Now there’s a thought! Could you and I “Sing a new song” in this coming year?
Could we change the way we respond to our world – to those around us in a way that is consistently kind and loving?
Could we sing a new song?
Could we become a new song in our world?
Could we become the cause to encourage others around us to sing a new song?
Yes!!! and the reason is that God is with us and for us and will give us that new song!
He wants us to sing! He wants us to delight in the life He has given to us and more than anything else He wants us to live out our lives in intimate and constant communion with Him. Yes, love is like that – it desires communion with the beloved!
Tonight God is with us – Immanuel! And He is encouraging us to sing and new song!
OK! But what are the lyrics and what is the tune to the new song?
The lyrics are words of delight and joy and thankfulness to God who created us, sustains us and loves us!
They’re words of gratitude and sometimes even words of complaint and lament. It’s OK to cry out to God and to ask Him to give you answers.
That sort of freedom comes with being “family” and we are family with God. We’re His children. Christ’s brothers and sisters. We’re made in God’s image – we’re family!
And what is the tune – Ah it’s melodic . Let me introduce to the 10th Avenue North Lead singer and Audrey Asard sining “Halleluia!” A good song to place in our hearts this Christmas Eve.
Halleluia! means praise ye the Lord. It’s used to express praise, joy, or thanks. That’s what our new song should be don’t you think?
But, some of might say, “I am who I am – things don’t change that much – they haven’t so far anyway!” Nothing’s changed and nothing is probably ever going to change!”
And to that God, I believe, says, “I created you! I know you better than you do yourself and this evening I’m calling you to sing a new song designed especially with you in mind! Don’t you want to know it???”
I have the lyrics and the melody for you – do you want them? Do you want to sing a new song? Do you want your life to change or are you content to sing the same old refrain again and again?
Sing a new song? What does He mean – “sing a new song!”
You see God is always seeking renewal and redemption – the restoring and renewing and redeeming of all people and all things.
Death and decay were never His idea!
His idea was and always will be - new birth and eternal life – world without end! Amen!
You and I can sing a new song. A song whose lyrics and melody were chosen by God just for us before the beginning of time.
What are those lyrics – what is the melody?
Stop this evening as you rest your head on your pillow and invite God to reveal to you His lyrics and His melody for your life. He will! Why would He not?
He wants to draw you and me into His Kingdom in which we sing as His choir a most magnificent melody which harmonizes and reverberates into eternity – world without end amen!
Let us pray . . .
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sermon - December 20, 09 "Who Is Mary?"
Good morning. It’s the Fourth Sunday of Advent and we only have 5 “sleeps” before Christmas Day!
Our kids are getting very excited – what wonderful gifts will mysteriously appear on Christmas Day?
So what is the focus of our reflections on this last Sunday before Christmas Day when Jesus gave Himself to for the world slightly more than 2,000 years ago?
At the beginning of this Advent season I mentioned that the first two Sundays of Advent focus on the first and second coming of Jesus, the third Sunday focuses on John and Baptist and the fourth and final Sunday of Advent focuses on Mary. So this morning we’re going to reflect upon Mary.
2. Let me read our Gospel reading once again but this time from the Message by Eugene Peterson:
Luke 1:39 After her encounter with the Arch Angel Gabriel Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, 40 straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and sang out exuberantly,
You’re so blessed among women,
and the babe in your womb, also blessed! - blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 And why am I so blessed that
the mother of my Lord visits me?
44 The moment the sound of your
greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
45 Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
believed every word would come true!
From this record of the encounter between these two cousins Elizabeth clearly knew who Mary really was.
So let’s look a little more deeply into who Mary really was. After all her “Yes” changed history. It placed her front and center in what theologians refer to as “salvation history” Or Heilsgeschichte – now that should impress! Ha!
3. What do we know about Mary?
We have very few facts associated her life.
We know that:
· she was old enough to be married; probably between 12 and 13, and that
· she had been promised to Joseph in marriage, but the marriage had not yet taken place before the angel Gabriel told her that Jesus would be her son.
· We know that her extended family was probably scholarly and followed Jewish religious practices.
· We know that before Jesus was born, Mary went to stay with her cousin Elizabeth, who was married to Zechariah, a priest.
· We know that under Jewish law, only members of certain families could be priests, and they could marry only into certain select families that were known for their piety and careful religious observance.
· Clearly Mary was welcome in their home, which meant that her presence would not keep Zechariah from his priestly responsibilities.
· We also know that she recently become engaged to a carpenter named Joseph.
· We know the place and humble circumstances of her delivery of Jesus in Bethlehem.
· We know that she was ceremonially purified at the Temple soon after the birth.
· We know about that fascinating event when Jesus was 12 when Mary and Joseph accidentally left Jesus behind in Jerusalem.
· We know that she was at the Cross where Jesus instructed that she and his disciple John should consider themselves related as mother and son;
· We know about her visit to Christ's tomb after his resurrection; and
· her attendance in the Upper Room with the Twelve Apostles at Pentecost.
But for me the most startling thing we know about Mary is that she agreed to be the Mother of Jesus who was and is God incarnate!
Her words of acceptance to the Angel Gabriel - Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum - Be it done unto me according to Your word” - echo down to us through 2,000 years of history.
In addition we can gather from the writings of the Father’s of the Church that her age at her death ranged from 57 to 62.
Although few other details of her life are mentioned or implied in the Bible, tradition has it that she was the daughter of St. Joachim and St. Anne, announced miraculously to them; that she was presented and dedicated at the Temple as a virgin; and that she was "assumed" directly into heaven; a doctrine that did not appear until the 5th cent. In 1950, Pope Pius XII' made Mary's bodily assumption into heaven an article of faith.
The Roman Catholic Church further teaches that Mary was freed from actual sin by a special grace of God.
Christian tradition reckons her the principal saint, naming her variously the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady, and Mother of God (Gr., theotokos). Her name is the Hebrew Miriam.
From earliest times of the Christian Church Mary's prayerful intercession was believed to be especially efficacious on behalf of humankind and the church; since the Middle Ages, recitation of the rosary has been among the most popular expressions of Marian respect and devotion.
16th Century Protestant reaction to what was referred to as “Maryolotry” was strident and in many cases justified but the fact remains that Mary should be honored and respected for her role in Salvation history – future generation would call her “Blessed.” - makari÷zw - to call or consider someone especially favored, to consider blessed, happy, fortunate.
