Looking for the Light

          Where’s the light? Where’s the joy? There’s fighting and killing in Syria, Palestine, and Sudan. We’ve not fallen off the “fiscal cliff” but now it looks like there’s a danger that we might hit our heads on a “debt ceiling.” Where’s the light that Isaiah speaks of today? Where are the prophets like Isaiah to share the Good News with us?

          Where’s the reverence and joy of the magi when they first set their eyes on Jesus?

          The psalm today spoke of a king, a leader, whose focus was on justice and doing things right for the needy and the afflicted. Where are those leaders today? Where’s the light and joy?

          I know…none of this sounds very “spirit-lifting” does it? Winter has a way of doing that to us. There’s not enough light. There’s too many hours of darkness…and cold. And then there’s the news, not much joy or light there either. It’s all so depressing.

          And to top it all off so many folks have had their holidays disrupted with colds, flu, and a myriad of other ailments. Not much light and joy there either. How can there be light and joy when everything hurts?

          So, friends, can you help me out? Where’s the light? Where can we go to find the joy? Is there any help for us?

          Maybe that’s why we need to hear the words of Isaiah.

60 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
² See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
³ Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

⁴ “Lift up your eyes and look about you:

          There was darkness then but the prophet speaks of hope, speaks with a certainty that God’s glory will rise upon them, and us, even though the darkness covers the world now. God, our Lord, will bring light into the world.

          This light came into the world once and dwelled among us for a time. Our hope is that the Lord will return and again bring light into the world.

          In the meantime where do we find the light? Where do we find the joy that so many of us are looking for?

          Did you hear Paul’s words for us today? Listen to them again. “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,¹¹ according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

          It’s the church’s responsibility to bring the Message of the Good News to the world. I guess that means that you and I are to be the prophets who tell others about the light that is coming again to drive back the darkness that’s invaded our world.

          Some of us might be asking, “How are we to do this when we struggle ourselves to see the light or feel joy?” Friends, God has given each one of us grace-filled gifts that enable us to share the Good News. As Paul said it’s… “by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.” That power is available for you and me to access.

          God’s grace through the working of his Holy Spirit will help us see the light and bring his joy into this dark, bleak world with its cliffs and ceilings.

          So, the answer to the question where’s the light, where’s the joy, is that it’s right inside us. We each have the power to bring a little bit of light and joy into someone else’s life through the power of God’s Holy Spirit working in us. We just need to work together, holding each other up in prayer every day, coming together to worship and going into the world with God’s love and grace, trusting in God to be right there beside us as we do this work.

          Thanks be to God for his light-filled grace. Amen.

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

For, Behold, the Day Cometh

I didn't write a sermon for last Sunday, which felt a little strange to me. Instead I presented the story from Walter Wangerin, Jr.'s book, "The Manger Is Empty."  I pulled up a chair and made myself comfortable and proceeded to relate the story of Christ's coming again as told by Mr. Wangerin. The service went 20 minutes over but, to my surprise, no one got up and left.

The reason I chose this story, this is a God thing, is that earlier a church member had left me a book, "My Time in Heaven" by Richard Sigmund. It's about his experience of dying and coming back. You know it's all about his remembrances of heaven, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, angels, and friends and acquaintances who've gone on ahead. And so, I shared this story about Christ coming again, and the anticipation of a close friend, Jesus, coming just for us.

Isn't that what Advent is all about? Isn't it a reminder for us of what we are waiting, hoping, and anticipating will happen...maybe in our lifetime.

So, if you can find it, this book is a good read for us in the season of Advent.

May God's grace, peace, and joy fill you with anticipation this Advent season.

Trust

          Beginning at the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, the Man and the Woman trusted in God to take care of their needs…until they destroyed that trust.

          Even when they had to make their own way in the land where God sent them, they still trusted God to care and provide for them. They lived on the land. They worked the ground, planted seeds, raised animals for meat, and talked with God, trusting that he would be there whenever they called.

          The pattern had been set though that Man would continue to forget the Covenant and would break it, always looking for the greener pastures or the easy way, breaking the trust that was so necessary.

          Our ancestors, our sisters and brothers descended from the original Man and Woman, broke the trust established between God and them.  It would be mended or patched up. God told them He would forget, not remember their past transgressions. He kept His promise; they didn’t.

          As we read and hear the stories in the Old Testament we see where God, our Father, would start all over with a new leader, a new judge, a new king, or a new prophet.  He would wipe the slate clean. He would erase the memory of their sins against Him and begin anew. He would ask them to trust Him…and they would…for a while.

          That’s why God confused the language of the people at Babel. That’s why there was the Flood. That’s why Joseph, Jacob’s son, was sent to Egypt. That’s why the Israelites wandered so long in the wilderness. That’s why Jerusalem was destroyed along with the temple. The covenant was broken. They couldn’t believe that God would do everything He said He’d do for them.

          They looked at their neighbors, who worshiped other gods, and saw that they had better things than they did…or at least they thought so…so they would set up shrines and worship their gods.  They didn’t trust God.

