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Sermon: 1st Sunday in Advent

11/30/2014

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Readings: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9      Mark 13:24-37


Well, we did it. We made it through Thanksgiving and Black Friday, and so a round of applause to you who made it to church today. After all the food I have enjoyed this past week, I can only hope my faith is as tight as my pants feel right now. One of the preschool kids asked me what I liked about Thanksgiving. I told her  “the nap before and the longer nap after.” To quote my father, “At my age Happy hour is a good nap.”


Medical science has always promoted the health benefits of sleep and restfulness. There is strong evidence that a power nap can boost your memory, cognitive skills, creativity and energy level. But it should go without saying that napping is bad for the soul when exercised between the hours of 11-12 on Sunday mornings.  

I can remember this one man who always fell asleep in church because the preacher was notorious for droning on and on. Getting sick and tired of hearing this guy snore in the middle of his sermons, the preacher gave one of the deacons a stick to prod the guy every time he fell asleep. Once the man dozed off, the deacon tapped him on the head and woke him up. But a few minutes later, he starting dozing again, so the deacon hit him again, only this time a little harder. This woke him up, but only temporarily. When the man fell asleep the third time, the deacon hit him so hard he knocked him out of the pew and onto the floor, almost knocking him out. Rather than responding in anger, the church member gets on his knees and pleads to the deacon, “Hit me again; I can still hear him preaching!”  I am happy to say none of our deacons have sticks, just hatpins. So consider yourself warned.

As I was reading the gospel selection for this morning, I found it a bit weird that we should have an apocalyptic story about the end times to kick off Advent. It’s not very Christmas-like, is it? But as Roxy shared with us when she lit the Hope candle, the first Sunday of Advent is about the promised hope for the coming Messiah. So it makes some sense to start with this part of Mark’s gospel because we are waiting. And like those who waited for the messiah before he was born, we who await his return do not know when he will appear. And Jesus says that’s reason enough for staying awake. 

When I was in my 20’s I could stay up all night. And often did. Then came my 30’s. I still pulled many all nighters, not because I was hitting the late night parties, but because Kathleen and I were having children. As I look back to those years I find it amazing what I could accomplish on my lack of sleep. Many of us are still like that. Who here has begun to tackle the Christmas season a wee bit sleep deprived?  Who here is already overbooked and overscheduled, and yet, still running here and there, chasing the perfect gift for the perfect price? Are you the kind of person who has stretched yourself so thin to get as much done, because you keep telling yourself there's one more thing still left to do?  

 As you pastor I am conflicted. On one hand Jesus is asking us to stay awake, but on the other hand God has called us to remember our Sabbath rest. With so many of us burning the candle at both ends, I don’t know if we should start serving Red Bull or Chamomile tea during hospitality time. The question this morning is this: “Are we really awake?” Are we present and alert, as Christ has called us to be? 

Sure we may not be physically asleep, or at least I hope you’re not. (Deacons get your hat pins ready.) But this passage isn't telling us to be sleep deprived, but is warning us not to be spiritually deprived. Jesus is telling us to be spiritually ready for whenever the master decides to come home. So are we really awake? Or has all our Christmas preparations and traditions lulled us to sleep?  

 It's not even December yet. Christmas commercials have been running since Halloween. I have Advent already planned out, and I pretty much know what I am going to talk about on Christmas Eve. And I’m sure many of you could  safely guess what hymns Greg has chosen for us to sing in the weeks ahead. 

This is not to suggest that there is anything wrong with planning ahead, in fact I think this is what Christ's message is all about...but is it safe to say we’ve done this thing called Christmas so many times that we could probably do it in our sleep?  So are we really awake?

The Advent wreath, the Chrisom and Peace Trees, these are more than just holiday symbols… they are little alarm clocks that keep us spiritually alert. They are visual reminders of what Christmas is all about. Mark's apocalyptic story is also a reminder that we need to stay up for Christ, not Christmas. We must stay up for Christ in the same manner as those who lived before the Holy Babe was born. We have to be vigilant in our waiting; to stay spiritually on guard. 

