Christmas sermon with response

CHRISTMAS SERMON 2022

How exciting!  The day we’ve been waiting for is finally upon us.  No doubt there are plenty of happy children and many happy adults too.  But this day also contains heart ache, suffering and pain – even the very first Christmas was not without its own share of the dark.  However…

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

Mary, was a young woman who said “Yes” to God and then become pregnant by the Holy Spirit, but the man she was engaged to was going to divorce her.  In their culture Joseph could have had her stoned to death for seemingly to have been an adulteress.  I suspect it must have felt like a big dark cloud was looming over her at that time.  However….

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

Joseph was compassionate, but when he had decided to quietly divorce Mary, an Angel confirmed that Mary had been telling the truth about the child in her womb, so he took Mary as his wife.  Still Joseph must have heard the whispers from others who didn’t believe and thought Joseph was taking on an adulteress wife.  They would have made jokes about him and spoken cruelly about the situation.  How clouded in darkness that time must have felt.  However…

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem and there was no room for them there…. No suitable place to stay… and Mary was in labour, about to give birth.  This was a time of darkness and anxiety.

Mary had helped her cousin, Elizabeth, when Elizabeth gave birth.  Now it was Mary’s turn and she was in a town, away from home… she was in nothing more than a stable…  who would help her?  Women were known to die in child birth….  This was a night of fear and darkness.  However…

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

What would a tiny candle mean to you in a black out?  When you’ve spent a long time walking in a dark tunnel or cave and you see a light, what does that feel like?  Faith is like a candle in the dark.  Faith is not always easy and doesn’t mean we don’t have doubts or hard times.  Joseph and Mary had faith that kept them trusting in God’s provision, but I’m sure that there were plenty of times they felt scared, unsure and like they were walking in the dark of mystery and the unknown.   But their faith was like a candle in that dark and we know….

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

The Shepherds in the field were not people of influence.  They were not leaders or even religious leaders.  They cared for the sheep who were mostly to be slaughtered…. Caring, protecting and even loving those whose life was limited.  And they worked in the day and they worked in the night.  While others were in the embrace of loved ones, they were in the fields, exposed to the elements and the dangers of the dark.  But..

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

When it feels like all around you is hopeless and meaningless, how important it is to have someone give you the gift of hope and faith.  Darkness is sometimes deep darkness, where evil and lies are celebrated, justice is thwarted and truth is condemned.  At times we have all experienced this, and our land and our community are subject to this.  Unless we can see Gods light, it seems like the darkness wins and all we can feel is the pain of injustice and the grief of loss.  But Christmas means that….

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

At Christmas we celebrate that 2022 years ago something happened in the history of the world.  A child was born.  When Herod found out, he tried to kill him and the darkness threatened and caused hurt to many.  Herod, like us all, had free will and he chose the darkness.  But…

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Jesus was born and we came to understand that this was no ordinary man, but this was the Son of God…. Christ, The visible expression of our invisible God.  This is the word made flesh… he existed with God when the world came into existence.  He is the one who was, is and will be  - the alpha and omega… Though he is the son, he is named wonderful Mighty God and Everlasting father ….Emmanuel – He is God with us.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

God loved the world so much that he sent his only son to die for us… to give us life.  Life eternal.  The name Jesus means, “God Saves”!.  We live in the light of Christ, but in a world where there is still darkness…. And suffering… and heartache and pain.    Into this darkness Christ wants to bring his light to our world.  The Endless peace that Christ brings is not an earthly peace, but an eternal peace between us and God.  Love broke through and now nothing separates us from the love of God.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

Christ is the light of the world.  Who stepped down into our world of darkness…  He sent His Holy Spirit so that he would always be with us and through us, continue to be the light of the world.  We, like Herod, have free will and can choose the dark or the light.  Will we let Christ shine his love into the dark places in our own life where there is discouragement, disillusionment and heartache?

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

We are the body of Christ.

His Spirit is with us!

This day, let us consciously decide to shine the light of Christ to the world.  We receive the light of Christ for our own healing and then we allow him to shine through us, to light up all the dark places in this world where ever he would have us go.  We simply, like Mary, say “Yes” – let it be to me, according to your will.  God is always knocking… no longer looking for a room at the Inn, but on the door of our hearts.  He calls us to respond to His love.  Will you receive His love and light this day?   And then we will see that…

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

 

We give you an opportunity to mark this occasion with an action.  You are invited, if you’d like, to show your response by lighting a candle.  If you’d like to receive the light of Christ for yourself or a loved one, you are invited to light a candle from the Christmas "Christ" candle.  Our God who became vulnerable to save us, wants to be the light in your life… to bring healing and life.  Most importantly we respond in our heart, but we can also respond by lighting a candle.

We will play a song and while it is playing you are invited to take the candle taper and take light from the Christ candle and light your own candle up on the table.

The light has come.... what will we do with it?

Message for the Midweek CHRISTMAS service.

