Epiphany and the Season After - Year C -- 2016
Indexed by Date. Sermons for Epiphany Year C
Isaiah 43: 1-7
Psalm 29
Luke 3: 15-17
Somewhere in the mists of time or legend a posse of six Texas Rangers was pursuing an outlaw gang led by Butch Cavendish. The Rangers, except for one, were massacred. A native American discovered the nearly dead ranger and nursed him back to health. The ranger then disguised himself with a mask and kept up the disguise even after he had tracked down the outlaw gang that killed the rest of his posse. He continued to wear the mask as he rode his trusty horse across the western States to capture outlaws and a legend is born.
At the end of every case he rides off to a new one and someone inevitably asks, “Who was that masked man? And the reply is, or course, “Why that’s the Lone Ranger”.
Those of us who have been adults for a while know the truth of the phrase “my how fast children grow”. Our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews grow up and start lives and families of their own in what seems like “such a short time”. It happened to us, yes, but when it is you to whom it is happening, you don’t notice time in the same way!
Yet, the story of Jesus as we read it in the lectionary has to take the cake on the passage of time! We celebrated his birth on December 24 and two weeks later the magi came from the far away and mysterious “east”, Today, January 10, we encounter him as an ADULT, ready to take on the identity of Messiah; ready to begin a ministry of teaching, healing and proclaiming the “Good News”. Luke’s gospel tells us of ONE incident when Jesus was 12, on the verge of manhood. Of his childhood, the canonical gospels tell us nothing else. Based on historical references in the text and secular records, scholars estimate his age at the time of his baptism to be about 30. Wow, how did that happen?!
In today’ s passage we meet Jesus again but we also meet his relative John. If you had been reading Luke’s gospel from the beginning - just chapters ago - you would have known that he was designated as a “forerunner” of the Messiah. His job was to tell people that the Messiah was close behind. You would also have known that his birth was something of a miracle as well. Throughout the biblical story, when it comes to people with a special mission, miracle births are often part of the picture. It kind of “goes with the territory”.
John was, how shall we put this, a little odd. In other gospels we are told that he wore clothing of camels hair and ate a desert diet of locusts and wild honey. I have two words: itchy and yech!
According to our text he was a wilderness preacher and many of the people who came to him in droves to hear him and be baptized developed the idea that he might be the Messiah. The Messiah was a legendary figure who the people had been expecting for generations. He was seen as the “one who would save the people and make their nation great once again”! Living under heavy and cruel Roman oppression was certainly reason enough to hope for a better day; reason enough to hope for the “good old days under King David”.
John knew of these wonderings but he knew that he was not the one; he knew he was not the Messiah. He tells them that he is not the “one” and compares the Messiah with himself using the image and tasks of a servant. Not only is he not the Messiah, he is not even worthy to be the servant of this Messiah; not even wprthy t help him with his sandal thongs!
The account of Jesus baptism in Luke is very sparse. In Luke there is no conversation between John and Jesus, no objection on John’s part, yet we are still left with questions.
Why does this one, who by John’s own account is so much more worthy, need to be baptized. I don’t know about you, but when I was young I was taught that Jesus was perfect and without sin. So, if that was the case, of what did he need to submit to a baptism of “repentance”. It’s an interesting question but perhaps he was there for different reasons,
Perhaps we have enough to chew on in this passage without struggling for an answer to that specific question, other than, it seems to me that it must have had something to do with Jesus fully identifying with the human condition. This leads to the “flip side” of that coin being that, since he did this, we can also identify with Jesus. If he can identify fully with his human side, might we have a divine side, or spark within us, with which we can also identify? .
It seems to me that what happens next is of great importance. We are told that Jesus had the experience of being affirmed, by God, as the Messiah. As the story goes, his next step, is to go into the wilderness for a time of fasting and prayer so that he can sort out what this all means for him and his ministry, How will he use his power? What message will he preach? What promises will he make?
Clearly, Jesus’ identity as Messiah and its full implications, did not come upon him fully developed at any one point in his life. Clearly this identity, this ministry and its shape developed over time; it did not come upon him all at once.
