Clothes

          What kind of clothes do we put on when we’re getting ready to go out to a party on New Year’s Eve? It kind of depends on what type of party it is, I guess. If it’s fancy then we might wear fancy clothes, but if it’s not then we would wear more casual clothes. Sometimes the clothes we put on have labels on them…or letters.

          I haven’t seen anyone with labels that said… “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”      Now wouldn’t that be something. 

          Paul told the people of Colossae that they should clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” I don’t think he meant that to actually put on clothes that said these words or to put on clothes that would give them these traits. But wouldn’t that be something if someone created clothes that would do that?

          Did any of you have a grandma or an aunt who made hand sewn clothes and gave them to you at Christmas? You know what I’m talking about, shirts, pajamas, mittens, hats, and scarves, all handmade.  Do you still have any of those clothes? Like me you’ve probably outgrown them. Some of their creations we didn’t want to wear because, just to be honest, weren’t in style anymore. So, we only put them on if we knew they were going to come and visit.

          They may have been created with the traits Paul talks about, but did they make any of us more compassionate or kind or humble or gentle or patient? That’s too bad isn’t it? The world today could sure use some of all of these things.

          Instead of putting on clothes that would give us one or more of these attitudes what do you think Paul meant? What was the Message Jesus brought with him when he came to live with us?

          Wasn’t his message that we should live these things in our heart and not to make it some kind of fashion statement? And once we kind of had it down we are or should teach it to others so that they could do the same. 

          Which is kind of like saying everything we do and/or say is all about God…and that kind of helps to bring about the change in others as well as ourselves.

          Don’t you wonder sometimes why we don’t seem to understand this? Or why we seem to forget this?  Don’t you wonder if we’ll ever get it right?

          God knows what he’s doing and we have to trust that he knows what’s best for us. If he has given us the job of spreading the Good News by being compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient then that’s what our focus should be. Don’t you think so?

          Thanks be to God for his wonderful, patient grace. Amen.

Prophets

          Zephaniah and John the Baptizer were both prophets. They were called by God to deliver His messages to the people.

          Zephaniah’s concern was that the people weren't living as if it mattered what God required of them. Their lives were focused on the things of the world not on the things of God. Their spiritual lives were in chaos. They were a mess.

          John went into the wilderness to be alone where he could hear God speak to him without being distracted by the world’s desires and needs. It was from the wilderness that God called John to go to the people and preach a message of repentance.  John’s world wasn't much different from Zephaniah’s. People still weren't living as God required. There was still chaos. People were only concerned with themselves, for the most part.

          So, they both went out, Zephaniah and John, among the crowds of people, preaching God’s word as it was given to them by the Spirit. And, as they spoke, people had questions. “What should we do?”

          Imagine that you’re in the crowd listening to Zephaniah or John the Baptizer. You hear people in the crowd asking, “What should we do to prepare?” How do you think John would instruct you and me, or our churches, to prepare for the coming of God’s reign? What do you think God wants us to do? What do you think we should do?

          Every year Advent comes and we hear the stories, the stories of Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, of John and Jesus. Every year we are given the opportunity, again, to reflect on Jesus and the coming of God’s reign. Every year we hear the story of the “voice calling, shouting in the wilderness.” Every year we hear John shout at the brood of vipers and we hear the questions they ask, “What should we do?”  Do we ever stop to think that the Message is for us, and the questions they ask are our questions? What should we do?

          We know, don’t we. We know what God requires of us. We've heard it before from Micah 6:8 “…to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” We've heard those words before.

          Is it because we don’t understand what they mean? Is it because we’re afraid that God might require us to become “poor?”  Or do we believe that we’re doing all these things and we've got all the bases covered?

          What should we do? The answer my friends is the same answer John gave to the people who questioned him. If you have two coats and you know someone doesn't have any then give them your extra.  If you've been charging more than you need for rent or whatever…and you really don’t need all that income…and your renter is always late with their payment…then consider reducing it. Charge only what it’s really worth…only what you need.  And if you’re someone who has authority over others then treat them with respect; don’t abuse them by treating them as if they were like those feral cats in Walnut, as if they had no worth.

