Power to Do -- A Message for January 28, 2024

 

          Mark 1:21-28

 

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 

22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 

23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 

24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 

26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 

28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

The Message                         Power to Do

 

This week, our reading from the Gospel of Mark picks up right where were we left off last Sunday. Last week, we focused on Jesus calling four former-fishermen to be his disciples and come work with him in his preaching, teaching, and healing ministry. After Jesus called his disciples from the shores of the Sea of Galilee, they all apparently went to the Galilean village of Capernaum. 

          In First Century Jewish synagogues, when people gathered to worship on the Sabbath, men were invited to come forward, read from the scriptures, and then interpret and teach based on their reading. The people gathered to worship at Capernaum’s synagogue on that long ago Sabbath were impressed with Jesus’ authority as he taught about the scriptures. He was different than the others they had heard preach – but, they didn’t yet realize Jesus was the Messiah.

          A man possessed by an impure spirit recognized Jesus, or at least the Spirit recognized Jesus. The Spirit knew Jesus was the Holy One of God. And, Jesus knew the Spirit and knew that the Spirit didn’t belong in the disturbed man. So, Jesus cast the Spirit out of the man.     

          The people who witnessed the miracle of Jesus casting out the impure Spirit were amazed. And, they quickly spread the story to everyone in the whole region – Jesus was able to preach and teach with authority, and he was able to heal a man who was believed to be possessed by an impure spirit.

          Fast-forward two-thousand years – we are not so sure about Spirits these days. Some people believe in ghosts and demons and many others do not. We may have trouble believing this man who encountered Jesus was demon possessed. But, whatever the cause of his problem – be it a demon, or a spirit, or a mental illness – we have all encountered people who are struggling with hallucinations or paranoia or a chemical imbalance in their brains and need help.

          Whatever the cause of the man’s problems, Jesus was the solution. He cast out the impure spirit. He healed the man’s body and brain. He restored the man to health. And that was a miracle. The people who witnessed this miracle were amazed and inspired by Jesus.

          We each struggle with things in our lives that are impure spirits for us – we all are all carrying baggage….we are all distracted by things that keep us from Jesus.  Perhaps we are obsessed with sports or are too focused on our tv shows. Perhaps we are caught up in our friendships or relationships and can’t set time aside to focus on our faith. Maybe we are so uncomfortable with our aches and pains that we can’t think about anything other than how we feel. Perhaps we struggle with addictions or dependencies on alcohol or drugs or unsavory activities.  We all have our own impure spirits to contend with.

          Like the man in the Synagogue of Capernaum, we can turn those things over to Jesus. We can pray and ask God to help us. We can pray and ask God to free us from the things that ail us, the things that distract us, and help us become closer to God.   

          We are all made by God with unique gifts and talents. We all have parts of ourselves we are called to share with others and are called to share to help make this world a better place. If we allow the burdens we carry, our impure spirits, to distract us from our callings, we will not whole-ly become the people God has created us to be. So, we must work to let go of those burdens, to release the things within us that keep us from God and keep us from living out our God-given talents.  We need to ask God’s help to free us from those things that are keeping us from fulfilling the calling God has placed upon us. 

          Jesus had the power to free the man of his unclean spirit. With Jesus’ help, we can also become free of the things that weigh us down and keep us from God and from utilizing the gifts given to us by God. Let us turn our lives towards Jesus and become free to live out our callings to be the people God calls us to be.

Amen.

Follow Me -- A Message for January 21, 2024

This morning, we turn to another story of Jesus calling his disciples to follow him. Today, we focus on a group of Jesus’ disciples who had previously been fishermen. They did not hesitate to follow Jesus when he called them. Listen to the story of their call as we read Mark, chapter 1, verses 14 through 20:

Scripture                             Mark 1: 14-20

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

At once they left their nets and followed him.

