First Reading
Genesis 1:1–5
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Psalm (ELW)
Psalm 29
1Ascribe to the LORD, you gods,
ascribe to the LORD glo- ry and strength.
2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due God's name;
worship the LORD in the beau- ty of holiness.
3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders;
the LORD is upon the mighty waters.
4The voice of the LORD is a pow- erful voice;
the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor. R
5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedar trees;
the LORD breaks the ce- dars of Lebanon;
6the LORD makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7The voice of the LORD
bursts forth in lightning flashes.
8The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
the LORD shakes the wilder- ness of Kadesh. R
9The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe and strips the forests bare.
And in the temple of the LORD all are crying, "Glory!"
10The LORD sits enthroned a- bove the flood;
the LORD sits enthroned as king for- evermore.
11O LORD, give strength to your people;
give them, O LORD, the bless- ings of peace. R
Second Reading
Acts 19:1–7
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. 2He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." 4Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." 5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied — 7altogether there were about twelve of them.
Gospel
Mark 1:4–11
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sermon: Epiphany
I am a fan of Christmas cards. I seem to get my fair share around this time of year, and I am always interested to see what will be portrayed on the front cover. Will it be fuzzy little lambs looking lovingly at a manger holding the Christ child? Will it be a more artistic expression of Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus? Will it show pictures of their journey to Bethlehem, or just a star shining in the heavens? Will it say peace, joy or love? Will there be off in the distance those three camels pulled by three men coming to visit that tiny stable?
Christmas cards don’t really portray what happened after that holy, silent night. Because things are starting to heat up, and it certainly doesn’t feel like Christmas to see the darkness on the covers of those cards holding our annual Christmas letters. Traveling from the east, following a star, are wise men, the magi, sometimes called kings, coming to worship this greatest of Kings and bring him gifts. We really don’t know how many there are, we assume three, we don’t really know where they have come from, or what they might do in their spare time in some far off land. We don’t know much about them really, but we do know that they are coming to find a baby that has been proclaimed to them in the stars. And yet, it isn’t as simple as the Christmas cards would have you believe, because something terrible is happening. We can feel it in the words of the gospel, in the secret meetings between Herod and his priests, and meetings under the cloak of darkness with these wise men. We can hear that darkness sneaking in as the gospel tells us that Herod is afraid, and all of Jerusalem with him. When Herod is afraid, the people quake with fear, because Herod always reacts to his fear with death.
Herod calls these wise men into a secret meeting, and he tells them, go search diligently for this child, the child seen in the stars and then come back, and tell me where to find him. It seems like such a good plan. He will let these travelers do the work, find this child king, that he can’t really be sure of anyway, and then, without hesitation, he can find this child, he can kill this child, and all that he is sure of, all his power, will still be his. No one can take that away from this crafty, wily Herod.
Not really the stuff of Christmas cards, is it? A little too cloak and dagger to make it into our annual Christmas letters, but it serves as an important reminder. The birth of Jesus Christ shook the world from its moorings, the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God, was meant to change everything, to redeem us, to enliven us, to teach us how to live, it was meant to be the stuff of thousands of Christmas cards, to proclaim a new era, a reign of peace and love and justice and mercy. The birth of Jesus Christ was meant to turn everything upside down, and when the world gets shaken, there are people on the top who end up on the bottom. When the world gets shaken, the pieces do not fall as they always have, and that can cause some painful reminders of the power of sin. Because the journey of these wise men is just the beginning. Joseph will be warned in a dream, and he and Mary will flee to Egypt, because Herod is on a murderous bend. All the baby boys will be killed by Herod’s hand. The cries of lament and loss will be heard in that town and everywhere. It isn’t the stuff of woolly lambs and bright shining stars, is it?
Those wise men, those travelers from the east, they finally find the son of God, nine miles away from their first stop. They find him in that manger, not in the palace of Herod. And, when they do find him, when they do discover him with his mother in that stable, it is the stuff of epiphanies, because they fall down and worship him, filled with the greatest of joys. They are so filled with joy that our text can barely do their emotions justice. Everything changes. They encounter the living, breathing God, wrapped in swaddling cloths. And that joy, it is enough, that encounter, it is enough to lead them home in a new way. To see that child is king is enough to erase the secret meetings, to foil the plans of King Herod, to lead these wise men in an entirely new direction. When the world gets shaken, things don’t end up where they have always been, and sometimes that road home, that road back to the life you have led, it goes in an entirely different direction.
Life sometimes feels a bit like the journey of those wise men. We feel that pull, that desire within us to search for something beyond ourselves, to find God in the midst of this confusing and sometimes treacherous world. That search often leads us on journeys we never imagined, finding us in places where we never dreamed we would be. But, when we encounter the living God, we have no response but to fall down in worship, because what we find is so big, so glorious and so utterly beyond our imagining that there is nothing but praise for the One with whom it all began. But that journey is often fraught with missteps, with finding ourselves in places we don’t want to be, not sure about where to go. It can find us wrapped up in our own sin and the systematic sin of a world that is being shaken, even now, by what God has done.