If Jesus struggled with who he was and how he was to live that out, we certainly have a need to do so as well.
As we begin the church year we can begin where he began his public ministry - with an acknowledgement that in baptism we find our identity. Since its very earliest days, Christian baptism, has been the “entry point” of people into fellowship of the believers, the community of faith. While Christian baptism is somewhat different from what John was offering on this day, the affirmation by God that Jesus received has become an essential message of Christian baptism.
When I take a baby in my arms or stand before a kneeling adult, I, on behalf of the community, make visible God’s proclamation of “beloved-ness”. The parents, or the candidates for baptism, if they are old enough, make a commitment to follow in the way of Christ - but the primary action and message is of God’s grace. We are beloved of God before we even know of our own existence. We are beloved of God just because we are part of creation. -16-
People used to refer to Christening. I am no linguist, even though I love words and their meaning. Some pepple think of Baptism or Christening as that ceremony by which someone receives a name. I don’t think that this is the intention of the word. Parents decide a baby’s name and send the papers into Vital Statistics with the registration of birth. The baby officially exists and has a name.
What baptism or Christ-ening is about is giving that child a new name and anew identity, or if you will, accepting a new name and a different identity. When I baptize a baby the name of “Child of God” or “Sister or Brother of Christ” is given and received. At Baptism it is as if the heavens open up and the child and the community hear God’s affirmation, “You are my beloved, I will be with you no matter where your journey takes you”. The community promises to be a part of the faith journey of that person, that child, that family.
Of course, this loving attitude of God toward human beings did not begin with Jesus. The passage from Isaiah sounds like a love song, and in a way it is. It is God’s love song to the chosen ones of Israel. It is God’s love song to all people’s everywhere. It is God’s love song to us which helps us to live into who we are meant to be in God’s eyes.
We know that the choices of children can disappoint a parent but it should not lessen the love. Similarly God does not love us less when our choices are not what God would wish for us.
What we need to wrestle with each day of our faith journey is how we are to live out our identity as God’s beloved child and know that each day is new and that we are never excluded because of a past that is less than God’s vision.
Who are we behind all of the masks we put on to hide our fears, our failures, or our true identity? May it be said os us when some asks who we are, “Why that’s a beloved child of God, a sister or brother of Christ, a follower of the way”.
We are all God’s children - let us live and create community out of this identity, May it give our lives hope and meaning and allow us to embrace our ministry of showing this great love to everyone we meet.
Amen.
1 Corinthians 12: 1-11
Psalm 36
John 2: 1-11
Almost everyone loves a good wedding! When I talk about a “good wedding” I’m talking about a ceremony that is true reflection of the couple’s readiness for this step in their lives and the willingness to do the hard work necessary to make a good marriage. Part of what makes a wedding good are tears of joy close to the surface, a certainty that this is where they are both meant to be, having the vast majority of the people there 100% behind them, on that day, and into the future. At a good church wedding God is invited and present.
A good wedding can be a silent reaffirmation of vows for at least some of those in the guests.
I always caution couples that in the lead up to their ceremony they need to focus more on “the marriage” than on “the big day” and at least some seem to listen! Despite what all those TV shows tell you, obsessing over the decorations will not make for a better relationship, which is the whole point, over time.
Today’s passage from the gospel of John is about a wedding but it is also about the life of faith. The most moving song I have ever heard about this passage was just sung by the choir - in particular I like the line, “ it touched the deepest hurts in me till it found and filled my soul”
When it comes to this passage and it’s interpretation we encounter several problems almost immediately. For many years most Protestant churches have not had much of anything good to say about the consumption of alcohol. Some interpreters have even gone so far as to say that all that Jesus made was grape juice - because it did not have time to ferment! That is a bit of a stretch though! While alcohol does cause serious problems in our society and especially at weddings we have to take this passage in its context and take the story as is.
In Jesus day, wine was the drink consumed at meals and it was essential to celebrations, especially weddings! The Jewish tradition also knew how to walk the line between seeing wine as a symbol of joy and seeing drunkenness as a disgrace.
