ADVENT III A

Being Born in You - Mary

Introduction

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times...” Someone once said that in a book or something... ok, ok, opening line of A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens.  Nonetheless, a very poignant opening line and very, very wise... life is like that... best of times, worst of times... sorrow and sweetness all wrapped up into one.

Sometimes it is not easy to figure out which is which... take the story of Mary – unwed, pregnant, potentially alone, trying to convince others that it is a miracle, about to be moved off to another city, told by angels she will birth a saviour, welcomed with open arms by her cousin Elizabeth and even her betrothed, Joseph...  the best of times, the worst of times.

How about the Israelites, forced into exile, city abandoned, finally granted freedom, returning to ruins, planting their own gardens... again, best of times, worst of times... and yet... and yet...

People who embrace the reality that life is both sadness and joy at the same time come to such a deep understanding that it can lead to song... nowadays it leads to the blues... but once upon a time, it led to songs of praise to God... and we are going to hear one of them in just a couple of minutes.

Rejoice and be Glad

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing....”

It is an incredible poem, an image of all the things going right in the world that you could hope for... it is like sitting at home in the middle of a snow storm and remembering that you are soon going to be lying on the beach in Jamaica under the palm tree with the coconut drink in your hand and the sun shining down on you...

I have seen firsthand that there are both good times and bad times; good things and bad things in life. I think we all have. We all have those painful gut-wrenching, hearts breaking moments that make us doubt that anything good could possibly come out of it.

But I am here; I do what I do, because I believe that Isaiah knew something I do not! Isaiah was trying to tell us that we need to hear God speaking even when we are in pain; we need to know that God’s love is still there in the desert moments and the blossoms are still possible.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by love even in the midst of something horrible happening? Have you ever just known that love is there for you and will lift you up? That is what Isaiah felt, that is what Mary felt, they knew that painful things were happening, they were afraid, and yet... they trusted God’s love was there and would bring them through.

Baby Love

When Emily was born she had the cord wrapped around her neck. She was not breathing, and did not breathe for over 3 minutes. It was a moment of incredible fear and pain in my life. I was certain that my baby I had waited so long for had died.

The moment that the breath first happened, the moment that the colour first changed... I was filled with Joy.

It is not exactly the same, but it makes me think what Mary might have been feeling. She could have been stoned to death; he baby might have been born into an uncertain world where no one would care for it. She might end up raising him alone when single mothers were not safe.... how could she possibly believe that God was good?

But the story unfolds, She hears the angel, she sees the prophecies, Joseph loves her, she visits her cousin and is welcomed and loved... Mary comes to see that her baby will be loved, it might be safe, and well, it might not be an ordinary baby.

Elizabeth says that John leapt in her womb because of joy the minute their bodies touched.

And more than that – Mary felt it in her body, in her spirit; in her soul... we are not talking about happiness here. We are talking about something that goes beyond the simple pleasures that make us happy – something that touches us so deeply and so passionately that we cannot help but sing.

That sense of joy is not just rooted in the birth – it is rooted in something greater than her, in her God – her understanding of how God has blessed her in this moment.

We know that joy in our lives at times... Like when we celebrate Christmas for the first few times, or get our drivers licence and go for the first ride. Or fall in love for the first time, or hear a heartbeat for the first time...

And that joy is not dependant on everything being perfect. Perhaps that is one of the things we can take away from the wisdom of Mary.

Conclusion

So life cannot be perfect, and that is fine. But we need to know that there will always be joy. That there will always be times when love conquers the darkness.

Pentecost 9 - C

You’re So Martha

Introduction

Where do you find God?

Not, actually, where, but how… hmmm… what am I trying to say…. You see, we all feel God’s presence in the world at different times, and perhaps I am trying to ask what you think that feels like, or how you find it…

There are many different ways to experience God. Some people find that being all alone and quiet help them to feel God’s presence while some people find God through helping others.  Some people find God in a church service and others while singing or listening to music.

But what are we talking about when we say “experience God” what does that feel like?

I think there are a lot of different answers to that as well. When my first daughter was born she was born with the cord wrapped around her neck, she was rushed away to neo-natal intensive care before I even really saw her. Then I spent hours wondering if she would live or die.

Late, late into the night I was lying on a cot in the hospital when it seemed a voice came to me in my head that said, “Everything will be ok” and I suddenly fell asleep.

To me, that moment was a feeling of God being present in my life. It is not the only way I have ever felt God and for each person it is different. But that certainly is one way… a feeling of peace, a feeling of hope, a feeling of being cared for that overwhelms you and makes you feel that everything is going to be all right.

Have you felt that? Have you felt God in other ways? How?

Genesis 18:1-10a

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground.

He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on--since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said."

And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son."