But, we also remember that sometimes our journey can seem more like the journey of Herod. We don’t want to be moved, we don’t want to risk losing all our comforts for what this new birth might mean. We don’t want to imagine a different world, because it seems too big and too scary and too risky. We don’t know how to live in a world that is changing, a world that is being upended, a world that is ruled by a king who is the embodiment of justice and love and peace.
I have found myself in both of these characters. Seeking God, and being afraid to find God. But, no matter where we are, we hear the prophets words for this feast of Epiphany, “Arise, Shine, your Light has come!” What God has done can’t be undone. Whether we are afraid of what it might mean, or whether we are ready to lay all we have an all we are at the feet of this child king, God has already done all the work, broken through the veil between heaven and earth, and come for us. Journeyed to us, because we keep losing our way.
The feast of epiphany brings to us one of the most familiar stories of our gospel. It is the feast of light, when we celebrate that God’s light has come. God’s light has already begun shining, setting us on fire. God’s light has a way of illuminating even the darkness of what happened after our Christmas story. It has a way of illuminating the parts of ourselves that can be found in all these characters. So, no matter where you are, arise and shine, for your light has come! Amen, and thanks be to God.
Christmas cards don’t really portray what happened after that holy, silent night. Because things are starting to heat up, and it certainly doesn’t feel like Christmas to see the darkness on the covers of those cards holding our annual Christmas letters. Traveling from the east, following a star, are wise men, the magi, sometimes called kings, coming to worship this greatest of Kings and bring him gifts. We really don’t know how many there are, we assume three, we don’t really know where they have come from, or what they might do in their spare time in some far off land. We don’t know much about them really, but we do know that they are coming to find a baby that has been proclaimed to them in the stars. And yet, it isn’t as simple as the Christmas cards would have you believe, because something terrible is happening. We can feel it in the words of the gospel, in the secret meetings between Herod and his priests, and meetings under the cloak of darkness with these wise men. We can hear that darkness sneaking in as the gospel tells us that Herod is afraid, and all of Jerusalem with him. When Herod is afraid, the people quake with fear, because Herod always reacts to his fear with death.
Herod calls these wise men into a secret meeting, and he tells them, go search diligently for this child, the child seen in the stars and then come back, and tell me where to find him. It seems like such a good plan. He will let these travelers do the work, find this child king, that he can’t really be sure of anyway, and then, without hesitation, he can find this child, he can kill this child, and all that he is sure of, all his power, will still be his. No one can take that away from this crafty, wily Herod.
Not really the stuff of Christmas cards, is it? A little too cloak and dagger to make it into our annual Christmas letters, but it serves as an important reminder. The birth of Jesus Christ shook the world from its moorings, the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God, was meant to change everything, to redeem us, to enliven us, to teach us how to live, it was meant to be the stuff of thousands of Christmas cards, to proclaim a new era, a reign of peace and love and justice and mercy. The birth of Jesus Christ was meant to turn everything upside down, and when the world gets shaken, there are people on the top who end up on the bottom. When the world gets shaken, the pieces do not fall as they always have, and that can cause some painful reminders of the power of sin. Because the journey of these wise men is just the beginning. Joseph will be warned in a dream, and he and Mary will flee to Egypt, because Herod is on a murderous bend. All the baby boys will be killed by Herod’s hand. The cries of lament and loss will be heard in that town and everywhere. It isn’t the stuff of woolly lambs and bright shining stars, is it?
Those wise men, those travelers from the east, they finally find the son of God, nine miles away from their first stop. They find him in that manger, not in the palace of Herod. And, when they do find him, when they do discover him with his mother in that stable, it is the stuff of epiphanies, because they fall down and worship him, filled with the greatest of joys. They are so filled with joy that our text can barely do their emotions justice. Everything changes. They encounter the living, breathing God, wrapped in swaddling cloths. And that joy, it is enough, that encounter, it is enough to lead them home in a new way. To see that child is king is enough to erase the secret meetings, to foil the plans of King Herod, to lead these wise men in an entirely new direction. When the world gets shaken, things don’t end up where they have always been, and sometimes that road home, that road back to the life you have led, it goes in an entirely different direction.
Life sometimes feels a bit like the journey of those wise men. We feel that pull, that desire within us to search for something beyond ourselves, to find God in the midst of this confusing and sometimes treacherous world. That search often leads us on journeys we never imagined, finding us in places where we never dreamed we would be. But, when we encounter the living God, we have no response but to fall down in worship, because what we find is so big, so glorious and so utterly beyond our imagining that there is nothing but praise for the One with whom it all began. But that journey is often fraught with missteps, with finding ourselves in places we don’t want to be, not sure about where to go. It can find us wrapped up in our own sin and the systematic sin of a world that is being shaken, even now, by what God has done.
But, we also remember that sometimes our journey can seem more like the journey of Herod. We don’t want to be moved, we don’t want to risk losing all our comforts for what this new birth might mean. We don’t want to imagine a different world, because it seems too big and too scary and too risky. We don’t know how to live in a world that is changing, a world that is being upended, a world that is ruled by a king who is the embodiment of justice and love and peace.
