Parties & Gifts

          Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is about the gifts of the Spirit and John’s gospel reading is about a wedding party. Gifts and parties, they kind of go together don’t they.

          Have you ever thought about this journey, this following the Way of Jesus as being a party? Parties are full of fun, good food, laughter and dancing, and stories. Is it possible that we’ve missed something? Is it possible that God’s kingdom here on earth is a party?

          When I was growing up what I heard was that being a Christian, a follower of Jesus, meant that I had to give up doing certain things. Some of those things were fun, like dancing, playing cards, and wedding parties with wine just to name a couple.

          Now I learn that isn’t what Jesus was saying at all. God is love. God loves you and me and our neighbors. God helped Jesus keep a party going by turning water into wine when they ran out because there were more guests than there was wine. God diverted a disaster for the bride’s father by having Mary go to Jesus and telling him it was time. God wanted to help keep the party going.

          Okay, so fast forward to now. Is this party still going on or have we put the lid on the good times? What do you think?

          John wrote his gospel writing about Jesus’ signs. The other gospels call them miracles but John uses the words signs. This turning the water into wine was the first of his signs.

          What did this sign mean, the turning of water into wine? It’s pretty neat being able to turn everyday, ordinary water into the best wine ever produced. Do you think it was just about the wine or is there something else to this?

          Could it be that Jesus was trying, in that different way that he had, to show us that the kingdom of God that had come to earth was like a wedding party? That’s probably not the way Jesus’ ancestors thought about it. Shoot, it’s probably not the way most people today think about the kingdom of God.

          Or…maybe the water was a sign or a symbol of the old way, the Law, and by turning it into premium wine he was showing that with the arrival of the kingdom of God things were going to change for the better. Maybe it meant that the old order was going to change, be made new, be better. Maybe it meant that there’d be less injustice, less oppression, fewer families going without, more…love, premium love. Maybe, what do you think?

          Think about how things changed after Jesus came, performed his signs, died and rose again. Think about the things we can do now that we can’t or couldn’t or wouldn’t do without the gift of Jesus’ Spirit in our lives.

          A party isn’t much of a party without gifts, right? So, with Jesus’ ascension there was, first, the gift of the Holy Spirit and then…the gifts of the Holy Spirit on each person who by faith came to know Jesus.

          Most of us have picked up all the wrapping paper from the Christmas gifts and some of us have birthday gifts yet to unwrap, which makes me wonder, “Have you opened your gifts from the Spirit yet?”

          Oh, you didn’t know you had a gift from the Spirit. Paul tells us we all have gifts from the Spirit, all of us. You didn’t know that? Sure you do.

          If you don’t believe you’ve received a gift from the Spirit maybe you should ask your family or friends what they think your gift is. I’ll bet they can tell you. One thing I know for sure is we all have gifts. Sometimes they’re disguised and not easy for us to identify. They’re there nevertheless.

          So, ask yourselves, “Where’s the party (God’s kingdom) today…and what gifts does God’s Spirit have for me today?” You might wonder how any of us are to know the answers to these questions.

          Friends, God didn’t just talk to the folks we read about in the Bible. He speaks to us today in his word and in our quiet times, in our work, through his Spirit, through our friends and our enemies. If we have ears to hear we can hear his Voice.

          But there might be some of us who are more interested in the party. How are we going to find God’s party? Again, I believe God will lead us to the party. It just might not be the kind of party we’re thinking about.

          It might be a soup kitchen party. It might be a visitation party. It might be a good guys food boxing party. Or…it might be a real party with kids and games and noisemakers and music and dancing and cake and cookies and other goodies. 

          What if we woke up and every day was a party and there were gifts? What would that be like? Do you think it could happen? Do you think that may have been what Jesus’ signs were about?

          Parties and gifts, that’s the Good News, that’s the Gospel message today. Let’s make a real effort this week and in the weeks that follow to find the wedding party and use the gifts we’ve been given by the Spirit.

          Thanks be to God for his amazing grace-filled gifts. Amen.

Words

          Words, they’re so simple yet so very powerful. Think about it. Think of those times when you were inspired to do something you’d never considered possible before. Think about the times when you’ve been hurt to the quick of your soul.

          What gave you that inspiration? What hurt you so bad that you wanted crawl into a corner and die? I’ll wager that it was someone’s word or words that resulted in the inspiration or the hurt. Words have so much power and yet no one has asked for a ban on them or a background check before anyone can use them. No one has to pay for a license before they can use something as simple, yet so powerful, as a word.

          Today’s lessons from the Scriptures are words. Words written by prophets, psalmists; letters written to the churches, the Good News, the Gospel, written for God’s chosen ones, the Jews, written to the others, the Gentiles. Words written by men and women inspired by God. Words that have survived longer than anyone ever imagined they would; words that still inspire people, you and me.

          When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John after the Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove, God spoke…words. “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.” Words…from God.

          These words came to Jesus as he was using words…praying to his Father. What did these words do? What did Jesus do after he was baptized? He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil, tempted by…words.

          The prophet, Isaiah, reminds us that God created Jacob, Israel, you, and me, and everything we see around us. How’d that happen? God spoke… words and there they were.

          How does anyone know what God requires of them? He speaks to them with…words; words that we read and hear from his Scriptures; words that he speaks to us when we’re in our quiet places. He calls to us, he summons us with…words.

          What do we need in order to have life? Food you say? No, “man doesn’t live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (Deut. 8:3).”  What did God ask Moses to have his people do? He told them, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds…teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (Deut. 11:18-20).”

          Words…the psalmist for today tells us that the “voice” of the Lord is powerful, majestic. It thunders and breaks the cedars of Lebanon, sets the desert to shaking. The voice of the Lord strikes with lightning. Words…from God have power.

          Paul, the least of the apostles, used…words…to spread the Good News to the Gentiles in Asia. He used…words…in his epistles, his letters to the churches he helped plant, words…just letters put together to make words, just a sound that comes from our mouths as the air flows over vocal chords and past tongues and through lips…words. 

          Words…so simple, yet so very powerful, especially when spoken by God or with His authority.  John was using words as he prepared the way for the Messiah, Jesus. These words had power that scared people, upset people. Words that ended with John being arrested and thrown into prison. Words…made folks wonder if he was the Promised One.

          He wasn’t. He said someone more powerful was coming after him. Someone he wasn’t fit to kneel and untie his sandals. Someone who also used the power of…words.

          You know who I’m talking about, Jesus. The authorities in power thought by killing him the words would stop and their power would be destroyed. It didn’t.

          The Word’s words survived and are as powerful as ever today. His words are why you’re here this morning.

          Words…are spoken at the baptismal font. Words…are spoken when we celebrate the Eucharist. Just words…but they have so much power. They have the power to transform, to change, to redeem those who hear them or read them.

          Just words…but they have power, especially when the come from the One who really knows the power of the Word. 

          It all began with a word… “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).”

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

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.