 

We are in the year 2022.  What that means is that we are approximately 2022 years from the first Christmas.  This is an event that has been celebrated for such a long time.  Its significance means the world.  For God so loved the world that he sent he only son, that all who believe in him might be saved.  This is a gift of grace.  An incredible gift of God’s grace.  Without this gift, where would we be?

 

While John Lennon might ask us to imagine there is no Heaven, claiming a Nirvana without religion, but I suspect that without Heaven and without the influence of the coming of Christ the world would be in a lot more chaos.   it is a fact that many good things in the world exist because of Christianity.  From Wikipedia there is an article about the effect of Christianity on civilization.  It says; “The Bible and Christian theology have also strongly influenced Western philosophers and political activists.[6] The teachings of Jesus, such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan, are among the most important sources of modern notions of human rights and the welfare commonly provided by governments in the West. Long-held Christian teachings on sexuality, marriage, and family life have also been influential and controversial in recent times. Christianity played a role in ending practices such as human sacrifice,[7] infanticide and polygamy.[8]: 309  Christianity in general affected the status of women by condemning marital infidelity, divorce, incest, polygamy, birth control, infanticide (female infants were more likely to be killed), and abortion.[9]: 104 ”  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_of_Christianity_in_civilization#:~:text=Christianity%20played%20a%20role%20in,be%20killed)%2C%20and%20abortion.

 

The Bible tells us that all had gone astray.  None could save themselves.  I am sure there were some pretty good folk throughout all time - Just as there are now.  Yet the Bible also tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.  All of us need a saviour.  To sin, simply means to fall short of perfection… we all fall short.  It is a condition common to all humanity, and we could all feel rather concerned about eternity, except for one thing – Christmas!  God himself came to be born as one of us. 

 

There may be many religions in the world, but there is none like this.  It is an historical fact that Jesus lived.  He is written about by non-Christian historians, as a man who performed wonders and was crucified.   Our faith is more than a belief.  There are some elements that are undeniable facts. 

 

Jesus declared himself to be God.  That is why the authorities were able to crucify him and feel justified – they believed he was blaspheming.  They didn’t understand their own sacred scriptures.  They knew that a Messiah was coming, but didn’t understand his nature… however, listen to this from Isaiah: “ For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

This child that was prophesied about is named Mighty God and Everlasting Father.   How can the Child be named this unless his nature is divine?  Jesus is the Word of God…  the visible expression of God – the word made flesh.  This birth that we celebrate is the incarnation.  It is just too amazing to fully comprehend.

 

What’s more amazing is that all this happened because of God’s great love for us.  God proved his love for us by becoming one of us and dying to save us.  He defeated death by rising from the dead, and when we belong to Christ, we are assured that this same power through which Christ rose from the dead is with us.  We are assured of eternal life because Christ still lives.

 

Isaiah also tells us; “His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.”  This endless peace is not an earthly peace…. We misunderstand the scriptures if we think this.  The peace that is spoken of and promised as endless, is the peace between us and God.  There is assurance that God accepts us…. Endless peace between us and God because of Jesus and no matter what we do.

 

But what is our response to this absolutely incredible reality? 

 

There were shepherds in a field.  They were watching their sheep.  An Angel suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord was all around.  The Angel declared to them the Good News that the Messiah was born.  It was a message of great joy for all the people and it came, not to kings and dignitaries, but to the shepherds. 

 

These were ordinary people who experienced something extraordinary.   They discussed it among themselves to begin with and then these ordinary shepherds responded to the Good News.  They went off in search for the baby and found him.

 

Once the shepherds found the baby Jesus, they didn’t stop responding to the Good News.  They continued to respond by telling all they had heard and seen to others, and all those they told were also amazed.

 

We have received the Good News also, but how do we respond? 

 

Our scripture reading from Isaiah tells us; “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.” 

 

Our lives in 2022 are not all sunshine and rainbows.  There are certainly areas of darkness that need the light of Christ.  Will we allow that light to shine through us today?  After all… we are the body of Christ and his Spirit is with us….  The word “Angel” literally means, “Messenger of God”.  Today we can be the Angel bringing tidings of Good News and bringing the light of Christ to world that is silently crying out for a saviour….  A world in darkness, longing for the light. 

 

Receive the Light of Christ, may he shine within our hearts.  May Christ himself, so fill us with His light, that we go forth into the world he loves and bring His light to others.

Waiting - Reflecting on Advent 4A 18th December 2022

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT   Year A   December 18, 2022

·       Isaiah 7:10-16  • Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19  • Romans 1:1-7  •  Matthew 1:18-25

We are celebrating our fourth week in Advent… a time of waiting.  We wait for Christmas.  We remember the time the world was waiting for salvation.  We reflect on how we wait now for the second coming of Christ.  More importantly, in so many ways, there are people today waiting and crying out for Christ to come and save them from physical and emotional struggles – maybe that person is you.  No doubt, those in Ukraine are waiting also… for the world to change.