Now that we know some facts or at least some reasonable speculations about Mary what can we deduce through contemplation?
How often have any of us spent any time just sitting and thinking about Mary?
Mary was 12 or 13 when the Angel Gabriel invited her to be the Mother of Jesus – of God incarnate. What sort of young woman could handle such an invitation?
I could easily imagine her saying “No!” or “Can you tell me more about what you’re expecting of me?” or “Who is the father again?”
But Mary said “Yes! Be it done unto me as you have said.”
The Council of Ephesus in 431Ad decreed that Mary was the Theotokos because her son Jesus was one person who is both God and man, divine and human. Mary is the Theotokos – the God bearer!
Try to imagine Mary in a series of scenes in which Jesus is a toddler – a 10 year old – a 13 year old – a 22 year old say and then finally as a 30 year old.
The Bible tells us that she as she watched Jesus grow into maturity she “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19
What was she “PONDERING” when she saw Jesus fall as a toddler or when she saw Him stopping a bully brutalize a weaker child as a teenager or what about that time she and Joseph left Him behind in Jerusalem only to find Him teaching in the Synagogue. And what about that time when a young woman flirted with Him?
What did she think of Him? Was He a naturally fastidious child or did she have to constantly remind Him to wash himself and to clean up after himself? Is cleanliness truly close to godliness? I wonder! Ha!
What do you imagine God incarnate look like and act like in community as He grows from childhood to manhood! Luke tells us that: “ . Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52
How did Jesus’ wisdom affect Mary? What changed in her as in His presence as she grew from a 13 year old maiden to say a 40 year old matron?
And how did the citizenry of Nazareth respond to her? Remember “future generations would call her blessed.”
Was who Jesus really was show in any way and what affect did this have one how He and Mary were treated in that small country town?
If you could go back in time right now and interview some of the townsfolk of Bethlehem about what Jesus was really like what sort of comments do you think you might receive?
Did everyone like Him or were there some who just didn’t like Him and if so why didn’t they like Him?
Was He precocious? Did His natural abilities make everyone else look a little less? What’s it like for a normal man to grow up beside Jesus? What did His presence do to those around Him and what effect did all of this have on Mary as she watched people react and respond to Jesus?
Did Jesus have any close friends in Nazareth? Did He have any enemies? Were there any scandals in Nazareth during Jesus time growing up there? If there were did Jesus’ presence make any difference as to how they were settled?
What difference does the Presence of God incarnate make in a community?
Incidentally when that question came to me it was immediately followed by the challenging question – “Robert what difference does the fact that you follow Jesus and seek to be like Him make in your family and in your community?
I have to believe that Christ’s very presence blessed Mary and those about Him. I’m also fairly certain that the people in Nazareth committed to evil hated Him passionately. I’m almost certain that He had enemies but I’m also certain that He never stopped reaching out to them in reconciliation.
Jesus Christ was then and still is - the Son of God!
Let me ask you a few additional questions:
· “Would you like to have grown up with Jesus?
· If you were Mary what did your love and respect for Jesus feel like?
· If you were Joseph – what did you love and respect for Jesus feel like?
I simply can’t believe that Mary was just “a normal Jewish woman.” I’m sorry but a “normal” person wouldn’t say “Yes” in the first to Gabrielle’s impossible and improbable question! And after 30 years of watching God incarnate grow up all normalcy would have been transformed in the daily presence of Christ’s magnificence!
4. Now let me stop and reflect upon what we have just done.
I can imagine someone thinking or even saying – “Give me the facts – what does the Bible literally say – that’s the measure and extent of what I can know! All of this imaginative speculation is just that – fantasy! Useless fantasy!”
And to that I say, “NO! It’s my heart’s desire to fill out what is only hinted at in the spare details of Scripture. The Holy Spirit Himself calls and empowers me to reach back over the millennia to reflect upon my beloved Savior’s early life with His Blessed and Holy Mother Mary. I have done the same for my own mother and father. I’ve tried to understand them by reflection upon their early lives from details they themselves have given to me. This very reflection has deepened my love and understanding of them and so I think about Mary and her Son – my Savior Jesus. I think about their relationship then and now! Ah! Can I imagine Jesus in heaven alone? No! His blessed Mother Mary is always and ever close by – watching and wondering and loving!
Mary was not a normal woman but she was and is an historical and every present reminder that thanks to her “Yes” we too can and must again and agains say “Yes!” to God’s ever-present invitation to allow Him to come into us and to continue His ministry in and through us to the world!
We too, with Mary, can become “God bearers” into this world as we say “Yes and Yes! And Yes! to Him! Amen and Amen!
Let us pray . . .
Our kids are getting very excited – what wonderful gifts will mysteriously appear on Christmas Day?
So what is the focus of our reflections on this last Sunday before Christmas Day when Jesus gave Himself to for the world slightly more than 2,000 years ago?
At the beginning of this Advent season I mentioned that the first two Sundays of Advent focus on the first and second coming of Jesus, the third Sunday focuses on John and Baptist and the fourth and final Sunday of Advent focuses on Mary. So this morning we’re going to reflect upon Mary.
2. Let me read our Gospel reading once again but this time from the Message by Eugene Peterson:
Luke 1:39 After her encounter with the Arch Angel Gabriel Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, 40 straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and sang out exuberantly,
You’re so blessed among women,
and the babe in your womb, also blessed! - blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 And why am I so blessed that
the mother of my Lord visits me?
44 The moment the sound of your
greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
45 Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
believed every word would come true!
From this record of the encounter between these two cousins Elizabeth clearly knew who Mary really was.
So let’s look a little more deeply into who Mary really was. After all her “Yes” changed history. It placed her front and center in what theologians refer to as “salvation history” Or Heilsgeschichte – now that should impress! Ha!
3. What do we know about Mary?
We have very few facts associated her life.
We know that:
· she was old enough to be married; probably between 12 and 13, and that
· she had been promised to Joseph in marriage, but the marriage had not yet taken place before the angel Gabriel told her that Jesus would be her son.
· We know that her extended family was probably scholarly and followed Jewish religious practices.
· We know that before Jesus was born, Mary went to stay with her cousin Elizabeth, who was married to Zechariah, a priest.
· We know that under Jewish law, only members of certain families could be priests, and they could marry only into certain select families that were known for their piety and careful religious observance.
· Clearly Mary was welcome in their home, which meant that her presence would not keep Zechariah from his priestly responsibilities.