          There was always that remnant that didn’t lose their faith. Sometimes it was a very small remnant, like the family of Noah or Hannah or Abraham or Joseph or Moses or Samuel or Elijah or Elisha or Isaiah or Jeremiah or…Mary the mother of Jesus or Elizabeth the mother of John.

          Everywhere we look we can find the element of trust somewhere in the story. God is love but we must “trust” that He really loves us.

          You see, we can’t believe that He could love us the way we are because we know how many times we’ve broken the covenant.  We know our evil, lustful, not so nice thoughts and actions. We hide them from others but we can’t hide them from God.

          And yet…he forgets our past and current mistakes and transgressions. He calls us back to Him and all he asks is that we trust Him…to forgive and forget and love us.

          Hannah trusted God to hear her prayers, especially after Eli told her he was sure God would answer her prayers.  Our reading from Hebrews encourages us to trust the new priest, Jesus the Christ. Jesus tells us in Mark’s lesson that we shouldn’t trust the signs around us or in our own ingenuity but trust His word when he says he’s coming back… and it’ll get worse before His arrival. This is nothing.

          Trust is the key word to remember and carry with us this week.  We aren’t to place our trust in our own talents but lean entirely upon Jesus, the One who lived and died and rose again to show us we could trust in God’s plan for the world.

          Have faith my friends. God loves you and will provide all you need as long as you believe.

          Thanks be to God for his trustworthy grace. Amen.

Risk All

Congregations all over the world are struggling to make ends meet. People in India are living in places we can’t even imagine. The people in Afghanistan and Iraq and Sudan and Syria are living in fear for their lives because they never know whether tomorrow might be their last. Christians living in nations where they are the minority worship in secret because it’s against the law in their nation to be a Christian.

          Yet, every day these folks risk everything they have to survive. And in some of these places there are folks who give the little they have to help their neighbors.

          So, I’ve been thinking. What do we risk? Did any of us wake up this morning wondering if a car bomber was going to be parked outside the church? Did any of us wake up this morning wondering if there was enough flour in the cupboard to make something to eat? Did any of us wake up this morning and count our pennies and decide that we could risk giving them to the church…even though they were all we had?  What chances do we take?

          We may drive too fast. We probably eat a few too many sweets or drink too many cups of coffee. We may choose not to exercise. But that’s not what I’m getting at today.

          Jesus took a seat in the temple and observed the people putting their offerings into the temple treasury.  Those who were wealthy were putting substantial chunks of change.  Then he called his disciples over because he’d noticed a widow coming in with her offering.  She dropped two small coins in the treasury.

          And Jesus said that she had given more than all the others put together.  What the others had put in they’d never miss but what she gave was all she had. She risked it all trusting in God.

          I don’t believe Jesus was saying that folks should give all but he was pointing out the kind of trust this widow had compared to those wealthy tithers who gave what they’d never miss.

          The prophet Malachi spoke God’s words to the people of his community. He spoke of how the priests were mistreating His people and how the people weren’t remaining faithful to their spouses and each other…and God.

          In chapter 3 he speaks of sending a messenger to prepare the way before Him. The people hadn’t been living as God had instructed them. They had reverted back to sorcery and idols, swearing falsely and cheating, and oppressing the laborers who worked for them by not paying them a fair wage.  They weren’t caring for the aliens in their country…and they didn’t fear the Lord.  God wasn’t happy.

          But God hadn’t changed. He still loved them. He desired them to return to Him. But how could they return when they’d been robbing God? They questioned how they were robbing God and he replied, “In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for robbing me—the whole nation of you!”

          Now you’d think that God would have had enough. That he’d want children who loved him and cared to be with him and wouldn’t cheat him. But no, He said, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test…see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”

          God was asking them to risk giving their tithe and then trust Him to bless them. Even though they’d neglected their offerings for so long God didn’t reject them he was willing to take them all back if they’d come back to him.

          So…when we hear God saying, “You have spoken harsh words against me,” do we wonder when and how we could have done that? God’s reply is the same today as it was in Malachi’s day. When we say it is vain to serve God. What do we profit by keeping his commands…Now we count the arrogant happy; evildoers not only prosper, but when they put God to the test they escape. We risk nothing. It’s all about us.

          There is a day coming says the Lord when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes will burn them up.  But…for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

          Now, we might think that all of this was just for those folks back in the day but I believe God is speaking to you and me. He sees what we give. He knows what we’re thinking and saying…and his heart is breaking.

          There are hungry people in the world. There are children starving in the world. But they don’t need to. They could be fed. There is enough food in the world relieve the hunger and the starvation.  All it takes is for God’s children to give.  All it takes is for us to give our tithe.

          There’s not one of us here today who’d starve or miss a payment by giving our tithe…not one.  I say that because God isn’t asking us to risk what the widow did. He just wants us to remember the commandments to love him with all we are and to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. 

          What would the impact be if we committed to doing that? What kind of change would take place if we brought our tithe into God’s storehouse? I wonder.

          Friends, I believe God is reminding us of our duty to Him and our neighbors.  And we know who our neighbors are, don’t we?

            Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.