Ahaz, mentioned in our first reading, was the King of Judah and he was not a king who was inclined to believe the prophet Isaiah.  But at that time, the kingdom of Judah was waiting to be saved from two armies.  When Isaiah tells Ahaz that God wants him to ask for a sign, he replies with a rather pious sounding statement that he won’t put God to the test.

 

How is this like us? What might we say if someone, claiming to be God’s prophet came to us and asked the same thing?  And why might we answer the same way?  What would be our thoughts behind our saying, “no I don’t need a sign – I won’t put God to the test”? 

 

We are in the 4^th week in Advent and we are the people of God.  King Ahaz was leader of Judah, the chosen nation of God.  We believe in God.  That is why we are here.  But what do we believe about God?

 

You see, things were not going well for the people of Judah and there were armies coming against them.  What do we believe, and what is our faith, when we are under pressure?  King Ahaz was under pressure.  He saw the physical reality and couldn’t believe that God would save them.  Isaiah had come to tell him that God was there to save him and, as proof, was prepared to give him a sign…. Whatever it would take to encourage Ahaz to have faith. 

 

God still does this.  He wants us to have a relationship with him, such that we have faith in him.   God goes above and beyond to try and get our attention and, in the case of Ahaz, God was prepared to let Ahaz name the sign.  But in the absence of Ahaz’s cooperation, God himself choses the sign, “Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.”

 

Judah was saved, as God was true to his word, but what of the prophecy, “For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”  ?

 

It is obvious that this was a prophecy for the near future, but also, we know because of Matthew’s Gospel, that it was prophecy about the coming Messiah.

This is yet another example of the wonderful way that prophecy works, and a little glimpse into the ways of God.  Prophecy generally has a number of fulfillments.  One for the time of the prophets, one in the time of the Messiah and one for the time of Jesus second coming.

 

According to my research it is believed that the first fulfillment happened when a young woman in the royal household conceived a son, and unknowingly named him “Immanuel.”   Immanuel meaning, “God with us”.

 

In the book of Revelation, which largely deals with Jesus’ second coming, with language that is full of allegory, it speaks of a woman giving birth.  We suspect that this is indicating the nation Israel who gives birth to the Christian church.  But a multitude of that book, being shrouded in imagery, it is pretty obviously not meant to be clear.  It is a book for the church to be encouraged, and to know that God has a plan which will be revealed when the time is right.  My thoughts are that the biggest mistake we can make with the book of Revelation, is to put a definitive interpretation on it and close our minds to what God might wish to reveal to us through waiting on him for the answers.

 

The most incredible fulfillment of this Isaiah prophecy, is that which we celebrate each Christmas, which happened at the birth of Jesus.  Matthew appears to change one word in the prophecy, “young woman” becomes “virgin”.  The difference is actually only that one is in Hebrew and the other in Greek.  But Matthew is very clear about what the prophecy says and means, and make no mistake, this is a miraculous conception and a sign that can only mean one thing; God is with us.

 

Saint Luke’s account of this same story, just prior to Christmas, focuses on what is happening in the life of Mary.  Saint Luke was a learned man, a physician writing to a Gentile audience, but Matthew is writing for, and concerned with the Jewish perspective.  Saint Matthew follows the genealogy of Joseph and traces him clearly back to King David and then to Abraham.  This is important as it also establishes Jesus as the fulfilment of the prophecies that the Messiah would be the “Lion of Judah”. 

From Joseph’s perspective, he was engaged to a woman who was found to be “with child”…. He knew he was not the father.  I’m guessing that Mary told him the nature of this pregnancy, but well…. What would you think if you were in his shoes?

 

The challenge of this week, is the challenge to believe God.

 

King Ahaz didn’t want a sign, not because he was pious, but because it might mean he would have to acknowledge God.  Ahaz wasn’t interested in a sign, or anything that God had to say.  Ahaz didn’t believe and didn’t want to believe.  On the other hand, of Joseph we read, “Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.” 

 

What a stressful time this must have been for Mary.  She knew the truth, but the fact is that in their culture she could have been stoned to death for being thought to be an adulteress.  I suspect most modern men would not have been anywhere near as gracious as Joseph.  For most of us, when we believe we have been wronged, we want to expose the guilty person and cause them as much grief as possible.  Consider Joseph….. He felt he’d been wronged, but rather than expose Mary to this shame, he decided he would divorce her quietly.

 

Joseph was a man who could forgo justice for himself for the sake of another.  He was a man who considered all the consequences before he acted and could put aside his needs or wants for the benefit of another – even if that other had hurt him.  His heart was compassionate and courageous, and this was a man that God chose to be the father and protector of His son, Jesus.

 

I suspect Joseph longed for the confirmation that what Mary was telling him was true…. and he needed a sign.  Perhaps he even prayed for one.  Certainly, he received that confirmation, as an Angel appeared to him in a dream and told him the truth…. And the rest is history.

