Feast of Christ the KingNovember 25, 2007Jeremiah 23:1-6Colossians 1:11-20Luke 23:35-43
Perhaps its came at the stroke of midnight Thursday night, perhaps at 4:00am Friday, perhaps it came as early as some time Thursday itself. I am not sure when exactly it happened, but at sometime over the past few days the Thanksgiving holiday ended and the Christmas holiday season began. At some time, I am not sure exactly when, the turkey, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie were put away, and we began to focus on what has become the most important piece of our thanksgiving weekend, Christmas shopping. Doesn’t Thursday already seem to be so long ago? Isn’t all the attention already focused on the Christmas Holiday that we will celebrate one month from today?
In keeping with the Spirit of the Season, I too would like to focus my sermon for this Feast of Christ the King on Christmas. I would like to focus though not on the Christmas that comes one month from today, but rather on the Feast of Christmas that we celebrated 11 months ago, Christmas 2006. On the Feast of Christmas 2006 we heard the story of the birth of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke. In that story we heard of Mary saying yes to the angel as she consented to be the mother of Jesus. We heard of the Spirit of God coming over Mary and by the power of the spirit, that she conceived a son in her womb. We heard of the birth of Jesus outside Jerusalem in a small town of Bethlehem. We heard of him being laid in a wooden manger, and wrapped in swaddling clothes. We heard of shepherds keeping watch over their flocks, and the angels announcing to them “news of great joy” that a savior has been born. We heard of the heavenly hosts filling the heavens and proclaiming this great news.
With that Christmas story from the beginning chapters of the Gospel of Luke in our mind then, I would invite you again to ponder today’s Gospel from the ending chapters of Luke that we just heard proclaimed. Between these stories, we see some very deep connections. The story takes place once again, near Jerusalem, not in Bethlehem but on Calvary. Keeping watch are not shepherds but a crowd of people. Standing guard, are not angels but soldiers. Jesus is not laid in a wooden manger, but nailed to the wooden cross. There is no swaddling cloth, Jesus has been stripped and his garments divided. Instead of angels announcing his birth, there is an inscription which announces the reason for his crucifixion. In just a few verses after the Gospel story of today, Jesus commits the spirit that came upon him in the womb of Mary back to his heavenly Father. After the death of Jesus, a centurion declares news that this was an innocent man.
Luke skillfully frames the life of earthly Jesus with these two connected stories. In between these stories, Luke has focused much of his Gospel on the mercy and compassion of Jesus. In Luke, Jesus is presented as truly one with the people. He is surrounded by ordinary people; women, children, the poor, the lame, the outcasts. He is moved by the sufferings and sorrows of widows and orphans. In Luke Jesus reveals the depth of God’s mercy. In Luke, Jesus tells the story of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost son. In Luke the woman, known to be a sinner, washes the feet of Jesus with her hair. In Luke Jesus visits the home of the tax collector Zaccheus. The mercy and compassion of God revealed in Jesus are central in the Gospel of Luke that we have been hearing since last Christmas. Today on this Feast of Christ the King, Luke presents us with one last, great story of compassion and mercy. Today Luke presents us with the story of the thief crucified with Jesus.
Jesus, has ascended to the throne of his cross. As he is crucified, he shares the sentence of death with the outcasts and criminals. He is not a king who is distant from his people, but one who is with them even as he shares in their shameful suffering and death. He is a king, who has been stripped of every symbol of royalty----except one. He still holds his power to pardon. Jesus, the compassionate and merciful king forgives the criminal and promises him that he will accompany Jesus into paradise. Today, the criminal will share the reign of God.
Dear friends, that is the promise given to us this day as well. Jesus is a compassionate and merciful king who promises us that we will share in the reign of God.
Decades earlier, in the hymn that we heard read today from Colossians, Paul proclaims that in Jesus the fullness of power of the creator came dwell on earth. This hymn reaches in climax in the proclamation that on the cross Jesus reconciled all things on earth and in heaven. In Christ all that is destroyed by sin is restored. In Christ all that is torn apart is made one. Even more, the hymn proclaims, the reign that began in Jesus at his birth, the mercy revealed in Jesus at his death, continues in and through his body the Church
Jesus the compassionate and merciful one, continues his reign of reconciliation through us and in us, and with us even to today.