· We also know that she recently become engaged to a carpenter named Joseph.
· We know the place and humble circumstances of her delivery of Jesus in Bethlehem.
· We know that she was ceremonially purified at the Temple soon after the birth.
· We know about that fascinating event when Jesus was 12 when Mary and Joseph accidentally left Jesus behind in Jerusalem.
· We know that she was at the Cross where Jesus instructed that she and his disciple John should consider themselves related as mother and son;
· We know about her visit to Christ's tomb after his resurrection; and
· her attendance in the Upper Room with the Twelve Apostles at Pentecost.
But for me the most startling thing we know about Mary is that she agreed to be the Mother of Jesus who was and is God incarnate!
Her words of acceptance to the Angel Gabriel - Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum - Be it done unto me according to Your word” - echo down to us through 2,000 years of history.
In addition we can gather from the writings of the Father’s of the Church that her age at her death ranged from 57 to 62.
Although few other details of her life are mentioned or implied in the Bible, tradition has it that she was the daughter of St. Joachim and St. Anne, announced miraculously to them; that she was presented and dedicated at the Temple as a virgin; and that she was "assumed" directly into heaven; a doctrine that did not appear until the 5th cent. In 1950, Pope Pius XII' made Mary's bodily assumption into heaven an article of faith.
The Roman Catholic Church further teaches that Mary was freed from actual sin by a special grace of God.
Christian tradition reckons her the principal saint, naming her variously the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady, and Mother of God (Gr., theotokos). Her name is the Hebrew Miriam.
From earliest times of the Christian Church Mary's prayerful intercession was believed to be especially efficacious on behalf of humankind and the church; since the Middle Ages, recitation of the rosary has been among the most popular expressions of Marian respect and devotion.
16th Century Protestant reaction to what was referred to as “Maryolotry” was strident and in many cases justified but the fact remains that Mary should be honored and respected for her role in Salvation history – future generation would call her “Blessed.” - makari÷zw - to call or consider someone especially favored, to consider blessed, happy, fortunate.
Now that we know some facts or at least some reasonable speculations about Mary what can we deduce through contemplation?
How often have any of us spent any time just sitting and thinking about Mary?
Mary was 12 or 13 when the Angel Gabriel invited her to be the Mother of Jesus – of God incarnate. What sort of young woman could handle such an invitation?
I could easily imagine her saying “No!” or “Can you tell me more about what you’re expecting of me?” or “Who is the father again?”
But Mary said “Yes! Be it done unto me as you have said.”
The Council of Ephesus in 431Ad decreed that Mary was the Theotokos because her son Jesus was one person who is both God and man, divine and human. Mary is the Theotokos – the God bearer!
Try to imagine Mary in a series of scenes in which Jesus is a toddler – a 10 year old – a 13 year old – a 22 year old say and then finally as a 30 year old.
The Bible tells us that she as she watched Jesus grow into maturity she “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19
What was she “PONDERING” when she saw Jesus fall as a toddler or when she saw Him stopping a bully brutalize a weaker child as a teenager or what about that time she and Joseph left Him behind in Jerusalem only to find Him teaching in the Synagogue. And what about that time when a young woman flirted with Him?
What did she think of Him? Was He a naturally fastidious child or did she have to constantly remind Him to wash himself and to clean up after himself? Is cleanliness truly close to godliness? I wonder! Ha!
What do you imagine God incarnate look like and act like in community as He grows from childhood to manhood! Luke tells us that: “ . Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52
How did Jesus’ wisdom affect Mary? What changed in her as in His presence as she grew from a 13 year old maiden to say a 40 year old matron?
And how did the citizenry of Nazareth respond to her? Remember “future generations would call her blessed.”
Was who Jesus really was show in any way and what affect did this have one how He and Mary were treated in that small country town?
If you could go back in time right now and interview some of the townsfolk of Bethlehem about what Jesus was really like what sort of comments do you think you might receive?
Did everyone like Him or were there some who just didn’t like Him and if so why didn’t they like Him?
Was He precocious? Did His natural abilities make everyone else look a little less? What’s it like for a normal man to grow up beside Jesus? What did His presence do to those around Him and what effect did all of this have on Mary as she watched people react and respond to Jesus?
Did Jesus have any close friends in Nazareth? Did He have any enemies? Were there any scandals in Nazareth during Jesus time growing up there? If there were did Jesus’ presence make any difference as to how they were settled?
What difference does the Presence of God incarnate make in a community?
Incidentally when that question came to me it was immediately followed by the challenging question – “Robert what difference does the fact that you follow Jesus and seek to be like Him make in your family and in your community?
I have to believe that Christ’s very presence blessed Mary and those about Him. I’m also fairly certain that the people in Nazareth committed to evil hated Him passionately. I’m almost certain that He had enemies but I’m also certain that He never stopped reaching out to them in reconciliation.
Jesus Christ was then and still is - the Son of God!
Let me ask you a few additional questions:
· “Would you like to have grown up with Jesus?
· If you were Mary what did your love and respect for Jesus feel like?
· If you were Joseph – what did you love and respect for Jesus feel like?
I simply can’t believe that Mary was just “a normal Jewish woman.” I’m sorry but a “normal” person wouldn’t say “Yes” in the first to Gabrielle’s impossible and improbable question! And after 30 years of watching God incarnate grow up all normalcy would have been transformed in the daily presence of Christ’s magnificence!
4. Now let me stop and reflect upon what we have just done.
I can imagine someone thinking or even saying – “Give me the facts – what does the Bible literally say – that’s the measure and extent of what I can know! All of this imaginative speculation is just that – fantasy! Useless fantasy!”
And to that I say, “NO! It’s my heart’s desire to fill out what is only hinted at in the spare details of Scripture. The Holy Spirit Himself calls and empowers me to reach back over the millennia to reflect upon my beloved Savior’s early life with His Blessed and Holy Mother Mary. I have done the same for my own mother and father. I’ve tried to understand them by reflection upon their early lives from details they themselves have given to me. This very reflection has deepened my love and understanding of them and so I think about Mary and her Son – my Savior Jesus. I think about their relationship then and now! Ah! Can I imagine Jesus in heaven alone? No! His blessed Mother Mary is always and ever close by – watching and wondering and loving!
Mary was not a normal woman but she was and is an historical and every present reminder that thanks to her “Yes” we too can and must again and agains say “Yes!” to God’s ever-present invitation to allow Him to come into us and to continue His ministry in and through us to the world!