 

Where are we in this Advent story as we journey to celebration of the Nativity?  Are we Ahaz, who belonged to the chosen people, but didn’t really believe in God’s power to save him from the physical circumstances?

 

Are we Joseph?  Genuine people of God, with hearts open to hearing God’s word?  We might find things hard to believe at times, but we want to believe. And sometimes we need to pray for a divine intervention to stop us making the wrong choices.

 

It is important that we deliberately choose to believe God and be open to hearing God’s truth.  Mary was vulnerable to be stoned to death without the intervention of Joseph.  Today, there are many in the world who are vulnerable in many ways.  Maybe their hearts have been stoned to near death by others.  We don’t know what act of spiritual protection God might call us to make for another, but unless we have the compassionate, courageous heart of Joseph and a desire and willingness to hear from God and act, there are precious ones who may be lost. 

 

The sign that we are called, chosen and loved by God is this; “The virgin will be with child…”  God is with us… the name Emmanuel means “God is with us”.  It is no fairy tale, but a reality.  God himself came to be among us, to live as one of us and to die for us and to rise from the dead, promising a life beyond.  By His Holy Spirit He is with us still.  Let us decide this day to believe and to pray for his word to direct our actions so that we can bring his love to this world.  And Christ can be born/ manifest into our community.  For this, the world is waiting……

Reign of Christ - the LORD our righteousness for November 20th 2022

REIGN OF CHRIST - PROPER 29 (34)  Year C  November 20, 2022

Jeremiah 23:1-6 and Luke 1:68-79    •   Colossians 1:11-20  •   Luke 23:33-43

I’ve noticed an add that keeps popping up on my computer lately.  It’s an add for wooden Christmas ornaments.  They are round to resemble a bauble and have the titles or names attributed to Jesus on them.

Today we celebrate one of the titles of Jesus, “Christ the King” for the feast of the reign of Christ.  These various titles, that are ascribed to Jesus, appear throughout the Old Testament and New, and we are introduced to a pertinent one in the reading from Jeremiah 23:5-6.

“The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

 

We know that the righteous branch refers to Jesus, as a descendant of King David, but here is the name by which he will be called, “The LORD is our righteousness”. 

 

Because we are reading this in English, we might miss a couple of things.  The passage, while describing the branch as being of King David, clearly affirms that this is a human of the royal line, but when the passage adds that he will be called, “The Lord our Righteousness”, it clearly uses the sacred word for God Yahweh.  Jesus Christ is fully human and fully God – This name for Jesus, here in the Old Testament clearly names him as God. 

 

In the New Testament reading for today, this “God-ness” of Jesus is clearly stated in a couple of places.  The reading tells us that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, and also, that in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.  In fact, our New Testament reading sounds a little like a creed explaining the nature of Christ.  Through Christ all things were created and in him all things hold together. 

In both the New Testament and in the Old, it is clear that the nature of Christ, the Messiah, was more than merely human.

 

That phrase from Jeremiah, “The LORD (Yaweh) is our righteousness”.  Clearly tells us that this branch who was to come was also God himself.  But what does this name for Christ mean for us?  We often hear terms like this, but do we understand what this term, “the LORD is our righteousness”, means? 

According to the dictionary righteousness means, “the quality of being morally right or justifiable”.   According to the Bible righteousness means acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin.   The Bible also, clearly tells us that no one is righteous before God.  Every single person, no matter how good and how well intentioned, has fallen short of the glory of God.  We have no righteousness before God.  That is the reality.  We needed a saviour and we have one.  His name is Jesus.  He is Yahweh and HE is our righteousness. 

This is the Good News and the message of our faith.  Jesus, through his own righteousness, and then through his sacrifice on the cross for us – and through our baptism, which is our conscious decision to belong to him, imputes to us his own righteousness.  This is how we can claim to be saved.  This is how we can claim our life is safe and secure as one of the saints in heaven.  Not because of any of our own actions, but because God loved us so much that he sent his son, known as “Yaweh our righteousness”.   What a blessed assurance we have!

 

When we are baptised, we are described as having died with Christ… we are united to him.  We also talk about being clothed in Christ.  In, and of ourselves, we still have no righteousness, but God imputes to us, the righteousness of Christ.  We are said to be made righteous by faith, because of our belief.    When we decide we want to belong to God and we are baptised into Jesus we are agreeing with God that we need a saviour.  God, whose plan was always to save us, is eager to lavish this grace on us and call us righteous because of our union with him.

 

It is because of Jesus’ actions and not our own, and for that reason Jesus could answer to the thief on the cross who asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."   Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

 

We are connected to Christ through our baptism.  Our baptism is our conscious decision to submit our lives to Christ.  The symbols of water couldn’t be used by the thief on the cross.  Other rituals could not take place for the thief on the cross.  But all our rituals are meant to be a way of making it clear to us, that we are connected to Jesus and belong most assuredly to him.  Baptism is the outward sign of an inner reality.  The thief could do none of these outward things, but he asked Jesus to remember him.  It was from the heart.  It was a genuine cry for eternal salvation and it was enough.  The thief acknowledged the reality of his condition and his need for a saviour.

