Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Eve 2011


The Story Thus Far

Isaiah and Luke 2:1-7

We have all heard the story, if not at church in the last few years, then maybe on television, or you read it in a book, or something. It seems part of the collective consciousness to say that once a long time ago, in a little town, in a stable behind an inn, a baby was born.

We are also told that the heavens rejoiced, that kings trembled, that wise men searched him out.
It happened to fulfill a prophecy…

It happened so that the people who walked in deep darkness might see a dawning light on the horizon… It happened so that God might increase the joy of a people struggling in a time of uncertainty.

Legend has it that a German Priest by the name of Martin Luther began the tradition of decorating trees. 
One crisp Christmas Eve, around the year 1500, he was walking through snow-covered woods, thinking about the Christmas sermon he would preach.  Time slipped away from him and it began to get quite dark. Luther began to get nervous as the shadows lengthened and he could hear the howls of wild animals around him. 

Just then, he looked up at the night sky to see it filled with tiny pricks of light – twinkling blue and silver stars. As he looked around, he was struck by the beauty of a group of small evergreens. Their branches were dusted with snow and shimmered in the moonlight. 

He was no longer afraid
When he got home, he set up a little fir tree indoors so he could share this story with his children. He decorated it with candles, which he lit in honour of Christ's birth. All of a sudden the image of the birth of Jesus as God's light shining in the darkness for everyone made more sense to him…

This is the same light that the prophet Isaiah talks about when he tells us that God sends light to those who walk in darkness. It is as true now as it was then.

Wonder

Do you know what an Angel is? Most religions have them, but we in the Jewish Christian and Islamic tradition know them as Messengers.

Angels come to bring a word from the Lord - When Mary first conceived, it was the Arch-Angel Gabriel who broke the news to her and helped her to be excited about what would transpire. Joseph moved from anger to understanding about the whole pregnancy situation only when an angel appeared to him in a dream.  

And after the birth of Jesus, it was a choir of angels that brought the good news to the shepherds, and in that moment, “the glory of the Lord shone around them…”

I see that as awe… everything lit up, it overwhelmed them, God was present…

I don’t know what most of you do tonight when the presents are wrapped and the kids are asleep and everything is ready… I remember when I lived with my five brothers for a brief period of insanity that the 11pm on Christmas Eve was magical.

We would sit in the living room, only the lights on the tree illuminating the world. Outside would be dark and quiet. No one would be fighting, we were usually allowed some rum in our egg nog… and it was somehow, momentarily, perfect.

The Celtic folk call this a thin place – a time where the line between heaven and earth is a little blurry. A time where you realize there is more than meets the eye going on. Those moments are indeed quite rare, but they often happen on Christmas Eve.

Whether it is as a child waiting for Santa, or seeing the presents under the tree, or the quiet of a night filled with significance…. If we are open to it, the Angels are still bringing a message from God.

And the message is the same as it always has been, a message of God’s glory and of peace for us.

Treasured in the Heart

In the 119th Psalm we are told that God has hidden love deep within our hearts. In fact, there is a tradition that says we spend our whole lives searching outwardly for that love, and it is only when we realize it is hidden within us that we become capable of loving fully.

I think too often we forget the last words of the Christmas story, that Mary “Treasured these things in her heart.”

I was listening to an interview with Rabbi Harold Kushner the other day and he was talking about how it is a good idea to go to the graveyard and read the tombstones every now and again. He pointed out that never once will you come across ones that say things like: Brett Anningson, good with numbers; or exceptional preacher; or anything remotely like that… what you will see is devoted wife, loving son, you will see expressions of the heart.

Too often we have those moments in front of the fire, or sitting around the tree, or opening presents, or feasting with family, and then go back to work the next day as if it is all over. We forget to treasure those moments that allow us to see the world from a different perspective.

Christmas is a time that we can let seep into our soul. It is the coming of the light into an otherwise darkened world. And it is not just right now, it is forever.

So enjoy it, revel in it, relax in it, but let it seep into your very soul. Tomorrow the light is dawning.

 Words of Reflection:  Sharing the Light & Blessing

Look around this sacred place and see all the lights that are burning. 
See the light that shines in each of us.

From the Light of the World comes light for every one of us to take into our corners of the world. 
Take this light with you tonight and remember who you are and who has made you.

Tonight, light has broken through the darkness.
New life is starting right now!
Go forth and live in the light.
Go forth in peace to love and serve our God.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

ADVENT 4 - B 2011


God with Us

Please note, as with many of my sermons what is written is not "Exactly" what is preached. I usually end up ad-libbing and changing things on the fly. In this case, the entire conclusion of this sermon was done differently. But the written conclusion is still valid. grin.