I have found myself in both of these characters. Seeking God, and being afraid to find God. But, no matter where we are, we hear the prophets words for this feast of Epiphany, “Arise, Shine, your Light has come!” What God has done can’t be undone. Whether we are afraid of what it might mean, or whether we are ready to lay all we have an all we are at the feet of this child king, God has already done all the work, broken through the veil between heaven and earth, and come for us. Journeyed to us, because we keep losing our way.
The feast of epiphany brings to us one of the most familiar stories of our gospel. It is the feast of light, when we celebrate that God’s light has come. God’s light has already begun shining, setting us on fire. God’s light has a way of illuminating even the darkness of what happened after our Christmas story. It has a way of illuminating the parts of ourselves that can be found in all these characters. So, no matter where you are, arise and shine, for your light has come! Amen, and thanks be to God.
Weekly Texts: Epiphany
First Reading
Isaiah 60:1–6
Arise, shine; for your light has come,and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.2For darkness shall cover the earth,and thick darkness the peoples;but the LORD will arise upon you,and his glory will appear over you.3Nations shall come to your light,and kings to the brightness of your dawn.4Lift up your eyes and look around;they all gather together, they come to you;your sons shall come from far away,and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.5Then you shall see and be radiant;your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,the wealth of the nations shall come to you.6A multitude of camels shall cover you,the young camels of Midian and Ephah;all those from Sheba shall come.They shall bring gold and frankincense,and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
Psalm (ELW)
Psalm 72:1–7, 10–14
1Give the king your jus- tice, O God,
and your righteousness to the king's son;
2that he may rule your people righteously
and the poor with justice;
3that the mountains may bring prosperity to the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4Let him defend the needy a- mong the people,
rescue the poor, and crush the oppressor. R
5May he live as long as the sun and moon endure,
from one generation to another.
6Let him come down like rain upon the mown field,
like showers that wa- ter the earth.
7In his time may the righteous flourish;
and let there be an abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
10May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles pay tribute,
and the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. R
11May all kings bow down before him,
and all the nations do him service.
12For the king delivers the poor who cry out in distress,
the oppressed, and those who have no helper.
13He has compassion on the low- ly and poor,
and preserves the lives of the needy.
14From oppression and violence he re- deems their lives,
and precious is their blood in his sight. R
Second Reading
Ephesians 3:1–12
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — 2for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, 3and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.7Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. 8Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 10so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Gospel
Matthew 2:1–12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:6'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a rulerwho is to shepherd my people Israel.'"7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Isaiah 60:1–6
Arise, shine; for your light has come,and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.2For darkness shall cover the earth,and thick darkness the peoples;but the LORD will arise upon you,and his glory will appear over you.3Nations shall come to your light,and kings to the brightness of your dawn.4Lift up your eyes and look around;they all gather together, they come to you;your sons shall come from far away,and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.5Then you shall see and be radiant;your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,the wealth of the nations shall come to you.6A multitude of camels shall cover you,the young camels of Midian and Ephah;all those from Sheba shall come.They shall bring gold and frankincense,and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
Psalm (ELW)
Psalm 72:1–7, 10–14
1Give the king your jus- tice, O God,
and your righteousness to the king's son;
2that he may rule your people righteously
and the poor with justice;
3that the mountains may bring prosperity to the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4Let him defend the needy a- mong the people,
rescue the poor, and crush the oppressor. R
5May he live as long as the sun and moon endure,
from one generation to another.
6Let him come down like rain upon the mown field,
like showers that wa- ter the earth.
7In his time may the righteous flourish;
and let there be an abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
10May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles pay tribute,
and the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. R
11May all kings bow down before him,
and all the nations do him service.
12For the king delivers the poor who cry out in distress,
the oppressed, and those who have no helper.
13He has compassion on the low- ly and poor,
and preserves the lives of the needy.
14From oppression and violence he re- deems their lives,
and precious is their blood in his sight. R
Second Reading
Ephesians 3:1–12
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — 2for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, 3and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.7Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. 8Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 10so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Gospel
Matthew 2:1–12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:6'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a rulerwho is to shepherd my people Israel.'"7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Sermon: Christmas Eve
Stressed out over the sheer amount of things to be done to prepare for this night, I called a dear friend a few days ago. “Settle down,” he said, “Christmas Eve sermons basically write themselves.”
My dear friend is usually right, but not this year. Christmas Eve sermons do usually write themselves, as we read the same story every year, we light candles the same way every year. We talk about what we are going to eat and the gifts we are going to open in the same way every year. So the message seems to stay the same year after year. But not this year.
Not this year, because something has changed. Perhaps there is some grace in this change, but most of us come to this night a little bit off kilter. More people than ever before have come to my office this year complaining that they just can’t seem to get in the holiday spirit. It doesn’t feel quite like Christmas, no matter how hard they try, no matter how many times they listen to Christmas songs, buy presents, or bake cookies. More people than ever before have stopped by the office because they have lost jobs this year and can’t afford to buy presents for their kids, and they don’t know what to do. More people have stopped by because they are afraid they are going to lose their homes this year, they’ve lost their livelihoods already. So this year, Christmas Eve doesn’t write itself because it feels like a different kind of year. A scarier year, a year that is ending without things nicely wrapped up. With our financial lives in turmoil, with friends and loved ones unemployed and losing their homes, this year ends a little messy, with people we see everyday tightening their belts and bracing for a coming year that might get even worse.
