ADVENT 3 2021 Rejoice

 

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT  Year C  December 12, 2021

·       Zephaniah 3:14-20  • Isaiah 12:2-6  • Philippians 4:4-7  • Luke 3:7-18

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Welcome to the 3^rd week in Advent… the time where we prepare for the coming of Christ and the week where we light the candle of Joy.

 

Today we read about John the Baptist.  But just who was this John?  

John was the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah.  Do you remember the story of when Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and the babe within Elizabeth leapt at her greeting….?  Well, that babe was John.

 

John was the son of Zechariah, who in the year of John’s conception was serving as priest.  Therefore, John was from the Israelite tribe of Levi.  The Levites were a holy tribe who were to be the priests for the nation of Israel.

 

There was an anointing on John from the time of his conception.  Elizabeth, his mother, was yet another of the many barren women in our Bible stories.  It was during the time of Zechariah’s role as priest, when he was chosen by lot to burn incense in the temple, that an Angel appeared to him to proclaim that Elizabeth would bear a son. 

 

John was a relative of Jesus, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth.  He was a normal human man, but his being was supernaturally crafted.  Remember, Elizabeth was barren.  God enabled Elizabeth to conceive and John was designed by God and set apart for a specific purpose.  It was foretold to Zechariah that John would go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way of the Lord.

 

I tell you this about John even though it is not the part of the story that we are reading today, because it is important for us the church, because we too are set apart for the purpose of preparing the way of the Lord.

 

In the reading about John in our Gospel today, John is harsh with the crowds, “"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bear fruits worthy of repentance.”

 

He is addressing the crowds who came out to him, who wanted to appear to be doing the honorable thing.  They wanted to appear to be committed to God.  They wanted to appear to be a godly person.  They were the people of the nation who belonged to that tradition where it was understood that Baptism was a sign of cleansing and commitment. When John called the people a brood of vipers he was alluding to the serpent in the garden of Eden.  In reality, it is not as unreasonable as it sounds at first.  The offspring of those who followed the serpent’s deception is the brood of vipers.  John began his call to baptism by reminding people who they really are.

 

Who are we?  Are we perfectly good?  Are we fallen?

 

From the time of John’s conception, the prophetic word about his ministry was that he would “Turn” people’s hearts back to God.  Turning back to God is at the heart of what it means to repent. 

 

The word translated repentance is one that means to change your mind.  Many think that it is a feeling.  Our conscience is pricked and we feel regret.  This, however, is not repentance.  Repentance is to affirm with our mind that we are NOT perfectly good and that we ARE fallen and we need to TURN from our own ways and go God’s ways.

 

Many are offended if we talk about sin, but sin is a fact of our life since the beginning of time and that deception in the garden of Eden.  We are all in the same boat…. Or at least we were….  The difference is that Jesus has come along with a life boat.  Which boat do you want to be in…? the sin boat going to destruction or the life boat?

 

These boats are operating in our life every day.  Spiritually we have been saved by the sacrifice of Jesus, and that is a fact, but we tend to figuratively jump from boat to boat depending on how we feel.  Someone makes me angry… I want to jump into the sin boat and yell at them or worse…. Speak about them, putting them down to others.

 

There are people who have never jumped into the Jesus boat and our seemingly jumping from one to the other is an incredibly bad witness.  We know Jesus… we know God’s saving grace.  But others don’t and never will unless we repent properly… in other words, change our mind, agree with what God says, and go a different way…. Stay in the Jesus boat. 

 

Now, the fact of the matter is that we will always have times when we fail.  Failing is part of being human and if we could do this “going God’s way” thing by ourselves Jesus would not have had to come…. And the Holy Spirit would not have been sent.  

 

In Luke 3:16 we read – “John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

 

Has this little paragraph ever caught your attention before?  We often celebrate baptism with water, but this talk of Holy Spirit and fire is a little less common and a little less popular.

 

John follows up this statement by talking about the winnowing fork is in his hand, implying judgment.

 

How does it make you feel that Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire?

 

At a glance it sounds a little frightening.  Whenever I am presented with a Gospel message that sounds frightening, I always keep in mind that if it doesn’t sound like Good News then the message is either wrong or incomplete.  Gospel means Good News and the Gospel is all about the Good News of Jesus Christ, so we need to look further into this message to see what is really going on.