Introduction

In the beginning…. We walked in the Garden with God.

Ever stopped to think of these stories figuratively, rather than historically? Once upon a time the people were so close to God that we were friends, walking in the cool of the evening… Then we rebelled, or got uppity, or something, and strained the relationship…

Still being our friend, God intervened when we needed help, was always there to lend a hand, walked with us through the desert and gave us his prime vacation property when we had nowhere to live, the Promised Land…

We still didn’t see the true value of that friendship and went ahead and worked on things that were really important like nation building and politics. Eventually getting some kings to take the place of our friend God.
Well – God was still there, but there were fewer visits, after all, we thought we could do everything all by ourselves…

Eventually God thought we were so far off track that God decided to try something new, to relate to us in a new way, instead of an equal, God became the person who needed the help, a tiny little baby… still full of the same wisdom we needed to hear, still trying to help us along the way… but maybe this way we would be more welcoming…

This morning our readings start with King David. They tell us that he wanted to bring God closer, to build a home for God, but that he was going about it the wrong way… he was that king who was too self-reliant to really need God anymore and so…. Still the promise was made: I will still be with you, and your family, and someday, we will walk together again…

With the Kids

Jesus Birthday Party

Exalted Forever

I think most of the encounters people have with God in the Bible go this way:

“…but, God, things aren’t working out like I planned!”

“It’s ok, I will still be with you, and all of your family forever…”

That was God’s promise to Adam and Eve after they left the garden, it was the promise to Noah, to Moses, to King David, to us…

More than that – imbedded in that statement, “I will be with you” is another deeper promise – “things will get better.”

John the Baptist said it this way – the one who is coming is someone far greater than I am… And in fact, fart greater than anyone you have ever heard of; a greater father than Abraham, a greater leader than Moses, a greater prophet than Elijah, a greater king than David, a greater Hockey player than Sydney Crosby… Whatever you imagine, whatever you think the best was… There is still more…

This is partly why I don’t get upset with shopping malls and Christmas elevator music – or sappy movies and holiday cheer. It is not the competition – it is the exact same message: Life can be better. People can be happier. Love can be more real.

I think of Charles Dickens as the best prophet for the Spirit of Christmas we ever had – he was always on about Christmas changing hearts – about how even the hardest heart could be softened by the season.

The Angel Gabriel

Have you ever woken up and found an angel at the foot of the bed?

I haven’t. I know people who have. If you ask me, this is the scariest of all ways God might communicate with you.

I mean, I have felt the gentle push, I have known a calming presence, I have had unexpected things happen. All of these seem to me to be God speaking… but to wake up to Gabriel in the middle of the night telling me some unimaginable thing…

Right in the middle of that proclamation is this line:

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you”
It is that which changed everything. I want you to imagine that literally in your life right now… what if the spirit of God came upon you – what if you felt God’s will and presence so completely that it overpowered you?

How would the world be different if we were so convinced of God’s way that we never rebelled?

It is said God chose the most unlikely place, the most unlikely person… and that is just like God…

Conclusion
I think the old promises are still true. I think that God still whispers to us that everything will be all right.

It might not seem it in the heat of then moment, and it is totally possible that the bad things out weigh the good right now, But Christmas was and is a time to see the horizon, a time to recognize that something new is always happening and to set out in hope. 

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Advent 3-B 2011


A Cup of Joy

Introduction

There is nothing like seeing the world through the eyes of a child. I remember the first Christmas with each of my kids. I remember the magic they felt seeing the decorations, the excitement of Christmas morning, the joy of tearing open presents.

Luckily I still feel most of that myself. I try to enter into it with the excitement and wonder that I first felt.

Today is the Sunday of Joy, the Third week of our preparations for Christmas. The thing is, Joy is something I think we cannot limit to one day a year. I also think it is one of the things we have the most control over.

Joy is an approach to life. Joy is the ability to look at an event with wonder. It is seeing the decorations on the tree for the first time every year. It is driving around looking at the lights just like you are a kid again. And… it is taking that first sip of coffee and enjoying it like it was meant to be enjoyed.

I truly think approaching life with joy and wonder is a religious practice. And I want this Sunday to be a reminder for you to see beyond the stress, beyond the hustle and bustle, and enter the magic.

Isaiah and Words worth Preaching

When Jesus was first asked, as a wandering preacher, to give a sermon in church, he stood up and read from this passage in Isaiah. It was, for him, the Good News.

I just want you to think about that – what brings you joy? What is good news for you? How does it relate to the idea that the more people we can make happy, the happier we are?