To stay up for Christ requires us to have an expectant watchfulness; to wait actively not passively. Take a fisherman, for example, who finds it burdensome to wait for the ice to thaw in spring. That is passive waiting. But once he’s fishing it’s not a burden to wait for the trout to rise to his fly. He actively awaits filled with expectations of a fight now…and a feast at the end of the day. There is a great payoff to his patience. Standing in a calm pool of his favorite stream provides a sense of peace and tranquility despite the busyness that fills his head. And there's always an active sense of anticipation within him because he never knows when the trout my take the bait. 

 As our heads are filled with getting stuff done, the focus of our anticipation must remain on the hope of Christ’s return. And so we must stay up for Christ, not Christmas. So how do we do it? If you weren’t asleep last week, you might recall that this kind of active waiting it is closely tied to how we see the face of God in all people; especially the “least of these, our brothers and sisters.”  

 In the most recent issue of the Congregationalist magazine, Rev. Don Mayberry encourages the church to stop counting people in the pews, and instead count “on” the people in the pews “to live, love, and move in such ways that make God present in our life.” Jesus says get up and get out there to lend a compassionate hand, to feed the hungry, cloth the poor, or offer a few kind words of encouragement to someone. Through our words and deeds, we proclaim the Good News to those who might be need of that amazing healing balm of God’s love and grace. 

 Whether Christ returns tonight, tomorrow or in a hundred years, every day is the day of our salvation. Therefore it is imperative that we be on the alert by being faithful to God’s love until the master returns. We do this by carrying Christ’s light and peace into a world suffocating in the darkness. With our brothers and sisters in Ferguson and Syria and Kurdistan, China, and Nicaragua, Christians around the world are praying and waiting for Christ in the midst of chaos, fear and violence.

 The world was not so different for those who first prayed and hoped for a Messiah to come. When Caesar Augustus ordered everyone to return to their hometowns for a census count, the faithful weren’t praying for a sweet little baby, but for a blood-thirsty warrior. They also prayed that their heroic savior would come into Jerusalem riding on a warhorse, not a small colt. Advent is a reminder to stay awake, to be alert, because God comes to us in the most unexpected places and at the most unexpected times; in a lush garden, and in a burning bush, on the road to Damascus, in a stable in Bethlehem, and even in an empty tomb.

 SO WAKE UP!

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Seeing the face of God in "the least of these."

11/23/2014

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Readings:      Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24         Matthew 25:31-46
Proper 30     Year A  

When I was in undergrad…some 100 or so years ago, I took a class in Journalistic writing where I learned the standard rule of thumb for putting together a news story. That is to say every article must clearly state the who, what, where, when, and how; and if possible the why. Once you get that, cram it all into the first paragraph because that is how far the typical reader will go to get the news.

This technique helped me throughout my copywriting days in advertising. And so as I prepared for this morning’s message, I pulled out these old tools and began to investigate the story within the story. And to do that we have to read a little deeper. The “who” of course is Jesus, the “what” is his pronouncement on our final judgment, and “where” the judgment will take place is upon his throne of glory. He tells us “how” we will be judged, and  “when” that judgment will take place.  We even know the “why” the sheep will be separated to the right while the goats go to the left.

I imagine if this statement was pronounced today by some up and coming political figure, it might make headline news. Or at least the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It’s the kind of story that literally puts us on one side of the argument or the other. With its divisive nature, we can pit good against bad, right against left, friend against friend. And to make matters more complicated, there’s even a bit of advanced theology thrown in. Jesus tells a parable that has all the right stuff to spike news ratings and gets the pundits wagging fingers across the table at one another. His words are both radical and profound, even by today’s over-hyped standards. 

Since all the readings focused on farm animals, I am sure many of you, for example Mr. Putnam, were hoping for a message on sheep and goats and shepherds; not judgment. But to be honest with you the only thing I know about sheep and goats is one makes a nice sweater and the other a great cheese. Actually, I do know what you get when you cross a sheep with a porcupine…a sweater that knits itself.  And I know what a sleepy baby lamb is called…a shhhhhhhhhheeeep.  Yes, that one was baaaaaaaaad.  Like I said, Jesus’ words were radical and profound, not my bad jokes.