 

We know that Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit.  We also know that fire is a symbol of judgement and refining.  Remember the song, Refiners fire… my heart’s one desire… is to be holy… set apart for you Lord… etc..  This is what it is all about.  Jesus does baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire.

 

God’s Holy Spirit living in us allows God to direct us and teach us.  The more we can be teachable and trained to hear his voice, the more he can use us to be his hands and feet in this world and that is where we really need to get to. 

 

In recent times the church has not been effectively showing the true heart of God to the world.  God wants us, his people to be a blessing to the nations.

At this time of Advent we are called to be a people in the spirit of John the Baptist who was in the spirit of Elijah, calling people back to God.

 

Our first reading comes from Zephaniah, the fourth last book in the Bible.  Zephaniah is a prophet from the Kingly line and he prophesies about the coming day of the Lord, as well as a time when God himself changes the hearts of the people. 

 

Even though Zephaniah is our first reading, his prophecy is about what happens after our repentance and when we take up our role as God’s people who are to be a blessing to the nations.  He declares that; “The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, …..”

 

It is true that we are facing difficult times today, but we can take encouragement from these following words from Zephaniah; 3:16 – 17 “On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

 

More than anything, in all this, we need to remember God’s very great love for us.

 

God calls us to repent.  To turn from the way we are going, and to commit to following his ways.  We can’t do it in our own strength.  God knows this.

 

God is a God of Justice.  We have all gone our own way.  Because of God’s great love, Jesus paid the sacrifice.  But now, to live life God’s way there is more that God gifts us with… he sends his Holy Spirit to live in and through us.  To teach us and comfort us. The Holy Spirit enables us to be all that God wants us to be.

 

Know this; God loves us beyond words, but his actions speak louder.  We repent and commit to following God and he rejoices over us greatly because of his great love.

 

Repent and be baptized with Holy Spirit and fire.  The reality is that we are fallen and incapable of saving ourselves.  But God’s ways are Good and he promises to remove disaster from us.  Here is the Gospel and here is the Good news.  God loves us so much that he does for us, what we can not do for ourselves.  He has saved us and now he sends his Holy Spirit to enable us to live his way.  Rejoice… because it is accomplished.

 

Is the Fig Tree Budding? First Sunday of ADVENT 2021

 

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Year C  November 28, 2021

• Jeremiah 33:14-16  • Psalm 25:1-10  • 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13  • Luke 21:25-36

 

Today we celebrate the first Sunday in Advent.  It is the time that we begin preparing for Christmas.  We are looking forward.  At Christmas we celebrate God coming to us in human flesh and so we are also remembering and looking back.  Today we have readings that most certainly look forward and we are reminded that Christ will come again.  Contained in the readings today are prophecies, from both Jeremiah and Christ.

 

Today, I want to speak a little about Jeremiah.  To tell his story in today’s context we might call him Jerry.  Jerry was only about 19 when God called him to the roll of prophet and Jerry felt very inadequate.  There were plenty of other prophets around and they were much older so how could he possibly have any influence?

 

In our readings today we reflect on Jeremiah’s words; (Jer 33:14) “The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”

Jeremiah proclaimed the message of God to the nation and most of the time he was rejected.  He warned the people that they were in danger of being carried off into exile and they were, but even then they refused to listen to him.  You see, there were many prophets and most were proclaiming that good would come to the people.  Well…. Who would you listen to?  The one who prophesise good or danger?  Most people just listened to what they wanted to hear.

 

Last week we read that Jesus came to testify to the truth.  What is truth?  There are popular beliefs that truth is subjective, but does that mean there is no such things as truth?  If that is the case then what did Jesus come to testify to and how is he possibly the Life, the Truth and the way? 

 

We need to be a people of courage if we are to be the people of God and we need to be a people who are willing to seek the truth – the absolute truth -  at all costs.  Now, the truth does not mean passing on an idea that someone else has proclaimed as truth without doing some soul searching, research and prayer. 

 

The prophets of Jeremiah’s time would say what the people wanted to hear and the news would spread and the people rejoiced in the affirmation that all was well.  Are there voices today that proclaim messages that people want to hear without searching to find the truth?  We don’t need to look too far to know that the media only want to magnify a message that will get your attention and aren’t too worried about the truth.   In media and especially social media there are a minefield of voices and the average person needs to know that these are not always the truth.