So, dear friends, as we end our holiday weekend celebrating the Feast of Christ the King, let us look forward to the Feast of Christmas that we will celebrate in one month. Let us prepare for that feast not primarily in looking for sales and bargains in gifts to purchase and wrap. Let us look forward to Christmas by looking for ways to seek reconciliation in acts of compassion and mercy. From the cross, Jesus offered the gift of forgiveness to one person. In that one act of mercy, he revealed is power over all creation. Perhaps, in the midst of many gifts of compassion that we will be invited to share in the month to come, we can seek and offer the gift of reconciliation to one person. May we pray for one who has wronged us, one whom we have wronged. May we remember one person in our life who has, like us been forgiven by our merciful God. May we forgive them as we have been forgiven. May Christ, whose death we remember and whose birth we celebrate continue his work of reconciliation and forgiveness through us. May our gifts of compassion, our gifts of mercy, our gifts of forgiveness bring the reign of Christ to reality in our world.
That will indeed be the greatest gift that we can give.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Yancey 17 and 18
Chapter 17
Unanswered Prayer. Living with the Mystery
What struck you most from the chapter?
Is there anything that surprised you, confused you, upset you?
How did you feel as you were reading the chapter?
Is my prayer at times a desire to escape my human condition?
Why pray if prayers are not answered?
What value is there in “waiting”?
What does it mean to be an occasionist in prayer? What would happen if God never answered prayer? What would happen if God always answered prayer?
Has an unanswered prayer in your life ever opened the door to something better?
What is the difference between a theist and a Christian?
Does asking God for world peace, or justice, or that the hungry be fed, or the sick cared for let me off the hook?
Last paragraph of the chapter, page 247 captures it all for me.
Chapter 18 Prayer and Physical Healing
What struck you most from the chapter?
Is there anything that surprised you, confused you, upset you?
How did you feel as you were reading the chapter?
Unanswered Prayer. Living with the Mystery
What struck you most from the chapter?
Is there anything that surprised you, confused you, upset you?
How did you feel as you were reading the chapter?
Is my prayer at times a desire to escape my human condition?
Why pray if prayers are not answered?
What value is there in “waiting”?
What does it mean to be an occasionist in prayer? What would happen if God never answered prayer? What would happen if God always answered prayer?
Has an unanswered prayer in your life ever opened the door to something better?
What is the difference between a theist and a Christian?
Does asking God for world peace, or justice, or that the hungry be fed, or the sick cared for let me off the hook?
Last paragraph of the chapter, page 247 captures it all for me.
Chapter 18 Prayer and Physical Healing
What struck you most from the chapter?
Is there anything that surprised you, confused you, upset you?
How did you feel as you were reading the chapter?
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Yancey, chapter 13 and 14
Chapter 13 Prayer Grammar
What struck you most from the chapter?
Is there anything that surprised you, confused you, upset you?
How did you feel as you were reading the chapter?
Page 170 Learning to pray is like learning to talk, read or walk. Have you ever thought of that before?
Which phrase of the Lord’s prayer touches you most deeply?
Dorothy Sayers quote on 173 about the psalms. Do you agree?
Are your prayers sanitized?
Do you memorize prayers? Is it artificial to do so?
Does a structure for prayer work for you? How much do you pray using prayers written by others?
Is there a time when you remind yourself to pray? In traffic, before meals, waiting in line, on hold, passing a church? Have you ever tried this? What if I prayed during commercials……..or before the news……or whenever….when I start my car?
Chapter 14 Tongue Tied
What struck you most from the chapter?
Is there anything that surprised you, confused you, upset you?
How did you feel as you were reading the chapter?
What distracts you from prayer? How do you try to deal with these distractions? Can distractions be prayers?
“People of sinking ships do not complain about being distracted”. Any comment to this quote? What focuses you in prayer?
“Keep it simple, keep it honest, keep it up”. Is this enough instruction for prayer?Is your prayer honest?
How does your personality effect the way you pray?
Do we sometimes try to “copy” another’s prayer, and then feel guilty when it does not work for us? Do churches have different personalities….thus, different ways to pray?