When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 

Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

 

Message                     Follow Me

          This morning, the Old Testament reading for the day is the second part of the book of Jonah.  The book of Jonah is very short – only 4 chapters -- and it tells the story of the reluctant prophet Jonah who lived in Galilee in the 7^th century. God told Jonah to go and warn the people of Nineveh that their city was going to be destroyed because of their sinfulness.  Instead of listening to God, Jonah decided to run away --- to run away to the farthest place he could go – Tarshish in modern-day Spain.

          What happened to Jonah when he disobeyed God has been thrilling children’s imaginations for centuries. God became alarmed that Jonah disobeyed and ran away, so God stirred up a storm that scared the heck out of the sailors and other passengers on the ship Jonah was sailing away on.  Jonah confessed that he was running away from God and made the sailors throw him into the Mediterranean Sea.  A big fish swallowed Jonah….he prayed and asked God to forgive him.  God forgave Jonah, the fish spit him onto dry ground, and then Jonah went to Nineveh. There, the people repented and turned their lives to God.  

          This morning’s gospel passage about Jesus calling fishermen to become his disciples is quite a contrast to the Jonah story.  Jonah was a Galilean like the fishermen, but that is where the similarities end.

Jesus found the fishermen at the Sea of Galilee – Simon and Andrew were on the water casting their nets; James and John were in a boat and were preparing their nets for the day. Jesus invited the men to follow him, and they immediately dropped everything, left it all behind -- even left their dad behind -- and followed Jesus.

          There was no hesitation on their part.  They didn’t question Jesus.  They didn’t make any excuses. They didn’t look for an alternative place to go. They didn’t decide to run away and get as far away from Jesus as they possibly could like Jonah.  Instead, they met Jesus, dropped everything, and followed him.

          We hold up these fisher men disciples as the pinnacle of faithfulness. They followed Jesus the moment he invited them. But, when you talk to fellow Christians, most of us have stories that sound more like Jonah than the fishermen. We hear the call of God, we hesitate, we avoid, we perhaps run in the opposite direction, and, then, after we hit a few obstacles or get swallowed by a fish, we succumb and follow God’s calling on our life.

          Sometimes, we have to leave things behind when we choose to follow Jesus.  We may have behaviors, friends, and relationships that we need to give up in order to become more faithful. We may need to change professions or hobbies if they are keeping us from living according to the teachings of Jesus. When we commit to Jesus, we may need to detach from behaviors or relationships that are not helpful or wholesome.

          Sometimes, we hesitate to follow Jesus because we are not ready to give up those things. Sometimes, we hesitate to follow Jesus because we are not ready to commit all the way – we want to keep one foot in our old lives and one in our new lives. Sometimes, we are afraid – we are afraid to let go of our past selves and our past lives because we are not sure what faith-filled lives will be like.

          But, we can look to people like Jonah, and Simon, Andrew, James and John and see that they felt immense relief when they listened to God and Jesus and gave their lives to them. They were about to connect with God and know their past sins were forgiven. They received guidance and wisdom from Jesus and God. They felt the satisfaction of knowing their lives were being used for a purpose greater than their own needs – their impact on the world extended far into the future. And, for the disciples, they left their former friends and family but became part of a community where they were supported and loved by other believers.

          When we decide to follow Jesus and listen to God, we also feel relief – we can take comfort in knowing that God is watching over us, supporting us, and cares about us. We are assured that our past sins, present sins, and future sins will be forgiven.  We receive guidance from God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God’s word, the Bible.  Through our work on behalf of God, we know our lives are being used for a purpose greater than our own needs. And, for us, we find community, support and love among other members of the church, other followers of Christ.

          Jesus is calling everyone on earth to follow him. For the people who have gathered in this room today, and our friends on facebook, we have decided to listen to Jesus and follow him. Part of our work is to guide and encourage others to listen to Jesus’ call, to hear Jesus and embrace his teaching and embrace the Christian faith. Sometimes, people will be like the fishermen disciples, ready to follow at the drop of a hat. Others will take a lot more time, like Jonah. But, our work is to invite others to follow and be assured that by our choice to follow Jesus, we have made the best decision of our lives.

Amen. 