 

But let’s get back to the story of Jerry…. Did you know that Jeremiah prophesied quite a lot that is significant for us as Christians?  He prophesied about the fulfillment of God’s promise of the coming of Christ and yet it was another 600 years before this prophecy would see its fulfillment.  Prophecy is often fulfilled in more than one way.  Often in the prophets time there will be a kind of fulfillment and then in the time of Christ and then again for the second coming of Christ.

 

For us today, we look at the prophecy of Jeremiah and God’s promise and we are encouraged to have the attitude of hope.  It may be a while before Christ comes again, or it could be tomorrow, but we are reminded, for the purpose of being ever ready.

 

As far as prophecy goes, it in itself is something that people get very excited about.  Unfortunately, mostly we get the bull by the horns and forget that the purpose is to encourage us that God is still in control and has a plan and purpose for our lives, and instead we get caught up in things that are incorrect.  Let me explain; If Christ were to come hmmm.. next week, what would you do this week?  Some might say, spend all my money on fun times, tell that boss to stick his job etc….  

We have always had voices with us that proclaim some form of prophecy…. They are the ones that are stock piling food and preparing for doomsday.  They are also the ones that say the environment doesn’t matter because God is coming back soon and it wont matter.

Wrong and wrong.

 

The purpose of prophecy is to encourage us.  But prophecy, true prophecy is a word from God.  He might admonish, and certainly will if we are going the wrong way, but his purpose is always for our good.

For Jeremiah, the people were not being faithful to God.  However, they were still going to church – so to speak… they were giving their gifts and involved in worship at the temple.  To give an extreme example, think of the Maffia…. They would go to church and give generously, but then go out and kill.

 

God’s admonishment in Jeremiah’s time was to a people who thought they were doing everything right and so it is worth us taking time to reflect on our own lives, seeking God’s truth and seeking his purpose for us.  Remembering that even his admonishment is for our good.

 

When we look into the heart of God we find that he is concerned for the same things with which St. Paul prays for the Thessalonians;  “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.”

Christ made it clear that there are two great commandments; that we love God and love others.

Jesus tells his followers of signs and wonders that will happen before the day of his coming and we get a sense of excitement as we read them and wonder if this thing that is happening today is part of these signs and wonders.

Jesus tells a parable and explains that just as we know the seasons by the budding of leaves on a fig tree so too we should be able to know the season we are in spiritually.  Are the fig trees budding?

 

Jesus goes on to explain the attitude we need.  At the end of our reading we see this warning:  (21:36) “Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

 

The times are tough.  Right now the times are tough.  As we enter the season of Advent this year we enter with so much uncertainty.  Will the boarders actually open and what is that going to mean for us all?

Not only is there uncertainty but there are a number of voices stating what they think is going to happen… there are as many opinions as there are people.  In the midst of this, Advent calls us to remember that God promises to send a righteous branch.  Christ came and he was that righteous branch.  Advent also calls us to look to the second coming of Christ and prepare – to be ever ready.  But do we realize that we are the body of Christ called to also be a righteous branch and a message of hope for the nation?

 

Is the fig tree budding? 

There are partial fulfilments of the promises of God in every generation.  Things happen that make us wonder, is this the time? Is The fig tree budding? Jesus tells us this is just the beginning, we are not to be found sitting back waiting for his return, burying our talent in the ground – so to speak.

 

Rise up church!  Prepare to encounter Christ.  He calls us to unite with him to be a righteous branch to the nations because we are his hands and his feet – his people- children of the King – the kingdom of God IS near.

 

He tells us that this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place.  In each generation the fig tree IS budding and the church is called to bring Christ to the people.  Those early Christians saw the move of God and the prophecy fulfilled in kind… not fully.  Who knows maybe that will be in our day, or maybe not, but one thing is for certain; the world needs a saviour.

 

Our children are being confused with ideology that, rather than affirms that God knitted them purposely together in their mothers womb, suggests that they can change their biology, and our vulnerable are given instruments of death, instead of the love and affirmation of God.

 

We have a part to play in history…. One heart at a time… it isn’t hard…  simply connecting in love and hope to those we meet, reassuring them that God loves them and showing them that it is true by showing them our love.

 

Many people at this time are afraid for the future.  Perhaps you are too, but in all that we do and in all that we are, God has promised to never leave nor forsake us.  He calls us now, more than ever, to be his righteous branch… to show his love to the nations and to bring them his hope… his hope is sure and beyond this mortal realm.  Jesus tells us; "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly”.  As we begin Advent this year, know that you have a call.  You are called to be part of the body of Christ, a righteous branch to bring hope to a nation in turmoil. 