He returns to the psalms---how central are they in your prayer?
Have you tried to read prayers aloud---even when you are by yourself? How might this help you pray the psalms?
What struck you most from the chapter?
Is there anything that surprised you, confused you, upset you?
How did you feel as you were reading the chapter?
Page 170 Learning to pray is like learning to talk, read or walk. Have you ever thought of that before?
Which phrase of the Lord’s prayer touches you most deeply?
Dorothy Sayers quote on 173 about the psalms. Do you agree?
Are your prayers sanitized?
Do you memorize prayers? Is it artificial to do so?
Does a structure for prayer work for you? How much do you pray using prayers written by others?
Is there a time when you remind yourself to pray? In traffic, before meals, waiting in line, on hold, passing a church? Have you ever tried this? What if I prayed during commercials……..or before the news……or whenever….when I start my car?
Chapter 14 Tongue Tied
What struck you most from the chapter?
Is there anything that surprised you, confused you, upset you?
How did you feel as you were reading the chapter?
What distracts you from prayer? How do you try to deal with these distractions? Can distractions be prayers?
“People of sinking ships do not complain about being distracted”. Any comment to this quote? What focuses you in prayer?
“Keep it simple, keep it honest, keep it up”. Is this enough instruction for prayer?Is your prayer honest?
How does your personality effect the way you pray?
Do we sometimes try to “copy” another’s prayer, and then feel guilty when it does not work for us? Do churches have different personalities….thus, different ways to pray?
He returns to the psalms---how central are they in your prayer?
Have you tried to read prayers aloud---even when you are by yourself? How might this help you pray the psalms?
Monday, November 5, 2007
All Saints Sermon
Sermon
All Saints Sunday
Sunday November 4
Luke 19:1-10
Ecclesiasitcus 2:2-11
Ephesians 1:11-23
It has been a full week here at St. Andrew’s.
On Monday we remembered and gave thanks to God to one of our charter members. John Van Slooten, was father, grandfather and great grandfather to some in this congregation. John was a friend to many of us who knew him in different ways through the 98 years of his life. There was much in his life to be thankful for. During his funeral we remembered the day of John’s baptism, the day when the church gathered around him and professed the Apostles Creed. The Apostles Creed dates back to the earliest years of the Church and has been proclaimed by Christians at baptism through the centuries. As the Church, we gathered Monday and professed our confident hope that the journey John began at his baptism has reached its fulfillment as he now rests in peace, and lives with all of God’s faithful departed sons and daughters.
On Thursday this week, we celebrated the Feasts of All Saints, and the Day of Remembrance for all the Faithful Departed. On that day we remembered the lives those men and women who have through the centuries lived as disciples of Jesus. On that day we remembered the great saints, the cloud of witnesses from every tribe and people and nation and tongue. On that day we remembered those who lived and died centuries ago. On that day we remembered the saints that we have known, the saints who have touched our lives. We remembered our fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors. We remembered the Saints of this Church who are buried in the memorial garden. Again, as we remembered the Saints and the Faithful Departed, we proclaimed the Apostle’s Creed.
It has been a full week here at St. Andrew’s even as it has been a full week in your homes and neighborhoods. It has been a week when perhaps you went to work or school. It has been a week when perhaps you cared for children, grandchildren or parents. A week when perhaps you dressed up in a costume and collected candy, or perhaps you gave candy away. Maybe it was a week when you went to a game or two, or a concert or two. A week when perhaps you experienced illness yourself, or the illness of someone you loved. It was a week when you probably had some successes and some failure, some joys and disappointments. It was a week when you said or did some things that you were proud of and some things that embarrassed you. It was a week when you laughed and cried. It was a week when perhaps you had a disagreement with a member of your family or a co-worker or maybe a week in which you were reconciled with someone. It was a week when perhaps the news of the world left you in despair or perhaps inspired you to hope.
As we celebrated the lives of All the Saints here at Church this past week, it is important for us to remember that saints are not people who necessarily spent a great deal of their time in Church. God forbid. No, the Saints were people who spent most of their life outside of Church doing many of the things that you were about this past week; working, studying, laughing, crying, succeeding and failing, caring for loved ones, facing their own struggles. We do the saints a disservice when we lock them up in church.
