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IN THE NAME OF GOD: CREATOR, PAINBEARER AND SPIRIT OF LOVE AND LIFE
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 2:41-52
Today’s Gospel reading is a story that is exclusive to Luke. It does not appear in any of the other Gospels. One has to wonder why Luke included this story. It appears to have no satisfactory resolution. It leaves Mary wondering. It’s strange too that only Jesus and his mother are given speaking roles. Where does the story come from?
Did you note the first reading for today from 1 Samuel? How closely it resembles and parallels the Gospel? Have you also noted that The Song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2: 1-10 closely resembles Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1?
From these comparisons it would seem that the Gospel writer has taken much of his material from the scroll of 1 Samuel. The story of the early days and childhood of Jesus has been wrapped in the Hebrew Scriptures – particularly in these early chapters of Luke where 1 Samuel appears to be a major inspiration.
Luke is also exceedingly clever in making this story a foreshadowing of Easter!
Notice that this incident occurs at the time of the Passover feast – The gospels place Jesus’ passion and crucifixion at Passover. Additionally Jesus is ‘lost’ for three days (see verse 46 – “After three days they found him …”.
One could say that they “found” Jesus after three days in the tomb. Bear in mind that Luke was writing retrospectively as all these events had occurred between fifty to seventy years before. Was there a surviving oral tradition of this story? Very doubtful.
To find out a little more about Luke’s motives we need to turn back to the opening verses of his Gospel. He addresses a person, apparently of some eminence, called “Theophilus” – of some eminence and social prominence because he is addressed as being ‘most excellent’.
Of course we must not rush to assume that such a person really existed as the translation of the name means “Lover of God”.
It is entirely possible that Luke, a non-Jew, couched his Gospel in these terms and used the name in order to give more credence to his story. Not Jewish certainly, but educated in the Hebrew Scriptures without doubt.
That is not to say that Theophilus did not really exist but it is a possibility that cannot be overlooked. The Gospel writers have used many literary devices in order to enhance their magnificent stories.
It is also worth noting the continuing parallels between 1 Samuel and Luke’s account. Samuel “grew up in the presence of the Lord” and he “grew in stature and in favour with the Lord and with the people”. Note the closeness of the wording here with that of the Gospel writer in verse 52. “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.”
Here is maturity on two levels.
Increasing recognition and respect as a worthwhile citizen within his community and a growing closeness to God – growing relationships on the two basic levels of human life – God and community.
It goes without saying that we live in an entirely different world from the first century Roman Empire. In this scientific age of continuing experimentation and research we as a civilisation constantly pursue knowledge of our physical universe and also human behaviour - and are not satisfied until we break open the problem and derive answers – that is our culture!
We now apply this way of thinking to the Biblical Scriptures. We read and need to make sense of it. It has to add up! We must arrive at an understanding! Well, in this story there is no satisfactory resolution – Mary is just left pondering and thinking about that incident.
It’s sort of like watching a suspenseful murder mystery movie – that seems to be leading to a satisfactory end when the culprit will be revealed and when that doesn’t happen - the end comes leaving one in agonising suspense – “Well, if he didn’t do it, who did??” But one is ‘left hanging’ – there is no answer forthcoming. What do you do? Grumble, turn off the TV and go to bed in a cloud of unresolved frustration to lie awake rehashing the details hoping to discover some little hint that was missed? – or shrug the shoulders, put the cat out and move on – appreciating the skill of the producers to ‘lead you up the garden path’.
This Gospel story provides no resolution – the onlookers do not understand. Was there no ongoing conversation about this apparent child prodigy amongst the priests in the synagogue? Was there no discussion and continuing interest in this boy who was smart beyond his years?
We are not told – the scene has been set – the play acted out – and the actors leave the stage – Jesus has been shown as a boy whose intelligence and knowledge is beyond his years – we are being set up for what is to come – for next we read about the advent of John the Baptist and Jesus is further elevated in stature and importance.
The fact that we, like the onlookers and Mary, often fail to understand what we read, hear and even feel within our own heart and mind, is something all who in sincerity are searching for a closer understanding of God within can find frustrating and demoralising.
What do we do when we seem to find no answer to life’s many problems? When we find we seem to be facing a constant wall of doubt? When God seems distant and unreachable and we seem to be left to our own meagre resources? When we think we simply do not understand?
