Monday 23 December 2013

A Thought For The Week Of December 23

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) Immanuel. God With Us. It's what Christmas is all about really. It's the sign that God is with us. Not over us, or beyond us, or above us. But actually with us. And even more than that - God is both with us and one of us. Matthew's Gospel takes this verse from Isaiah and applies it to the reality of Jesus - that through his birth, God was coming to us. And Paul speaks of Jesus being born of a woman. It's the same message. Through Jesus, God is both with us and one of us. There are a lot of uncertainties and even a lot of mysteries around the birth of Jesus. None of them perhaps as great as the simple words "the virgin will conceive." I for one don't try to explain that; but because I can't explain it, neither do I simply reject it. I accept it as yet another wonderful part of a story that in one way makes no sense, but in another way makes perfect sense: that God, out of love for what he created, would choose to become a part of that creation. To me, that's the wonder and the mystery and even the majesty of Christmas: that God loves us enough to come to us. Have a great week - and have a blessed and merry Christmas!

December 22 sermon: Keeping Christmas In Perspective

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God - the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for His name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be His holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1-7)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

     How many of you are familiar with the elf on the shelf? (Show of hands.) The Davis household has an elf on the shelf. Our elf is named “Louie.” He appeared in our home I believe three years ago. Apparently every elf has its own little quirks (they're really just like mini-people, after all) and so each elf does things a little differently. Louie makes his appearance in our home generally on the night of the first Sunday in Advent. Then he flies to the North Pole every night until Christmas Eve to report to Santa on who's being naughty and who's being nice. You see, unlike the way some seem to think of him, Santa Claus isn't God. Santa isn't all-knowing. Santa has to be told about things by the elves. The point is that Louie comes back and lands in a different place in the house, so that every morning Hannah is tasked with the responsibility of finding him. She's 9. I suspect that it's all in fun, but she plays along with it. But there are people out there who take this elf on the shelf thing far too seriously and blow it out of all proportion. They don't seem to be able to keep it in perspective. A few days ago I was looking at some posts on a clergy group on Facebook. The elf on the shelf came up. Someone asked if the elf on the shelf was “satanic.” Really. Someone else said that the elf on the shelf would harm their family's faith development. Another comment was that the elf on the shelf would make their family forget the “true” meaning of Christmas. My gosh! An elf on the shelf can do all that? I replied, suggesting that if any of that were the case (if an elf on the shelf could truly harm a family's faith development) then the problems went far deeper than an elf on the shelf! Really. Satanic? Harming faith development? Causing us to forget the true meaning of Christmas? As I suggested in my final post on the thread, “Let's keep this in perspective, people. It's a fake elf, and kids look for it in the morning. It's fun.” But it does occur to me that there do seem to be some Christians who seem to believe that anything that's fun must also be suspect. And they tend to get all the attention, and people base their opinions of Christians on them.

     Oh well. My topic today is “perspective.” Especially perspective as it revolves around Christmas. Christmas is another one of those controversial topics with some Christians. I know a fundamentalist Christian who refuses to celebrate Christmas because, as he says, “I don't see anywhere in the New Testament where it says that Jesus was born on December 25.” Well – he's got me there. December 25 is never mentioned. But on the other hand, the New Testament does mention that Jesus was born – so is it really so offensive to God and faith that we choose a particular day to celebrate his birth? I don't think so. To that fundamentalist acquaintance, I say – “perspective, my friend. It's all about perspective.”

     Paul had Christmas in perspective. You will from time to time run across those who claim that Paul knew nothing of Jesus' birth; implicitly then suggesting that Jesus' birth wasn't at all important to the early church, since Paul's writings are the earliest Christian writings we have. Of course that's not true. I give you Galatians 4:4: “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman ...” It's not much, but it is a reference to Jesus' birth. How much Paul knew, we can't say for sure, but he knew something. But he kept it all in perspective. He understood what was really important, and he states it pretty explicitly in our passage today from Romans: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God - the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” Paul fully understood Jesus' earthly background – he was “born of a woman” and he “was a descendant of David” - but he kept it all in perspective. Not that it wasn't important, but Paul understood what was most important: “who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” Paul understood. As a matter of priority, resurrection comes before birth, because of what resurrection proclaims to the world!