 

We do not know what goes on in the heart of another before Christ.  Some, like the other thief, might scoff, but I think the more likely response for all who are presented with the reality of Jesus and stand in the presence of God, will be like the repentant thief, and will figuratively or literally fall on their knees with a desire to serve Christ the King.

 

There is more that we can explore from this passage.  We note that the royal reign of Christ is one of wisdom, justice and righteousness.  As we enter the Christmas season, we are looking to the second coming of Christ, when this rule of wisdom and justice and righteousness will be clearly seen.  But what about right now?  What does it mean for us now?

 

We belong to Christ and we are his hands and his feet.  The rule of wisdom, Justice and righteousness at this time needs to be shown to the world through the church.  More than this, each of us, through our baptism belongs to God – we are the church.  Each of us needs to allow the wisdom, justice and righteousness of God show through in our own lives.  But how? 

 

The answer lies in the theme of today.  Today is the celebration of the Reign of Christ, or Christ the King. 

In December of 1925 Pope Pius the XI instituted this feast.  This happened nearly 100 years ago.  The explanation from the Pope was to remind people of the supremacy of Christ in the wake of World War One.  In his writings about this feast the Pope points out that the chief causes of the “manifold evils in the world” were that the majority of people had “thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives,” both in private and political affairs. While Christ is to rule over the hearts, minds and wills of individuals, Pope Pius reminds us that as long as states refuse to submit to the sovereignty of Christ, “there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations.”  (https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/a-closer-look-christ-the-king-of-individuals-nations-of-time-eternity/60199) 

 

I find this statement quite amazing considering the trajectory of modern life and where life is at right now with the absolute abandonment of what has been traditionally considered God’s moral law for so many centuries.  Many more people have thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives, both in private and in political affairs.  What hope is there for lasting peace among the nations?

 

There is always hope.  But that hope is only found in Christ.  The world, like each of us, needs to realize a need for Christ and also acknowledge Christ as King.  This is not something that is necessarily going to happen nationally.  In fact, it can’t and shouldn’t happen that way, as it is something that has to happen one heart at a time and it must start right now with you and me.

 

Our lives are vital.  It is vital for the good of each other, the community, the nation and beyond.  It is vital that we understand that Christ is our King.  Wisdom, justice and righteousness comes through Christ via you and I.  We bring this to the world by our submission and dedication to Christ and by continuing to remain connected to the branch – to Christ, allowing his life to flow through us by his Holy Spirit.  It is simply something that we, like the thief, must consciously acknowledge - our need of a saviour and acknowledge the Kingship of Christ.  “Jesus remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”    We are already assured to be with him in his kingdom, but his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven through his Holy Spirit working through us, in our lives.

 

The word “Hosanna”, means, “God save us”.  It is a cry for help that became a term of praise.  Why?  Because God DOES save us.  “Jesus remember me, when you come into your Kingdom”, should also be for us, a phrase of praise.  God is our righteousness – He imputes to us all his goodness before the father.

 

We live in the reality, that in and of ourselves, we may tend to give in to temptations… we do fall, often.  But we walk in a spiritual reality where we are unconditionally accepted by God because Jesus is The LORD (Yaweh) our righteousness.  This is the Good News we need to offer the world.  Then, one heart at a time, the reign of Christ is manifest.  It begins with you and I consciously, each day saying, “Jesus Christ, you are the Lord and King of my life.  I live this day for you.”

ALL SAINTs (1st Nov) celebrated on 6th Nov 2022

 

All Saints 2022  - Daniel 7.1-3, 15-18   - Psalm 149 - Ephesians 1.11-23 -  Luke 6.20-31

 

Welcome to the celebration of ALL SAINTS DAY.  What is it that comes to mind for you on this day?  Perhaps it is those who were dramatically martyred like St. Peter, or the first martyr, St. Stephan.  Did you know that 45.5 million of the estimated 70 million Christians who have died for Christ did so in the last century?  That means that, in some places of the world, it is incredibly dangerous to be a Christian.  It is something we don’t really like to think about and the media is strangely quiet about it.

 

For me, being brought up in the Roman Catholic church, I remember the many stories of the many different ancient saints.  I remember having to choose a patron Saint for my confirmation.  For as long as I could remember, I was told by my mother that I should choose Therese… so wanting to be my own person, I chose Louise…. And really can’t tell you why, except that it wasn’t Therese.

 

In more modern times, as I reflect on All Saints Day, and great people of faith, the stand outs for me are, Mother Theresa or Saint Paul.  These had very different ministries and callings, but both gave their life to God and lived and breathed that calling.  For them and for all of those modern saints, they lived the beatitudes that we read in the Gospel today.  However, the beatitudes are written just as much for you and I.  The beatitudes are a promise that there is an inheritance worth more than these trials of earth.