Zacchaeus is a great model for us as we gather on All Saints Sunday. The Zacchaeus we meet in the Gospel is not a church goer. In fact, Zacchaeus was despised by righteous church goers of his day. He was the chief tax collector. Everything I said last week about tax collectors being thieves, traitors and extortionists is even more true for Zacchaeus. He is the chief tax collector, and he was rich. That means he was good at what he did. He excelled as a thief, traitor and extortionist. My suspicion is that the righteous Jews of Jericho hated Zacchaeus with a passion. That is why they grumbled when Jesus chose to stay with Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus is a model for sainthood not because he kept the law, he did not. Not because he spent time in Church, he did not. Zacchaeus is a model for sainthood because he was found by Jesus. Zacchaeus, was lost, and Jesus found him. The name Zacchaeus means righteous and pure. When he climbed that sycamore, Zacchaeus was anything but righteous and pure. He became righteous and pure by the mercy of God. Likewise, Zacchaeus was made a saint by the mercy of God.
Zacchaeus is a model for sainthood because he was extravagant in his gratitude. He repaid those he defrauded and cheated over and above what the law required. Extravagantly, he gave half of what he owned to the poor.
God was rich in the mercy he poured upon Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was rich in the thanks he returned to God. Did Zacchaeus become a follower of Jesus? Did he join other Christians in remembering Jesus after Easter? Perhaps. Some say that Luke records his name in the Gospel because Zacchaeus was known among the post Easter disciples. But regardless, Zacchaues lived his life extravagantly in his service, not in the Church, but in the world. That is where the holiest of saints are living their faith. In the world.
This weekend our celebration of All Saints ends with the baptism of Zachary Danks. Isn’t it too ironic that Zachary is to be baptized on the day we hear about Zacchaeus?What a perfect what to end our All Saints celebration! We began on Monday by professing our faith at the funeral of our oldest, charter member John, and we end today by professing our faith at the baptism of our newest member Zachary. The same Apostles Creed we proclaimed for John on Monday, we proclaim for Zachary today. We remembered through the week the fullness of life given to the Saints who have died. We celebrate today the fullness of life promised to Zachary. As we celebrate this baptism, Kim and Brandon, together with his god parents, and maybe his older sister, will make some promises. They will promise to bring him up in the Christian life and faith. They will promise to help him grown into the full stature of Jesus. And, we will make promises as well. We will promise to support Zachary in his life in Christ. We will promise to introduce Zachary to Jesus and to show him by our lives, who Jesus is. We will promise to reveal to Zachary a God who seeks the lost, a God who dines with outcasts, a God who is extravagant in mercy. We will promise to show Zachary how to be extravagant in our gratitude. We will promise to show Zachary how to live as a saint. How to live that as those whom Jesus seeks and finds. How to live as sinners, to whom Jesus brings the fullness of life. How to live lives that are extravagantly grateful.
All Saints Sunday
Sunday November 4
Luke 19:1-10
Ecclesiasitcus 2:2-11
Ephesians 1:11-23
It has been a full week here at St. Andrew’s.
On Monday we remembered and gave thanks to God to one of our charter members. John Van Slooten, was father, grandfather and great grandfather to some in this congregation. John was a friend to many of us who knew him in different ways through the 98 years of his life. There was much in his life to be thankful for. During his funeral we remembered the day of John’s baptism, the day when the church gathered around him and professed the Apostles Creed. The Apostles Creed dates back to the earliest years of the Church and has been proclaimed by Christians at baptism through the centuries. As the Church, we gathered Monday and professed our confident hope that the journey John began at his baptism has reached its fulfillment as he now rests in peace, and lives with all of God’s faithful departed sons and daughters.
On Thursday this week, we celebrated the Feasts of All Saints, and the Day of Remembrance for all the Faithful Departed. On that day we remembered the lives those men and women who have through the centuries lived as disciples of Jesus. On that day we remembered the great saints, the cloud of witnesses from every tribe and people and nation and tongue. On that day we remembered those who lived and died centuries ago. On that day we remembered the saints that we have known, the saints who have touched our lives. We remembered our fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors. We remembered the Saints of this Church who are buried in the memorial garden. Again, as we remembered the Saints and the Faithful Departed, we proclaimed the Apostle’s Creed.