     The importance of Christmas is the idea of incarnation – that God would willingly choose to become a part of that which God has created. The importance of Christmas is “Emmanuel” - God With Us. The importance of Christmas is the message that it sends that we're able to approach God without fear or hesitation; that God is not frightening or intimidating. A few Christmas Eves ago I shared a story that I thought illustrated this pretty well. It was Christmas Eve night, and a man who had no time for either God or church was sitting at home alone, because his family had gone to a Christmas Eve service. The man had no time for a Christmas Eve service, because the whole idea of God becoming human was foolishness to him. A snowstorm began. The wind howled and the snow became fierce and the temperatures plunged. Suddenly, the man heard a crash against his front window. Alarmed, he ran to the door and looked outside, and he saw a flock of small birds, obviously disoriented by the storm, huddled together, struggling to protect themselves against the snow and winds, and obviously not able to survive much longer. The man had a barn, and he thought that if he could just shoo the birds into the barn, they could ride out the storm and they'd be safe. So he went out and tried his best. But the birds were afraid of him. He was so much bigger than they were, and they were overwhelmed by him. They would scatter when he approached and wouldn't let him shoo them to the barn. He tried several times, with no success. Finally, in despair, he fell to his knees and he cried out, “If only I could be a bird, then I could save them.” And suddenly he understood. God became a man, so he could save us, and so that we wouldn't be afraid. “Do not be afraid” - some of the most common words of Jesus, Who was God born as a man, so that we would have no reason to fear God.

     That – to me – explains the meaning of Christmas. But keep it in perspective, is, I think, Paul's message. For Paul, the perspective was always and ultimately the resurrection. Do I plan to preach an Easter sermon on the Sunday before Christmas? No. There will be plenty of time for that come April. But resurrection always keeps things in perspective – even Christmas. Jesus, “through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead ...” Paul doesn't mean that Jesus became “the Son of God” by His resurrection. Jesus was always the Son of God – that's Christmas. But the resurrection declared His power and authority, while the birth revealed God in a weak and vulnerable and completely approachable state. But make no mistake about it – the child born in that weak and vulnerable state is the same one who took everything the mightiest empire in the world at the time could throw at Him and still emerge victorious by defeating even death. And that means that we can be victorious. No matter how weak and vulnerable and frightened we may sometimes feel, we can be victorious – because a baby born in a manger ended up victorious by rising from the dead. That helps us keep Christmas in perspective. Christmas is important - because it's about the coming of God in human flesh. But if Jesus is merely human then He's no more than a good example. If Jesus is also divine then He becomes the very embodiment of love and life itself to us all, and the sign that God understands us in even our darkest moments. And ultimately our hope is found in resurrection - the final sign of who Jesus was. So, even as we wish each other a "Merry Christmas," let's not forget that at heart we are an Easter people, who gather to celebrate the presence not of a baby in a manger, but of the risen and living Christ in our midst and in our lives!

Monday 16 December 2013

A Thought For The Week Of December 16

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." (2 Timothy 2:23) That seems to me to be pretty good advice. I suspect that if we actually sat back and took a close look, we'd discover that most of the things we argue about are less than central to our life and/or our faith. They're tangential issues; things we might get passionate about, but things that aren't really going to make that much difference. At least that's been my observation, considering both the things I've managed to get into arguments about, and the things I've seen others get into arguments about. I'd have to say here that this verse applies even to the church. How many church fights have any of us witnessed over the years?  Probably a lot. And how many of them have really been about issues that are central to the church's purpose? Really - I've seen passionate arguments break out over what colour the sanctuary should be painted! I bring it up this week because I've started to see an annual argument breaking out among some of my social media friends and colleagues - should we sing Christmas carols during Advent, or should we stick to Advent songs? And some people get very passionate about that. And I find myself wondering - does Jesus really care? Really? Jesus - who had never heard of either Advent or Christmas during his own lifetime? It's a secondary, tangential issue that a lot of people get riled up about and that serves as a perfect illustration of church fights that don't really mean anything. I know if you're a liturgical Christian you love the flow of the seasons, and Advent is one of those seasons. I know that some people think that Christmas carols in Advent destroys the idea of "preparation" that's at the heart of Advent. I know all that. But really - think about 2 Timothy 2:23. Some sing Advent songs in church and some sing Christmas carols in church. I'm doing both. Now that we've acknowledged our differences on the matter - maybe we should get down to doing what Jesus would actually want us to do - which I suspect isn't debating which types of songs should be sung during worship! Have a great week!

Sunday 15 December 2013

December 15 sermon: Will People Know Us?

(A video link to this sermon is below.)