The story of this night is the same, but our hearing of it this year is different. Caesar Augustus, the most powerful man in the all the world, orders that all people shall return to their homelands to be registered and to pay a tax to the empire. There in Bethlehem these two outsiders, Mary and Joseph, can’t find room in those dark streets, so they stumble into a stable, and prepare for the birth of this most mysterious, most wonderful, most special child. I wonder if in that stable Mary remembered the words of the angel only months before, the angel who came to her and told her that she was with child, that she would give birth to the son of God, and that most of all, despite everything, that she ought not be afraid, because God was with her. I wonder if she carried those words in her heart, that hope of God’s future as they entered that humble stable and prepared for this most important birth, even if it wasn’t what she imagined, even though she was far from her family, I wonder if Mary remembered those words, if she could still hear that angel’s voice, “do not be afraid…”
Do not be afraid, we hear those same words only moments later, as angels fill the skies over shepherds watching their flocks. These outcast, lonely, shepherds not counted in this great census, doing their everyday work on an everyday kind of night. They are the first to hear tell of this good news, as the heavens break open and their everyday life is filled with an incredible light. Unto you, nameless shepherds, is born a savior in the city of David. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid.
And so those shepherds hurry off, leaving their flocks to fend for themselves, because they have heard the greatest of news. In the middle of their everyday life, everything is drowned out by the good news, the gospel in flesh, that God has been born among them. That everything has changed. That the world has been turned upside down, and that they, who are at the bottom of the social world, they who work in the fields, they who live in the fields, they who are so far from the powerful emperor who began this story, they are the first to hear this news. They are the first to rush off with great haste. They are the first to rejoice because it is all true. They are the first to write the Christmas eve sermon, to rejoice at what God has done. In the middle of the every day.
This year is different. Christmas doesn’t write itself. Some of us come to this night in knowledge of our desperate need for this story. Understanding our most desperate need for hope. Perhaps we have become cynical, hearing stories day after day of unending greed in the people around us and even in ourselves. Perhaps we come to this night scared because things appear to be getting worse instead of better- we have realized that we can’t secure our own future, no matter how hard we try, because things happen beyond our control. Perhaps we come to this night with the deepest of sadness, because there is someone missing at the table, there is one stocking that won’t be hung this year. Perhaps we come to this night tired, just tired of the piles of stuff that fill our lives and the pull of all those things that grasp for our time. Christmas didn’t write itself this year, we don’t just fall into the spirit. We very well might enter into another year with more sadness, more despair, more darkness, more cynicism. What we need is that greatest of hopes, that reminder that we need not be afraid, because a baby has been born to shake the world from its moorings, a baby has been born to offer us hope, hope against cynicism, hope in the goodness of the world, hope that God will always be with us, will be with us so much that God will be born among us, hope that sadness and grief and pain and anger can’t have the last word, because God has so wrapped us in love that God was born among us. Born in that little child, born on that holiest of nights so that we need not be afraid.
On that cold, dark night, God met the people with the greatest of promises, in the midst of their fear. In the midst of a census meant to count them and tax them, in the midst of an oppressive rule and questions if God was even with the Israelites anymore, in the midst of greed and corruption and violence, in the midst of every reason to be afraid, God is born to two outsiders in a stable in Bethlehem. God’s reign is announced not in halls of power, but in fields among the lowliest. God’s reign is testified to by outsiders, not by kings and princes. And they go no longer afraid, no longer afraid because the promise is real. God is with us.
Tonight, born in the city of David is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Emmanuel, God with us. Tonight all that we are in bondage to, all the fear and the cynicism, all the hopelessness and the anger, all the pain and the things that separate us from each other and from God, on this night we are told that in the midst of all that we bring, God meets us. God lives among us. God has come to set us free. We do not know what the next year will look like. We do not know if we will hear more stories of pain and despair, we don’t know if those stories will be our own. But on this night, we do know that God’s reign has been proclaimed among us. That God is with us. That despite our fears, despite our lack of the Christmas spirit, despite all we might bring to this snowy evening, God’s reign has already begun. Jesus Christ has lived that we might have life. That we might, like Mary, ponder these things in our hearts. That we mi ght, no matter what surrounds us, that we might hear God’s word, “Do not be afraid.” Amen.
My dear friend is usually right, but not this year. Christmas Eve sermons do usually write themselves, as we read the same story every year, we light candles the same way every year. We talk about what we are going to eat and the gifts we are going to open in the same way every year. So the message seems to stay the same year after year. But not this year.
