Jan 17, 2021 Second Sunday of Epiphany

John 1:43-51 (The Message)

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, "Come, follow me." … 45 Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, "We've found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It's Jesus, Joseph's son, the one from Nazareth!" 46 Nathanael said, "Nazareth? You've got to be kidding." But Philip said, "Come, see for yourself." 47 When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body." 48 Nathanael said, "Where did you get that idea? You don't know me." Jesus answered, "One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree." 49 Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus said, "You've become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet! 51 Before this is over you're going to see heaven open and God's angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again.”

Nathanael asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” implying that his expectations were blocked by his preconceived thinking.  Had he stopped with these words and not continued on with Jesus until he heard and came to believe more then he ever expected he would never have said, “Rabbi!  You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!”

He discovered more then he expected, because he was open to more then he dreamed possible.  He was open to God’s surprises!

In my years of ministry I have had many surprises which have opened my eyes, my head, and my heart to believe more then I thought possible when I graduated from the Seminary.

Three surprises which have caused me to “see great things” i never expected are:

1.  Alan Jones in his book “Soul Making, saying in the light of God’s grace, “Christian orthodoxy requires that I believe in the logical possibility of hell (or utter lostness or damnation).  It does not require that I believe that anyone is there.  There is nothing to prevent my hoping that hell is empty.”

God’s love is that powerful and God’s grace goes that far!  Omnipotent love!

  2. Wm Johnston, in “Inner Eye Of  Love”, after clearly identifying his faith in “one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all...(I Tim. 2:5,6).”  Ends up saying “that the Risen Jesus who sits at the right hand of the Father belongs to all (people) and to all religions.  No one religion, even Christianity, can claim to understand ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ.’ (Eph. 3:8)

The Risen Christ belongs to all people and all religions!  Inclusive love!

       3.  Mother Teresa, in  “Words to Love By”, says of God’s love,   “The same loving hand that has created you has created me.,..We all belong to the same family.  Hindus, Muslims and all peoples are our brothers and sisters.  They too are the children of God.”

Our calling is to Love them all; let God sort them out!  If there is any sorting to be done.

Expect the unexpected indeed!  Live open to surprise, until that day when God meets us “with just one more surprise.”  For God is full of surprise!

“If we don’t expect the unexpected 

we will not see it.”  Jurgen Moltman 

Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, help me to be open to surprise. For you are a God of surprises which go beyond our understanding.  Help me to believe that you are a God of limitless grace and in the end, there is “one more surprise”!  

Mark 1:4-11 (The Message)

 Jan 10, 2020 The Baptism of Our Lord

4 John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins. 5 People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. 6 John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey. 7 As he preached he said, "The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will change your life. 8 I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism - a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit - will change you from the inside out." 9 At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God's Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. 11 Along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."

It all begins with Baptism, this thing called mission and ministry.

It began with Baptism for Jesus, and it begins there for us.

As one theologian put it, baptism is:  “Not only a Rite of Initiation, not only a signal moment in (our) relation to God as a child of God, but it is also a time of becoming a character in the on going story of God’s work in (our) world.”

It is a commissioning more then a christening; a setting aside for special purpose.  An ordination if you please into ministry.  Baptism is for what we can give to life and to others because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ forever.  It is not meant to separate us from others; it is meant to make us more open to being the presence of Christ for  others. 

“Baptism is “…a time of becoming 

a character in the on going story 

of God’s work in our world.”

A joyous time!

Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, help me to walk wet…rejoicing in your gift of Baptism.  Keep me mindful that this means I have to do something which makes a difference in my world.”

Jan 3, 2021 Christmas 2

John 1:1-14

John’s Christmas Gospel is a powerful, penetrating theological statement about the mystery which is Christmas.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth...From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

What ever else we do with these words, we cannot miss the presence of the words  grace and truth at the center of it all.  However we try to understand what John is trying to say, we cannot dodge these two words and their impact on our lives and our living. 

The Word is full of grace, which gives us hope beyond hope.

The Word is full of truth, which challenges us to believe the impossible dream.

And the TRUTH is, God is love.

And the GRACE is, that God’s love is for all.

As we enter a new year - a year which holds the possibility of dramatic changes in how things are, both individually and collectively, let us take these two words with us to guide our actions and to encourage us to live Christmas every day of the year.

For the mystery of Christmas is more than that it happened.  The mystery is that it still happens!  As the Word (Christ) becomes flesh and dwells through us in our world,

our call and challenge is, in the words of the Prophet Micah to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.”

Lets make America not great again but good again.  Maybe even better then it has ever been in “liberty and justice for ALL!” 

Prayer thought for the week:  “ Lord, give me courage to live your Word of truth and grace in all I do, say, and am.  Keep me humble and use me in your Kingdom on earth.

Amen

Dec. 27, 2020 Christmas 1

Luke 2:34,35

34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Jesus came as a sign; a sign of God’s love.  A sign to be spoken for or against.

Many spoke against Jesus in his days - those who loved their religious ritual and formalism more then a living faith.  They didn’t want to lose their importance as religious leaders to one who would make it so easy to be a child of God. The Rich Young Ruler spoke against Jesus; he wanted to buy his way in, not enter through the grace of God. The Pharisee’s spoke against Jesus - they were too proud to live by grace.  

The question we all have to struggle with is   “Do I speak against the sign God has given us?”   

Do I love as I have been loved, even those most difficult to love?