 

Known and Loved -- A Message for January 14, 2024

 

          Last week, we listened to Mark’s description of Jesus’ baptism. Today, we are skipping ahead a little bit…after he was baptized, Jesus went into the wilderness. There, his faith was tested. After his 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus was ready for the work at hand – to fulfill his destiny to live as the Messiah. After Jesus left the wilderness, Jesus gathered a group of Disciples who would join him in his ministry. Today, we reflect on the calling of a few of those disciples. Listen to their call story as we read from John, chapter one, verses 43 through 51:

Scripture: John 1:43-51

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 

45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 

51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Message                       Known and Loved

          Many years ago, when I worked at a bookstore, I learned that “leadership” books are extremely popular sellers. If you scan the New York Times bestseller list, John C. Maxwell, Gary Chapman, and Brene Brown appear again and again with their books coaching us on how to become better leaders.  A whole industry has risen up to teach leadership principals… In addition to books promoting leadership, we can attend conferences and listen to endless podcasts teaching us to become better leaders in our professional lives, in our families, and in our churches.  We want to become leaders and do our best in our leadership roles. But, this begs the question, who are we leading…and who do we follow? Are we choosing to follow the right leaders?  Are we good followers?

          In our scripture this morning, the question of who to follow arose. John the Baptist had been calling the Jewish people to repent for their sins and become baptized as a sign of that repentance. He amassed a following. In Israel in the first century, spiritual leaders had disciples who lived alongside their leader and helped them in their work. John had several of his own disciples. But, then Jesus appeared.

          After John baptized Jesus, he began telling his followers about Jesus. They had to decide – should they stay with John? Or should they leave John and follow Jesus? They were curious about the man John identified as the Messiah – John said Jesus was the one they were waiting for.

          After his baptism, and his time in the wilderness, Jesus approached Philip, who was one of John’s disciples. Jesus told Philip to come and follow Jesus and Philip was ready to go. But, before he departed with Jesus, Philip found Nathaniel and told him about Jesus. Nathaniel was skeptical,…he doubted anything good could come from small-town Nazareth. Nathaniel went to check out Jesus and meet him.  He wanted to see him before he could decide to follow him. Was Jesus the kind of leader Nathaniel could dedicate his life to?

          When Nathaniel met Jesus, Jesus told Nathaniel that he knew him to be a man without deceit, and that Jesus had seen him sitting under the fig tree before Philip called him to come and follow Jesus. Somehow, Jesus words immediately convinced Nathaniel that he was the one to follow, Jesus was the messiah.

          In our lives, there are lots of people and positions vying for our attention. We seem to be in a constant election cycle, with politicians constantly running for office and seeking our votes and our financial pledges.  Every time we open up a social media account, we witness posts by “influencers” who want to tell us what products to use or recipes to cook or music to listen to. Celebrities are widely followed in the media – we can buy the exact same outfit Taylor Swift wore to the last football game or the handbag Kate Middleton used on her latest public outing. Between celebrities, and politicians, and influencers, and royalty, or athletes, we have a lot of voices vying for our attention. Who do we choose to follow?

          When Jesus invited Philip to leave John and follow him, Philip was immediately ready to go. He was so enthusiastic that he went and invited Nathaniel to come as well. But, Nathaniel was a tad more hesitant. He needed to meet Jesus for himself.

Consider when we first thought about following Jesus. We may have been little children who were brought to church and wondered what this was all about. Or we may have been busy adults who were searching for something more meaningful in our lives. Most of us were probably not immediately ready to follow Jesus when the opportunity presented itself. --  I remember telling my mother that I did not want to go to Confirmation classes and become confirmed. The pastor of our church had to bribe me with hot chocolate to get me to consider joining the class. Some of us took years before we decided to walk through the doors of a church or pick up a Bible.  Some of us took years before we decided to start praying. Most of us are not like Philip, ready to go immediately.  We are more skeptical, more like Nathaniel, and wait and see, and hesitate, before we are willing to follow Jesus.