Not this year, because something has changed. Perhaps there is some grace in this change, but most of us come to this night a little bit off kilter. More people than ever before have come to my office this year complaining that they just can’t seem to get in the holiday spirit. It doesn’t feel quite like Christmas, no matter how hard they try, no matter how many times they listen to Christmas songs, buy presents, or bake cookies. More people than ever before have stopped by the office because they have lost jobs this year and can’t afford to buy presents for their kids, and they don’t know what to do. More people have stopped by because they are afraid they are going to lose their homes this year, they’ve lost their livelihoods already. So this year, Christmas Eve doesn’t write itself because it feels like a different kind of year. A scarier year, a year that is ending without things nicely wrapped up. With our financial lives in turmoil, with friends and loved ones unemployed and losing their homes, this year ends a little messy, with people we see everyday tightening their belts and bracing for a coming year that might get even worse.
The story of this night is the same, but our hearing of it this year is different. Caesar Augustus, the most powerful man in the all the world, orders that all people shall return to their homelands to be registered and to pay a tax to the empire. There in Bethlehem these two outsiders, Mary and Joseph, can’t find room in those dark streets, so they stumble into a stable, and prepare for the birth of this most mysterious, most wonderful, most special child. I wonder if in that stable Mary remembered the words of the angel only months before, the angel who came to her and told her that she was with child, that she would give birth to the son of God, and that most of all, despite everything, that she ought not be afraid, because God was with her. I wonder if she carried those words in her heart, that hope of God’s future as they entered that humble stable and prepared for this most important birth, even if it wasn’t what she imagined, even though she was far from her family, I wonder if Mary remembered those words, if she could still hear that angel’s voice, “do not be afraid…”
Do not be afraid, we hear those same words only moments later, as angels fill the skies over shepherds watching their flocks. These outcast, lonely, shepherds not counted in this great census, doing their everyday work on an everyday kind of night. They are the first to hear tell of this good news, as the heavens break open and their everyday life is filled with an incredible light. Unto you, nameless shepherds, is born a savior in the city of David. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid.
And so those shepherds hurry off, leaving their flocks to fend for themselves, because they have heard the greatest of news. In the middle of their everyday life, everything is drowned out by the good news, the gospel in flesh, that God has been born among them. That everything has changed. That the world has been turned upside down, and that they, who are at the bottom of the social world, they who work in the fields, they who live in the fields, they who are so far from the powerful emperor who began this story, they are the first to hear this news. They are the first to rush off with great haste. They are the first to rejoice because it is all true. They are the first to write the Christmas eve sermon, to rejoice at what God has done. In the middle of the every day.
This year is different. Christmas doesn’t write itself. Some of us come to this night in knowledge of our desperate need for this story. Understanding our most desperate need for hope. Perhaps we have become cynical, hearing stories day after day of unending greed in the people around us and even in ourselves. Perhaps we come to this night scared because things appear to be getting worse instead of better- we have realized that we can’t secure our own future, no matter how hard we try, because things happen beyond our control. Perhaps we come to this night with the deepest of sadness, because there is someone missing at the table, there is one stocking that won’t be hung this year. Perhaps we come to this night tired, just tired of the piles of stuff that fill our lives and the pull of all those things that grasp for our time. Christmas didn’t write itself this year, we don’t just fall into the spirit. We very well might enter into another year with more sadness, more despair, more darkness, more cynicism. What we need is that greatest of hopes, that reminder that we need not be afraid, because a baby has been born to shake the world from its moorings, a baby has been born to offer us hope, hope against cynicism, hope in the goodness of the world, hope that God will always be with us, will be with us so much that God will be born among us, hope that sadness and grief and pain and anger can’t have the last word, because God has so wrapped us in love that God was born among us. Born in that little child, born on that holiest of nights so that we need not be afraid.
On that cold, dark night, God met the people with the greatest of promises, in the midst of their fear. In the midst of a census meant to count them and tax them, in the midst of an oppressive rule and questions if God was even with the Israelites anymore, in the midst of greed and corruption and violence, in the midst of every reason to be afraid, God is born to two outsiders in a stable in Bethlehem. God’s reign is announced not in halls of power, but in fields among the lowliest. God’s reign is testified to by outsiders, not by kings and princes. And they go no longer afraid, no longer afraid because the promise is real. God is with us.
Tonight, born in the city of David is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Emmanuel, God with us. Tonight all that we are in bondage to, all the fear and the cynicism, all the hopelessness and the anger, all the pain and the things that separate us from each other and from God, on this night we are told that in the midst of all that we bring, God meets us. God lives among us. God has come to set us free. We do not know what the next year will look like. We do not know if we will hear more stories of pain and despair, we don’t know if those stories will be our own. But on this night, we do know that God’s reign has been proclaimed among us. That God is with us. That despite our fears, despite our lack of the Christmas spirit, despite all we might bring to this snowy evening, God’s reign has already begun. Jesus Christ has lived that we might have life. That we might, like Mary, ponder these things in our hearts. That we mi ght, no matter what surrounds us, that we might hear God’s word, “Do not be afraid.” Amen.