 

Christians who take their faith seriously and live those beatitudes are all around us.  Do you know the story of Rachael Scott?  She was brought up in a Christian family and at the age of 11 in 1993, she chose to make her own commitment to Christ. By April 1998, when she was at Columbine High School, five of her closest friends had distanced themselves from her because of her increasing commitment to her faith. Furthermore, because of her faith, she was occasionally subjected to mockery by several of her peers. Rachel documented this in a letter to a relative a year to the day before her death. The letter included the words: "Now that I have begun to walk my talk, they make fun of me. I don't even know what I have done. I don't even have to say anything, and they turn me away. I have no more personal friends at school. But you know what, it's all worth it."

 

Rachael was observed by her family to be often praying on her knees and one person that she prayed for, was one who would eventually murder her in the killing spree at the Columbine High school.   Speaking about Rachael in the Eulogy, one of her school mates who had been considered an outcast at Columbine High School, stated: "All my life I prayed that someone would love me and make me feel wanted. God sent me an angel," 

 

Rachael was living her life in the reality of the beatitudes, knowing that there was an inheritance in heaven that was worth more than the rejection she faced from former friends.  She continued to reach out in compassion and love to others and pray for those who troubled her.

 

A couple of weeks ago we read the story of the rich man who asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life.  There are two interesting things in that question; Firstly, he asked about what he must do.  He was asking about the action he must take and the reason was so that he could perform some action to be assured eternal life… or earn eternal life.  The word he used in the second part of his question, however, was the word inherit.  And the interesting part about an inheritance, is that how a child inherits the parents’ property, is by simply remaining a part of the family…. They do nothing but remain connected.

 

In looking into the Hebrew and Greek meaning of the word translated as inherit, there is nothing different from our own understanding, except perhaps to emphasise that it is to gain something permanently.  The reason I’m so interested in this word, is that it pops up again in our readings for All Saints Day, in Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  “In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things….”

 

In Christ, we obtain an inheritance.  It is important to note that it is only through the accomplishment of Christ that we obtain this inheritance.  We need to note that it is not through something that we do, but something that Christ has done…. And ONLY Christ could accomplish this.  We also note the permanency of this inheritance in the prophecy of Daniel, where he says, “But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever--forever and ever."  The term “Holy ones” is often translated, “the saints”.  To whom is Daniel referring?  And just who are these “Saints”.

 

Being the celebration of All Saints, we could be thinking that we are celebrating the lives of particular holy people, whose stories should spur us on in our faith.  We may also be misled into thinking that these are the particular holy people who are the only ones who made it with any assurance into heaven.  We might also be misled into thinking that they are those who earnt their place in heaven.  This would be an error in our thinking, and we need to explore what the truth is, to discover the truly Good News that is ours.  The truly Good News which enabled those inspirational people to press on regardless of hardships and persecution.

 

It is true that the Holy ones, or Saints are those who are assured of their inheritance, but it isn’t just the Mother Theresa’s, or Saint Paul’s of the world who belong to this group. 

 

It is also, not our good deeds that ensure our salvation.  It is a common error to think that those good and inspirational people have earnt their place in heaven, but none of us can earn our way into heaven…. Not even Mother Theresa or Saint Paul… just to name a few.

 

We may need to take a moment to let that sink in.  Mother Theresa gave her life to serve the poor.  Saint Paul gave his life to proclaim the Gospel.  Surely these people deserve a place in heaven.  The Bible has many verses to tell us that only the good and perfect will inherit the Kingdom of God… and also tells us that all have fallen short of the glory of God.

 

These inspirational people are SAINTs and they are those who willingly bore hardships because they had a God given understanding of the Kingdom of God and the salvation that is ours through Jesus Christ.

 

Although, at this time we reflect on the inspiration of these people, the group designated as “Saints” is much broader than you might initially imagine.  You and I are even named in this category, as the term “Saints” is actually a term used in the Bible.  In the New Testament it is used, even in the greeting, in the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.   He writes in Romans 1:7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Saint Paul is referring to all believers and followers of Jesus. (NKJV).  The word “Saint” is sometimes translated Holy ones, meaning, “those set apart for God”.  You and I were anointed as one set apart and belonging to God at our Baptism. 

 

You and I are called “holy ones”… set apart, because of our faith in God and Jesus Christ. 

 

In the book of Revelation in the Bible, there are many mysterious prophecies and one talks about the people of God being sealed with a mark such that they are set apart as belonging to God.  We read about this seal here also… perhaps you missed it.   It is in our reading from Ephesians; “In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.”

 

Not only are we promised eternal life through Christ, as an inheritor with him, of the kingdom of God, but we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, ensuring our salvation and assuring us that God has accepted us.  We are also told in this message to the Ephesians, just how it works; it says, “In him, you also, when you had heard the word of truth…. And believed in him – you were marked with the seal.  The prerequisite for being sealed with the Holy Spirit and being an inheritor, is hearing the truth and believing in Jesus Christ.  Have you heard the word of truth and believed in Jesus Christ?  Then you too, are inheritor of this marvellous salvation.  Rest assured you are among the Saints.