The fact is it is not necessary that we understand all things. The very heart of the Gospel tells us that we need not. Discovering and recognising God within us is not religion – it can be a very real experience – an experience that can come to anyone without understanding everything.
The point is that once having experienced God’s presence within us we need only grasp that - cling to that - and live out our life faithfully to the Gospel.
Meeting the God who is revealed in Christ is not about spiritual transcendence or being especially "religious" or relinquishing a normal life. The Gospel writers are all particularly scathing of the overtly religious.
For most of us it’s not a matter of disappearing into a monastery or convent – cutting ourselves off from everything we find challenging in society. God is not to be found just in the extraordinary or mystical experience. God is to be found deeply embedded in and with raw humanity amid the historical, physical, political, economic, and social places where humans live, love, serve, and celebrate.
In our New Testament reading Paul is addressing the Christian community in Colossae and warns of the dangers of sole reliance on religious practice. He points to the way of life that Jesus lived – simply, inclusively and with all embracing love, acceptance and forgiveness. The closer the community emulates the life of Christ the more it reflects the very nature and presence of God within it – the evidence of that presence is love – love for one another and for neighbour and indeed the world.
That’s the secret, says Paul.
Love not religion – there is a big difference!
There are cynics of course. I read of one old grump (they are always old, aren’t they?) who grumbled “Love! Ha! The only place you can really know what love means in on the tennis court!”
Love is not just a feeling – love is the real power of God working in us – love is God in us!
If we have love we have no need to understand all things – we can trust the Spirit of God that is made known to us in Christ – and if we have love we can trust each other. Love brings trust – not necessarily understanding – that’s not required.
This Christmas season is a time when we can all reflect on these things. Do we really understand what God did in Jesus? I doubt it.
It’s really not necessary – all we need to know is that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself”.
So let us put aside our differences, our petty misunderstandings, our lack of understanding and our enmities – and allow the spirit of love to permeate our lives. The rewards, both to us and our community will be incalculable.
THE LORD BE WITH YOU!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
The Meaning of Christmas
IN THE NAME OF GOD; CREATOR, PAINBEARER AND SPIRIT OF LIFE AND LOVE
Luke 2:1-20 and John 1: 1-14
Let’s be quite honest about this – Christmas, for everyone, means presents! Some gifts are the result of much thought and love, others are bought in a state of panic as the person (usually a man) rushes through the shops on his way home from the office breakup party on Christmas Eve, frantically casting about in the hope of finding something of inspiration to (hopefully) bring happiness to his wife, who has weeks before bought all the gifts for the children and indeed her husband. With a bit of luck the complimentary gift wrapping service will still be operating and he can take home a gift that looks beautiful and appealing even if the size of the underwear is all wrong! It will usually be underwear too - usually the more inappropriate of design or colour and almost certainly the wrong size.
Children who are sometimes impossible to remove from their beds in the mornings are wide awake at the first glimmer of Christmas morning light – about 4.30am! They see with some satisfaction that the glass of whisky left out for Father Christmas is empty and that the reindeer’s carrot has been nibbled. But first priority is the pillow case or pile of prettily wrapped gifts at the end of their bed – somehow placed there in the night by that jolly old bearded gift bearer. Carefully wrapped presents are soon ripped open and with great excitement the parents are roused to see “what Father Christmas has brought me”.
We are all familiar with these aspects of the contemporary Christmas are we not? The capitalist society in which we live ensures that for months leading up to this day the focus of our attention is on gift purchases - the bigger and more extravagant the better of course. It doesn’t matter that our credit card has almost reached its limit – that January might be a bit tight to say the least – all thought of that is put to one side as we ensure our Christmas will be the best our family and ourselves can have. The stores and banks reap another great harvest!
The greatest gift has often been entirely overlooked. It is the gift of a child – and no ordinary child at that. Some 2000 years ago God gave humanity a gift that is unsurpassed. This was a gift that was very well planned and cost the earth – it certainly cost a life!
In our Gospel reading Luke tells us of the birth of Jesus.
The story is beautiful – it contains all the elements of a wonderful and fantastic tale. We are now all familiar with the shepherds in the fields, the choir of angels and the birth in the inn stable – what a romantic turn of phrase has Luke?
I want to compare that scene set by Luke with the setting of Jesus’ advent into the world as told by the Evangelist John. An alternative Gospel for today is John 1: 1-14.