Once we get there, once we are followers of Jesus, it is our work to be like Philip. When we are committed to following Jesus, we are called to spread the word.  This is the kind of leadership God is asking us to take on….to lead others to God. We are called to tell others about Jesus, to encourage others in their seeking God, and to live in a way that best represents the Christian faith to others. We wouldn’t be here if we came to check out Trinity and people were unwelcoming. We wouldn’t be here if the people we met who claimed to be Christians acted in ways that were un-Christ-like. So, our work as leaders is to be invitational. We follow a leader that everyone needs. We follow God, the way, the truth and the life. Let us help lead others to God. Amen.

Defining Moments -- January 7, 2024

 

          According to the church calendar, we have come to the end of the season of Christmas. Today is the first Sunday in the season of Epiphany. The Season of Epiphany follows the beginning of Jesus’ work of spreading the Good News. In today’s reading, we focus on Jesus’ baptism – for us, baptism is the beginning of acceptance of life as a Christian – for Jesus, baptism was the beginning of his work at the messiah – Jesus’ debut as the Messiah.

          Listen to how the Apostle Mark describes Jesus baptism as we read from Mark chapter 1:

 

Scripture: Mark 1: 4-11

 

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 

The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 

And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 

Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Here ends the reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, Our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Message                       Defining Moments

 

          Monday was the first day of 2024. Many of us slept in after staying up until at least midnight the night before to welcome the New Year in and kiss 2023 good-bye.

          When we start a New Year, many of us make lists of our resolutions for the coming year. We list things we want to change – often we strive to adopt new habits and pledge to take better care of our bodies – we vow to drink less soda, go to the gym, purge our clutter, eat healthy. Most of the time, our resolutions are personal – they are about fixing things in our lives that only we have control over.

          In the New Year, we also have the opportunity to reflect about how things went for us in the past year and make plans for improvement. This is the season when people are brushing off their resumes, contacting travel agents, and starting their searches for new homes. We feel the impetus to get things better in the New Year – to have a fresh start.

          We know very little about Jesus’ younger years. He was born in Bethlehem, was a refugee in Egypt, and returned to the village of Nazareth after the death of King Herod when he was 5 or 6 years old. His family made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when he was about 12. And, then, crickets…crickets….until Jesus was about thirty years old.

          John the Baptist is in the same boat. We hear about his parents and their miraculous pregnancy. While Elizabeth was still pregnant with John, Mary visited her. And then we don’t hear anything about John’s childhood or youth. Many years later, he appears in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

          Both John and Jesus was led by God. John was led to go out into the wilderness, wear simple and uncomfortable clothing, and eat the food that was available in the wild: Locusts and sweet wild honey.

God lead John to preach and to call people to repent of their sins and be baptized. The baptism symbolically washed away their sins so they could be released from their pasts and move into their futures as forgiven people.

          God led Jesus to be baptized. Jesus’ baptism was a restart—he was released from his past and able to move into his work to preach, teach, and heal. God determined the time was right for John to do his baptizing and for Jesus to begin his work. We don’t know about their lives as young adults, we don’t know if they ever behaved in ways that were not perfect….we can assume that even John, and possibly even Jesus, had things they needed to repent for and ask God to forgive. And, God led them to come to the wilderness, repent, and start over free to do the work God was calling them to do.

          As we make our plans for the New Year, and all of the positive changes we want to make, it is important that we also listen to how God is directing us. We also may have things from our pasts that we need to repent for -- things we wish we had done differently, mistakes we made. God may be leading us to ask God to forgive us so that in the midst of the changes and challenges of the new year, we can turn over a fresh leaf and start anew.

          John and Jesus didn’t wander out into the wilderness alone – they were led by God. God is also leading and directing us in our lives. We are not alone. God wants us to remember that there is nothing we can do that is so horrible that God will not love and forgive us. So, we can confess all of our sins, all of our blemishes, to God, and ask God to forgive us. As forgiven believers, the weight of our pasts is lifted from our shoulders. We can look towards the new year and know that we will do better, we will be better, as we are directed by God to face the challenges and opportunities ahead with clean slates.

          Every day, we have the opportunity to ask God to forgive our pasts failings and embrace new opportunities. God wants us to remember we are loved, freed, and encouraged to become the kind of people God wants us to be.