In Jesus’ day wedding feasts lasted an entire week. To run out of wine partway through the celebration was an embarrassment because it showed poor planning and lack of family support and hospitality.
Although our initial assumptions about this story centres on Jesus ability as a “performer of miracles,” but the two things I would like to look at this morning are the connection between this miracle and joy AND the role of Mary in this miracle.
First Joy!
Most of us saw the picture on the front page of last week’s Hants Journal. (Show paper) The little gitl is part of our church family Four yer old Claire looks so happy as she zooms down that hill on her sleigh, dressed for the cold and having a great time. On her face is an expression of pure joy. I’m sure we all have similar pictures of our own family’s children! All of these pictures remind us to greet new years and new days with joy!
In the midst of struggles to make ends meet, have a good life-work balance, and run a household, we can all forget that the life of faith is about joy. By the way, words containing the letters J O Y appear 335 times in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. I have no idea how many times synonyms for “joy” appear.
Yet, people of faith sometimes forget about the gift and the importance of joy. How many of you are familiar with the TV movie version of “Anne of Green Gables”? The life of the dour spinster, Marilla Cuthbert did not contain much joy. It seemed to be against her religion. It takes Anne Shirley with the support of the bachelor brother Matthew to challenge Marilla’s assumptions about joy, celebration and the importance of puffed sleeves! Anne Shirley was a breath of fresh air, and eventually Marilla’s cold heart was warmed by joy.
The term, the “frozen chosen” has been applied to members of some protestant churches in which exuberant faith expressions were frowned upon. In some churches even smiling seems to be discouraged and clapping along with a beat or in response to a beautiful anthem is unheard of! Religion is serious business, don’t you know! On one pastoral charge I served the 9:30 congregation laughed at my jokes while the 11:00 one did not. I was told it was not the jokes; it was “in their natures” to react in these completely opposite ways! In another church I once served there was a well-minuted crisis in the mid 19th century when an organ was purchased to lead the singing and a number of people promptly left the congregation. It was a simple pump organ, similar to the ones many people had in their own parlours! I have heard of similar reactions to drums within my lifetime - even though they have been popular in many churches.
Religion is indeed serious business but who said we cant be seriously joyful? Does that sound like a contradiction in terms?
Religion is serious business in that it should affect every aspect of life. Religion is serious business in that it is very important. Weddings are very serious business but should be celebrated with great joy. Religion brings us the joy of knowing the true purpose of Jesus’ mission on this earth - as Jesus said, “I come that you might have life and have it in all abundance”,
This brings me to Mary and my second observation about her role in this story. We don’t know if Jesus was a relative or a friend of the couple but it seems that Mary was close enough to the bride and groom to worry about the family’s honour and reputation. (Perhaps she was president of their equivalent of the UCW!)
According to the story. Jesus was either not noticing the diminishing supply of wine, or he did not see any obligation at that time to do anything about it. I have noticed that it was his mother who prompted him to act and the servants who brought the water necessary for this transformation to take place.
St Augustine, about 1700 years ago is supposed to have said something like this: “Without God, we cannot; without us God will not”. This is so true for the church 2000 years later. What good would it do if God were to solve all of the problems of the world without any action whatsoever on our part?
When it comes to world poverty or the violence and hurt that come from injustice, racism, or sexism, just to name just a few causes of hurt in our world, it seems that we humans have a huge role to play in the creation and realization of joy. We need to make laying the foundation for joy to come about a priority in our lives.
If we have a concern for the poor but all we do is ask GOD to feed them, do we really expect God to pull the food out of thin air when we have at least some to spare. Perhaps God’s work is to change our hearts!
If we expect God to do something about global warming we must be willing to make changes for the better.
I think it was activist Nellie McClung who said, “ Let us do our little bit with cheerfulness and not take the responsibility that belongs to God. None of us can turn the earth around. All we can ever hope to do is to hit it a few whacks in the right direction.“ Without McClung and her companions, political justice for Canadian women would probably not have come when it did.