We too, with Mary, can become “God bearers” into this world as we say “Yes and Yes! And Yes! to Him! Amen and Amen!
Let us pray . . .
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sermon - December 13, 09 "God Wants to Renew You In His Love."
1. Good morning! It’s Gaudate Sunday – the Rose Candle and our vestments are a dead give away aren’t they?
What is Gaudate Sunday all about? It’s the third Sunday of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western Church.
The Latin Gaude is translated as Rejoice. Rejoice is the first word in our Second Reading from Philippians chapter 4 beginning at verse 4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice; let your gentleness be evident to all, for the Lord is near; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.”
So while Advent is a penitential season like the Season of Lent it it has a time to let down our hair right about the middle of the penitential season. So, in this shorter Advent penitential season we have Gaudate Sunday as a time to rest from the vigilance of self-reflection to just relax and to rejoice.
But rejoice in what?
It’s cold!!!! Cold!!!!! – What have we got to rejoice about for goodness sake?
That’s a very very good question isn’t it?
It’s Christmas time – rejoice in the gifts that are coming in 12 sleeps!
· Rejoice in buying stuff!
· Rejoice in Christmas parties!
· Rejoice in the spirit of gift-giving!
· Heck rejoice that you’ve survived another year!
· Rejoice that you;re vertical and not horizontal!
Rejoice!! Rejoice!! Rejoice!!!
It’s sounds to me just a little too strident! As if someone was trying a little too hard to make us feel good or something . . . don’t you?
Why so much jazz?
We’re living at a time in history when the wealthy nations measure their happiness by the GNP and the number of dollars and cents and their bank accounts.
But most of us are not wealthy and some of us are just one or two or maybe three paychecks away from bankruptcy. For us the shrill cry to “Be happy” seems a little hollow.
Yet here we are a Church and our God is calling us to this! What are we to do with it?
Hmmmmm.
Let me begin with the Second Reading where we get today’s name from – Rejoice – Gaudate – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Why should we rejoice? Because the Lord our God is near to us! Emmanuel – means “God With us!”
Do you sense God’s Presence in your life today?
If you do then clearly there is great reason for rejoicing!
But if you don’t this cry seems empty and somewhat frustrating or irrelevant – “thank you very much!”
Our Gospel reading from the Gospel of Luke talks about John’s exhortation to all of us to be satisfied with what we have, “Be satisfied with your wages . . . “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of His sandal. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire!”
Be satisfied! Be satisfied? Are you crazy, Never ever ever be satisfied! That’s death in a consumer driven economy. The stock market will collapse if we were all satisfied!!!
No no no! There’s so much more that you “should” have – “must” have, to be satisfied!
Now turn with me to our First Reading from the Old Testament Book of Zephaniah chapter 3 beginning at verse 14.
It’s here that I found what I was looking for. Why we can rejoice even in the middle of a very trying and all too tragic world.
Listen once again as I read these verses and see if you can see it:
Zeph. 3:14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!
Zeph. 3:15 The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
Zeph. 3:16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zeph. 3:18 “The sorrows for the appointed feasts
I will remove from you;
they are a burden and a reproach to you.
Look with me at verse 17 again:
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
The New Revised Version translates it this way:
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
And the New Jerusalem Bible translates it similarly:
Zeph. 3:17 Yahweh your God is there with you, the Warrior-saviour. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you,
He will renew you in his love.
What is Gaudate Sunday all about? It’s the third Sunday of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western Church.
The Latin Gaude is translated as Rejoice. Rejoice is the first word in our Second Reading from Philippians chapter 4 beginning at verse 4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice; let your gentleness be evident to all, for the Lord is near; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.”
So while Advent is a penitential season like the Season of Lent it it has a time to let down our hair right about the middle of the penitential season. So, in this shorter Advent penitential season we have Gaudate Sunday as a time to rest from the vigilance of self-reflection to just relax and to rejoice.
But rejoice in what?
It’s cold!!!! Cold!!!!! – What have we got to rejoice about for goodness sake?
That’s a very very good question isn’t it?
It’s Christmas time – rejoice in the gifts that are coming in 12 sleeps!
· Rejoice in buying stuff!
· Rejoice in Christmas parties!
· Rejoice in the spirit of gift-giving!
· Heck rejoice that you’ve survived another year!
· Rejoice that you;re vertical and not horizontal!
Rejoice!! Rejoice!! Rejoice!!!
It’s sounds to me just a little too strident! As if someone was trying a little too hard to make us feel good or something . . . don’t you?
Why so much jazz?
We’re living at a time in history when the wealthy nations measure their happiness by the GNP and the number of dollars and cents and their bank accounts.
But most of us are not wealthy and some of us are just one or two or maybe three paychecks away from bankruptcy. For us the shrill cry to “Be happy” seems a little hollow.
Yet here we are a Church and our God is calling us to this! What are we to do with it?
Hmmmmm.
Let me begin with the Second Reading where we get today’s name from – Rejoice – Gaudate – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Why should we rejoice? Because the Lord our God is near to us! Emmanuel – means “God With us!”
Do you sense God’s Presence in your life today?
If you do then clearly there is great reason for rejoicing!
But if you don’t this cry seems empty and somewhat frustrating or irrelevant – “thank you very much!”
Our Gospel reading from the Gospel of Luke talks about John’s exhortation to all of us to be satisfied with what we have, “Be satisfied with your wages . . . “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of His sandal. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire!”
Be satisfied! Be satisfied? Are you crazy, Never ever ever be satisfied! That’s death in a consumer driven economy. The stock market will collapse if we were all satisfied!!!
No no no! There’s so much more that you “should” have – “must” have, to be satisfied!
Now turn with me to our First Reading from the Old Testament Book of Zephaniah chapter 3 beginning at verse 14.
It’s here that I found what I was looking for. Why we can rejoice even in the middle of a very trying and all too tragic world.
Listen once again as I read these verses and see if you can see it:
Zeph. 3:14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!
Zeph. 3:15 The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
Zeph. 3:16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zeph. 3:18 “The sorrows for the appointed feasts
I will remove from you;
they are a burden and a reproach to you.
Look with me at verse 17 again:
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
The New Revised Version translates it this way:
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
And the New Jerusalem Bible translates it similarly:
Zeph. 3:17 Yahweh your God is there with you, the Warrior-saviour. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you,
He will renew you in his love.