The first verse of John’s gospel defines Jesus as the Logos in terms of:
‘Being’- i.e. he existed ... in terms of relationship -with God, and in terms of identity -was God!? This is not Luke's baby wrapped cosily and lovingly placed in a manger. By the turn of the first century John has defined this baby Jesus as God incarnate.
John goes further however. He relates how this man who was God incarnate born into this world, was totally rejected. Of course the experiences of the fledgling church during that first century had proven this beyond any doubt for John. Not only was Jesus, and his followers, rejected by the Roman authorities (witness the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian and others) but more hurtfully by his own people, the Jews. Whether we like it or not the shadow of the cross looms over the joys of Christmas – there is no Christmas without Easter – we should never forget that!
I read a true story about a legendary used-book shop in America.
The bookstore was owned by a man named "McCosh." McCosh was worse than a curmudgeon; he was a crusty, cynical, peevish man with an amazing collection of used books, if he would only let you look at them. (The books may have hinted that he had a nicer side, but it was well concealed.)
One year in December McCosh topped even himself when he put up a large banner across the front window of the store that said: "Put the X back in Xmas." It's pretty certain that McCosh only meant to be cynical, but in an odd way he said something important. Put the "X" back in Christmas. Put the "cross" back in Christmas. The birth of Jesus by itself never saved anyone. That’s shocking, but true.
Those who come to church only at Christmas and Easter (the old C and E instead of C of E) miss the heart of the gospel—they miss the point –the Son's obedience even unto death—So we must include it also at Christmas, the one Christian festival the world most embraces. (Prof. Marc Kolden, Professor of Systematic Theology, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota)
What did Jesus’ birth achieve then? Why did he come into this world? Who was he really? Was he, as John would tell us, more than just another human man? They are massive questions and can’t be answered in a brief sermon such as this. We can ask though, “What did his life achieve?” “Can it have a meaning for us in a totally different society in this 21st century?”
It is in Christ that we catch a glimpse of the nature of God. It is through Christ that we find a pathway which can lead us deeper into the mystery that is God. It is in Christ that we catch the aura of love and inclusiveness which emanates from God both through the sacrifice of his own life and through the lovely story of his birth.
What do we do when offered an unexpected present at this time? Usually, being of Anglo descent, we embarrassingly murmur things like, “Oh, you shouldn’t have”. “Oh for me – but I have nothing to give you in return?” - “Oh How wonderful and lovely of you - but I don’t deserve that”.
Today we celebrate the gift of God to humanity – The gift of Luke’s baby Jesus of Nazareth – the Cosmic Christ of St John - what are we going to say to God in return? The very least we can do is say “Thank you” and accept the gift with the joy it deserves!
May we all experience the joy, reassurance and deep peace that today can bring?
The Lord be with you.
Luke 2:1-20 and John 1: 1-14
Let’s be quite honest about this – Christmas, for everyone, means presents! Some gifts are the result of much thought and love, others are bought in a state of panic as the person (usually a man) rushes through the shops on his way home from the office breakup party on Christmas Eve, frantically casting about in the hope of finding something of inspiration to (hopefully) bring happiness to his wife, who has weeks before bought all the gifts for the children and indeed her husband. With a bit of luck the complimentary gift wrapping service will still be operating and he can take home a gift that looks beautiful and appealing even if the size of the underwear is all wrong! It will usually be underwear too - usually the more inappropriate of design or colour and almost certainly the wrong size.
Children who are sometimes impossible to remove from their beds in the mornings are wide awake at the first glimmer of Christmas morning light – about 4.30am! They see with some satisfaction that the glass of whisky left out for Father Christmas is empty and that the reindeer’s carrot has been nibbled. But first priority is the pillow case or pile of prettily wrapped gifts at the end of their bed – somehow placed there in the night by that jolly old bearded gift bearer. Carefully wrapped presents are soon ripped open and with great excitement the parents are roused to see “what Father Christmas has brought me”.
We are all familiar with these aspects of the contemporary Christmas are we not? The capitalist society in which we live ensures that for months leading up to this day the focus of our attention is on gift purchases - the bigger and more extravagant the better of course. It doesn’t matter that our credit card has almost reached its limit – that January might be a bit tight to say the least – all thought of that is put to one side as we ensure our Christmas will be the best our family and ourselves can have. The stores and banks reap another great harvest!
The greatest gift has often been entirely overlooked. It is the gift of a child – and no ordinary child at that. Some 2000 years ago God gave humanity a gift that is unsurpassed. This was a gift that was very well planned and cost the earth – it certainly cost a life!