A few weeks ago we sang, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king.” We sang with gusto and joy. We smiled and exchanged greetings with family, friends and strangers. Then many of us packed the joy away with the lights and tinsel
Its ok to laugh and smile in church - in January, in June, in October, as well as in December. In fact I would say that it’s a gift of the spirit.
Its ok to laugh and smile in life - in January, in June, in October, as well as in December. In fact I would say that it’s a gift of the Spirit.
So, lets pop the corks on joy. Lets tap into whole barrels of it. Just like this wedding celebration, Jesus made sure that there was plenty to go around.
Amen!
1 Corinthians 12: 12-13, 27-31a
Psalm 19
Luke 4: 14-30
I don’t know about all ministers, but I’d rather preach to a crowd of a thousand strangers than a small church half full of the people I have known forever.
When Jesus preached in the synagogue which he would have attended as a child his experience was less than positive. Instead of following Joseph’s trade as a carpenter, Jesus had been spending some time preaching and teaching, in nearby villages. Word was getting back to the folks at home. On this day he showed up in his home synagogue.
For whatever reason he was the reader for the day. Since we don’t know a great deal about the liturgy of the first century synagogue we aren’t sure if Jesus chose the Isaiah passage himself or if it was mandated by a set lectionary.
Then he sat down to preach which was normal in the synagogue. As Jesus began his sermon perhaps the people were willing to at least “humour” this nice home town boy or perhaps they were hoping for some new insight on this familiar scripture. BUT, as he continued to speak things went askew! Big time!
I am going to try and discern what it was that shocked and offended this home town crowd to the verge of violence. The people of Israel had a difficult and strained history, Their identity was rooted in God’s call to their “first family” Abraham and Sarah. Throughout the many years of their history as a people they had spent more time “waiting for better days” than they did in “those better days”. They had been in slavery, wandered in the wilderness, and after being in the land of promise for only a few generations, had been taken into exile. At the time of Jess they were “in their land” but they were under the cruel occupation of the Roman Empire.
There were two opposite and competing responses. One was a “batten down the hatches and close the borders” approach. This approach sought to ensure Israel’s future and safety by making sure they kept as much distance as possible between them and the “outsider”. .
The other way of looking at life was a “light to the nations” approach in which they had the good news but it was not just for them, it was to be shared with the whole world.
Those who favoured this approach believed that God’s love for them was not diminished in any way by God’s love for someone they considered an “outsider.” The other factor at play here was the concept of Jubilee. The reading from Isaiah that Jesus read on that day spoke of “the year of the Lord’s favour”. The law of Israel proposed a “simple” solution for the flow of wealth from the poor to the rich ! This was the concept of “a Jubilee year”. This was a year, every 50, whereby all property would be returned to the original owners or their descendants. (Keep on mind the average life span was not 50 years) It was designed to prevent one child of Israel from exploiting another child of Israel through the profit of one at the expense of another. It’s an intriguing concept!
You may remember that in the year 2000 there was an international coalition that put pressure on the world bank and the IMF to forgive the dept of the world’s poorest countries - debts that had largely been racked up by corrupt governments but whose repayment was shackling any progress for the ordinary folks in those countries. You may also remember the involvement of many music stars, multiple concerts and the white silicone bracelets engraved with the phrase, “Make poverty history”.
Back to our passage. On that day Jesus finished reading, handed the scroll back to the attendant and announced that in that moment the passage was coming true and that God’s favour will be shown. Yet as he continued to preach he made it clear that this “good news for Israel” was not just “good news for Israel” but “good news for all people, all nations”, He referred to some of the stories in which God blessed foreigners.
There were the two competing tensions: their “specialness” and the periodic reminders by the prophets called to this task that their specialness came with more responsibility than privilege. They were to be a “light to the nations”. They were to be hospitable - if only because in their own past they had been the foreigner and the wanderer.