Weekly Texts: Christmas Eve
First Reading
Isaiah 9:2–7
2The people who walked in darknesshave seen a great light;those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.3You have multiplied the nation,you have increased its joy;they rejoice before youas with joy at the harvest,as people exult when dividing plunder.4For the yoke of their burden,and the bar across their shoulders,the rod of their oppressor,you have broken as on the day of Midian.5For all the boots of the tramping warriorsand all the garments rolled in bloodshall be burned as fuel for the fire.6For a child has been born for us,a son given to us;authority rests upon his shoulders;and he is namedWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7His authority shall grow continually,and there shall be endless peacefor the throne of David and his kingdom.He will establish and uphold itwith justice and with righteousnessfrom this time onward and forevermore.The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Psalm (ELW)
Psalm 96
1Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2Sing to the LORD, bless the name of the LORD;
proclaim God's salvation from day to day.
3Declare God's glory a- mong the nations
and God's wonders a- mong all peoples.
4For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised,
more to be feared than all gods. R
5As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols;
but you, O LORD, have made the heavens.
6Majesty and magnificence are in your presence;
power and splendor are in your sanctuary.
7Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD hon- or and power.
8Ascribe to the LORD the honor due the holy name;
bring offerings and enter the courts of the LORD. R
9Worship the LORD in the beau- ty of holiness;
tremble before the LORD, all the earth.
10Tell it out among the nations: "The LORD is king!
The one who made the world so firm that it cannot be moved will judge the peo- ples with equity."
11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it; let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
12Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy at your com- ing, O LORD,
for you come to judge the earth.
13You will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with your truth. R
Second Reading
Titus 2:11–14
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Gospel
Luke 2:1–14 [15–20]
2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,14"Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Isaiah 9:2–7
2The people who walked in darknesshave seen a great light;those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.3You have multiplied the nation,you have increased its joy;they rejoice before youas with joy at the harvest,as people exult when dividing plunder.4For the yoke of their burden,and the bar across their shoulders,the rod of their oppressor,you have broken as on the day of Midian.5For all the boots of the tramping warriorsand all the garments rolled in bloodshall be burned as fuel for the fire.6For a child has been born for us,a son given to us;authority rests upon his shoulders;and he is namedWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7His authority shall grow continually,and there shall be endless peacefor the throne of David and his kingdom.He will establish and uphold itwith justice and with righteousnessfrom this time onward and forevermore.The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Psalm (ELW)
Psalm 96
1Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2Sing to the LORD, bless the name of the LORD;
proclaim God's salvation from day to day.
3Declare God's glory a- mong the nations
and God's wonders a- mong all peoples.
4For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised,
more to be feared than all gods. R
5As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols;
but you, O LORD, have made the heavens.
6Majesty and magnificence are in your presence;
power and splendor are in your sanctuary.
7Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD hon- or and power.
8Ascribe to the LORD the honor due the holy name;
bring offerings and enter the courts of the LORD. R
9Worship the LORD in the beau- ty of holiness;
tremble before the LORD, all the earth.
10Tell it out among the nations: "The LORD is king!
The one who made the world so firm that it cannot be moved will judge the peo- ples with equity."
11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it; let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
12Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy at your com- ing, O LORD,
for you come to judge the earth.
13You will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with your truth. R
Second Reading
Titus 2:11–14
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Gospel
Luke 2:1–14 [15–20]
2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,14"Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Weekly Texts: All Saints Sunday
First Reading
Revelation 7:9–17
9After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying,"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12singing,"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdomand thanksgiving and honorand power and mightbe to our God forever and ever! Amen."13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" 14I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal ;they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.15For this reason they are before the throne of God,and worship him day and night within his temple,and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.16They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;the sun will not strike them,nor any scorching heat;17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Psalm (ELW)
Psalm 34:1–10, 22
I will bless the LORD at all times;
the praise of God shall ever be in my mouth.
2I will glory in the LORD;
let the lowly hear and rejoice. R
3Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD;
let us exalt God's name together.
4I sought the LORD, who answered me
and delivered me from all my terrors.
5Look upon the LORD and be radiant,
and let not your faces be ashamed.
6I called in my affliction, and the LORD heard me
and saved me from all my troubles. R
7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear the LORD
and de- livers them.
8Taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are they who take ref- uge in God!
9Fear the LORD, you saints of the LORD,
for those who fear the LORD lack nothing.
10The lions are in want and suffer hunger,
but those who seek the LORD lack nothing that is good.
22O LORD, you redeem the life of your servants,
and those who put their trust in you will not be punished. R
Second Reading
1 John 3:1–3
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Gospel
Matthew 5:1–12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:3Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.7Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Revelation 7:9–17
9After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying,"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12singing,"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdomand thanksgiving and honorand power and mightbe to our God forever and ever! Amen."13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" 14I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal ;they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.15For this reason they are before the throne of God,and worship him day and night within his temple,and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.16They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;the sun will not strike them,nor any scorching heat;17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Psalm (ELW)
Psalm 34:1–10, 22
I will bless the LORD at all times;
the praise of God shall ever be in my mouth.
2I will glory in the LORD;
let the lowly hear and rejoice. R
3Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD;
let us exalt God's name together.
4I sought the LORD, who answered me
and delivered me from all my terrors.
5Look upon the LORD and be radiant,
and let not your faces be ashamed.