When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask Him, “Are You the one who is to come,or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”  (Matthew 11:2-6)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

     That question from John the Baptist – passed to Jesus' through John's own disciples – strikes home with me for some reason. John (Jesus' own cousin according to Luke's Gospel) clearly wasn't convinced about Jesus: who He was, who people were saying He was. Clearly, John thought it was possible that his cousin was the Messiah – as hard as it was for him to believe that. I mean, I have a lot of cousins – none of whom I would take seriously if they claimed to be the Messiah! Nor would they take me seriously if I made the claim! But John was torn. He had his expectations about the Messiah, and Jesus hadn't really been living up to them apparently. But there had been a lot of exciting and dramatic things happening around Jesus ever since He appeared – so, well, maybe. John has never struck me as a shy guy, or a guy reluctant to speak his mind, but in this particular case he was reduced to asking (in what I, at least, think was a rather hesitant and uncertain tone): “should we expect someone else?” It's as if he was saying “Wait a minute. You're it?” Yes – just a tinge of hesitation; maybe a dash of disappointment; certainly a good helping of uncertainty. “Are You the one Who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

     So - what do people say today when they think of the church? “This is it?” Truthfully, people have been asking that for a long time when they think about the church. I've quoted Mahatma Gandhi many times – because his words are so challenging to us and so thought provoking to us – or at least they should be: “I admire you're Christ, but you Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Then there's John Wimber – the founder of Vineyard Christian Ministries. The Vineyard is a sort of hyper-charismatic Christian denomination. I have a lot of differences with the Vineyard in terms of theology, but I know where Wimber was coming from when he started it. He actually began by attending the Church of England when he first came to faith. And after a while he finally went to the priest and asked “Where's the stuff?” “What stuff?” the priest asked. “The Jesus stuff – like in the New Testament.” At least Wimber understood that we're supposed to reflect Jesus, and he understood – like Gandhi – that we often don't do a very good job of that. When John sent his disciples to challenge Jesus about who he was, and to ask “should we be expecting someone else?” Jesus pointed to everything that had been happening in His life and ministry: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” There had been healings, there had been resurrections and there had been proclamations of good news since Jesus appeared on the scene.There had been no rebellion against Rome, which is what many people had been expecting of Messiah, but there had certainly been a lot of signs that this Jesus was something special.

     What of the church? What are the signs that accompany we who claim to be the followers of “the one who is to come”? I'm not sure that our presence is supposed to be demonstrated by exactly the same signs as those that accompanied Jesus. I'm certainly not closed to the possibility of miracles. But I do think that some Christians are too quick to claim miracles – and the fact is that if miracles are as common and happen as easily as they do at a Benny Hinn Miracle Healing Service then – well – they really wouldn't be miracles, would they? A miracle has to be something out of the ordinary; something unexpected; somehting that seems impossible. Too many Christian ministries are too quick to jump on the miracle bandwagon and too reluctant to let their miracles be confirmed. But that's an aside.  I don't deny the possibility of miracles, but I'm not sure that those things (the “stuff” that John Wimber talked about) are necessarily supposed to be the signs that accompany the presence of the church, and that point others to Christ. But I do think that the ministry of Jesus guides us and tells us how we ourselves, as the church, are supposed to proclaim the presence of Jesus and the appearance of Messiah in our midst.

     Jesus healed the sick. “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear ...” is how Jesus defined this part of His work. We, of course, read these words and assume that the reference is only to their physical healing. But I think not. I don't discount that Jesus could do such things. But there was more going on than just physical healing. Jesus was restoring these folks to their place in society. The sick, the disabled, the blind, the lame – they were often outcast in Jesus' day. They were generally reduced to begging at best. They were shown no respect and the thinking was that they were deserving of no dignity. They were looked down upon. As a church, I'm not sure that we can easily heal physical afflictions. Miracles happen, but there are enough sick Christians that we have to understand that they are miracles – and they don't happen as often as we want them to. But we can welcome people who've been cast out into the circle. We can show people respect. We can offer people a sense of dignity. And we can do that no matter who we're talking about. We do that by treating all people – whatever their walk in life, whatever their socioeconomic status, whatever their lifestyle choices might be, whatever their sexual orientation is – with the dignity and respect that all people deserve, simply because they are beloved of God. When we are able to do that, then people will know us!