Reflection on the Reign of Christ - 21 Nov 21 - Remember who you are....

 REIGN OF CHRIST - PROPER 29 (34)  Year B  November 21, 2021

2 Samuel 23:1-7 and Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18)  • Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 and Psalm 93  • Revelation 1:4b-8  • John 18:33-37

Today’s service is titled the Reign of Christ.  It is the week before Advent, the season where we prepare for Christmas.  So, in essence, we look at the Reign and Kingship of Christ and then we prepare to receive Christ as we celebrate Christmas, his birth into our world as one of us.

 

The first thing I want to note the Reign of Christ, is that our Gospel reading tells of an interesting interaction between Pilate and Jesus.  We know that Pilate was the one who ordered that the title, “INRI'' be written and placed on the cross of Jesus.  This literally means, “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum'' meaning ''Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews''.  Therefore, please note with me, that regardless of denial by Jesus own people, and regardless of how hopeless it all looked at that time of persecution and crucifixion, Jesus was prophetically instated as King…. In fact perhaps ironically, this was the beginning of his reign.

 

On the subject of Kings and rulers, it is worth reflecting on our relationship with the kings and rulers of our day, and noting if it is in anyway a reflection of our relationship with our heavenly King. 

 

In our modern world we see that our rulers don’t rule a country with loyal subjects.  They rule, but the subjects are predominately critical and rebellious.  What is our part in this and what should it be?  It’s not an easily answered question, but it is worth pondering if it has any similarity or impact that overflows to the relationship we have we Christ our King.

 

2 Samuel 23:3-4 “The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me: One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.”

 

This speaks to us about the leadership of King David and clearly states that when we have Godly leaders, we enjoy goodness.  Do you think that in this day and age, our society would not even recognize good leadership.  It seems to me that mostly we are too busy looking to find fault.  Constantly finding fault in those that lead us has become a popular modern past time.  It is often right to stand up for causes of injustice, but being constantly critical can become more of a habit which doesn’t actually help anyone… neither helpful for us who are being led nor those leading us.

 

I remember a time when a Bishop come to our town amid up-rising among the congregation.  I noted at the time that most of those making disgruntled noises were random.  Random in that they seemed to not know what they were protesting.  Each one was sprouting a different story and as far as I could tell, though they were grouped together, they didn’t really seem to know what each other was on about.  There is a danger in being swept up in a wave of negativity.  It can become a habit that makes no sense… and it can impact our relationship with our heavenly king.

 

Please let me be clear that I’m not making any political comment about the things going on presently.  I do support the stand for freedom.  I am simply concerned that we watch our hearts to keep a right attitude toward Christ our King.

 

There is much that we learn about leadership from King David.  We learn that what made him a great leader was that he was described as being a man after God’s own heart… and he himself tells us that he knew himself to be one of God’s favourites.  To know that you are God’s favourite would have an impact on the way we live our lives.  

 

King David, being one who had such a relationship with God, meant that he had the courage to fight a Giant.  David was a small man, but he did not waver at all because he knew that God was with him.  David knew God’s love.

Knowing God’s love means that David’s leadership was one that reflected God’s own heart of love, justice and compassion.  These are the attributes that made him a great leader, but more than that, David lived his life in submission to God.  The great King David lived in submission to God his heavenly King.

 

While we might think that a Good leader is someone who is intellectually superior and someone who keeps their emotions well-guarded, we know that King David figuratively wore his heart on his sleeve – the evidence is in the many Psalms that he wrote where he literally pours his heart out and cries out to God.

 

There was a humility in David that we see by the way he quickly repented when his sin was pointed out. 

 

While we can look at these attributes and look for them in our leaders we should note that these are the attributes that God would encourage in each of us.

 

In our second reading, from the book of Revelations, we are told that Jesus Christ has made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father.  What does this really mean?

 

Way back in the Old Testament we note that God had said this same thing to the Israelite nation.  The point of this nation being Holy and a kingdom of priests, was to be a light to the nations around.  This is what we are being called to right now.  We are called to be a holy kingdom and priests.   So what does it mean?

 

In many of the ancient civilizations there were priests among the people.  They were those to whom the people went to find out God’s will… God’s ways…. to be reminded of and connected to God.  The church today is called to be priests to the people around.  This means every member of the Christian family is called to this role in the community because we, the church, are to be a holy kingdom, priests and a light to the nations.