 

Hmmm… well… that is the truth, but the problem is that we don’t always feel it, act it or look like it.  We live our life in the physical realm and our focus is on the physical.  Our preoccupation with the physical, more often than not, leaves us blind to the reality of God’s Holy Spirit working in us.  While we live on this earth and in this physical body, there will always be a battle.  The physical reality is that we are fallen beings.  The spiritual reality is that, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our Baptism which units us to him, we are clothed in Christ and we are redeemed beings.  We have his spirit alive in us and God has sealed us with this spirit as his own.

 

Today, as we celebrate All Saints Day, we need to take time out to stop awhile.  Take time out to focus on that spiritual reality.  I believe it is because of a revelation of that spiritual reality that the many amazing Saints, such as Saint Paul and Mother Theresa, and Rachael Scott could do the things they did.  It is for this reason that Saint Paul prays for the Ephesians, for a spirit of wisdom and revelation and that they be enlightened to know what hope to which God has called them and what are the riches of his glorious inheritance.

 

Let us take a moment now to pray to God for ourselves, that he will also give us this same revelation, so that we too can live a life uncommon, embodying his extraordinary compassion and grace, to the praise of his glory.

 

Impossible for us - Possible for God! Reflection for Pentecost 20C Oct 23rd, 2022

PROPER 25 (30) Twentieth Sunday after PentecostYear C  October 23, 2022

Joel 2:23-32 and Psalm 65  2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18  Luke 18:15-30 _

 

 

The prophecy we read in the book of Joel today is good news for those who’ve been struggling.  Hands up if you’d like to hear God saying to you that He will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, and that you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied?

 

When I read it, this wonderful promise, I think of a friend of mine for whom her whole adult life has been framed with grief.  And I pray that this could be God’s word to her.  Maybe you have had a life, or a time in your life, that seems also framed with grief or hardships.  How would you feel to hear God declare to you this day, that He will repay you with years of plenty for the years you have suffered. 

 

I get the feeling that Joel was writing to a people who were weary with grief and hardship.  I think most of us can relate to that.  The reading is an encouragement to persevere.  God sees our pain and longs, with us, for the time when he can repay us for what the figurative locusts have eaten.  We can take that prophecy as a word of God’s love for us.  God knows our pain and our struggle. 

 

Saint Paul was a man, well educated.  He was a Jew, but also a Roman citizen. He was someone of high status, but he counted it all as loss compared with knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection.  The proof of this we see in the life of Saint Paul as he willingly bore suffering to proclaim the message of the Gospel.  We get the sense of grief in Saint Paul’s letter to Timothy that we read today, as he tells of how his life has been poured out and that no one came to support him and all deserted him.

 

In all this we come to understand that, for Saint Paul, the riches of Heaven far surpass any suffering, and are worth far more than a comfortable life.  We should be encouraged by his example to cultivate this vision and understanding in our lives… but it is easier said than done.  Our perceptions of how life should be, sometimes gets in the way of seeing God’s hand.

 

On Friday night, while on shift with Mackay Street Chaplaincy, we came across a lady who was more than likely homeless… she had an accent – possibly English – and was 45 years old.

 

Our first interaction with her was when we were setting up.  The team were talking about spiders and cockroaches.  This lady had obvious mental health issues and walked past the team.  Over hearing part of the conversation, she severely scolded the team for referring to people as cockroaches.  This was not what they were doing, but there was no convincing this woman otherwise.  Fast forward about a half hour and we found a man who was unconscious.  He seemed to be simply asleep but we couldn’t wake him and we tried everything we could with respect and caution.  Suddenly this lady walks up, and without any hesitation or invitation, rubs the man’s chest and he wakes up.  She continued to help us assist him.  I feel like we were lacking in the gifts needed for that moment and God, most certainly was working through that lady to assist us, even though, from our perspective, she probably needed plenty of help herself. 

 

We were being professional and respectful of the man’s boundaries – which is not what he needed in that moment, and the lady was not bound by our same sense of boundary.  Her ability to simply see a need and act was similar to a child, straightforward and simple.  Not to say it is the right thing to act impulsively, but the simple acceptance to act on the prompting of God is a lesson we could all learn, and what I see as Jesus’ encouragement in our Gospel reading today, to accept the Good News like a child.

 

This lady was not bound by riches either and was, in many ways, freer than most – she had nothing to lose.  She was a gift to us, and a lesson…. To never discount a person because of their status or assumed mental condition.  In the economy of God that lady was more valuable to God for his purpose in that moment, than those of us who were there to do the job of ministering to the man.