     Jesus raised the dead. “... the dead are raised ...” He said – offering this as a sign to John the Baptist. The dead don't rise very often. Sometimes the dying get better, but the dead don't get raised very often. There are stories ... rumours ... accounts of such things ... but usually unverified. And should we expect to do that anyway? Or is our calling – our sign to the world – to restore life to those who have chosen for whatever reason not to live it. The church can offer hope to those trapped in behaviours or patterns that suck life away. We can raise the dead in our own way when we reach out to drug addicts or alcoholics – whose very addictions are ways of escaping life – and off them to hope of God; a God whose love can fill whatever hole causes a person to turn to addictions or destructive lifestyles in the first place. When we are able to do that, then people will know us!

     Jesus proclaimed good news to the poor. It wasn't necessarily those living in poverty. It was perhaps the poor in spirit. The point is that Jesus went to those who had the most need. Does the church? Or does the church content itself with those it knows well? With those it knows won't rock the boat too much? With those who have something to offer back to us? What Jesus did for the poor was to offer them practical hope – with not just words but actions. He proclaimed the grace of God and He lived it out by standing with the poor and the oppressed, and giving up status and privilege. The church can do that. The church can stand up and be heard on behalf of the poor and the marginalized and the outcast. The church – in its earliest incarnation according to the Book of Acts – was such a place, where all were treated as equals and there were no distinctions of class or judgments to be made. And people responded to that vision. The church today can proclaim good news by offering the vision of a community (and a world) where all truly are equal – certainly equal in God's eyes, and certainly equal in our eyes – and by welcoming all into our midst. When we are able to do that, then people will know us!

     “... should we expect someone else?” was what John the Baptist asked of Jesus. It might be what many people ask about the church today – especially if they don't see us going about the business of Jesus!


Tuesday 10 December 2013

A Thought For The Week Of December 9

"Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." (Matthew 1:19) Joseph often gets ignored as Christmas approaches. The focus is on Jesus, of course, and also on Mary. Mary gets a significant part of the first two chapters of Luke's Gospel, she appears during Jesus' lifetime, she's at the foot of the cross, and she's a witness to the empty tomb. But Joseph? A few words in the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel, and a couple of mentions of his name in other places. Otherwise, he's often the forgotten one of the Christmas story - there, but not really noticed. Which is a shame. Joseph was a good and compassionate and merciful man. The reference to Joseph deciding to divorce Mary sounds harsh, but it was actually a choice that reflected these qualities. Mary had been found to be pregnant before marriage - and not with Joseph's child! And the story she told? About the Holy Spirit? Difficult to believe. If Joseph married her, he'd potentially be the object of ridicule. And he could have openly condemned her - and the penalty for a woman who became pregnant outside of marriage in those days was not a pleasant one to say the least. But Joseph would do what he had to do quietly - showing those qualities of goodness, compassion and mercy by not exposing her publicly. And, ultimately, he would show great faith - believing what God would reveal to him about the child and acting as human father and protector to both Jesus and Mary. He was a good man, and he was a good example - reminding us that goodness, compassion, mercy and faith should be the characteristics of our lives as well, all through the year. Have a great week.

Monday 2 December 2013

A Thought For The Week Of December 2

"A voice of one calling: In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:3) Yesterday, we put our Christmas tree up. It's a bit of a family tradition that we put it up on the First Sunday of Advent, and leave it up until the Season of Christmas ends on January 6. Sometimes the dates vary a bit - it's not a hard and fast rule after all - but we're usually pretty close. Yesterday, we got it right on. It's all a part of preparing. In this case, we prepare for Christmas, in both its secular and spiritual dimensions. Extra church services on the one hand, and a few parties to attend on the other. And it's all good, and it's all fun, and the season moves quickly on and sometimes overwhelms us with all its busy-ness, which is why we have to keep our eyes on what Christmas is really about - not the parties, and not even the extra church services. No. It's about the birth of a baby - God come to us in human flesh, in the helpless form of an infant. What could be more inviting than our Almighty God who needs nothing coming to us in such a humble and helpless state. As much as the parties and extra church services may overwhelm us, this is what's truly overwhelming: God in love chose to join with us in our condition to share our existence and to experience our lives. This is love - overwhelming enough that perhaps we do need to take some time to prepare for its celebration; to prepare the way for God to encounter us anew. Have a great week!

Sunday 1 December 2013

December 1 sermon: What If We Really Walked In The Light?