 

Do you know what a Meme is?  It is a picture with a little message.  You find a lot of these popping up on the internet.  There is one that I’d like to share.  It has a picture of a girl with a crown on her head and the message says, “On the darkest days when I feel inadequate, unloved and unworthy, I remember whose daughter I am and I straighten my crown”.

 

In our dwindling little churches, striving in the aftermath of so much strife in the church and the tenuous reputation that we have in the world, not to mention the impact of COVID, we may feel very inadequate, unloved and unworthy.  Each of us individually may feel that we don’t have much to offer…. But this is a lie of the enemy.  David was a small boy against the giant Goliath, but he knew whose son he was.  We are sons and daughters of the living God.  Think about who it is that has your back…. But realize that you are a person of great power because you belong to the king of the universe.

 

In our Gospel reading from John 18:37 “Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

 

Jesus came to testify to the truth.  That truth is about the Good News that God loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us.  In Chapter 1:12 we read in John’s Gospel, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” 

 

We are the children of God. Straighten your crown and remember who you are….  Remember who you are….  Those words are echoed in the vision of Simba, in the movie, The Lion King.  Simba had run away, thinking that he was responsible for his father’s death – he wasn’t.  It was a plot to get rid of him to render him powerless, and it worked.  Like Simba we are wasting our lives if we are living under the shadows of the past, afraid of the future with feelings of worthlessness.  We need to remember who we are… who we really are.  We are a holy kingdom, a people of power, the children of God and a royal priesthood.  It is high time we walked in this reality.

 

Learning the lesson of King David, as royal children of God, we need to also accept the kingship of Christ.  We remember who we are… but to walk in the truth we need the submit our lives constantly to the kingship of Christ.  Is he the Lord of our lives?  If he is, then we will not let anything come between God and our relationship with him.   Life is a constant barrage of interruptions.  Things that come between us and our heavenly father…..  Don’t let them.

 

We are living in difficult times and we need to seriously realize that we are the church on earth at this time for a divine purpose.  Though each of us may feel insignificant, I can assure you this is not the case.  We are each being called to remember who we are, straighten our crowns, and wait for our orders from the king -  our God and father who loves us .   Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord… I have heard you calling in the night… I will go Lord, if you lead me.  I will hold your people in my heart.

 

 

 

 

ALL SAINTS reflection for 7th November 2021

 

All Saints

Isaiah tells us: 25:9 “It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

My question is; Do we still trust in God to save us?

 

We are living in perilous times and many think that surely the end times are near and Jesus will return soon.  He well may – We don’t know, but it has been pointed out to me recently that in every generation there are times so perilous that people think, “surely this is the end times”.   The point was made though, that these times happen as an act of the enemy to mimic those times to throw us into turmoil.  We certainly are in turmoil.

 

But the question remains; Do we still trust in God to save us?

 

Not so long ago I attended a Bible study and the topic was, Lord I believe, help my unbelief”.   Most of us felt a bit weird about it because we were all people of faith who believe in God and it took some digging and the bringing down of walls to realize, that although we all totally have faith in God, we all have areas where our actions show that we don’t believe.

 

Let me give you an example.  I was heading to a meeting with an email from one member laying heavy on my heart.  It felt like the sentiments in it were all wrong.  I was disheartened and feeling like I’m always the one who addresses things…. I felt, if I don’t stand up against it, no one will.  I imagined that this was work that I needed to do and didn’t imagine that God would intervene for me though I did pray…..  Fortunately, I’d already been attending the Bible study and recognized my area of unbelief.  Why wouldn’t God intervene – why did I imagine it was all up to me?  And God showed me mightily that he is happy to care for all our concerns…. Be it big matters or small.

 

Having lost a husband to cancer, whose birthday was coincidentally All Saints day, I found that I struggled for a long time and probably still do, to pray for those who are seriously ill.  I have an area of unbelief.  I am betting that I’m not alone here.  I am working through it still…. How are you going?

 

What I tended to do was somewhere between putting my head in the sand and denying the gravity of illnesses, and praying, but thinking, “Oh well… God’s will be done”.   God’s will, will be done, but do we realize how much God cares for our cares?  Also, God gave us life to begin with.  His desire is for us to have life and have it in abundance.  I believe there are two examples of major answers to prayer that I can share to encourage you;

 

A committee member of Mackay Street Chaplaincy was diagnosed about this time last year with two large brain tumours.  They are aggressive cancers.  We have been praying.  A small group meet at the Street Chaplaincy premise on Wednesdays at 11:30am until 12.  Just a short time, but we encourage each other that God does care for our well-being.  Our Chaplaincy member, although still living with the cancer, is now so well that he is caving, abseiling and winning table tennis competitions.  We believe that this is God’s gracious answer to our prayer.  There may be a time sooner or later that God will decide it is time to take Steven, but until then we give thanks for this miracle. 