Ah! The key word here is: charash. It’s an agricultural term which means to cut in, or to plow.
What Zephaniah is saying here is that God will plough you with his love! Turn the soil of your soul over and in so doing to renew it! Like a farmer turns the soil of his farm over to renew it!
Why does a farmer plow his soil?
1. To soften up the soil to make it easier for plant seeds to sprout.
2. And it aerates the soil and in so doing brings any nutrients to the top for the plants to use to grow.
It seems entirely appropriate for a prophet in an agrarian society to use such a vivid image to explain what God wanted to do for His people.
From this analogy it’s clear that God wanted to prepare and nourish the soil of His people’s souls in His love!
It’s God’s love that is the anchor - the very warrant of our joy!
Try to imagine what Zephaniah’s hearers would have envisioned when they heard this.
What they saw was an image of God, the Good Gardiner, reaching down to them and gently turning the soil over and over again in love.
If Zephaniah were writing to us today what analogy or metaphor might He choose to communicate this to us?
As I cast about looking for an image that we could all resonate with can you guess what came to mind?
It is an image that we see every Sunday if we’re looking . . .
It’s the prayer team who labor in love over us each and every Sunday. They pour themselves out IN LOVE!
Last week we held a healing Service and about 30 people came from the neighborhood and they were blessed by our love.
Randi and I joined the team last Wednesday during the Healing Service and as Randi was praying over a number of people she began to weep in love over them. I was profoundly blessed by “her” love or rather God’s love pouring out through her!
That’s what God is saying to each and every one of us this morning – Rejoice in my love – I will renew you in it!
We’re renewed in the presence of love – His infinite – never ending love!
The women who are participating in the HEM Ministry – the Healthy Eating Ministry - are being renewed not only physically but even more so spiritually in each other’s love.
And why is this happening - because God and His renewing love are at the very center of this sisterhood!
It’s obvious to anyone with eyes to see it!
God is promising each of us this morning that He wants to plough His love into the soil of our souls and thereby to renew us!
And as that happens you must plough your love into your wife, your husband, your brother, sister, friend, enemy – yes, love can’t choose to hate, or disdain – love can only love!
A pastor colleague of mine came to me one day with a strange request. He put it this way:
“I have been a pastor at my church now for 19 years and I’ve understood that my ministry was to keep the waters calm.
I did that and quite successfully but the result is that now that I’ve been unable to keep the waves from rising we don’t know how to handle it. I have not taught my people how to love even those who are hard to love – their detractors – their competitors – their political opponents.
He was asking me to help him figure out how to help his people resolve differences between themselves for which they were spiritually ill-equipped to do!
The problem was that I was dealing with an adolescent church family who had never been really challenged to grow up!
Can you see what had happened to this community?
The soil of their souls was hard – it had not been ploughed by God’s love!
It had not been turned over and nourished in an enduring and indomitable kind of love – the love in which God wants to renew and nourish each and every one of us.
He loves us in our good and bad times when we’re not much fun to be around! His love is ever seeking to plough itself into us!
Are there people you’ve chosen not or never to love? If there are such people then it’s time to ask God to help you to forgive them and then to love them with His love.
God wants His love – His hardy earthy love for you because it’s in this love that His creation can and ultimately will flourish!
May I encourage each of us to decide to allow God to plough the earth of our souls this Advent Season to the end that we would become greater and greater lovers.
Amen...
What Zephaniah is saying here is that God will plough you with his love! Turn the soil of your soul over and in so doing to renew it! Like a farmer turns the soil of his farm over to renew it!
Why does a farmer plow his soil?
1. To soften up the soil to make it easier for plant seeds to sprout.
2. And it aerates the soil and in so doing brings any nutrients to the top for the plants to use to grow.
It seems entirely appropriate for a prophet in an agrarian society to use such a vivid image to explain what God wanted to do for His people.
From this analogy it’s clear that God wanted to prepare and nourish the soil of His people’s souls in His love!
It’s God’s love that is the anchor - the very warrant of our joy!
Try to imagine what Zephaniah’s hearers would have envisioned when they heard this.
What they saw was an image of God, the Good Gardiner, reaching down to them and gently turning the soil over and over again in love.
If Zephaniah were writing to us today what analogy or metaphor might He choose to communicate this to us?
As I cast about looking for an image that we could all resonate with can you guess what came to mind?
It is an image that we see every Sunday if we’re looking . . .
It’s the prayer team who labor in love over us each and every Sunday. They pour themselves out IN LOVE!
Last week we held a healing Service and about 30 people came from the neighborhood and they were blessed by our love.
Randi and I joined the team last Wednesday during the Healing Service and as Randi was praying over a number of people she began to weep in love over them. I was profoundly blessed by “her” love or rather God’s love pouring out through her!
That’s what God is saying to each and every one of us this morning – Rejoice in my love – I will renew you in it!
We’re renewed in the presence of love – His infinite – never ending love!
The women who are participating in the HEM Ministry – the Healthy Eating Ministry - are being renewed not only physically but even more so spiritually in each other’s love.
And why is this happening - because God and His renewing love are at the very center of this sisterhood!
It’s obvious to anyone with eyes to see it!
God is promising each of us this morning that He wants to plough His love into the soil of our souls and thereby to renew us!
And as that happens you must plough your love into your wife, your husband, your brother, sister, friend, enemy – yes, love can’t choose to hate, or disdain – love can only love!
A pastor colleague of mine came to me one day with a strange request. He put it this way:
“I have been a pastor at my church now for 19 years and I’ve understood that my ministry was to keep the waters calm.
I did that and quite successfully but the result is that now that I’ve been unable to keep the waves from rising we don’t know how to handle it. I have not taught my people how to love even those who are hard to love – their detractors – their competitors – their political opponents.
He was asking me to help him figure out how to help his people resolve differences between themselves for which they were spiritually ill-equipped to do!
The problem was that I was dealing with an adolescent church family who had never been really challenged to grow up!
Can you see what had happened to this community?
The soil of their souls was hard – it had not been ploughed by God’s love!
It had not been turned over and nourished in an enduring and indomitable kind of love – the love in which God wants to renew and nourish each and every one of us.
He loves us in our good and bad times when we’re not much fun to be around! His love is ever seeking to plough itself into us!
Are there people you’ve chosen not or never to love? If there are such people then it’s time to ask God to help you to forgive them and then to love them with His love.
God wants His love – His hardy earthy love for you because it’s in this love that His creation can and ultimately will flourish!