In our Gospel reading Luke tells us of the birth of Jesus.
The story is beautiful – it contains all the elements of a wonderful and fantastic tale. We are now all familiar with the shepherds in the fields, the choir of angels and the birth in the inn stable – what a romantic turn of phrase has Luke?
I want to compare that scene set by Luke with the setting of Jesus’ advent into the world as told by the Evangelist John. An alternative Gospel for today is John 1: 1-14.
The first verse of John’s gospel defines Jesus as the Logos in terms of:
‘Being’- i.e. he existed ... in terms of relationship -with God, and in terms of identity -was God!? This is not Luke's baby wrapped cosily and lovingly placed in a manger. By the turn of the first century John has defined this baby Jesus as God incarnate.
John goes further however. He relates how this man who was God incarnate born into this world, was totally rejected. Of course the experiences of the fledgling church during that first century had proven this beyond any doubt for John. Not only was Jesus, and his followers, rejected by the Roman authorities (witness the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian and others) but more hurtfully by his own people, the Jews. Whether we like it or not the shadow of the cross looms over the joys of Christmas – there is no Christmas without Easter – we should never forget that!
I read a true story about a legendary used-book shop in America.
The bookstore was owned by a man named "McCosh." McCosh was worse than a curmudgeon; he was a crusty, cynical, peevish man with an amazing collection of used books, if he would only let you look at them. (The books may have hinted that he had a nicer side, but it was well concealed.)
One year in December McCosh topped even himself when he put up a large banner across the front window of the store that said: "Put the X back in Xmas." It's pretty certain that McCosh only meant to be cynical, but in an odd way he said something important. Put the "X" back in Christmas. Put the "cross" back in Christmas. The birth of Jesus by itself never saved anyone. That’s shocking, but true.
Those who come to church only at Christmas and Easter (the old C and E instead of C of E) miss the heart of the gospel—they miss the point –the Son's obedience even unto death—So we must include it also at Christmas, the one Christian festival the world most embraces. (Prof. Marc Kolden, Professor of Systematic Theology, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota)
What did Jesus’ birth achieve then? Why did he come into this world? Who was he really? Was he, as John would tell us, more than just another human man? They are massive questions and can’t be answered in a brief sermon such as this. We can ask though, “What did his life achieve?” “Can it have a meaning for us in a totally different society in this 21st century?”
It is in Christ that we catch a glimpse of the nature of God. It is through Christ that we find a pathway which can lead us deeper into the mystery that is God. It is in Christ that we catch the aura of love and inclusiveness which emanates from God both through the sacrifice of his own life and through the lovely story of his birth.
What do we do when offered an unexpected present at this time? Usually, being of Anglo descent, we embarrassingly murmur things like, “Oh, you shouldn’t have”. “Oh for me – but I have nothing to give you in return?” - “Oh How wonderful and lovely of you - but I don’t deserve that”.
Today we celebrate the gift of God to humanity – The gift of Luke’s baby Jesus of Nazareth – the Cosmic Christ of St John - what are we going to say to God in return? The very least we can do is say “Thank you” and accept the gift with the joy it deserves!
May we all experience the joy, reassurance and deep peace that today can bring?
The Lord be with you.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
John the Baptist
IN THE NAME OF GOD – CREATOR, PAINBEARER AND SPIRIT OF LIFE AND LOVE.
3rd Sunday of Advent 2009
John the Baptist (or Baptiser) – what a character!
His ministry pre-dates the work and ministry of Jesus.
Here John is portrayed as an Old Testament prophet in the style of Isaiah and Jeremiah.
In fact he is the last of the Old Testament prophets – when Jesus came upon the scene there was to be no going back – no returning to the old ways of the law and the prophets for the people of Israel.
They were offered another way – an alternative to the rigours of the Torah.
If we look back into last week’s reading we see in verse 3 that John was in the vicinity of the Jordan river ‘proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’. The text of the ancient prophet Isaiah in chapter 40 is quoted - “all flesh shall see the salvation of God”.
The salvation of God was not to be limited to a select few – not the religious elite – not the king and the aristocracy – but ‘all flesh’ – everyone – of high estate or of no estate – rich or poor – the whole gamut of humanity.
The ‘salvation of God’ that John was talking about offered a chance to start life anew – to clear the decks of the mind and conscience from the accumulated detritus of wrong-doing and careless living. To put aside the things that were troubling the conscience and dragging the person down into the depths of remorse and possibly depression.