"It is Christmas every time you let God love 

others through you...yes, it is Christmas every 

time you smile at your brother and offer

him your hand."    Mother Teresa

This is the final posting for 2020, a turbulent year indeed!  May I add that it is my prayer that 2021 will begin a coming together in a way which transcends politics and becomes a sign that love will win out in then end.  Jesus love is a sign to be spoken for - even in politics - certainly in human relationships!  It is our calling and our challenge!  

Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, help me to celebrate the mystery and joy of Christmas every day of the year.  Even the dark days, by being a sign of your love for all in all that  I do and say.”

Dec 20, 2020 Advent 4

Luke 1:26--38 (The Message)

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth 27 to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. 28 Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you. 29 She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. 30 But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great, be called 'Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; 33 He will rule Jacob's house forever - no end, ever, to his kingdom." 34 Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man." 35 The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. 36 "And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months' pregnant! 37 Nothing, you see, is impossible with God." 38 And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her. Blessed Among Women

 

Smuggling God Into The World

The extraordinary occurs in the ordinary, the uncommon in the common, the divine in the human.  This is the mystery we celebrate in Christmas.  Where ever love is in human form, something of God is there too, in divine form.  Our task is to “keep our eyes skinned“, open for the miracle which is hidden in the common.

It wasn’t as easy as it looks, believing this promise and living with the mystery.

Consider Mary as Barbara Brown Taylor seeks to capture the moment the angel comes to her.

“If you decide to say No you simply drop your eyes and refuse to look up until you know the angel has left the room and you are alone again.

Then you smooth your hair and go back to your spinning or your reading or whatever it is that is most familiar to you and pretend that nothing has happened...Or you can set your book down and listen to a strange creature’s strange idea.  You can decide to take part in a plan you did not choose, doing things you do not know how to do for reasons you con not entirely understand.  You can take part in a thrilling and dangerous scheme with no script and no guarantees.  You can agree to smuggled God into the world inside your own body.”  (Mothers of God, pp. 150-53 

“And that’s not only how Christmas 

happened. It is also how Christmas 

happens as we ‘smuggle God into 

the world’ in our living”.

Prayer thought for the week:  “ Lord Jesus, you ‘rule the world with truth and grace…and the wonders of your love”.  Give me the courage to smuggle You into my world

through love.”

Dec 13, 2020 Advent 3

John 1:6-8, 24-27 (The Message)

6 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God 7 to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. 8 John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light. …

24 Those sent to question him were from the Pharisee party. 25 Now they had a question of their own: "If you're neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?" 26 John answered, "I only baptize using water. A person you don't recognize has taken his stand in your midst. 27 He comes after me, but he is not in second place to me. I'm not even worthy to hold his coat for him."

“Love came down at Christmas,

love all lovely, love divine;

love was born at Christmas,

star and angles gave the sign.”

And the world did not know him...

And his own people did not recognize him. 

And as strange as it sounds. even among us,  more often then we would like to think, 

he stands as “One whom we do not know.”

He is among us in places we least expect, in people we find it difficult to be civil toward let alone love and in ways we are far from wanting to take as our way on this earth.  For His way is the way of love and that is the hardest thing for us to come to in this world.  We say we know what love is yet we reject it as the way to run our world.

It is too soft, we say; too sentimental, too easy, too forgiving.  It’s a good way to get yourself killed,  And of course, that’s exactly what happened to this Baby who commands so must attention at this time of the year.

     

Without love, as Paul reminds us so emphatically in his hymn to love, no matter what we do or believe, we are nothing!

That’s what makes this season such a powerful time of the year.  This is no casual thing we are celebrating.  This is the cosmic event of all time! 

For Jesus is pure love coming to dwell in a world where hate has its sway and such love is always on the cutting edge of life,  going where we do not want to go and asking us to follow in places we would never go alone.

“Love came down at Christmas… 

Star and Angles gave the sign.”

Prayer thoughts for the week:  

“Lord, help me to keep love at the center of my life, living Christmas every day.

Help me to follow your lead and go where love is needed!”

 

Dec 6, 2020 Advent 2

 Mark 1:1-8  (The Message)

1 The good news of Jesus Christ - the Message! - begins here, 2 following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Watch closely: I'm sending my preacher ahead of you; He'll make the road smooth for you. 3 Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight! 4 John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change (repentance) that leads to forgiveness of sins. 5 People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. 6 John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey. 7 As he preached he said, "The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will change your life. 8 I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism - a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit - will change you from the inside out."

Today we are reminded not to rush headlong into our celebration of Christmas.  To not start the celebrating until we have had time to be still and discover again how deep is God’s love.

We are reminded that we may well need to clean up our own act first, to come to repentance and open ourselves to change, before we can really celebrate Christmas.

Repentance - sounds like pouring cold water on a happy time, but it isn’t.  It is the way to make a happy time happier.  For it opens us to the joy of forgiveness and the joy of Christmas.  God waits for us to come to repentance, so God can love us in a way which makes a real difference in our lives.  So God can soften our hard hearts and make us  more loving, as God is loving.

There is something of Scrooge in all of us.  

We are reminded today to confess this

so we can truly celebrate the mystery 

of Christmas.

Prayer thoughts for the week:

“Lord, help me be open to changing my mind and heart, so your love can

be at work in me and through me.  Keep me from thinking I don't have any 

Scrooge in me, and help me to confess and be forgiven.”