 

The second example that I’d like to share is of my Aunt.  This one hurts a little.  Not just my Aunt, but my Dad’s twin sister.  She passed away two weeks ago and her funeral was one week ago.  Why I want to speak about this is that I had been told she was unwell and it wasn’t until my Mum suggested that I go to see her that I realized how serious the situation was.  It was then that I came home and seriously prayed.  I felt a sense of peace and a couple of days later I found out that she surprised all the medical staff with being so well that she came out of hospital.  It wasn’t just my prayers that were answered…she had many praying for her as she was a devout Christian, known to many.

During the eulogy my cousin shared that they all believed this time out of hospital to be a miraculous answer to prayer.  She went back to hospital and she was ready.  Her funeral was a testament to her faith and a declaration of God’s victory over death. The songs she chose had these words… “the joy I have today my Lord, is only a shadow of your joy for me…. When we meet face to face.”

 

There are many beliefs about All souls and All Saints days.  It was recently pointed out to me that there used to be a belief that the line between the spiritual realm and physical realm was thinner on the eve of All Saints day.

From the web:  “Halloween is considered by many to be the only time of year that spirits can roam the earth. From Samhain to Mexico’s Day of the Dead, world cultures celebrate the belief that at this time of year, the veil between this world and the next is particularly thin and ancestors are held close.”

 

Following on in the same article was information about the ancient Christian tradition:  ““Allhallowtide,” the triduum of Halloween, recalls deceased spirits, saints (hallows) and martyrs alike, in one collective commemoration. The word Halloween is of Christian origin, and many Christians visit graveyards during this time to pray and place flowers and candles at the graves of their deceased loved ones. The two days following All Hallows Eve—Hallowmas, or All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day—pay homage to the souls that Christians believe are now with God. In medieval England, Christians went “souling” on Halloween, begging for soul cakes in exchange for prayers in local churches.”

 

I feel that I need to clarify the reality from the superstition – The wall between the spiritual realm and physical is always thin.  Do we not realize that we have God’s Holy Spirit with us?  We pray because there is a spiritual realm impacting us constantly and because we have free will, God requires our prayers to enable his will.   A few months before Brittany was even pregnant, I very strongly felt God urging me to pray for my Grandchild.  Why?  Why would he ask me to pray?  God wills good things for us all, but needs us to give him permission.  We do this in prayer and our prayers, powerful in the spirit realm see their fulfillment in the physical.

 

I was brought up Catholic and with the idea that we are not worthy of God.  For this reason we and our loved ones who’d passed is who we associated with All Souls day and we would be urged to pray for those people who had died.  As an adult who went on to actually read the Bible however, I need to reassure you that you and I, who have given our hearts to God, who choose to be known as his children and identify as Christian, we are who God calls Saints.  In fact this is the way that the Bible describes it also…. Do you recall Paul addressing his letters to the Saints in a particular church?  That is because a Saint is a Christian… a disciple of Christ.

 

Psalm 24 tells us:  “ Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?  Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.  They will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of their salvation.”  

 

To be perfect enough for God is a tall order.  None of us can really achieve it and we need to understand this in order to properly understand the Gospel message… the Good News.  We first need to know that bad news.  NONE of us can achieve God’s level of righteousness.  We know that we really are not worthy of that term, “Saint”, but the thing is…. Jesus makes us worthy…. Not by anything that we do but by his sacrifice on the cross for us… Hebrews 10:14 tells us; “because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.”  This is what Jesus Christ accomplished for us and why we call this way, GOOD NEWS.

 

Revelation 21 tells us:  “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; ..”

 

Inside of us we may cringe just a little.  We know us and we know our failings… how can we claim to be Saints?... I guess it is a bit like the story in the Gospel.

In that grave was Lazarus.  Mary believed that Jesus was the Messiah and could have prevented his dying, but now that he was dead, she simply wept.  And Jesus feeling her pain as his own wept too.  It is important for us to realize how deeply we are loved and how God cares for every tear we shed.