Most of us know that when a couple has their first baby that child is loved completely but when the couple has baby number 2 the love for number one is not diminished by the love they now have for the new arrival. We know this without even really thinking about it. The world is in an economic crisis and has been in one form or another for some time. A few years ago there was the problem with the banks needing bailouts and whole countries being on the verge of bankruptcy. These days from our perspective there is the low Canadian dollar and the low price of oil.
It seems to me that the message of this passage is that the answer is not fear but faith. The answer is not to turn in on ourselves but to reach outward in love and to rely on the ways of God - realizing that God does not favour one at the expense of the other.
Those of us who are white and middle class in this sleepy and peaceful Annapolis Valley, close to Acadia University, can easily forget that the wider world is not so kind to minorities.
Days after posting a notice about a special service to honour the life and work of the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr. the church hosting the service was tagged with racist graffiti, designed to intimidate the mostly black congregation as they arrived for Sunday morning worship. That church was not in the USA but in Ottawa, our nation’s capital. While it may be an isolated incident such actions seem to be part of a more disturbing trend toward acts of aggression and intimidation aimed at non-whites.
The minister, the Rev Dr Anthony Bailey has said in response, “ They attempted to sow hatred and division, and we are responding with love and justice and reconciliation.'
Bailey has experienced his own loss to racism. 40 years ago, while growing up in Montreal, his brother was stabbed to death in a racially motivated attack.
We can too easily absorb the racism that comes from a fear that our lives, or our freedom, or our little piece of the pie is in danger.
My father took great delight in telling this story from a family gathering. Three generations of the family had gathered at my grandparents’ house and after the meal a small cousin was given the task of doling out a bag of candy - and she apparently took great delight in going to each one, “one for you and one for you and one for you and so on and so on.” As she neared the end had a sudden realization that if she continued there would not be “one for her”. I suspect an adult “rescued her” but we worry that life in general will be like that and that, of course, no one will rescue us.
We bring our children up to share, but as we grow we become less and less willing to do so. Oh, most os us are “all for sharing” as long as it is our leftovers.
Perhaps its an urban legend but I heard a story once of a woman who found a turkey in her mother’s freezer that had been there ten years. It was not good enough for her but a poor person would be “grateful” to receive it, she said. Rest assured the Hantsport food-bank would put such a gift in the green cart as soon its advanced age was discovered.
Since Christianity has become part of mainstream culture we have forgotten that Jesus message was often about turning the world upside down. His message was about the same things the prophets spoke of: a reversal of fortunes. Sight to the blind. Release to the captives. Food for the hungry.
Every so ofen I get a “factoid” delivered to my cell phone through Twitter or Facebook. The last one was a report from Oxfam that 62 people in the world have as much wealth as half of the poorest people in the world. We could fit all of those 62 people in this room! That gap has been widening by leaps and bounds in the last decade. Many people in Nova Scotia are trying our hardest to keep our head above water and to remain “middle class” while ALL of us are much wealthier than those people at the bottom, I just metioned. It makes you realize just how little they are forced to survive on.
In response, we are tempted to turn inward; to make sure WE are protected, whether that’s our own household, or our own community, our own province, or country.
Yet the message of Jesus is staring us in the face - and challenging us. It challenges us to seek the blessing of all people, not just ourselves. It challenges us to do what we can, in ways large and small to share some of our blessings with others. Because we live in a democracy where we can advocate for others we are challenged our governments to make policies that favour the poor of the world over the wealth of multi-national corporations.
We are called to live in faith, not fear, We are called to trust in the ways of Jesus who gave everything so that all people might have life and have it in great abundance. Amen.
1 Corinthians 13: 1-13
Psalm 71
Luke 4: 21-30
There is a word that appears 872 times in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. The word is love. (I didn’t count myself; computer based concordances are great!) The King James Version uses the word “charity” in some of the places where love is used in most more modern translations. Perhaps the 20th century biblical reader wanted to hear about love more often than those who lived in the early 17th century! In these early years of the 21st century we certainly use the word a great deal. I can say, in all honesty, I love God, my Mom, my cat, my house, my country, Criminal Minds, and Hoof Prints Ice Cream! However, as you might guess, not all these loves are equal and not all impact my life and my behaviour in equal ways.