          Let us do so with love in our hearts today and all days. Amen.

 

Leaping for Joy -- A Message for December 24, 2023

 

I am sure everyone is super-aware that this is the morning of Christmas Eve. The way the stories fell in the worship calendar was a little odd this year. This morning, we focus on Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth. Tonight, we focus on the birth of her baby. So, over the course of this day, when we are out buying last minute gifts or gathering with friends and family, Mary will be figuratively speeding through her pregnancy….9 months condensed into one day.

          Let us revisit the story of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth as we read from Luke 1:39-45…

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 

where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 

But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 

As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

This is the word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Message                       “Leaping for Joy”

          When Mary arrived at Elizabeth’s home and greeted her, Elizabeth said that the baby in her womb leaped for joy. Scientists who study pregnancy know that the babies can hear much of what the parents are doing while still in their mother’s womb. We are told to read books to our babies, to play music for them, to talk to them. Andy and I went to a graduation party while I was pregnant with Aida that had a loud DJ and we were worried that it was too noisy for the baby – not for us, but the for baby’s little ears. So, John leaping for joy in his mother’s womb is quite likely – even a little baby knew he was in the presence of the Messiah.

          Both Mary and Elizabeth had a lot to worry about while they were pregnant. Mary was at risk from the people in her community – to be pregnant and unmarried was shameful for women in her culture. She was at risk of the townspeople turning against her and stoning her.

          Elizabeth was described in our scriptures as being elderly. When the angel Gabriel told her husband that they were expecting a baby, Zachariah said: “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”  Elizabeth was one of the women in our Biblical narrative who was barren and then had a miraculous pregnancy when she was older. So, she experienced all of the normal medical risks of pregnancy and then the added risks that befall older moms – sounds familiar!

          Mary went to be with Elizabeth in order to be nurtured by a trusted relative. In Zachariah and Elizabeth’s home, Mary found comfort, care and compassion. We don’t read anything in our scriptures about Mary’s parents….we don’t know who they were, what their status in the community was, or what kind of parents they were to Mary. But, we do know that Mary turned to Elizabeth and Zachariah after she learned she was pregnant.  She trusted them and she went to them for help. It says later in Luke that Mary stayed with them for three months, and returned to Nazareth just before the Baby John was born. She returned to Nazareth to join Joseph and prepare for marriage and the birth of her child…she probably returned to Nazareth expecting that she would have her baby there. The Roman census caused her plan to be altered.

          When we are young people, it is always good to have trusted adults we can turn to when we are in crisis….trusted adults in addition to our parents or, for some of us, trusted adults we can turn to instead of our parents. In my life, I have been blessed with aunts – 5 regular aunts, many great-aunts, even a beloved great-great aunt. When I was a younger person, a teenager and a young adult, at times I turned to my aunts to help me through tough situations It is always helpful for young people to have trusted adults to turn to when times are hard and possibly when you need to get away from home to recover – Elizabeth lived far enough away from Mary that Mary could relax while she was and her home – relax and prepare for Jesus’ birth.

          In our lives, part of our work as people of faith is to become for other people’s kids trusted, nurturing adults. We are called to work to pay attention to the young people in our neighborhoods, in our families and in our church. We are called to be loving, kind and generous to them….even when they wear unusual clothing and listen to music we don’t understand and watch tv shows that make no sense to us.

          The last time Jesus left the earth, he put into place the seeds that would become the Christian Church – we are the people of that Church.   We are called to create in this place and among these people a loving, supportive environment where we together live out Jesus’ teachings. Together, we are called to care for the youngest members of our congregation and communities and work to lovingly support them in their tumultuous lives. We are called to be like Zachariah and Elizabeth, to provide a place for young people to safely land, rest, and be restored so that they can face life’s challenges knowing they are loved by us and they are loved by our God.

          May we do so with love in our hearts today and all days. Amen.