May I encourage each of us to decide to allow God to plough the earth of our souls this Advent Season to the end that we would become greater and greater lovers.
Amen...
Discipleship Questions for December 13, 09 "God Wants To Renew You In His Love."
Scripture Readings:
First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18
Psalm Reading: Ps 12
Second Reading: Col 3:1-4
Gospel: John 20:1-9
First Reading Zep 3:14-18a
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah
The Lord will rejoice over you with gladness.
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Responsorial Psalm Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
(R.) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
(R.) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
(R.) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
(R.) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
What should we do?
The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.
Discipleship Questions:
1. It’s Gaudate Sunday – Joy Sunday! Do you feel like rejoicing? It’s cold!!!! Cold!!!!! – What have we got to rejoice about for goodness sake?
That’s a very very good question isn’t it?
It’s Christmas time – rejoice in the gifts that are coming in 12 sleeps!
· Rejoice in buying stuff!
· Rejoice in Christmas parties!
· Rejoice in the spirit of gift-giving!
· Heck rejoice that you’ve survived another year!
· Rejoice that you;re vertical and not horizontal!
Rejoice!! Rejoice!! Rejoice!!!
It’s sounds to me just a little too strident! As if someone was trying a little too hard to make us feel good or something . . . don’t you?
So what is the source of your joy right now? Think about it.
2. Please read the following and reflect upon it:
Zeph. 3:14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”
“The sorrows for the appointed feasts
I will remove from you;
they are a burden and a reproach to you.
Look with me at verse 17 again:
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
The New Revised Version translates it this way:
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18
Psalm Reading: Ps 12
Second Reading: Col 3:1-4
Gospel: John 20:1-9
First Reading Zep 3:14-18a
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah
The Lord will rejoice over you with gladness.
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Responsorial Psalm Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
(R.) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
(R.) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
(R.) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
(R.) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Second Reading Phil 4:4-7
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians
The Lord is near.
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Lk 3:10-18
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
What should we do?
The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.
Discipleship Questions:
1. It’s Gaudate Sunday – Joy Sunday! Do you feel like rejoicing? It’s cold!!!! Cold!!!!! – What have we got to rejoice about for goodness sake?
That’s a very very good question isn’t it?
It’s Christmas time – rejoice in the gifts that are coming in 12 sleeps!
· Rejoice in buying stuff!
· Rejoice in Christmas parties!
· Rejoice in the spirit of gift-giving!
· Heck rejoice that you’ve survived another year!
· Rejoice that you;re vertical and not horizontal!
Rejoice!! Rejoice!! Rejoice!!!
It’s sounds to me just a little too strident! As if someone was trying a little too hard to make us feel good or something . . . don’t you?
So what is the source of your joy right now? Think about it.
2. Please read the following and reflect upon it:
Zeph. 3:14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”
“The sorrows for the appointed feasts
I will remove from you;
they are a burden and a reproach to you.
Look with me at verse 17 again:
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
The New Revised Version translates it this way:
Zeph. 3:17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
And the New Jerusalem Bible translates it similarly:
Zeph. 3:17 Yahweh your God is there with you, the Warrior-saviour. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you,
He will renew you in his love. Ah! The key word here is: charash. It’s an agricultural term which means to cut in, or to plow.
What Zephaniah is saying here is that God will plough you with his love! Turn the soil of your soul over and in so doing to renew it! Like a farmer turns the soil of his farm over to renew it!
Why does a farmer plough his soil?
1. To soften up the soil to make it easier for plant seeds to sprout.
2. And it aerates the soil and in so doing brings any nutrients to the top for the plants to use to grow.
It seems entirely appropriate for a prophet in an agrarian society to use such a vivid image to explain what God wanted to do for His people.
From this analogy it’s clear that God wanted to prepare and nourish the soil of His people’s souls in His love!
It’s God’s love that is the anchor - the very warrant of our joy!
Try to imagine what Zephaniah’s hearers would have envisioned when they heard this.
What they saw was an image of God, the Good Gardiner, reaching down to them and gently turning the soil over and over again in love.
3. God wants to “plough” His love into you. Will you let Him?
Zeph. 3:17 Yahweh your God is there with you, the Warrior-saviour. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you,
He will renew you in his love. Ah! The key word here is: charash. It’s an agricultural term which means to cut in, or to plow.
What Zephaniah is saying here is that God will plough you with his love! Turn the soil of your soul over and in so doing to renew it! Like a farmer turns the soil of his farm over to renew it!
Why does a farmer plough his soil?
1. To soften up the soil to make it easier for plant seeds to sprout.
2. And it aerates the soil and in so doing brings any nutrients to the top for the plants to use to grow.
It seems entirely appropriate for a prophet in an agrarian society to use such a vivid image to explain what God wanted to do for His people.
From this analogy it’s clear that God wanted to prepare and nourish the soil of His people’s souls in His love!
It’s God’s love that is the anchor - the very warrant of our joy!
Try to imagine what Zephaniah’s hearers would have envisioned when they heard this.
What they saw was an image of God, the Good Gardiner, reaching down to them and gently turning the soil over and over again in love.
3. God wants to “plough” His love into you. Will you let Him?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Sermon - November 29, 09 "An Uplifted Heart"
1. Good Morning! It’s the first Sunday of Advent – just 25 sleeps before Christmas Day! - That’s for the kids by the way. Our children measured everything by sleeps to the next exciting event.
Our daughter Hayley is studying Liturgy at Graduate College reminded me that in the ancient Lectionary the first two Sundays of Advent focus on the Second Coming of Christ. The third Sunday focuses on the announcement of John the Baptist who pointed to the coming ministry of Jesus and the fourth Sunday centers on Mary His mother who bore Him and together with her husband Joseph raised him.
And our readings today are true to this ancient form.
The first reading reminded us that:
“The day is coming when the Lord will
fulfill His promises.”
The Second Reading encouraged us to:
“Conduct yourself in a way pleasing to God.”
And the Gospel reading challenged us unequivocally to:
“Be ready for the Second Coming of our Lord.”
And our Psalm Response gave me the key theme for this morning’s reflection. Do you remember our response?
“To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.”
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul! This is “Advent Readiness” – My soul is ever lifted to you!!!
Have you ever watched a hound dog on the hunt? Heck all I have to do is watch “Giggs” Lucas and Emily’s black poodle to see the intensity of the hunt in every fiber of his pitch black compact body.