In the 21st century, when we think of charity, we don’t tend to think of a positive attitude toward another, we tend to think of people giving change to a a pan-handler or of the work of the food-bank or giving to the church or a hospital. We have “registered charities” which can issue receipts which result in a tax deduction. These organizations are approved and re-certified each year by the Canada Revenue Agency. There are limits and percentages associated with their fund-raising and their spending.
Some people see charity as a negative and don’t want to be the recipient of “charity” as if it is a sign of weakness or a moral failing. Some donors actually regard the recipients of their gifs in this way but I would contend that such “charity” is not charitable at all. To be truly charitable (or loving) is to want for the other what it is that we have: enough to eat, good medical care, and all the benefits we ourselves receive or have received from a church or other organization. It is, at its best, to hold the recipients or the benefactors in the highest regard and to want for them what we have received. To treat others as we would ant to be treated is at its essence.
A long time ago I read somewhere that Christians are a “therefore people”. What is meant by this is that when you see a biblical passage starting with the word “therefore” you really have to look at the chapter or verses that precede the passage in order to understand the passage in it proper context. While the Epistle passage DOES NOT begin with therefore, it is really in the same category. If you look at the last sentence of Chapter 12, about “a still more excellent way”, then the 13th chapter is clearly the conclusion, or expansion, of the author’s thinking on the diversity of gifts.
I would wager that in most people’s experience the Corinthians passage is most commonly used at weddings, and while you really cant go wrong using it at a wedding, it was not really intended for that purpose as I have already said.
The previous passage is about the necessity of respecting and welcoming of diversity within the community of faith. This passage on love is the “answer, ” as it were, to conflict over gifts and the tendency to value one person over another because of their different gifts.
In the United Church we don’t tend to live this out in terms of what we would call “spiritual gifts” but this passage can be applied to the various differences among and between members. .
On a snowy Sunday morning a number of years ago, after my two morning services had been cancelled I phoned a couple from another of the preaching points on the Charge to see if they thought the afternoon church service should be cancelled. Between them, they held several offices in the church and I thought that they would have a good idea of what the other roads might be like where they lived. Their comment was something like this: “don’t ask us, we’ve not been part of the church long enough to advise you on that.” That preaching point on the charge was the result of a number of smaller churches amalgamating and the folks to whom I spoke felt that “some people had more right to a say than others” and they were not in the “have more say” group. While no one would admit it, some of the so-called “newcomers” felt it. I think any church suffers when such things happen.
In another church I was promoting the idea of youth elders. One of our senior elders mentioned a newly elected member. I replied, “Well, he’s actually much older than I am; he’s 40. I was thinking of a member of one of the recent confirmation classes.” The reply was to the effect that we didn’t need “babies” on the session.
As you know, I come from PEI which I readily admit is not always known for being welcoming to outsiders. .
In PEI, AND many other places, which don’t have to be rural, outsiders are only OK as long as they know their place, which is “do what you are asked and don’t offer your opinion unless you are agreeing with everyone else”.
Not only does this tend to work against fresh ideas and the possibility of positive change - it really is not welcoming - it is not respectful of the people who have come to those communities, for a short or even a long time. It does not value their gifts and skills. It is not a way of love.
Looking back to our previous passage about needing all parts to make a body, the “potato head story” I had for the children clearly illustrates what Paul was trying to get at. Just as the human body needs balance and the appropriate number of arms, eyes and ears so too the “body of a church family” needs both diversity and specialization.
Based on the principle of “end stress” he list of spiritual gifts is capped off by this whole chapter on the most important spiritual gift which is love.
While some people have their specialty when it comes to food it is a mistake to assume that there is no one else that can make a particular thing, especially when we are talking about young people. A five star chef might be able to get away with nastiness in a celebrity kitchen but in the church kitchen the tongues of mortals and angels need to be bitten with love. How are we to integrate new members, particularly if they are youth, if we aren’t willing to teach them AND to learn from them.