To console the broken-hearted, to help those who are captive to break free, to be with those who mourn… these are the things Isaiah suggests would be Good News…

So take my attitude problem theory and put it here:  There are usually external factors that make us think we cannot be joyful – we lose the ones we love, we get sick, we cannot afford the lifestyle we think we need, 
those type of things make us see the world in a way that is clouded over…

What if our religious duty was to look deeper, to be able to see that those things are real, and true, but do not have the last word? What if we are to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour – in spite of

Life sucks, you know what, laugh and have fun anyway…

With the Kids

(adapted from sermons4kids)
John the Baptist said repent - turn around and reflect God
- Flashlight and a Mirror 

Magnifying the Lord

I remember the first time I heard Emily’s heartbeat. I mean, it was pretty obvious that Mary was pregnant, but for some reason, that little ultrasonic scanner picking up the thump thump thump brought tears to my eyes.

I imagine that for the woman carrying the child, that feeling is multiplied a hundredfold.

Now – not having any sort of medical equipment – I want you to understand that this is that moment for Mary… the child has lept in her womb… she knows it is real… I think this might be the first time she feels little Yeshua kick…

So she prays, or sings, and her soul magnifies the Lord…. God saw me, God blessed me, and she is filled with Joy!

Now, certainly this is a moment of joy that will change Mary’s life forever, but she can see something even further… she can see that if God notices her, little old Mary in her backwater village, well, maybe God really does care…

Maybe God does restore fortunes, and bless people, and care about them…

It is little wonder that down through the centuries this song has meant so much – who among us has not been in this place, alone, desperate, hoping that God notices and does something about it…

Up all Night

Do you remember waiting for Santa as a child? Ever lie in bed straining for the sound of sleigh bells, or the patter of tiny hooves on the roof. Ever try to stay up all night? How excited where you?

I remember going through the Wish Book from Sears as soon as it came, circling all the things I wanted a hundred times – or cutting them out, and sending them to Santa.

And then we grow up and realize that there might be something self-centred, something a little selfish about hoping for presents, and having it all focus on us… is that really what the season is all about.

But instead of moving from the exciting joy of childhood to a joyful anticipation of the season, many of us seem to lose the magic instead… we forget to, as Dickens said, Keep Christmas in our heart.

Alice Walker, who wrote The Colour Purple told a story about a little girl names Meridian. It seems one day Meridian was playing in the back yard and she dug up a bar of dirt encrusted heavy metal. She went to the shed and got some sandpaper – and the more she cleaned, the prettier it became. To her wonder, she had discovered a bar of gold.

Running into the kitchen she put the bar on the counter and tried to get her mother’s attention.

“Move that thing,” was all her mother said, ‘can’t you see I’m busy getting these peas ready for supper?”

“But… it’s gold!” Meridian said, “It will make us rich!”

“I’m busy!”

It was the same with her brothers, it was the same with her father… and not knowing what to do, Meridian decided to put the gold in a shoebox and bury it in the backyard under the Magnolia tree.

Each week she would go out, dig it up, look at it and dream about it, but as time went by, she dug it up less and less, forgetting about it entirely after a while.

I think this is the same story of John the Baptist – here is a guy who has struck it rich, he has found Gold, he knows God has blessed him to bring a message of hope that will change everything – the saviour is coming!

And here he is running around filled with excitement, trying to teach us how to anticipate with joy – someone is coming… who is so great… I cannot even describe it... And we know that his enthusiasm is contagious, everyone is coming out to hear him, everyone is repenting and getting baptized and preparing….

But Jesus doesn’t show up that afternoon. And there are peas to get ready. There are jobs to do. There are taxes to pay and kids to worry about… and time goes by… and the joy fades.

The joy of spending the whole day swinging on a swing set, of catching frogs, of waiting up for Santa, of a new born baby… life gets the better of us and we start to focus on the problems, on the stress, on the pain.

So here is your wake up call. Here are some stories of our faith that remind us – there is something to be joyful about… always!

Da Ro Dor Me

Anyone ever read The Grinch who Stole Christmas….

Here is the conclusion:

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! "It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" 

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Advent 2- B 2011


Of Prophets and Kings

Introduction

What are you waiting for?

I sort of asked that question last week as well, but the thing is, Christmas has context… It doesn’t just happen, there is a reason. 

The thing about being a Christian is that you are supposed to be an “as if” type of person.

Let me explain. As Christians we are called upon to live as if God’s promises were true, as if the world were what God meant it to be, as if the goodness of God was more powerful than the evil we see around us.

Or think of it this way - We live in a time of war and terrorism, but we are called to live as if peace were more important. We live in a time of instant communication and gratification but are called to live as if peace and tranquility were of a higher value. We live in a time of natural disaster but are called to live as if there was security. We live in a time of poverty and chaos but are called to live as if people have more value than things.