While this parable is about God’s judgment of us, it also speaks volumes on how we judge others. Jesus has made it very clear that God’s judgment is tightly connected to how we actively participate in God’s kingdom, that is how we reach out to those in need, specifically to “the least of these.”  We might think of ourselves as people who seek to do the right thing, but how many times do we judge someone without realizing we are doing it?  In our thoughts as well as in our words and deeds. For example, we often label “the least of these” as homeless and vagrants, illegals and felons. We separate them by their ethnic identity and sexual orientation or their financial status.

Because of these labels, the least of these are kept at the bottom of the ladder, marginalized to the fringes and pushed away from the inner circle.  This makes it harder for them to find work, support a family, be a part of a thriving community. They might seem like nothing more than descriptive words, but violence against human beings comes in many forms.  Like the goat who bullies the lamb, Our words and actions and deeds can push someone further away from the herd, Somewhere further away from the church, to a place where it is hard to protect them from the dangers that lurk. Jesus understood our violent tendencies. So he does something radical. He goes against the grain, and reminds us “the least of these brothers and sisters” - those who are the most helpless and who have no other champions to care for them - are members of God’s family. They are the ones God sees in a special way. And so Jesus purposely calls these people out by name.

As the Son of Man he clearly sees a humanity made in God’s image. But as the Son of God, we get a clear glimpse of his theology.  “When you did it to one of the lease of these my brothers and sisters, members of my family, you did it to me.” Our actions are not simply tied to the person we are judging, but they are also tied directly to the judge.  

Living in a big city like Los Angeles, there wasn’t a day that I didn’t come in direct contact with someone like “the lease of these.” Many of these people had real life problems and needs, while others just needed a drug fix. I doubt Greenville is any different. The stories I hear in my office are the same ones I heard on Hollywood Blvd. What I have come to discover is when I sit with them and have to separate those who really need help and those who just need another drink, Jesus’ words always punch me hard in the gut. “When you did it to someone who is sick, hungry, homeless, oppressed, imprisoned…you did it to me.” 

 What Christ is asking us to do is hard, radically hard. Jesus is calling us to something higher than being a good, church going Christian. His radical and profound words push our comfort zones because Jesus pushes against what society often accepts as “okay.” But okay doesn’t make the headlines, does it? Okay doesn’t get people talking. And it certainly doesn’t create change in the world. But there is more to this story than mere judgment.

First we see a radical statement about God. The God of Jesus, the God of the Bible is not a remote, Supreme Being who floats around on a throne casting down judgment from some billowy cloud. Jesus says God is here in the messiness and ambiguity of human life. God is here, in our neighbor who needs our help. God is here, in the midst of our human story and drama. If you want to see what God looks like, then look at the face of “the least of one of these.”  But let’s face it, “the least of these” rarely look or act or smell the way we imagine Jesus should. Frequently, they aren’t very nice, and worse yet, they seldom seem to appreciate whatever good we do try to do for them.  They have a way of making our goodness seem bad. As a result we get burned out doing good. 

Notice those who have been gathered up at the right hand of the Lord – those who are called blessed by the father, the sheep we want to be – they have only one thing to say to Jesus. “Lord, When?” On one hand, they made it to the finish line but on the other they have no idea how they got there. “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or when did we see you thirsty and gave you something to drink?”  While they unwittingly did what Jesus asked them to do, these sheep who did all of the correct things, they missed seeing God right there in front of them. They overlooked the hidden presence of God in the faces of those they served. This parable reminds us that God is always paying attention because God is always in our midst.

As we dig deeper into the story, we notice Jesus makes radical statements about the practice of religion. But Jesus’ words do not talk about theology or creeds. There is only one criterion here, and that it is whether or not you saw God in the face of the needy and gave yourself away in love in God’s name. As the church, God calls us to serve him, in our neighbors, in our brothers and sisters, and in those closest to us. That call is real; there are no excuses. The goats did not see God in their midst, perhaps because God would never be needy.  But “when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, members of my family, you did it to me.” One side doesn’t get the joy on earth because they did not see God in those they helped. The other side does not get the joy in heaven because they did not  see God and help. What does that say about us? Are we sheep or are we goats?

