be one of them, maybe then, they would follow me.” And then he heard the distant bells of the church, as the Christmas Eve service came to an end. And he realized the meaning of the Christmas story. God had come in Christ to visit us, and to lead us into the warm shelter of his love.

The story of the visitation is not simply about Mary visiting Elizabeth. It is story about God coming to visit us. God comes to visit a hurting world in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. God comes to visit each and every one of us, in the hurt of our broken lives. The Word became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth, who visited with sinners, tax collectors, and outcasts. He touched the lepers and cured the lame. He taught love and forgiveness, fed the five thousand and blessed the children. In the end, the Word became flesh was nailed to a cross. But in the end, was the beginning. God raised Him from the dead. And of His kingdom, there shall be no end. He is Emmanuel, God with us, now and always.

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“The Day of Christ”

Philippians 1:3-11

Have you ever noticed there is a special day for just about everyone? There used to be a few holidays for special people: Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Then there came Grandparents’ Day, Bosses’ Day, Secretaries’ Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, and Clergy Appreciation Month. (Preachers get a whole month!) There are even a few days for animals - Groundhog Day, and in Blythewood recently, the Day of the Horse. That one I can celebrate, but personally, I think a lot of holidays are invented by Hallmark as a way to sell overpriced cards with sappy poems. But what about the Day of Christ? What kind of day is that, and when does it occur?

Paul writes in Philippians about the day of Christ. Primarily, he tells the church how to prepare for that day. Paul’s words, found in the thanksgiving section of the letter, overflow with joy and love; it is obvious he had a close bond with the congregation. He planted this church, but now, he is separated from them. He is writing from prison, to thank them for gifts they had sent. He longs to be with them, so he can watch the seeds of faith that he planted, grow and mature in time for a special day. He mentions the day of Christ twice, verse 6, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” And verses 9-10, “And this is my prayer, that you love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless. . .”

Even though Paul mentions the day of Christ twice, he doesn’t really describe or explain what that day will be like or when it will come. Perhaps he assumes that the Jewish Christians already know what he is referring to, since the Day of the Lord was deeply rooted in the ancient scriptures. In the Old Testament, the prophets predicted the Day of the Lord as a time of both judgment and redemption. On that day, God would rule on the throne, be present with the chosen people, the Israelites would return from exile, and be victorious over their enemies. The prophet Joel proclaimed: Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. ²⁹ Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit. 3⁰I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. ³¹The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. Isaiah proclaimed: ⁹Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” ¹⁰ See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. We read the prophets during Advent, as a preparation for Christmas day. So is December 25^th supposed to be the Day of Christ? But wouldn’t that put the emphasis on the past - 2000 years ago, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem?

Paul seems to be more concerned about the future, a day when Christ will come again. This was common in Paul’s theology and among the early Christians. They expected the Lord to come again, to usher in a climactic time, when God and Satan would come to a final battle. In this final battle, good would win over evil. Jesus himself talked about this time in Matthew 24, ²⁹“Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. ³⁰Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. ³¹And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The early Christians lived under such great persecution and suffering, that they prayed for the second coming of Christ and expected it immediately. They longed for the Lord to return, to sweep them up into glory, and to crush their enemies. Paul really did expect the Lord to come back any moment, and his writings reflect that urgency. There are many today who also look for these signs, and try to predict the exact time of the second coming. The popularity of the fictional “Left Behind” series is an indication that many people are focused on this climatic time of second coming.

But I wonder if we miss the essence of Paul’s teachings when we become obsessed with the fantastic, sensationalized future second coming of Christ. What if we treated each ordinary day as sacred time, the here and now as the day of Christ? The day of the Lord simply means that God will dwell fully with us, and rule in our lives. Paul called the Philippians to live for Christ each day - with “overflowing love, knowledge, insight, to do what is best, to be pure and blameless, to produce a harvest of righteousness. . .” What is Christ calling you to be on this particular day? What would Christ have you do in a particular situation, here and now? What is Christ calling you to do at this time in your life? How are you to act in your relationships and interactions with people today?

A few years ago, a group of pastors, led primarily by Ralph Walden of the Joy Church, came together to pray for revival in Blythewood. Over time, the pastors and church leaders decided to not only pray, but to do something. So an inter-racial, inter-denominational men’s prayer breakfast started, and has continued. On Friday night, this group had their first Christmas dinner with spouses, and 4 of us from Trinity were there. It was a powerful witness to the movement of the Spirit, to break down walls and build relationships across racial, economic, political, and religious differences. Several spoke that night about how the timing is right in Blythewood, because of the growth, for the churches to truly make an impact, to welcome all our new neighbors into the Body of Christ. Is it the day of Christ in our community, in our church? What if we lived as if each day belonged to Jesus Christ? Each day can be given to the Lord, or kept for our own selfish purposes.

Psalm 118:24 states: “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” But let us do more than rejoice in the sanctuary. Let us live each day as if God were on the throne, Christ were King, good triumphs over evil, old men dream dreams, young men have visions, sons and daughters prophesy, and Christ comes again, to be born in our lives anew this season.

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