As I have said before, love is not a mushy feeling; it is a way of life and it is a choice. It is a choice to act in a certain way! In this case it is a choice to act so that all of the members of the body have the opportunity to contribute without feeling second class in any way.
To put it bluntly, according to Paul, the author of this passage, even if you have the faith to move mountains, it is nothing without love.
The saddest organization is a church that has dissolved into conflict. While not common in our denomination, many independent churches are the result of a church split; the inability of a group to hold together diverse opinions and gifts in love.
This is a love that necessitates action. I cannot be loving (or to use the King James word, charitable) without it affecting how I act toward others.
We can all tell a story of when we were on the receiving end of some “not so charitable” comments or actions”. I remember very clearly an incident in the 5th grade: We were doing a group project on “the explorers”; specifically the ones who set out from Europe in small wooden ships to explore strange new worlds and where no northern European had gone before.
I only remember one other member of our group: a classmate who was copying a picture of an explorer holding a map - she was copying the picture freehand and I offered to colour it. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was not allowed to help because I would ruin it. I was not as good an artist as she was. It was not the last time she would say such a thing to me!
There are a lot of good reasons for eleven year olds to work together on a project but sometimes it brings out the least loving, least charitable feelings in children.
Incidentally, some 35 years later, that classmate approached me at a high school reunion and apologized for being so mean to me!
Love is being able to see how what we say might be understood and to temper those comments in the context of love. It is being able to give up the need to be “right” or the “best” in all instances. It is not having to win every argument.
I remember a tv commercial from years ago in which the family is sitting down to supper and the mom tells the dad the daughter made supper and “everything will be perfect”. Even if it tasted terrible” it was perfect! There would be time later to perfect her culinary skills.
Many churches circulate a “holy manners” covenant before church meetings where the topics might be divisive. I think I found a set on the computer in my office. Church amalgamations are certainly in running for “the most divisive” topic. New hymn books. The colour of the new carpet. What will we do with the roof. These are just a few of the ones I can think of.
When it comes to comments and decisions the work of love is trying to determine what is in the the best interests of the body as a whole not just one group or individual.
As we contemplate our own lives and their various interactions let us remember the instruction to live and act in love. So as we go into our own meeting and decision making time let us remember the command to love. No matter what happens if our decisions are made in love we will be much better for it.
Amen.
Exodus 34: 29-35
Psalm 99
Transfiguration C
Luke 9: 28-36
I just can’t resist a good joke. George Bush, a former president of the United States, died and went to heaven. Because of who he was, St Peter gave him the executive tour. He met and was greeted by many notable figures of history. Then he saw a man in a long white robe, with a long white beard, carrying two tablets of stone. Bush recognized him from his long ago Sunday school story books. However the bearded man did not acknowledge the former leader of the free world so Mr Bush went over to him and asked him: “Are you Moses?”
There was no reply.
“Sir, are you Moses,” he said, raising his voice. .
Again, no reply.
The former president, unaccustomed to being ignored, ran after the man and said, “Let me say, if you are Moses you have bad manners and you certainly aren’t very friendly”.
The bearded man turned and finally spoke, “Stop pestering me. Yes, I am Moses but the last time I talked to a bush I ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.”
(Pause)
Today’s passage from the book of Exodus is said to have taken place during those many years of wilderness wandering. The short version of a much more complicated story is that Moses went up the mountain to talk with God and on this day he came back with the law inscribed on stone tablets and his face was glowing. I’m sure you have seen paintings by artists who have tried to capture this on canvas.
At the end of his life all that we are told is that Moses died in the wilderness and “no one knows where his grave is”.
We didn’t have a story about Elijah’s life read today but we might remember one of the more dramatic ones. As his ministry was ending and as he was literally preparing to pass the “mantle” to Elisha, his disciple, this great prophet was carried into he sky by a whirlwind, accompanied by a chariot of fire. The only witness to this event was Elisha, his disciple.
One, a great lawgiver, indeed most would say, the greatest.
One, a prophet, indeed, most would say, the greatest.