Unawares

Have you ever heard the statement, “entertaining angels unawares”? It comes from the Bible, Hebrews chapter 13 to be exact, and it is in a section where they are writing to the followers of Jesus and giving advice – be nice to strangers, you never know when they might be angels…

One of the strangest and perhaps creepiest experiences I ever had in a church happened when I was just a student. I was working for the year in a big church in Ottawa, and one weekend we were having a youth sleepover. Now, the doors were all locked, the kids were all in the gym with the leaders, and we were having a snack.

Suddenly this homeless guy comes walking into the gym. No one knows who he is or how he got there. What we decided to do was to invite him to share our snack… Kool-Aid and cookies if I recall… and then we talked to him for a while and he went on his way.

Later when I talked to another leader we both thought of this saying, about how a homeless man appears behind locked doors, about angels in unexpected places, you know, all that sort of stuff.

We encounter God when we encounter people. We really do. Jesus suggested that we should care for the last and least, because when we do, we find God. Abraham cared for the strangers who walked out of the desert and was blessed with a child.

Perhaps you have also heard that old adage, it is better to give than to receive. I think we say that when we don’t get enough Christmas presents… but there is something to the idea… and it is this: the encounter with the divine, with the good feelings, with the love that is God happens when we care for other people. When we love, we feel love.

This is one of the strongest ways we feel God in our lives, by allowing God to work through us and therefore filling us with love.

Psalm 52 (VU p. 777)

Luke 10:38-42

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying.

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me."

But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

Different Strokes

Jesus has an interesting relationship with these two women. They show up a few times, he is always over at their house. You might remember that he also brings their brother Lazarus back from the dead.

We also see this personality trait over and over in the two sisters. Mary is the one who listens and thinks, probably paints and plays music too. Martha is the one who works cleaning and cooking and organizing.

There are all different kinds of people, we all know that. For example there are extroverts and there are introverts. What that really means is that an extrovert will get energy from being around people and an introvert will get energy being alone.

Extroverts can walk right up to anyone and start a conversation. I envy them that. I am an introvert. People who are introverted tend to think about things deeply before talking, so it is harder to speak off the cuff.

But the point is, one way is not right, nor is one way wrong… they are just different.

This passage in Luke is the closest you will ever hear to Jesus getting upset with Martha. But even still, he does not say anything against her, or tell her she is doing the wrong thing. She is being Martha, and that is what she needs to do.

Do you feel more fulfilled reading a book or cooking a meal? Do you like to walk outdoors or go to a movie? These are all things that each of us find affects us in different ways. The idea of life is to recognize what brings you happiness, what fills your soul, and do it.

You see, we are not going to find the presence of God in things that drain the life right out of us. We all have to do those things from time to time. But they are not the places that bring us strength and a feeling of God restoring our souls.

Now, that is not to say that God is not present, that God does not give you strength to get through those things, but I am talking about the way God renews, restores, and refreshes us… we need to be doing things that bring us joy. And for each of us, those might be different.

A Poem

I read this poem and it is simple, sort of a prayer, but it talks about the parts of a day and how they are all different and yet, we find God in the midst of each.  It is by a United Church minister, Greta Vosper

A sky, streaked with the promise of day,
and I am called to anticipate all that might be.

The heat of the day heavy upon me,
and I am challenged to acknowledge
the responsibilities I hold.

The shade of the afternoon, like grace, soothes me,
and I am offered a reflection of my own rich gifts.

The cool of the evening
set in the midst of a candlelit heaven,
and I am awed by the fulfillment of another day.

We open ourselves as those who seek the holy 

You see, we know all about how there are different times and different situations. I think that we can even recognize that we feel closer to God, that we see the holy, in some moments more easily than in others. I guess I think we need to think about those things and try to be open to those feelings.

Conclusion

You may have recognized that my sermon was actually about two things, where we find God, and what we find.

And even within that I contradicted myself. Truth is we find God everywhere… in moments when we are in pain, or afraid, but also in moments of happiness or love.

But what I want you to consider for today, and think about as you leave here, is that we need to find moments where God gives us energy, moments that make us happy, moments that bring strength. If we do not have those, then the hard times that surely come upon us all will be harder.

So what makes your heart happy? Is it fishing, painting, music, reading, cooking, cleaning, building, sleeping?

Do those things… don’t ignore them and say you have to much work to do. We need the fun things too.

Because the answer to my “what does God feel like” question is that God feels good. God is the feeling of love and hope and peace and security and happiness that brings a spring to our step. And we need those feelings.

Once upon a time Sunday was a day simply for the things that made us happy, for resting and family, and food, I invite you to try this week to focus on the things that restore your soul. It will make it a better week no matter what you face.

Easter 2 (B)

I Want You to Get Excited About Your Life

Introduction

The worst day of my year has to be Boxing Day. How about you, what do you think the worst day is? I think Boxing Day because you put so much effort into Christmas, it means so much, and then, like all of a sudden, there is nothing. The stores have moved on to Valentine’s and people are putting away the lights.