Also from our Revelation reading….”he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." 

 

Jesus called Lazarus to come out.  He told them to move the stone.  They objected that there would be a smell.  

We feel that too… that if we let down our guard our areas of unbelief will be exposed and our failings will be exposes and we cringe a little – or a lot-  inside at the thought of them….  But the Good News is that Jesus brings life.  The death and disease is gone and Lazarus is restored to life.  When we come to Jesus his sacrifice makes perfect us who are being sanctified.

 

Where is our faith in at in this time?  Are we hiding our fears, failing and lack of faith in a deep grave within us?  Give them to God.  He has victory over disease and death… we know, Like Mary, we do have faith that we will rise on the last day – but note that Jesus is the resurrection and the LIFE and just like in the Gospel story, Jesus has concern and a plan for our lives, here and now!

Arise Saints of God…. A mighty army to bring about God’s will on earth… this is who you are.

Roll the stone away and give all you’ve hidden in the grave recesses of your heart to God – You are HIS Saint who Christ died for so that there could be nothing separating you from God.   He is wanting your permission to act on your behalf…. Let him – you were born for such a time as this.

 

 

 

 

 

Perceptions/ Reality, Acceptance and Rejection.

 

PROPER 10 (15)  Seventh Sunday after Pentecost  Year B  July 11, 2021

• 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 and Psalm 24  • Ephesians 1:3-14  • Mark 6:14-29

Once upon a time, one of my friends used to joke, “We can’t allow kissing, it might lead to dancing”.  It was a joke about the old ban on dancing by some denominations, the likes of which, are portrayed in movies like FOOTLOOSE.  As young adults in the late 80s and early 90s, we thought the idea of banning dancing to be ridiculous and we’d often repeat this story, told in our scripture reading, about David dancing in his underwear to make our point.

Now, I always like to re-research to check I have the facts and so, let me share what I have found;

We know that David was dancing, dressed in a linen ephod.  A linen ephod was the undergarment, or foundational garment of the priests.  We also know, from reading later in the story that David’s wife, Michal spoke with disdain and sarcasm to David saying, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

 

Now, to put this in some kind of context, think of the contradictions in appropriate wear that we have in our society; We have super-heroes who wear their undies on the outside…. We have beaches where we wear very little, yet if we wore the same in the shopping centre, we’d be asked to leave.  So, what is really going on with this story?

 

The linen ephod was a God ordered part of the priestly uniform.  It was a particular type of undergarment worn by the priests, to ensure that they were covered, much the same as girls who dance might wear bike shorts under their skirts.  The linen ephod ensured modesty, but it also can signify a priestly role  of dedication to God. 

If you think about bike shorts that girls wear under dance skirts, they are both worn under skirts or by themselves….  David disrobed his kingly attire and humbled himself by dancing in the linen ephod, and also showed his dedication to God by doing this.  Dedication to God and doing things the correct, God ordered way was a huge part of this event in the moving of the Ark.

However, much the same as happens in our society, everyone is a critic and there is always going to be someone to tell you that you are doing something wrong, but imagine dancing with all your might as a response to God, to be then told you were vulgar and crude.  That was the experience of David.  Unlike how we might react, however, he owned it.  He wasn’t embarrassed, but knew something very important; pleasing God and humility before God, is always more important than the accolades of humans.

 

Herod was a whole different story.  Herod cared what people thought.  Herod made a promise and it was more important to him that he saved face, than that he saved a life.  Herod had married his sister-in-law, and John openly declared this to be against the law of God, so in self-righteousness, Herod threw John into prison.  We are told however, that Herod tried to protect John, knowing him to be a holy and righteous man, and he actually liked to listen to John.  There was something about the message that John preached that was beginning to reach Herod.  Yet when his niece/ step daughter danced, he rashly promised her anything up to half the Kingdom and then when she demanded John’s head, he gave in to save face.  He feared the rejection of people if he did not give her what she wanted.

 

Just a few days ago the Street Chaplains had their monthly meeting and it was discussed that showing loving acceptance to the people we see on the streets is a powerful way to show love.  Acceptance is something for which we all strive.  The opposite…rejection, is pain.  Many people, in some way or another, carry that pain of rejection like a chip on their shoulder, and with a little alcohol in the mix, that pain of rejection is magnified.