          I think that’s how John might answer us today. What do you think? How is God, through John or Zephaniah, speaking to you today? And how will you answer?

          Most of our parents and our Sunday school teachers and our pastors and our kindergarten teachers taught us that we should share. That’s the answer, share.  We all have plenty and we have something we can share with others.

          At the very least we to share. God loves us. It says so in his word. He loves us and he asks us to love others just like he loves us. We are to share that love with them, those others…and you know who they are.

          Listen to this poem written by the Reverend Roddy Hamilton…     

Reflection

‘Let me tell you how I love you,’ goes the song of God, a song that never ends, instead becoming more elaborate as time goes on. The God of love goes to extremes to show us how we are loved beyond measure. God never tires of finding new ways, revealing to us when least expected the height, and depth, and width of love.

And, just when we think we've got the message, we are stunned again by the enormity of such love that pursues us to the ends of the earth, stopping us in our tracks, in our daily grind compelling us to look up and wonder, and be filled with hope and with joy as we bask in God’s love for us.

Roddy Hamilton-Spill the Beans Issue 6

Messengers and Messages

          Messengers. Messages. I am going to ask you, this morning, to reflect on how you receive “messages,” and who has “messages” for us, messages from family, from friends, from your pastor, from our politicians, and…from God. The other side of this may be the content of those “messages.” What’s different in the messages we receive from our friends and family than what we receive from strangers, our pastor…or God?

          Malachi in Hebrew can be literally translated as “my messenger.” Some scholars call Malachi the “Messenger of Jehovah.” Let’s just agree to settle on “messenger.”

          Luke’s gospel about John the Baptist begins by describing him as a “messenger,” a voice shouting, crying out in the wilderness…repent.

          Malachi and John were both prophets with a message from God. Both men were exhorting people to repent, to change, to be cleansed…refined, purified.  People “heard” their messages…many times.

          Today, in this time and place, we’re able to read…and hear the same message, this message to repent, be refined, to be purified. The “Voice” still shouts from the wilderness.

          One difference is that, today, the “message” is delivered through many different medias, books, email, Facebook messages, blogs, newspapers, and orally via the pulpit or podcasts or Youtube.  With all that diversity the “message” still calls us to change, to repent.

          Luke set the context of his “message” within the political environment of his day, Herod, Pilate, Tiberius, and Lysanius. He also included the religious powerbrokers of the day, Annas and Caiaphus.

          The “message” today is also delivered amid politicians who seek to “control” the world. The shouting from the wilderness comes to us from those with influential power in our various denominations as they try to discern what or who should be “in” or “out.” The “Voice” still…calls us to repent, to be refined, to be purified.

          Do we have ears to hear? Or…are they stopped up with wax (dogma or our very own paradigms)? Or can we only hear them if we go to the wilderness, away from the polluting noise of the world?

          Who are the messengers who’re shouting to us from the wilderness? Who are those calling us to repent, to be refined, to be purified? Can we hear their voices? Are we listening? Is the darkness being penetrated by their voices?

          Or…could we be the messengers God is using today?  That’s a scary thought isn’t it? Who’s listening to our voices? Who’s watching how we’re living? Who’s paying attention to our “message?” that can be real scary can’t it?

          There are so many questions and not enough straight answers. Maybe that’s why we need this season of the year to slow down, sit down in the dark, and listen and reflect on what we read and…hear from the “messengers.”

          Listen to one of our contemporary prophets…

Reflection

The past is always brighter

when viewed from the depths

of the present.

Memories take on a rose tinted hue

when they are explored

from the safety of distance.

We have an amazing capacity

to filter out the dross

and capitalize on the glitz,

the ability to find glimmers of gold

in the muck and mud.

And our God is way ahead of us

already sifting,

testing,

cleansing,

scrubbing up the old and tired,

restoring to glory all that’s worth keeping,

bringing joy when least expected,

transforming all the familiar landscapes

with love,

and laughter,

and a baby’s cry.

Settling into the world

and upending everything

making it real

with the pangs of labor,

birthing new life and new hope

in the mess of the world.

Roddy Hamilton-Spill the Beans Issue 6