Sigh. So what about Easter, that was so last week, right?

There is a line in the opening of Doctor Phil, now I am not saying I watch Doctor Phil, but you know, on occasion in a doctor’s office or something… and he says, “I want you to get excited about your life!”

I happen to think that is something Jesus might have said on the day after Easter to his disciples.

Story Time – Holy Humour Sunday

I've got the joy down in my heart.

“Bright Sunday” - Sunday after Easter – day of joy and laughter

parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus rising from the dead

Laughter Sunday or Holy Humour Sunday

Jokes

Q. What did the baby corn say to the mama corn?
A. “Where’s pop corn?”…

Q. What did the pony say when it had a sore throat?

A. I apologize, I am a little horse!…

Q. Why did the clown go to the doctor.

A. He was feeling a little funny.…

Q:  Where do snowmen go to dance?

A:  A snowball!

Q:  What kind of lions do you find in the park?

A:  Dandelions

It's important to be joyful all the time, isn't it? It's important to laugh and be happy and silly and play games. Did you know that in Old English the word “silly” has the same root as the word “holy”? So we are being holy and doing what God wants us to when we're filled with joy. 

1John from the Message

 1-2From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, and verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.

 3-4We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!

Walk in the Light
5This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there's not a trace of darkness in him.
 6-7If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we're obviously lying through our teeth—we're not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin.

Getting Excited

I am sure if I was around to see my friend come back from the dead I would get pretty excited…

At least, I think I would, don’t you? Of course, when bad things happen, our mood plummets. Perhaps the disciples were a bit depressed after this whole Easter Weekend gone wrong thing. Perhaps they were feeling gloomy and Eeyore-ish and nothing would have cheered them up.

So when one of the disciples comes and says, rather excitedly, I have seen Jesus, he is back from the dead…. The response was probably pretty lack lustre. “Sure, good one, life is terrible, this is terrible, stop trying to make jokes.”

I bet a few of us have been in the same place, had something bad happen and then be sure it is just going to get worse…

It is hard, isn’t it, to pull yourself out of that feeling.

Well, this is where we get back to Dr Phil, as he would say, “how is that working out for ya?”

And then he would tell us, “I want you to get excited about your life…”

Jesus, in our passage from Mark, rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief.  Now, we don’t exactly know what the words Jesus used were…. But I am sure it was something like, “What are you doing?” “Why are you all locked up in this room? Do you think my death was supposed to end everything, was this all I taught you….”

No… that is not what he intended. And not what happens. There is something there that changes their minds, something that lifts their spirits and makes their hearts so full to overflowing that when he says a little while later – “go out there and spread the good news!” they do…

So… what would it take to get us that excited about Easter? About God? About Church?

You see, Easter is just the beginning, now, what will give us enough joy to become who we were meant to be…

And it can’t be half hearted.

There is this story Bruce Larson tells of attending a conference at a Presbyterian church in Omaha. People were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Since they were Presbyterians, they weren't used to saying things like "Hallelujah,” or “Praise the Lord." And maybe this would give them a way to express their feelings. All through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over 1/3 of the balloons were unreleased.

I am new here…. Maybe you are different than me, but I suspect lots of us would not let go of the balloon…

So why not? Well, how about fear of what people would think. What if we were too excited, too emotional? Would people look at us funny?

I think there is the other side too, there are times when we are trying so hard to do the right thing that we suck all the fun out of it. We want to let the balloon go, we just don’t know if this is a good enough time, or if this is when the people meant, or whatever… and we are overthinking it.

“I come,” said Jesus once, “that you might have abundant life!”

Easter happened, so that we would know joy.

Want to hear the three funniest jokes of all time:

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were going camping. They pitched their tent under the stars and went to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night Holmes woke Watson up and said: "Watson, look up at the stars, and tell me what you see." Watson replied: "I see millions and millions of stars." Holmes said: "And what do you deduce from that?" Watson replied: "Well, if there are millions of stars, and if even a few of those have planets, it’s quite likely there are some planets like Earth out there. And if there are a few planets like Earth out there, there might also be life." And Holmes said: "Watson, you idiot, it means that somebody stole our tent

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says "Calm down. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says "OK, now what?"

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: "That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!" The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: "The driver just insulted me!" The man says: "You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you."

… so is it good enough to sit around and tell jokes? Well… yes… studies have shown that mind over matter is a real thing. It seems that our attitude changes everything; and so, far more important than having someone say “Easter Happened” is the question, “How does it make you feel?”

And I want us to look at it in its most basic form – that Jesus came, and died, and lived on in those who come after simply to show us that life is meant to be lived no matter what happens. That love and joy and hope are more important than all the Good Fridays and crucifixions we might face.

Conclusion

Paul ends the 8^th Chapter of his Letter to the church in Rome with these words:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God”

This, in the end, is the message of Easter, it is the “Good News” it is the joy that keeps us for another year.

Amen.

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!"