It has been a full week here at St. Andrew’s even as it has been a full week in your homes and neighborhoods. It has been a week when perhaps you went to work or school. It has been a week when perhaps you cared for children, grandchildren or parents. A week when perhaps you dressed up in a costume and collected candy, or perhaps you gave candy away. Maybe it was a week when you went to a game or two, or a concert or two. A week when perhaps you experienced illness yourself, or the illness of someone you loved. It was a week when you probably had some successes and some failure, some joys and disappointments. It was a week when you said or did some things that you were proud of and some things that embarrassed you. It was a week when you laughed and cried. It was a week when perhaps you had a disagreement with a member of your family or a co-worker or maybe a week in which you were reconciled with someone. It was a week when perhaps the news of the world left you in despair or perhaps inspired you to hope.
As we celebrated the lives of All the Saints here at Church this past week, it is important for us to remember that saints are not people who necessarily spent a great deal of their time in Church. God forbid. No, the Saints were people who spent most of their life outside of Church doing many of the things that you were about this past week; working, studying, laughing, crying, succeeding and failing, caring for loved ones, facing their own struggles. We do the saints a disservice when we lock them up in church.
Zacchaeus is a great model for us as we gather on All Saints Sunday. The Zacchaeus we meet in the Gospel is not a church goer. In fact, Zacchaeus was despised by righteous church goers of his day. He was the chief tax collector. Everything I said last week about tax collectors being thieves, traitors and extortionists is even more true for Zacchaeus. He is the chief tax collector, and he was rich. That means he was good at what he did. He excelled as a thief, traitor and extortionist. My suspicion is that the righteous Jews of Jericho hated Zacchaeus with a passion. That is why they grumbled when Jesus chose to stay with Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus is a model for sainthood not because he kept the law, he did not. Not because he spent time in Church, he did not. Zacchaeus is a model for sainthood because he was found by Jesus. Zacchaeus, was lost, and Jesus found him. The name Zacchaeus means righteous and pure. When he climbed that sycamore, Zacchaeus was anything but righteous and pure. He became righteous and pure by the mercy of God. Likewise, Zacchaeus was made a saint by the mercy of God.
Zacchaeus is a model for sainthood because he was extravagant in his gratitude. He repaid those he defrauded and cheated over and above what the law required. Extravagantly, he gave half of what he owned to the poor.
God was rich in the mercy he poured upon Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was rich in the thanks he returned to God. Did Zacchaeus become a follower of Jesus? Did he join other Christians in remembering Jesus after Easter? Perhaps. Some say that Luke records his name in the Gospel because Zacchaeus was known among the post Easter disciples. But regardless, Zacchaues lived his life extravagantly in his service, not in the Church, but in the world. That is where the holiest of saints are living their faith. In the world.
This weekend our celebration of All Saints ends with the baptism of Zachary Danks. Isn’t it too ironic that Zachary is to be baptized on the day we hear about Zacchaeus?What a perfect what to end our All Saints celebration! We began on Monday by professing our faith at the funeral of our oldest, charter member John, and we end today by professing our faith at the baptism of our newest member Zachary. The same Apostles Creed we proclaimed for John on Monday, we proclaim for Zachary today. We remembered through the week the fullness of life given to the Saints who have died. We celebrate today the fullness of life promised to Zachary. As we celebrate this baptism, Kim and Brandon, together with his god parents, and maybe his older sister, will make some promises. They will promise to bring him up in the Christian life and faith. They will promise to help him grown into the full stature of Jesus. And, we will make promises as well. We will promise to support Zachary in his life in Christ. We will promise to introduce Zachary to Jesus and to show him by our lives, who Jesus is. We will promise to reveal to Zachary a God who seeks the lost, a God who dines with outcasts, a God who is extravagant in mercy. We will promise to show Zachary how to be extravagant in our gratitude. We will promise to show Zachary how to live as a saint. How to live that as those whom Jesus seeks and finds. How to live as sinners, to whom Jesus brings the fullness of life. How to live lives that are extravagantly grateful.
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