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. (Isaiah 2:1-5)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Scott Mission Presentation: Carrol Castle

This year for our Christmas offering, the Worship, Mission and Outreach Committee has decided to make a donation to the Scott Mission, a Christian non-denominational outreach based on Spadina Avenue in downtown Toronto, where it serves the poor, the hungry and the homeless. The mission was started about 70 years ago, as a soup kitchen. There were days when 1000 men lined up to be fed. Today, men, women and children are cared for. The staff and 5000 volunteers are involved with the mission, offering food, shelter, child care and a food bank. They serve without expecting anything in return. This ministry of love cannot continue without donations. For just $4.25, you can provide a mean for one hungry person thia Christmas ... $4.25. You will receive your Christmas offering envelope with your December newsletter, or you can ask an usher for one. I've never been to the Scott Mission, but my son Darren has been there when he was homeless in Toronto! So I am asking you to be generous with your Christmas offering, which will transform lives, through the Scott Mission!

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

     What would it look like if we really walked in the light? It's a question that should challenge people of faith. Christian faith makes large claims and huge promises and offers great hope – but the words we use are meaningless unless we back those words up somehow in a practical way. Isaiah calls people of faith to “walk in the light of the Lord.” The question becomes: what is light? In a spiritual sense, what is light? If we truly “walk in the light of the Lord” that where exactly are we walking and what are we doing while we walk?

     It seemed to me that the introduction to the work of the Scott Mission was appropriate as the beginning of our message time today, and as a part of our kickoff not only to the Season of Advent but to the beginning of a new church year, in which we hopefully commit ourselves anew to doing the work Christ has called us to do. The work of the Scott Mission is light being given to those who are walking in darkness of various kinds, and light is what I want to talk about this morning.

     Light is a common metaphor in the Bible that's used to represent so much. Jesus is called “the light of the world” and He tells us that we are “the light of the world.” The 23rd Psalm tells us that we walk “through the darkest valley” - and since we walk “through” it that presumably means that when we come out the other side we enter light. It was the light of a star that started to draw people from the far corners of the world to Jesus. The shepherds were drawn to the manger by “the glory of the Lord [shining] around them.” All references to light – and what do they stand for?

     Light is hope. It's what takes us out of the uncertainty of the darkness. Light is assurance. It's what helps us out of the paralysis of fear. Light is joy. It's what takes us out of the depths of sorrow. Light is life. It's what rescues us from the grip of death. As we “walk in the light of the Lord,” we discover the meaning of Jesus' words: “Do not be afraid.” Over and over again in the Gospels, Jesus says variations on “do not be afraid.” Our society is, in so many ways, filled with so much fear. The light of Christ is intended to get us through the darkness that fear represents, and as fear disappears from our own lives, we're inspired to not just “walk in the light” but to offer that light to others; to invite those who live in darkness to join us on the journey. In a later passage from Isaiah, the prophet says that “the people walking in darkness will see a great light.” As Christians, we believe that “great light” to be Jesus, and we understand our call to be offering that light in which we walk to the world; to all who walk in darkness.

     The First Sunday of Advent is a time for hope. I wanted to start the message time today with the presentation about the Scott Mission, because it represents a light of hope to a great number of desperate people. A number of years ago, Lynn and I got up at 4:00 on a Saturday morning and traveled 3 hours with a group of about 8 people from Zion United Church in Sundridge to downtown Toronto to volunteer at the Scott Mission. And I saw first hand the impact that the Scott Mission has on lives. It does the work of Christ to the people Christ came to serve. Christ came to demonstrate God's love to those who knew no love. His life was spent constantly reaching out to those who had been cast aside by society, who were condemned to the margins, who were considered unworthy and unclean. And Jesus reached out to them and he loved them. Sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes are mentioned by the Bible as among those that Jesus sat and ate with, showing them love and compassion and deliberately inviting the wrath of the pious religious folk, who considered such people to be beneath them and worthy of nothing but contempt. Today we might add drug addicts and alcoholics and just those who find themselves homeless to that list. The Scott Mission and others like it are examples of not only walking in the light but of being the light to others. It's also a challenge to us to not only walk in the light, but to be the light to others.

     “... let us walk in the light of the Lord” is what the prophet Isaiah told the people of God. We are “the light of the world,” Jesus said.What if we really lived that way? What if we really called people to hope instead of leaving them in the despair that so often seems to grip so many lives. This is what Advent is about – a reminder that even when things seem to be their bleakest, hope reigns and a light shines, and suddenly – Christ appears. As we wait, we walk in the light and we are the light. We are called to bring hope to the hopeless - loving each other, and helping people who need help, and standing up for people who can't stand up for themselves, and giving a voice to people who can't speak for themselves, and proclaiming the salvation of God and the coming of God's grace in Jesus even to those who feel the most helpless and the most unworthy to receive it. That's called “light.” That's what we walk in! That's what we are!