Birthing A Promise -- A Message for December 10, 2023

 

Scripture               Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 

to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 

and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 

Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 

For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us pray: Gracious God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Message                           “Birthing A Promise”

          As you all know, I was the first pregnant pastor we have had at Trinity Christian UCC.  When you hired a single 40 year old woman, you probably did not expect a pregnancy to be in our future today. But, we make plans and God laughs. So, over the past year or so, you journeyed with me as I experience pregnancy number two and you had your first experience of being pastored to by a pregnant minister.

Pregnancies can be scary. There are things that can go wrong for mom. There are things that can go wrong for baby. Physically, your body takes on a life of its own – your joints become loose – your bones actually adjust themselves into a different position – you gain weight. Your digestive system goes haywire – nausea, vomiting, ugh. And, emotionally, because the hormones are in hyper-drive, the mom is all over the place: happy, sad, depressed, manic, numb…

          Imagine having all of these pregnancy symptoms and being Mary – young, innocent, and virginal.  She would not have suspected the cause of the symptoms because she was only engaged-to-be married. She probably was overwhelmed and worried – why was her body acting so strange? Why did she feel so odd? What was wrong?

          Mary probably felt off-kilter. And, then, the angel Gabriel showed up.

          We imagine angels looking like they do in Renaissance paintings – tall with beautiful human faces and white wings. But, Biblical passages describe some angels has having four faces and some angels having six wings. When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she seemed shocked.  She was greatly troubled by his greeting. The second thing he said to her was for her to “not be afraid.” He may have looked horrifying. Was she afraid because a man had just showed up in her presence? Was she afraid because of how he looked? Was she afraid because of the words he used to greet her?

          And, then the angel shared the shocking news that Mary was pregnant with the son of God. Mary, an unmarried young woman, was pregnant…and she was carrying the Messiah. Which was a huge deal, and anyone who received this announcement would be overwhelmed….Mary was no exception – she was probably terrified and overwhelmed.

          Instead of crying and running away, Mary took the news well. She said: “I am the Lord’s servant,” … “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

          Mary handled this task better than most of us  would have handled it. After this brief encounter with the angel, Mary went on to live out her calling to be the mother of Jesus, the mother of the Messiah. Under her watchful eyes, Jesus grew from a tiny helpless baby to be the savior of humankind.

          In our lives, we often face obstacles that seem impossible. The odds are stacked against us. In our lives, perhaps we faced an academic challenge we thought we would never figure out. Or we sought a job that we thought we would never be considered for. Or we searched for a romantic partner and everyone we met seemed like a dud. Or we sought reconciliation with someone we didn’t think would forgive us.  Sometimes we face impossible obstacles, and we don’t know how we will achieve them.

          Mary possibly thought she was facing an impossible situation. She was young, poor, unmarried, and from a little village in the sticks. Yet, God gave her the strength to carry through with her strange pregnancy, to count on Joseph who was just as unprepared as Mary, to travel to Bethlehem when she was uncomfortably pregnant, to give birth in a stable, to flee to Egypt and escape with her life and Jesus’ life by the skin of her teeth, and then to raise Jesus even though any misstep could have drawn the attention of the Roman authorities who would have probably killed Jesus to eliminate the threat of the Jewish messiah. Mary overcame everything that she faced.  Mary was courageous. And, every action Mary took was infused with hope.

          The Season of Advent is a season of hope. Hope requires a lot of courage. Despite the challenges in her future, when Mary talked to the Angel Gabriel, she felt a burst of hope. And, that hope sustained her during her pregnancy and through the trying years of Jesus’ childhood. If we could control the outcome of our life’s challenges, we wouldn’t need to hope. Hope is what sustains us when we are unsure of what is going to happen. Mary had hope that the baby in her belly would change the world for the better. We have hope that Jesus will still change the world for the better. Hope helps us overcome challenges and get us through those situations that seem impossible. Hope keeps us moving forward, even when we aren’t sure things will work out the way we want.

          In this season of Advent, we must grasp hold of the Hope we have through our relationship with Christ. Whenever we face challenges that seem impossible, we are not alone because God is with us. God supports us, strengthens us, and guides us. With faith in Christ, we believe our hopes will be fulfilled, and the impossible situations we find ourselves in will become possible.