He becomes rigid with expectation. He’s like a compressed spring ready to release with violent action!
If you’ve been to our home you know there are a lot of windows and Giggs spends most of his time when he’s not scavenging some scraps from the floor or playing with either Lucas or myself, at the window with his nose pressed hard against it misting up the cold window with his breath intensely watching for squirrels. He’s endlessly on the hunt at our home – there are squirrels everywhere!
Have you ever see a hound dog on the hunt?
His posture is alert – never letting up! He may appear placid and playful but let any sound of the hunted be heard and his whole body becomes rigid – alert watching waiting for another signal and when that comes his coiled muscles explode in earnest pursuit of his quarry!
This is what you and I are being called to today – the readiness that only comes with eager, earnest and even breathless expectation!
It’s that focus that the true hunter seems to exhibit.
The Holy Spirit is reminding us through these readings that the most perfect stance for the Christian is that of a HUNTER!
But we’re not hunting to kill! No – not to kill but to Acclaim! To Proclaim! To Announce! To Worship!
The Season of Advent is about remembering what we’re really waiting for and to renew our vigilance – our intensity in this vigilance and it’s also a time to confess our:
· slackness,
· our forgetfulness,
· our thoughtlessness and ultimately
· our unpreparedness not only for Christ’s Second Coming but His ever Present Coming in our lives here and now!
Let me give you a parable which I’ve given you before but it’s timely today to resurrect:
There was a great King who had two young sons who were lovers of play and pleasure and the time had come for them to learn how to be a warrior and thereby a worthy heir to the great kings kingdom.
The King called his wise counselor to his chambers and ordered him to teach his two young princes how to become great warriors.
The old seer took the princes out beyond the castle walls with the promise that he was going to teach them how to hunt.
The rode for a few minutes until the Seer saw a bird perched in a tree. He called the princes to a halt and as they dismounted he drew their attention to the solitary bird in the tree.
He invited the first prince to take his bow and string it with an arrow and to aim at that bid but not to release his bolt.
When the first prince was ready the Seer asked him very quietly – what do you see young prince? Do you see the bird?”
“Yes Master” he responded.
“Do you see the arrow?”
“Yes master.”
“Do you see the bow?”
“Yes master.”
“Good, do you see me?”
The young Prince glanced ever so slightly towards his master and answered, “Yes master.”
To which the Master responded in disgust, “Put down the bow!”
The Master then turned to the second young Prince and asked him to pick up his bow and to string it with an arrow and to aim it at the bird in the tree.
The Prince did as he was told and when he was ready the Master asked him:
Do you see the bird?”
“Yes Master” he responded.
“Do you see the arrow?”
“Yes master.”
“Do you see the bow?”
“Yes master.”
“Good, do you see me?”
Ever so slightly the prince glanced towards his Master and responded ever so quietly: “Yes Master.”
To which the Master responded in disgust, “Put down the bow!”
At time the sound of singing was heard. All looked towards the sound – it was the renowned hunter of the Kingdom. The Master smiled and raising his voice called out to the young hunter to come over to them.
The hunter obeyed and when he was closeby the Master ordered him to show these two Princes how to hunt.
It went like this:
“Young hunter do you see the bird?”
There was no response from the hunter. Nothing about him moved!
The Master continued, “Do you see the arrow?”
Again no response and he saw not a single movement from the young hunter.
For the third time the Master asked, “Do you see the bow?”
Again no response!
And finally the Master asked, “Young hunter, do you see me?”
No response. The Master then gently demanded him to respond and very faintly as if carried on the wind was hear this response – “Master, all I can see is the tip of the arrow and the eye of the sparrow!”
That intense alertness, watchfulness, preparedness and vigilance is what is required of a true disciple of the King of King and the Lord of Lord – Jesus Christ!
Today – all of us in this sanctuary are the young princes and our Lord is reminding us of what it takes to be truly great followers of His!
But please - this is a penitential season so it’s entirely appropriate to be GENTLY BLUNT. Let’s not waste time worrying about who we might offend – this is the season for being gently blunt!
Look at us – look at me – look at you. Let’s take a moment to look at ourselves:
· Look at how busy,
· How distracted,
· How tired,
· How worn out,
· How hassled,
· frustrated,
· paranoid,
· frightened,
· and sometime even defeated
. . . many of us are!
How does this picture compare with the watchful, vigilant hunter!
Is this what Jesus meant for us when He said:
Luke 21:34-36 “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping and endless entertainment. Otherwise, that Day – when Christ will return - is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, 35 for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, all at once. 36 So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”
Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s inevitably coming so that you will end up on your feet before the Son of Man not flat on your back – not dead to this present world - but dead to the King and His Coming Kingdom!
Application: So what is Jesus saying to the busy Christmas shopping mother, to the overworked worker? To the underemployed man and women who are working two jobs just to make ends meet with now hope for change in the near future?
What is God saying to those of us who are just able to get it through the day?
Now let me remind us of another Parable but this time it’s a parable from Jesus Himself and it goes like this:
Matt. 6:25 “If you decide for God, living a life of worshipping God, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There’s far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, or clothes you hang on your body. 26 Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
Matt. 6:27 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? 28 All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, 29 but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
Matt. 6:30 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 31 What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. 32 People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. 33 Steep your life in the absolute REALITY OF GOD, Look – pay attention – be watchful – vigilant for God’s workings in your life – God’s wonderful big and little provisions in your life. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
Matt. 6:34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
“So that’s it?” – some of you might be asking. “His answer to our complex and trying lives is to focus on God?@@@@@”
Well that’s nice! Thank you very much and now if you don’t mind I’ll just continue with my fretful and frenetic life because it at least works – what you’re suggesting is “nice” but fundamentally other worldly!
I’m sorry but what you’re talking about just isn’t real!
Mmmmmmmm – isn’t real?
Jesus thought it was and he bet eternity on it!
Jesus told us that story about the lilies of the field! He thought it was real!
But it’s just a story – my life is real – it’s terrifying real!
Yes it is! But to quote Jesus Christ
33 , , ,seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 . . . Don ‘t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Don’t worry about tomorrow but focus upon the eye of the sparrow – now! And look for Jesus alive and well right now – zealously look for Him – and He will be found!
He will be found!
May I leave this image with you! It’s Giggs looking out of our window.
Intent on His quarry!
May we be half as intense as this little poodle. Amen and Amen!
Let’s pray . . .