6I called in my affliction, and the LORD heard me
and saved me from all my troubles. R
7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear the LORD
and de- livers them.
8Taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are they who take ref- uge in God!
9Fear the LORD, you saints of the LORD,
for those who fear the LORD lack nothing.
10The lions are in want and suffer hunger,
but those who seek the LORD lack nothing that is good.
22O LORD, you redeem the life of your servants,
and those who put their trust in you will not be punished. R
Second Reading
1 John 3:1–3
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Gospel
Matthew 5:1–12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:3Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.7Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Sermon: Reformation 2008
I am the kind of Lutheran that loves this church so much that I pre-ordered my ticket to see the Luther movie in the movie theater. I can’t pretend that I didn’t cry when I saw Luther post those theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg. Our celebration of Reformation makes me proud to be a Lutheran, proud to have a heritage of reform, proud to be a part of a church grounded in growth. I love that this church was formed by a man wanting to put the scriptures into the hands of the people. I love that we believe that in those scriptures we could find a real truth. A real life. A real freedom.
The days are coming says the Lord. So begins our reading from Jeremiah for this morning. The days are surely coming when our celebration of reformation will be just a distant memory, when we will be finished with our constant reforming, when the Spirit of God will have had her way with us, and we will finally reach that place where we become our most full selves, the body of Christ in the world. The days are coming, but even on this day, those days seem far off, too far off.
I went to a small religious college. It was there that I came face to face for the first time with an altar call. It was the first time someone told me that I needed to ask Jesus into my heart. I had never heard of this before, growing up Lutheran, I was baptized, I went to church camp, I went to confirmation classes, I missed the memo about asking Jesus into my heart. I was also quite confused when I saw many of my friends asking Jesus into their hearts all the time. They would have big moments of conversion, then something would get in the way, they wouldn’t feel as close to their faith anymore, they would do a few things that definitely fell into the sin category, and there they would be again, marching down the aisle of the church and asking Jesus back into their hearts.
The days are coming says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people. I will put my law within them, I will write it on their hearts, I will be their God and they shall be my people.
That’s the funny thing about our hearts, on this celebration of Reformation, we remember that God has promised to be with us, to wash us in grace. There is no rhyme or reason to why God has chosen to be in relationship with us. Most of us haven’t asked for it, and if we have, we certainly have trouble living as if that is the truth. We are sinners, but called saints by a God who has made an unbreakable covenant with us, has written the law in hearts, has made us God’s people, has invaded our hearts, filled them, shaped them so that they can only be called the shape of God. Walter Brueggeman says, “this covenant is given by God without reason or explanation, God wants the relationship with the people and resolves to have it. So God declares that he will write himself into the people.” It isn’t about us asking, it is about God doing. God comes down, and fills us with God’s very presence. We don’t have to keep asking, we just have to feel into those places where God already is. It isn’t about our work, it is about God’s.
We need this reminder of reformation, because it reminds us of the shape of our hearts. We don’t need flashy programs or new ideas, the covenant has been written into our hearts, we are made in the shape of a God that is constant through time, a God who has promised that we will be in relationship with him regardless of ourselves. God has wormed into our hearts, written herself upon them, and we cannot get out of this relationship without cutting out part of our own hearts.
That’s where Jeremiah and John seem to meet. Because Jeremiah tells us about the law written on our hearts, and Jesus in John’s gospel promises us that it is the writing that will set us free. It is the inscription inside of us, that gives us freedom we can’t get from anywhere else. It isn’t about heritage or ancestry; it is about what God has done and continues to do. The celebration of Reformation, for as proud as it makes us to be Lutherans, isn’t the point. The point is what God has done, where God has gone, how far God will go to be in relationship with us, to set us free from all the binds us, from all those things that hold us prisoner. We are in constant reformation, because those sinful natures keep getting in the way, keep telling us that there is something that will be more satisfying that will give us more than a relationship with God.
We are the people that both Jeremiah and Jesus are speaking about. We are the people of God, we are the ones who receive this promise. We have been grafted into this everlasting covenant. We are the ones that God loves with such depth that nothing can separate us from that love. And yet, we are also with that gathered crowd in our gospel wondering how we could ever be slave to anyone or anything. We are the ones who will listen to the freedom of the gospel and then wonder if there is something a little less difficult out there to give us the same results. We can’t imagine that we have ever been slaves, that there are forces and sins that have such a deep hold on us that we can’t even see it anymore.
Today, we will celebrate with six young adults as they affirm the promises made in their baptisms. They will stand before us and decide for themselves that they are a part of this holy family. But, confirmation is not the end, it is only another beginning. Just as we seek constant reformation in our church, we also seek constant reformation in our lives. Because for as much as we desire to live into the freedom of the gospel, to taste the free gift of grace, sin gets in the way. We do not live as we ought. We forget these promises, we ignore God’s law, we turn off the voice inside of us that urges us to live as God’s faithful people. It is in that relationship with Christ that we are set free. It is in the love that God has for us that we are set free. We exchange all the pain, all the ugliness, all the sin and the sorrow, all those things that bind us and break us down, we exchange all of it, for a relationship with God. For a return to the way we were made. And it doesn’t end on one day. It doesn’t end with one promise. It is difficult work, coming back again and again and falling down only to be covered with grace.