Here was a chance to be helped up – to be able to stand again on one’s own two feet and renew relationships in a re-invigorated life.
John was dealing here with the lower end of society – the poor (whose poverty would make our poor of the 21st Century look rich) – the bent tax collectors who had the reputation of extracting more than was required and pocketing the difference – and the Jewish mercenary soldiers working within the Roman army who often ‘stood over’ people and bullied them into giving protection money (and we think Al Capone of the 1920’s had invented something new!).
Let’s make no mistake – these were generally an unsavoury lot – people about whom you would think very hard before inviting them into your home.
They did have their traditions and hopes though.
It’s all very contemporary. “Surely God will accept us as we are Jews – the chosen people of God!’ it doesn’t matter about our lifestyles – it doesn’t matter that we are a bit crooked – it doesn’t matter that we hardly have enough to get by and feed our families – we are all descended from Abraham – the Abraham who received the promises from God that his descendants would be favoured for ever”.
John’s instruction to these people is all too clear.
John is scathing – ‘God is able to from these stones to raise up children to Abraham”.
Don’t think you are anything special – God will judge you not on your ancestry or place in human society but on who you really are underneath all that.
I am reminded that the author of this gospel of Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles – remember the scene in acts where peter addressed a derisive crowd on the morning of Pentacost?
He preached a sermon that would be the envy of any aspiring preacher and evangelist – the result – Acts 2: 37 – “they (the people) were cut to the heart and said to peter and the other Apostles, “brothers, what should we do?”
This phrase – ‘what should we do?’ is repeated here by the people listening to John.
But what strikes me most powerfully about this piece of the gospel is the virulent attack by John on these people as they came to seek him out.
He abuses them in the most violent language possible. There is nothing genteel here! How often we Anglicans want to close our eyes at this sort of language?
It doesn’t belong in church! It is offensive in the extreme – we don’t use language like that – one doesn’t swear in church!
During the course of the last 2000 years the church has carefully wrapped the Gospel stories and Jesus in particular in many layers of cotton wool. The base reality of these stories and situations has long been forgotten – it was dirty and people smelt!!
John’s attack comes because he knew these people were not genuine in their approach to him. They came because they had seen others come and thought that ‘we might as well join in’. They came because it seemed like a bit of fun at the time - they came because they were curious about this amazing spectacle of a ludicrous eccentric who seemed to be ranting about some new way that was to come.
People still attempt to come to God today – they think that maybe God is to be found in the church so they timidly come into church and more often than not sit quietly at the back so as not to become too involved in something they either do not understand or only have vague memories of from a distant childhood. They often come at major festival times which are widely known in what is now the post-Christian community of Adelaide.
The festivals of Easter and more so Christmas are so widely celebrated and commercialised that people cannot fail to become aware of them.
Christmas particularly appeals. The lovely gentle story of a woman giving birth in a stable surrounded by animals – shepherds in the fields – wise kings from the east – angels singing in the heavens – guiding stars – what more could we want for the ingredients of a beautiful story - very appealing!
So some people will be intrigued and want to find out a bit more – they gather their courage and come into church.
What is the response from us who own this story that people want to know more of?
In our genteel age of political correctness and fear of litigation it would be most rare to see the reaction that John dished out to the crowd in the story this morning – we don’t turn on these seekers with violent words of abuse – we don’t tell them to – ‘get out and go away as you are not worthy to be here in this church – you are not one of us’!
No - we have a much more subtle approach – we can simply ignore them – treat them with coolness – they are different after all – not one of us.
Or there is another approach – we take them aside and quietly tell them all the problems that our church community is currently struggling with – basically saying in effect – “you won’t want to become involved with all this –the priest is a ratbag – the church council is trying to rebuild the old hall and we don’t have the money – Mrs so and so is nothing but a hypocrite – etc etc.
The crowd berated by John were not to be intimidated however – they were not to be put off. They hung around and in genuine repentance asked what they should be doing. John told them in no uncertain terms.
His answer did not require them to renounce anything in their lives nor to enter into some sort of ascetic lifestyle. They were not asked to undertake a pilgrimage to some shrine nor go to the temple and make expensive sacrifices. No, God’s kingdom was to be available to them there and then – all they needed was to have faith and to understand what was really sacred in life – their relationship with others and with God could be mended.