 

What I really think that today’s message for us is all about is actually PERCEPTION and REALITY and tied in with this is the power of acceptance and rejection.   Michal’s perception was that King David disrobed in front of the public.  Others saw the reality; their leader, totally dedicated to God and humbly being one of them in his worship.  This action of David was very different to other Kings from the nations around them who declared that their King was a God. 

 

One of the titles for Jesus is, Son of David.  Jesus like David, emptied himself of his Kingly rights, and humbled himself.  Jesus was God incarnate, but didn’t claim that equality, but humbled himself to obedience, even to the cross.  He completely emptied himself of the worship due to him as God and submitted himself to the will of God and the free will of sinful man.  The perception of most people at that time saw this as humiliation, disgrace and foolishness.  But we know the reality.  We do, don’t we? 

 

I ask the question because rejection and acceptance are such powerful forces that you really can not stand the rejection unless you absolutely know the truth… the reality.

 

Ephesians 1 tells us the truth about what has been achieved for us through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, and it is a lot!  In fact it is everything:  We are told that we are blessed in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Can you comprehend what this means?

The reading continues and explains that we are chosen to be holy and blameless before him, destined for adoption as his children, freely bestowed with his glorious grace.  Blameless….  How can we be blameless?  Well the reading explains that also; We have redemption through his blood and the forgiveness of our trespasses.  This is what the cross achieved…. That thing of disgrace and foolishness to others.

 

There is a reality that this world doesn’t see.  There is a spiritual dimension and many are curious about it, some dabble with it in new age or cult style, and others completely deny it. None of these perceptions and ideas on the way that the spiritual world work have any effect on the reality.  Reality stands regardless of our ideas and theories.

 

We have a problem today.  The problem is that many don’t believe in reality.  They believe that reality is relative.  They confuse reality with experience… “In my experience I have found such and such to be true.”  Experience is a reference point to know reality, but reality has to stand beyond our experiences, because our experiences differ.  Jesus has said that He is the way, the TRUTH and the life…. He is the TRUTH – the reality.

 

When we are trying to understand this spiritual dimension we come to religion.  We have Christianity, but Christianity is more than one of the many religions who try to make sense of the spiritual dimension.  It is more, because Jesus Christ was an historical figure who claimed to be God and was crucified for the claim.  He proved to be God by appearing to many…. Not only his disciples, but countless others through the generations, proved with signs and wonders, but also through the testimony of his followers who were put to death, refusing to deny this truth.  Jesus, the visible expression of God, God incarnate.   Here is reality, absolute.

 

John was put in prison because he spoke the truth.  John was beheaded because people refused to hear the truth and wanted to deny the reality. 

We will sometimes be accepted for speaking the truth, and sometimes rejected.  We hope that we won’t lose our heads for speaking the truth and declaring reality, but the future is unknown.  What we do know is that a King was despised, and a man beheaded for their actions in response to their dedication to God, and many in the year 2021 won’t speak up about the reality of the Gospel for fear of being seen as not being “politically correct”, labelled as a “flat earther”, and for fear of having someone reject us.

 

It is abundantly clear to me, that we need to spend time focusing on the reality and on the wonderful blessings with which God has bestowed on us.  John openly declared the truth, regardless of danger because the truth – the reality was important.  

Our eternal life is important.  King David brushed off the disdain of his wife because he knew God.  He knew the absolute power of God.  This is a man who as a mere boy defeated Goliath because of the power of God.  This is a man who saw a person die for incorrectly touching the ark of God.  David feared the Lord.  He loved God but he understood the power of God and that this was not a God with whom you compromised reality…. Not a God you used for your purpose, to worship when it seemed acceptable and denied when it was not…. No this God is El Shaddai…. God almighty.  

 

Our God loves us so much that he came as the son, to suffer and die for us so that we might have eternal life.  He destined us to be blameless before him and he, being the author and perfector of our faith accomplished this for us.  But lets be very clear on what the reality is;  God is God.  Not a theory or idea to manipulate to suit our ever changing world.  Yes God is love and he loves completely, but he didn’t come to us, suffer and die for us to have us then throw out the rest of the book, forever saying “all is good and acceptable”.

  Our psalmist asks, “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?  Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of their salvation.”

 

None of us are pure, but in Jesus we have become blameless.  It is a reality. This is the Gospel / the Good News.  Our Gospel begins with speculation about who Jesus is.  We need to know.  Let’s prayerfully study the word of God to absolutely know the truth and Good News.  Let’s declare with all the love and grace with which God has shown us, proclaim it courageously and never deny it.