          Let us work to share the hope of the season with other people. Our waiting will not be in vain, because God is with us, and the hopes and fears of all the years will be met in Jesus Christ.

          Amen.  

Messengers of Hope -- A Message for December 3, 2023

 

            This morning, we embark on the four Sunday season of Advent. Despite the dates on Advent Calendars, Advent starts 4 Sundays before Christmas, not on December 1. Over the next 21 days, we will prepare to welcome Jesus into our hearts and into our world once again. As we prepare, we return to the stories of Jesus’ first years on earth. John the Baptist was designated by God to prepare the people of the first century for the arrival of the Messiah. This morning, we turn to the opening words of the Gospel of Mark. Mark doesn’t talk about Jesus’ miraculous birth or childhood, and starts his book with John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord. Read along with me in Mark, chapter 1, verses one through eight:

Scripture                   Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,

as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”—
“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 

The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 

And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, Our Rock and Our Redeemer. Amen.

Sermon                                             Messengers of Hope

            John appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

 It is not easy for us to imagine life in the first century, life in an occupied territory. The Jewish believers, and their homeland, had been conquered by foreign armies again and again – Babylonians and Assyrians and Greeks and Romans – each occupying power and army leaving little traces of their rule on the people and their land.

When John the Baptist ‘appeared” in the wilderness, the Romans had more or less been in power for 90 years. They were brutal and expected the people of Israel to follow orders. Over the course of their rule, there were many insurgencies –- often these were led by charismatic leaders who were very devout to their Jewish faith. The Romans and their appointed overseers would have been suspicious that John was going to be a rabble-rouser or a zealot who would eventually lead a rebellion against the Romans.  Therefore, the Romans overlords were keeping eyes on John the Baptist.

But, John did not come to overthrow the Romans. John didn’t come to build an army or an insurgency. Instead, he stepped forward to call people to prepare for the coming of the messiah. He called them to prepare the way for the lord. John called people to commit to God, to commit to our shared faith, to repent for their sins and wrongdoings and to become baptized – to symbolically wash away their sins, to wash away their imperfect pasts, and to prepare to welcome God into their hearts.

John stepped forward in ministry during a period that was particularly grim. The people were oppressed. They had limited freedoms and autonomy. And, John told them to get ready, the Messiah was coming….it was time for them to get their “faith” houses in order, so they would be prepared for the arrival of God incarnate on earth.

At a time when people’s hope was dim, John came forward to tell them to get ready. Hope was coming. The messiah was on the way.

We also live in a time when things can seem grim. The cease-fire in Israel was halted. The war in Ukraine drags on and on. People in our communities struggle with poverty and crime and corruption. In our own families, we have members who struggle with addiction and mental illness and physical illness. It would be easy for us to fall into hopelessness.

But, we know Jesus. We know the Jesus who was born as a little baby to a young mother and a struggling step-father. We know the Jesus John the Baptist was preaching about, who came to teach us that the ultimate point of life is to love God and love each other. And, we know the Jesus who is coming again, to free us from the hardships we face and help us to establish God’s kingdom here on earth. We know the Jesus who we can talk to when we pray, who soothes us when we are brokenhearted, and who answers us when we cry out.

John came to tend to people who lived without hope, to tell them Jesus was coming. WE are also called to become messengers of hope, to tend to people who are struggling around us. It is our work to help people who are contending with their own broken hearts, with their own anxiety, with their own depression. It is our work to tell them they are not alone, we are with them and God is with them. It is our work to tell them that their mistakes do not define them. It is our work to tell them it will get better…things do get better.

Advent is a season of waiting. But, we don’t wait as people who have no hope. We wait in hope as people who know that something wonderful happened on the first Christmas Eve, when a special baby was born in a stable and placed in a manger. And, something happens every day when people accept Jesus as their savior and open their hearts to him. We hope for Jesus’ return to our earth, but we also hope for more and more people to turn their lives towards God and open their hearts to have a relationship with Jesus.

Thanks be to God for the hope of the season of Advent.

Amen.