Discipleship Questions for November 29, 09 "An Uplifted Heart"
Scripture Readings:
First Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm Reading: Ps 25
Second Reading: 1Thess 3:12-4:2
Gospel: Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
First Reading Jer 33:14-16
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
I will raise up for David a just shoot.
The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
In those days, in that time,
I will raise up for David a just shoot ;
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
In those days Judah shall be safe
and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
this is what they shall call her:
“The LORD our justice.”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
(R.) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
and for you I wait all the day.
(R.) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
(R.) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
(R.) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Second Reading 1 Thes 3:12-4:2
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians
May the Lord strengthen your hearts at the coming of our Lord Jesus.
Brothers and sisters:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God
—and as you are conducting yourselves—
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
Gospel Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Your redemption is at hand.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Discipleship Questions:
1. Please read the following and discuss: “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul!” This is “Advent Readiness” – My soul is ever lifted to you!!!
Have you ever watched a hound dog on the hunt? Heck all I have to do is watch “Giggs” Lucas and Emily’s black poodle to see the intensity of the hunt in every fiber of his pitch black compact body.
He becomes rigid with expectation. He’s like a compressed spring ready to release with violent action!
If you’ve been to our home you know there are a lot of windows and Giggs spends most of his time when he’s not scavenging some scraps from the floor or playing with either Lucas or myself, at the window with his nose pressed hard against it misting up the cold window with his breath intensely watching for squirrels. He’s endlessly on the hunt at our home – there are squirrels everywhere!
Have you ever see a hound dog on the hunt?
His posture is alert – never letting up! He may appear placid and playful but let any sound of the hunted be heard and his whole body becomes rigid – alert watching waiting for another signal and when that comes his coiled muscles explode in earnest pursuit of his quarry!
This is what you and I are being called to today – the readiness that only comes with eager, earnest and even breathless expectation!
It’s that focus that the true hunter seems to exhibit.
2. Please read the following and discuss: “The Holy Spirit is reminding us through these readings that the most perfect stance for the Christian is that of a HUNTER!
But we’re not hunting to kill! No – not to kill but to Acclaim! To Proclaim! To Announce! To Worship!
The Season of Advent is about remembering what we’re really waiting for and to renew our vigilance – our intensity in this vigilance and it’s also a time to confess our:
· slackness,
· our forgetfulness,
· our thoughtlessness and ultimately
· our unpreparedness not only for Christ’s Second Coming but His ever Present Coming in our lives here and now!
Let me give you a parable which I’ve given you before but it’s timely today to resurrect:
There was a great King who had two young sons who were lovers of play and pleasure and the time had come for them to learn how to be a warrior and thereby a worthy heir to the great kings kingdom.
The King called his wise counselor to his chambers and ordered him to teach his two young princes how to become great warriors.
The old seer took the princes out beyond the castle walls with the promise that he was going to teach them how to hunt.
The rode for a few minutes until the Seer saw a bird perched in a tree. He called the princes to a halt and as they dismounted he drew their attention to the solitary bird in the tree.
He invited the first prince to take his bow and string it with an arrow and to aim at that bid but not to release his bolt.
When the first prince was ready the Seer asked him very quietly – what do you see young prince? Do you see the bird?”
“Yes Master” he responded.
“Do you see the arrow?”
“Yes master.”
“Do you see the bow?”
“Yes master.”
“Good, do you see me?”
The young Prince glanced ever so slightly towards his master and answered, “Yes master.”
To which the Master responded in disgust, “Put down the bow!”
The Master then turned to the second young Prince and asked him to pick up his bow and to string it with an arrow and to aim it at the bird in the tree.
The Prince did as he was told and when he was ready the Master asked him:
Do you see the bird?”
“Yes Master” he responded.
“Do you see the arrow?”
“Yes master.”
“Do you see the bow?”
“Yes master.”
“Good, do you see me?”
Ever so slightly the prince glanced towards his Master and responded ever so quietly: “Yes Master.”
To which the Master responded in disgust, “Put down the bow!”
At time the sound of singing was heard. All looked towards the sound – it was the renowned hunter of the Kingdom. The Master smiled and raising his voice called out to the young hunter to come over to them.
The hunter obeyed and when he was closeby the Master ordered him to show these two Princes how to hunt.
It went like this:
“Young hunter do you see the bird?”
There was no response from the hunter. Nothing about him moved!
The Master continued, “Do you see the arrow?”
Again no response and he saw not a single movement from the young hunter.
For the third time the Master asked, “Do you see the bow?”
Again no response!
And finally the Master asked, “Young hunter, do you see me?”
No response. The Master then gently demanded him to respond and very faintly as if carried on the wind was hear this response – “Master, all I can see is the tip of the arrow and the eye of the sparrow!”
3. Please read the following and discuss: So what is Jesus saying to the busy Christmas shopping mother, to the overworked worker? To the underemployed man and women who are working two jobs just to make ends meet with now hope for change in the near future?
What is God saying to those of us who are just able to get it through the day?
Now let me remind us of another Parable but this time it’s a parable from Jesus Himself and it goes like this:
Matt. 6:25 “If you decide for God, living a life of worshipping God, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There’s far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, or clothes you hang on your body. 26 Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
Matt. 6:27 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? 28 All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, 29 but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
Matt. 6:30 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 31 What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. 32 People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. 33 Steep your life in the absolute REALITY OF GOD, Look – pay attention – be watchful – vigilant for God’s workings in your life – God’s wonderful big and little provisions in your life. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
Matt. 6:34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
“So that’s it?” – some of you might be asking. “His answer to our complex and trying lives is to focus on God?@@@@@”
Well that’s nice! Thank you very much and now if you don’t mind I’ll just continue with my fretful and frenetic life because it at least works – what you’re suggesting is “nice” but fundamentally other worldly!
I’m sorry but what you’re talking about just isn’t real!
Mmmmmmmm – isn’t real?
Jesus thought it was and he bet eternity on it!
Jesus told us that story about the lilies of the field! He thought it was real!
But it’s just a story – my life is real – it’s terrifying real!
Yes it is! But to quote Jesus Christ
33 , , ,seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 . . . Don ‘t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Don’t worry about tomorrow but focus upon the eye of the sparrow – now! And look for Jesus alive and well right now – zealously look for Him – and He will be found!
He will be found!
May I leave this image with you! It’s Giggs looking out of our window.
Intent on His quarry!
May we be half as intense as this little poodle. Amen and Amen!
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