So when we say, Christmas is coming… we are making a powerful theological statement. We are saying, something changed, something will change again, and we recognize and celebrate it.

Comfort O Comfort

Imagine for a second that you live in the time of the prophet Isaiah – Isaiah was the counselor to the king, during a time when two different nations wanted to drive the Israelites off of their land, the Syrians were at war with them, and the Assyrian Empire was waiting in the wings to take what was left. It was a time of darkness, despair and utter hopelessness, a time when people wondered why God had abandoned them, and this is what Isaiah called to his beloved people in the temple:

“Comfort, O comfort my people… Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength… lift it up, do not fear… Here is your God! See, the lord comes… he will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom…”

White Gift (children’s time)

White Gift Sunday dates back to 1904 in Ohio. The wife of a Methodist minister and her two daughters came up with the idea of giving gifts wrapped in white paper at Christmas time to people in need.
Gifts are wrapped in white so that they will be anonymous. People who can only give a little will not be embarrassed.

There is a Chinese tradition where all the people gave their king a gift wrapped in plain white paper so that every gift would look the same. Each person gave the king what they we re able, and the king welcomed them all.

The White Gift shares in the spirit of Christ and the God of love at Christmas. We give gifts of love to people in need. These gifts are often nonperishable food items which are distributed to people in the community.

White Gift Sunday celebrates the stew a rdship of Go d’s love and giving at the time of year when we remember the coming of the King of Kings.

Prayer of Dedication of White Gifts
Holy God, you are the giver of all gifts. We come before you today with these white gifts given in our Lord’s spirit of love. May they be offerings of love, symbols of our faith in you and signs of the work of Christ’s church. Bless us as we dedicate these gifts in the service of others. AMEN

The Struggle

This is the second Sunday of Advent, and I have to say, the world does not seem very “Christmassy” maybe it is the lack of snow, maybe it is that the radio stations are not playing any Christmas music yet, I don’t know; what do you think, does it seem as Christmassy as other years? Does it feel like it is three weeks away?

The Psalmists and Paul try their best to remind us that even in the times that life seems hard, Christmas is on the Horizon. They do not say it quite like that – but listen again:

“Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God… A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.”

“Surely his salvation is at hand… Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.”

So believe in tomorrow, have hope, keep the faith, something is about to happen… we forget that urgency, but that is what people have always felt, that the world is changing out from under them… And it truly is, we live in those changing times…

Repent

And the context of Christmas is the very real world we all live in; a world that, as we all know, can make us lose sight of all these Advent words, Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

Jump ahead 500 years and we come across another prophet, this one closer to the original Christmas; Jesus’ cousin, John; who we sometimes call the Baptist. This wild and crazy prophet shows up outside of Jerusalem wearing a camel skin cloak and eating locusts with honey. He is so out of place that he draws a crowd – and then he begins to preach:

“Repent. The Kingdom of God is at hand.”

Now what we sometimes miss in this story is that John is pretty much recreating Isaiah for his generation. The people are still stuck in a war torn country – this time it is the Herodians and the Romans who have divided the spoils, and they are still wondering where God is.

The writer of Mark saw this – he even quotes Isaiah when he describes what John is doing – preparing a way for the Lord in the wilderness, making level every mountain and hill and raising up every valley and smoothing every rough places.

Now what else did Isaiah say? “Here is your God, see, the Lord comes!” Both Isaiah and John start with where we find ourselves and offer us a message filled with grace – a message about God’s presence with us – and how that can change everything.

There are people out there that think Christianity and other religions are “quaint” that they are from another time and another way of seeing the world… I think the messages, and the problems faced, are timeless…

Why does this world suffer from more depression, more suicide, and more pain than we ever have?  Could it be that the same sort of injustice, the same sort of poverty, the same sort of misery that was there in Isaiah’s time, or John’s time, is still there with us now?

We all struggle with meaning, and we all wonder if things will ever get better…

So here is the good news – here is the Gospel – as told by the Archangel Gabriel to a lonely young girl afraid for her life: “you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son… he will be great, and of his kingdom there will be no end…” And you remember what Isaiah said the kingdom of God would be like? The Lamb and the lion, the baby and the snake, will all live in harmony with one another.

Conclusion

See, God still has a message for us in these dark times. Peace, I leave you with – not as the world understands peace, but as God does – wholeness, love, wonder, joy, and safety – peace. This is the grace of God and the love of God which Jesus came to show us.

So as we wait remember that our calling is to be the ‘as if’ sort of person that the world needs. The birth of Jesus in the dark of midwinter was a reminder that nothing bad ever gets the final say…

I heard a great quote this week and I want to finish my sermon with it…
A Candle is a message to the darkness – saying, “I beg to differ!”

Christmas is coming.