And Lastly, the further we dig into Jesus’ parable, we notice something that is not social; it’s not political, nor religious. It is personal.  God wants not only a new world molded on the values of Jesus. God wants us, each of us. Jesus’ God is a God of love who wants to save us, and redeem us and give us the gift of life and the gift of eternal life. God wants to save us by touching our hearts with love. And God wants us to pay that love forward by seeing and caring for other human beings who are in need. God wants to save us from obsessing about ourselves, our own needs, by persuading us to forget about ourselves and look after others. God is with us, here in the messiness of our lives, to teach us the fundamental lesson of life itself, the secret, the truth, which is that “to love is to live.” To love as Christ loved, and gave his life for that love, is to live forever.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are always good reminders of what it means to give. We give of our time, we give presents, and we give the Christmas spirit. We have our Angel Tree where you can take a tag or two and by some gifts for kids with needs.This is good stuff. But by January, February, March, April and May…our old habits kick back in. Their story is no longer relevant, The pundits have moved on to some other topic, religious wars continue as does hunger and oppression. But in this parable Jesus is reminding us to be vigilant. To never lose sight of God in our midst.

Just this last week someone asked me how do I remember everyone's names. I confessed that I am horrible with that task, and then I joked..."All you people look alike." While I was kidding of course, there is real truth to what I said. My wish is not to see Ron, or Dixie, or Linda, or Larry...But to see God in each and everyone of you.

In order to see the Lord, we have to look. We have to look at the people around us. Deliberately. All of the time. We need to see the face of God in every human being. We need to see the nail holes of Jesus Christ in the hands of the beggar. We need constantly to see "who" we are looking at as we remember "what" we are doing, "why" we are doing it, and "what" we hope to come from it. We need to look with purpose.

Because God doesn’t want to hear us say “Lord, When,” God wants to us to also ask,  “Lord, who and where, and how, and yes, even why.” Amen.

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A Different Direction

11/17/2014

 

A Different Direction

11/3/2014

 
A Different Direction

Life is always changing. Some of these changes are good and then some are not. There are those for whom moving into something new can be difficult, while other’s find it invigorating.  My family has experienced both sides of this coin as we made the transition into this new community. What I love about change is that I never know which direction the Spirit is leading me. It forces me to embrace change faithfully, by relying on God for grace and mercy.  

Of course, some changes are easier to embrace. Take the weather for example.

As I write, the sun is shining and the air outside is crisp. Who would have thought that just a few days ago the first snow flurries of the season would arrive? If I have learned anything in my few short weeks here it is to take advantage of these beautiful days because you never know what tomorrow will bring.  Now, instead embracing a beautiful day by playing golf with friends, I rush home from work and arm myself with a leaf blower. In spite of using the wind to push the leaves towards the street, the wind eventually changes direction and the leaves scatter around the yard again. 

As we gather together to worship, you will notice changes; some barely noticeable and some very obvious.  I pray that you will embrace these changes with me. May we all remember the words we spoke together after communion last week when we asked God to, “Deepen in us the vision of what is yet to come, that we may find in every change, not an ending, but a beginning, the sign of a new creation within ourselves and this community of faith.” 

Window Poems #20

In the early morning dark
he dreamed of the spring woodsflowers
standing in the ground,
dark yet under the leaves and under the bare cold branches.

But in his dream he knew their way
was prepared, and in their time
they would rise up and be joyful.
And though he had dreamed earlier
of strife, his sleep became peaceful.

He said: If we, who have killed
our brothers and hated ourselves,
are made in the image of God,
then surely the bloodroot,
wild phlox, trillium, and mayapple
are more truly made
in God’s image,
for they have desired to be
no more than they are,
and they have spared each other.

Their future
is undiminished by their past.
Let me, he said in his dream,
become always less a soldier
and more a man,
for what is unopened in the ground
is pledged to peace.
When he woke and went out
a flock of wild ducks that had fed
on the river while he slept
flew off in fear of him.

And he walked, manly, into the new day.
He came to his window
where he sat and looked out,
the earth before him, blessed
by his dream of peace,
bad history behind him.
-       by Wendell Berry. The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry. Counterpoint Press: 1998.

    Ian Macdonald

    An ex-copywriter turned punk rock pastor and peacemaker who dedicates his life to making the world a better place for all humanity. 

    "that they all might be one"  ~John 17:21


    “Prius vita quam doctrina.”
    ​~ S
    t. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)​
    * “Life is more important than doctrine.”


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