 

Our Street Chaplaincy group is a diverse group with people who have a heart to be in ministry, and yet, interestingly, some of those people are boarder-line broke, and others have their own mental or physical fragility.  Many times, the church and charitable organisations grow into a middle to upper-class group – those with the financial resources to help others.  It morphs into a group of the “Haves” who minister to the “Have-nots”.  This is not the way God intended us to be, and not the way that God wants us to see each other.  I can’t tell you how many times that God has taught me something, through someone unlikely – according to my own preconceived idea of things. There is no condition on the spirit of God that says you need to be a person of financial stability or a person of intellectual or physical prowess to be valuable in the kingdom of God.  he delights to use us all, but I reckon that he especially loves to work through those that we don’t expect.

 

The rich ruler who came to Jesus was a mover and shaker.  He was not just rich, but he was also a ruler.  This means that he was a man with leadership qualities.  Not only was he a rich leader, but he was good man.  He asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus answered him according to the Law of God, the Torah.  The man had kept the commandments from his youth.  We all probably know someone like this.  An admirable person in our community who was a perfect child and sailed through their teenage years with integrity, resisting peer pressure and always choosing the right thing.  Seriously, these people do exist…. I have known some.  The rich ruler was this person.

 

These people are not those who come to God in repentance over their sin… but they do desire God and goodness.  But the danger here is that they might feel they have earnt their way into heaven or can do some work to ensure their place with God.  They are good and wonderful people, but the Bible tells us that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Sin simply means to miss the mark of the perfection of God. 

 

It should be noted that Joel tells us that God promised to repay the people for the years the locusts had eaten their crops and give them a time of plenty.  King David and King Solomon were blessed by God with abundant riches.  So, It would appear that riches are not the problem, but the heart of the matter – and riches do, more often than not, corrupt.

 

The disciples of Jesus were aghast at the words of Jesus to the rich ruler and said, “Who then can be saved?”  It is abundantly clear that the criteria for inheriting eternal life is way beyond us all – and that is the point.

 

We all need to know that no matter how good we are and how little we find ourselves in temptation of sin, we still all fall short of the glory of God.  We can not save ourselves and we need a saviour – and we have one.

 

The rich ruler called Jesus Good and, as a Jew, he should have known that this was not a term to call another human as only God is described as good.  It seems that there was an error in the man’s thinking that it was possible for mere humans to be sinless, and therefore earn the right to enter heaven.  Jesus, in questioning the man about this was drawing out the error in the man’s thinking.

 

I do believe we are often guilty of the same error.  I have often heard people say, perhaps jokingly, “I hope I have done enough for the fella upstairs to let me in.”   More often than not, people are aware of their short-comings but don’t realize the Good News or fully understand the message of salvation.

 

There is NO way that any of us can do something that qualifies us to enter heaven.  Only one person ever born could inherit heaven.  An interesting choice of words – “Inherit”.  We generally think of an inheritance as something that is given to family members, and especially traditionally, to the first-born son.  Guess what?  Jesus is the first-born Son of God.

 

Jesus is the inheritor of heaven.  Jesus is good enough.  Jesus is sinless. And Jesus is the Son of God.

 

Here is how it works; Jesus came because God so loves us.  We believe in ONE baptism for the forgiveness of sins – that ONE baptism is not your personal baptism.  It is, in fact, Jesus’ baptism into the sins of the world.  Jesus was spiritually immersed into the sins of us all and he took these to the cross.  When Jesus cried out, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” it was because he experienced what should be our separation from God because of our sin.  (He was also declaring the prophesy of Psalm 22 fulfilled). 

 

Jesus experienced separation from God, so that we don’t need to.  We all have free will, so if some chose to remain separate from God, God will respect that desire.

 

When Jesus said, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”, this is what he meant.  You and I can’t inherit eternal life, but God the son can.  And then because of our own personal baptism and uniting our life with Jesus, we, with our life in him, also inherit eternal life.   This is the Good News.  This is the message of the Gospel.

 

The saddest thing I’ve witnessed in the Christian church was a wonderful elderly man who was scared of dying because he didn’t know if he had done enough or was good enough to be accepted by God.  I hope that we can all grow in understanding the intense love of God and His extravagant grace.  We, through the death and resurrection of Jesus are promised eternal life.  Is God not a person of his word?  This how it works!  Rejoice – you and I are saved from this fear and this separation.  It is beyond any shadow of doubt.  Not only did Jesus die, but he rose from the dead, proving the power of God to save us all.  It is a done deal.  Nothing in your past or your future can separate you from the love of God through Christ Jesus.

 

The rich ruler went away sad.  His reality was under the old covenant and subject to the law.  That Law of God does not change and we are all asked to love God with all our heart, mind and strength.  For the rich ruler that meant putting God before his riches.  We all have some area of failure, no matter how much we try and none of us can inherit eternal life on our own.  However, rest assured, Jesus established a New Covenant and through him, our inheriting eternal life is a reality that we can rejoice in.  Being united to Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit as a deposit of our spiritual life, we are bound for glory.  What is impossible for us is made possible by God.  Amen!!