The answer was all too easy – “share –even if you have little – be fair and honest in all your dealings – don’t use the power given to you to intimidate others for your own advantage – don’t bully!
It did not mean that they had to become heroes – it was something they could do. It was something, when you think about it, that anyone can do. That means it is something that we can do, too.
Does it not concern you that our churches are at best stable in numbers but more likely set on a gentle downward slope? Can we dare ask ourselves the hard questions that are so discomforting?
That is, why have the strangers who have dared to come into our midst not remained to become one of our communities – why is our church not growing? Why have we seen families come and then disappear without word or further comment?
Is it because they could not find God here? We are comfortable in the knowledge that our God is here but is that the God of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth – the all welcoming and all-embracing and loving God we wish we knew better? It’s a good question isn’t it?
I ask you to pray with me that this Christmas season will see our hearts opened to welcome the stranger who comes into our midst.
If you should think about this selfishly – our rewards will be great and our community can only be richly blessed.
The Lord be with you!
3rd Sunday of Advent 2009
John the Baptist (or Baptiser) – what a character!
His ministry pre-dates the work and ministry of Jesus.
Here John is portrayed as an Old Testament prophet in the style of Isaiah and Jeremiah.
In fact he is the last of the Old Testament prophets – when Jesus came upon the scene there was to be no going back – no returning to the old ways of the law and the prophets for the people of Israel.
They were offered another way – an alternative to the rigours of the Torah.
If we look back into last week’s reading we see in verse 3 that John was in the vicinity of the Jordan river ‘proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’. The text of the ancient prophet Isaiah in chapter 40 is quoted - “all flesh shall see the salvation of God”.
The salvation of God was not to be limited to a select few – not the religious elite – not the king and the aristocracy – but ‘all flesh’ – everyone – of high estate or of no estate – rich or poor – the whole gamut of humanity.
The ‘salvation of God’ that John was talking about offered a chance to start life anew – to clear the decks of the mind and conscience from the accumulated detritus of wrong-doing and careless living. To put aside the things that were troubling the conscience and dragging the person down into the depths of remorse and possibly depression.
Here was a chance to be helped up – to be able to stand again on one’s own two feet and renew relationships in a re-invigorated life.
John was dealing here with the lower end of society – the poor (whose poverty would make our poor of the 21st Century look rich) – the bent tax collectors who had the reputation of extracting more than was required and pocketing the difference – and the Jewish mercenary soldiers working within the Roman army who often ‘stood over’ people and bullied them into giving protection money (and we think Al Capone of the 1920’s had invented something new!).
Let’s make no mistake – these were generally an unsavoury lot – people about whom you would think very hard before inviting them into your home.
They did have their traditions and hopes though.
It’s all very contemporary. “Surely God will accept us as we are Jews – the chosen people of God!’ it doesn’t matter about our lifestyles – it doesn’t matter that we are a bit crooked – it doesn’t matter that we hardly have enough to get by and feed our families – we are all descended from Abraham – the Abraham who received the promises from God that his descendants would be favoured for ever”.
John’s instruction to these people is all too clear.
John is scathing – ‘God is able to from these stones to raise up children to Abraham”.
Don’t think you are anything special – God will judge you not on your ancestry or place in human society but on who you really are underneath all that.
I am reminded that the author of this gospel of Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles – remember the scene in acts where peter addressed a derisive crowd on the morning of Pentacost?
He preached a sermon that would be the envy of any aspiring preacher and evangelist – the result – Acts 2: 37 – “they (the people) were cut to the heart and said to peter and the other Apostles, “brothers, what should we do?”
This phrase – ‘what should we do?’ is repeated here by the people listening to John.
But what strikes me most powerfully about this piece of the gospel is the virulent attack by John on these people as they came to seek him out.
He abuses them in the most violent language possible. There is nothing genteel here! How often we Anglicans want to close our eyes at this sort of language?
It doesn’t belong in church! It is offensive in the extreme – we don’t use language like that – one doesn’t swear in church!
During the course of the last 2000 years the church has carefully wrapped the Gospel stories and Jesus in particular in many layers of cotton wool. The base reality of these stories and situations has long been forgotten – it was dirty and people smelt!!
John’s attack comes because he knew these people were not genuine in their approach to him. They came because they had seen others come and thought that ‘we might as well join in’. They came because it seemed like a bit of fun at the time - they came because they were curious about this amazing spectacle of a ludicrous eccentric who seemed to be ranting about some new way that was to come.