The truth of Reformation is that God is always doing a new thing, always within us, always with us, always covering us with grace. We will be made free. We don’t ask God into our hearts, God is already there. God desires to be in relationship with us, even as we break our end of the bargain, even as we ignore what God has done and continues to do. This is a new kind of covenant, one that cannot be broken, and so it doesn’t count on us. It counts on God. Amen.
The days are coming says the Lord. So begins our reading from Jeremiah for this morning. The days are surely coming when our celebration of reformation will be just a distant memory, when we will be finished with our constant reforming, when the Spirit of God will have had her way with us, and we will finally reach that place where we become our most full selves, the body of Christ in the world. The days are coming, but even on this day, those days seem far off, too far off.
I went to a small religious college. It was there that I came face to face for the first time with an altar call. It was the first time someone told me that I needed to ask Jesus into my heart. I had never heard of this before, growing up Lutheran, I was baptized, I went to church camp, I went to confirmation classes, I missed the memo about asking Jesus into my heart. I was also quite confused when I saw many of my friends asking Jesus into their hearts all the time. They would have big moments of conversion, then something would get in the way, they wouldn’t feel as close to their faith anymore, they would do a few things that definitely fell into the sin category, and there they would be again, marching down the aisle of the church and asking Jesus back into their hearts.
The days are coming says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people. I will put my law within them, I will write it on their hearts, I will be their God and they shall be my people.
That’s the funny thing about our hearts, on this celebration of Reformation, we remember that God has promised to be with us, to wash us in grace. There is no rhyme or reason to why God has chosen to be in relationship with us. Most of us haven’t asked for it, and if we have, we certainly have trouble living as if that is the truth. We are sinners, but called saints by a God who has made an unbreakable covenant with us, has written the law in hearts, has made us God’s people, has invaded our hearts, filled them, shaped them so that they can only be called the shape of God. Walter Brueggeman says, “this covenant is given by God without reason or explanation, God wants the relationship with the people and resolves to have it. So God declares that he will write himself into the people.” It isn’t about us asking, it is about God doing. God comes down, and fills us with God’s very presence. We don’t have to keep asking, we just have to feel into those places where God already is. It isn’t about our work, it is about God’s.
We need this reminder of reformation, because it reminds us of the shape of our hearts. We don’t need flashy programs or new ideas, the covenant has been written into our hearts, we are made in the shape of a God that is constant through time, a God who has promised that we will be in relationship with him regardless of ourselves. God has wormed into our hearts, written herself upon them, and we cannot get out of this relationship without cutting out part of our own hearts.
That’s where Jeremiah and John seem to meet. Because Jeremiah tells us about the law written on our hearts, and Jesus in John’s gospel promises us that it is the writing that will set us free. It is the inscription inside of us, that gives us freedom we can’t get from anywhere else. It isn’t about heritage or ancestry; it is about what God has done and continues to do. The celebration of Reformation, for as proud as it makes us to be Lutherans, isn’t the point. The point is what God has done, where God has gone, how far God will go to be in relationship with us, to set us free from all the binds us, from all those things that hold us prisoner. We are in constant reformation, because those sinful natures keep getting in the way, keep telling us that there is something that will be more satisfying that will give us more than a relationship with God.
We are the people that both Jeremiah and Jesus are speaking about. We are the people of God, we are the ones who receive this promise. We have been grafted into this everlasting covenant. We are the ones that God loves with such depth that nothing can separate us from that love. And yet, we are also with that gathered crowd in our gospel wondering how we could ever be slave to anyone or anything. We are the ones who will listen to the freedom of the gospel and then wonder if there is something a little less difficult out there to give us the same results. We can’t imagine that we have ever been slaves, that there are forces and sins that have such a deep hold on us that we can’t even see it anymore.
Today, we will celebrate with six young adults as they affirm the promises made in their baptisms. They will stand before us and decide for themselves that they are a part of this holy family. But, confirmation is not the end, it is only another beginning. Just as we seek constant reformation in our church, we also seek constant reformation in our lives. Because for as much as we desire to live into the freedom of the gospel, to taste the free gift of grace, sin gets in the way. We do not live as we ought. We forget these promises, we ignore God’s law, we turn off the voice inside of us that urges us to live as God’s faithful people. It is in that relationship with Christ that we are set free. It is in the love that God has for us that we are set free. We exchange all the pain, all the ugliness, all the sin and the sorrow, all those things that bind us and break us down, we exchange all of it, for a relationship with God. For a return to the way we were made. And it doesn’t end on one day. It doesn’t end with one promise. It is difficult work, coming back again and again and falling down only to be covered with grace.
The truth of Reformation is that God is always doing a new thing, always within us, always with us, always covering us with grace. We will be made free. We don’t ask God into our hearts, God is already there. God desires to be in relationship with us, even as we break our end of the bargain, even as we ignore what God has done and continues to do. This is a new kind of covenant, one that cannot be broken, and so it doesn’t count on us. It counts on God. Amen.
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