On the day in question in the Gospel of Luke, both reappear and have a conversation with Jesus who has gone up a mountain to get away and to pray.
Just by looking at Jesus the disciples could see a change, a transfiguration; something was certainly different about him. Transfiguration is not a word we use very often. Author J.K. Rowling made use of it though in the Harry Potter series of books. If you have seen the movie you will remember the scene in which a large but seemingly normal tabby cat jumps off the desk at the front of a classroom but before landing on the floor the feline becomes Professor Minerva McGonagall, the teacher of transfiguration.
Long before the development of the Periodic Table, the wall art of chemistry classrooms everywhere, alchemists tried but failed to change base metals such as lead into much more valuable gold. I’m told that in the 21st century its possible to do this but it takes a particle accelerator, costing millions of dollars, and massive amounts of energy. (My advice is that if you want something made of gold you would be better off going to Herbin Jewellers, in business since 1885!)
Now, when I was a kid I would have asked how the disciples knew who the men were who were talking with Jesus. There were no photographs or even paintings, as far as I know. I also might have asked what exactly had changed about Jesus. We are nit told and must be content to leave these questions unanswered.
There are some things about this story that we can, at least, explore. As the three were discussing Jesus’ departure; a cloud enveloped them all and a heavenly voice affirmed Jesus’ identity and the necessity of listening to him. It sounds like a repeat of Jesus’ baptism, only with a different location and supporting cast.
Somewhere in the midst if it all the disciples, not knowing what to say, offered to build shelters so that they could all stay there.
The passage begins with the words, “after these sayings”. Without going into a lot of detail Jesus had been talking about the counter cultural nature of the gospel. This heaenly voice not only told them wh Jesus was but to LISTEN to him. He had something to say that was worth hearing.
Unfortunately, many centuries ago the church started to equate being a good Christian with being a good citizen. In terms of our democratic context, to be a good Christian you had to go to church and be law abiding. It’s also important to work hard, pay your taxes, volunteer, vote and help seniors and small children cross the street if they need help. Its about more than being a “good person”.
But notice that Jesus often rocked the boat and, as some have said, “comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable”. To use just ONE example - Jesus did not believe, as some in his time did, that those who were experiencing misfortune had brought it upon themselves or that there was no obligation to help because they had caused their own trouble.
As I read the gospels that was an attitude Jesus worked against. The early church was especially concerned for two groups often marginalized and forgotten: widows and orphans.
But, why are we reading this story now? Well, Lent is around the corner, literally. Since Jesus’ birth at Christmas the stories we have been reading have tried to show us who this Jesus was. We have our definitive answer. Teacher. Healer. Prophet. The one who brings the age in which all will have enough and none are exploited, Son of God. This is capped off by today’s story of his being given the approval of the primary prophet and lawgiver from their long Hebrew tradition BUT
WE ARE NOT DONE YET.
Now that we know what we know about Jesus we will have to realize that following Jesus is not a way to win friends and influence people. It has a cost.
I don’t believe in the prosperity gospel, Follow Jesus and be rich. Some people preach that but you wont hear it here and I don’t think its true to Jesus ministry.
Being a Christian is not about prospering and getting ahead of everyone else: its about being part of a group of folks who believe in the community who lives by grace, not our own efforts, and where we try to make sure that all people have enough.
Being a Christian is also a life-long journey - there is no “point of arrival” where we can relax and say we have “arrived”.
We also can’t stay on the mountain of joy, transformation and perfect faith: we have to get our hands dirty and take risks. We have to live where the people are and live out our faith in he complex world of shades of gray and making choices that align with our faith
That’s where Lent comes in. We know who Jesus is. We are told to listen to him. We are told to take him seriously.
The question for each of us is this: How is following Jesus going to change or inform my life here in this area of Nova Scotia in 2016? How will I live out my call to be Christian in my life this year -
That’s what we will turn to in our next weeks and for that we will need bread for the journey.
Come to the supper
it is a feast prepared for us.
It’s a feast with bread and drink to sustain us in the days ahead.
Amen.