People still attempt to come to God today – they think that maybe God is to be found in the church so they timidly come into church and more often than not sit quietly at the back so as not to become too involved in something they either do not understand or only have vague memories of from a distant childhood. They often come at major festival times which are widely known in what is now the post-Christian community of Adelaide.
The festivals of Easter and more so Christmas are so widely celebrated and commercialised that people cannot fail to become aware of them.
Christmas particularly appeals. The lovely gentle story of a woman giving birth in a stable surrounded by animals – shepherds in the fields – wise kings from the east – angels singing in the heavens – guiding stars – what more could we want for the ingredients of a beautiful story - very appealing!
So some people will be intrigued and want to find out a bit more – they gather their courage and come into church.
What is the response from us who own this story that people want to know more of?
In our genteel age of political correctness and fear of litigation it would be most rare to see the reaction that John dished out to the crowd in the story this morning – we don’t turn on these seekers with violent words of abuse – we don’t tell them to – ‘get out and go away as you are not worthy to be here in this church – you are not one of us’!
No - we have a much more subtle approach – we can simply ignore them – treat them with coolness – they are different after all – not one of us.
Or there is another approach – we take them aside and quietly tell them all the problems that our church community is currently struggling with – basically saying in effect – “you won’t want to become involved with all this –the priest is a ratbag – the church council is trying to rebuild the old hall and we don’t have the money – Mrs so and so is nothing but a hypocrite – etc etc.
The crowd berated by John were not to be intimidated however – they were not to be put off. They hung around and in genuine repentance asked what they should be doing. John told them in no uncertain terms.
His answer did not require them to renounce anything in their lives nor to enter into some sort of ascetic lifestyle. They were not asked to undertake a pilgrimage to some shrine nor go to the temple and make expensive sacrifices. No, God’s kingdom was to be available to them there and then – all they needed was to have faith and to understand what was really sacred in life – their relationship with others and with God could be mended.
The answer was all too easy – “share –even if you have little – be fair and honest in all your dealings – don’t use the power given to you to intimidate others for your own advantage – don’t bully!
It did not mean that they had to become heroes – it was something they could do. It was something, when you think about it, that anyone can do. That means it is something that we can do, too.
Does it not concern you that our churches are at best stable in numbers but more likely set on a gentle downward slope? Can we dare ask ourselves the hard questions that are so discomforting?
That is, why have the strangers who have dared to come into our midst not remained to become one of our communities – why is our church not growing? Why have we seen families come and then disappear without word or further comment?
Is it because they could not find God here? We are comfortable in the knowledge that our God is here but is that the God of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth – the all welcoming and all-embracing and loving God we wish we knew better? It’s a good question isn’t it?
I ask you to pray with me that this Christmas season will see our hearts opened to welcome the stranger who comes into our midst.
If you should think about this selfishly – our rewards will be great and our community can only be richly blessed.
The Lord be with you!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Paul's letter to the Christians in Philippi
IN THE NAME OF GOD – CREATOR, PAINBEARER AND SPIRIT OF LIFE AND LOVE
2nd Sunday of Advent 2009
TEXT: Philippians 1: 1-11
This letter of Paul to the little group of radical Jews – read Christians – at Philippi is one of his later communications – possibly written from a prison dungeon in Rome. The Christian community in Philippi was the first one Paul established on European soil.
Philippi is a city in Macedonia and was the main stopover on the main roads between East and West in the Roman Empire.
Paul enjoyed a close and happy relationship with the Christians at Philippi. They had been generous in their monetary contributions towards the cause of the Jerusalem Christians and had been great staunch supporters of Paul and his friend and colleague, Timothy.
Although the Christians were still very much a part of the synagogue – the division was not to come for another twenty years – there was much opposition and antagonism towards the Christian community from within the more orthodox Jewish community.
So the main theme of this letter is persistence and actual joy in faith in the face of opposition.
It’s difficult to cope with opposition. Our ideas and concepts are always right – are they not?
It’s not me who’s got the wrong end of the stick – who is confused and out of step with mainstream thinking and even reality itself – it’s always you!
Of course you think in exactly the same way – It’s me who’s got it all wrong – It’s me who’s too young to know the realities of life – It’s me who fails to show respect for experience.
Does my concept of God vary with yours? Is my theology different from yours? Do you still cling to outdated and discredited ideas because they seem safe?
It’s the place where you feel secure – don’t ask the hard questions – be very wary of anything new – any new experience or way of thinking – be conservative – cling to that which you know and are familiar.
That’s what the Christians of ancient Philippi were up against.
The orthodox Jews felt threatened by these new fangled ideas from country Galilee that Paul and his mates had introduced: this healer and mystical teacher called Jesus of Nazareth who appeared to possess a great charisma and powers of healing and whose teachings were radical – who advocated the inclusion of people other than Jews into the synagogue – people who were neither circumcised nor followed the kosher food rules of the Torah.
How easy it is to transpose those scenes from the ancient world to Adelaide of the twenty first century- especially to the Anglican community of our time and place?
How tolerant are we of new scholarship – new revelations concerning the scriptures and our faith – new thinking which has surfaced in the light of scientific discovery – fresh glimmerings of understanding of the nature and being of that wonderful mystery we call God?
We need to be careful to keep an open mind – certainly to question and probe but to not reject out of hand ideas which seem to ‘rattle our cage’ or ‘shake our tree’ as the sayings go.
We could end up like the orthodox people of Philippi – be left clinging to a legalistic cultural system without love that Jesus changed – from legalism to love!
But we all face opposition of many other sorts today – not idealisms - not theological interpretations (few people would feel threatened by that today! – interested perhaps but not threatened) - Not necessarily even physical threats of violence - but we do all face the unwavering opposition of age and illness.
We all feel the aches and pains – we can’t do what we once did.
Perhaps that’s our challenge of today. How do we cope then? It’s all very well to diagnose the problem but how about some sort of answer?
Let’s go back to our text for today.
Paul speaks of Prayer – how comforting it is to know that others love us and pray for us – that’s real support and strength. That’s what is to be found ( or should be found) in a true Christian community.
He writes in verse 9, “This is my prayer that your love may overflow more and more….”
Love is where we find God – because God is revealed in the love that is shared amongst us through fellowship and prayer for each other.
What a wonderful mystery that is!!
That’s where we discover God according to Paul – “in the love that is shared amongst us”. And when we discover God that is within us we also discover the strength and joy that comes with love and through prayer – even in times of adversity!
Let’s look at verse 7 - “All of you share in God’s grace with me”… it is an interesting use of words in this expression of thanksgiving.
Koinōnia, is translated as "sharing" here.
Translated variously as "fellowship" or "partnership," koinōnia is a word that expresses the essence of Christianity. . It means something held in common, as opposed to something "private".
koinōnia refers to the community and its participants (e.g., the state or the commonwealth).
Greek philosophers used it and related words to refer to the social order. For example, Plato's ideal republic had communal, not private, property.
The book of Acts highlights a similar community ideal when it says the Jerusalem church held "all things in common" (Acts 2:44).
Here in Philippians, Paul's use of koinōnia seems similar to the Greek philosopher, Pythagorus’ idea that friends have all things in common. This is why scholars maintain that friendship is at the heart of this letter.
The church was a community of active participants – it still is, usually.
People come into a Christian community because they feel the need to be involved – to take part in varying ways in the worship of God and to participate in the joy which goes hand in hand with that.
As I said, friendship is at the heart of this letter. The love that is philia is what makes true community (koinōnia) possible. It involves activities that express commonality - thinking and sharing things in common. As described by Paul, friendship is a spiritual matter. I wonder if that is how we view our friendships – as a spiritual part of life.
I
t infers that we have a friendship which is genuine and not self-seeking – not a place where we can wield power and exert our authority over another – not a place for seeking self advantage.
True friendship can only be a by product of true love. There, as Paul says, lies the secret of true community. One cannot love alone (although some people make a good attempt!).
It is imperative that love is something that can only be shared between people as a couple – a group or as a community. It does not necessarily follow that all within these categories will share exactly the same ideas and concepts and even perhaps – values.
But it is in sharing in the love which brings tolerance that we build a stronger marriage – a stronger community – it is in sharing that we come to know and understand each other better and to know and understand each other is to open the opportunities for love to enter – hence a stronger and more effective and cohesive partnership, marriage or community.
Many scholars identify joy as the main theme of this letter. Joy, here as in all of Paul's writings, comes with the gospel (the ‘Good News” of Christ) through the Holy Spirit.
Real deep down Joy is the result of shared friendship in love – the love which is God in us.
The Lord be with you.
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