This Sunday’s Gospel reading (Luke 2:22-40) includes the story of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, and the encounter of Mary and Joseph with the aged Simeon and Anna. Scripture tells us that Simeon was “righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It has been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.” Simeon sees the young couple, weary from their travels, and in the baby Jesus, Simeon recognizes that for which he had waited his entire life. He responds with the words, “Now let thy servant depart in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation….” The aged prophetess Anna was also in the Temple that day, as she had been every day for the decades since the passing of her husband. She, too, recognized the child as the fulfillment of her years of waiting, and gave praise and glory to God.
The book of Proverbs 29:18 contains these words, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Conversely, the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:24 writes, “For we are saved by hope.” With a vision, our lives are given meaning and purpose. I’ve often read of elderly persons, even persons struggling with terminal illness, who seemingly willed themselves to stay alive to witness the marriage of a child, or to see the birth of a grandchild. After the wedding, after the birth, they give themselves permission to say “Now let thy servant depart in peace….” In the same way, even in more mundane circumstances, if we as individuals have a vision of the good news Christ offers, a vision of how God has called us to live in response to this good news as disciples of Christ, it will give us strength to overcome many of our daily challenges. If we allow ourselves to be led by Christ, we won’t be deflected by the annoyances and challenges that are a part of every day.
The year 2008 is rapidly coming to a close. Some can likely look back on 2008 with gratitude. Others are ready to say “good riddance.” Regardless of how we experienced 2008, in a few days, God willing, we will awake to begin the year 2009. A brand new year is coming, full of promise, likely full of challenge as well. In the year ahead, let us “look to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
O Holy Night
As with many churches, Christmas Eve is one of two days (the other being Easter) when the whole Emanuel Church family is with us. Our congregation is not large, even on Christmas Eve, but our members and friends drove in from Bucks County and New Jersey to spend Christmas Eve at Emanuel.
Tonight was my second Christmas Eve at Emanuel UCC. I added a few more carols this year and was concerned that the service might run overtime – but I needn’t have worried. A meaningful time was had by all. Kudos to Emanuel’s organist, Ralph Fisher, who outdid himself to make this year’s Christmas Eve service extra special.
Merry Christmas to all!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A Holy Interruption
John Lennon’s song “Beautiful Boy”, written for his son Sean, contains the words, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” Tomorrow’s New Testament reading (Luke 1:26-55) is about God bringing new life to Mary while she was busy making other plans. We’re not told exactly what Mary was going when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, but we can be reasonably certain that the visit was not expected. Mary wasn’t sitting by the window waiting for Gabriel to come up the front walk. Rather, the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and said, “Greetings, favored one! Blessed are you among women.”
Mary is understandably perplexed, and wondered what sort of greeting this might be. She’s suspicious of this stranger with his words of friendly greeting. Was this stranger blessing her, or setting her up to take advantage of her? The angel senses her fear, and says, “Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God. And now you will conceive and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary understandably objects, “But I am a virgin” or as some translations say, “I do not know a man.” The angel explains that God will make all this possible, and tells her that in her old age her cousin Elizabeth is six months along in her pregnancy – for nothing will be impossible with God.” Mary gets in the last word: “Here am I, a servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. God broke in on Mary with new life at a time when she least expected it. “Blessed are you among women” Gabriel said. And Mary was blessed – because she was willing to allow a holy interruption to her plans.
Mary heard the words, “Blessed are you among women!” What does it mean to be blessed? When we pray, “We give you thanks, O God, for our many blessings…” what do we think of? Good health, a job, a family. Prominent evangelists such as Joel Osteen and the wonderfully named Creflo Dollar preach that “God wants us rich”. But Gabriel’s words and Mary’s response give us a very different picture of what it means to be blessed. For Mary, being blessed meant being part of God’s plan, being used by God – even at great personal cost. Being blessed means being where the action is, action in this case meaning God’s acts of saving the world. May we have eyes to see and ears to see the ways in which God is waiting to interrupt our plans, to experience the blessings God has for those whose trust is in the Lord.
Mary is understandably perplexed, and wondered what sort of greeting this might be. She’s suspicious of this stranger with his words of friendly greeting. Was this stranger blessing her, or setting her up to take advantage of her? The angel senses her fear, and says, “Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God. And now you will conceive and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary understandably objects, “But I am a virgin” or as some translations say, “I do not know a man.” The angel explains that God will make all this possible, and tells her that in her old age her cousin Elizabeth is six months along in her pregnancy – for nothing will be impossible with God.” Mary gets in the last word: “Here am I, a servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. God broke in on Mary with new life at a time when she least expected it. “Blessed are you among women” Gabriel said. And Mary was blessed – because she was willing to allow a holy interruption to her plans.
Mary heard the words, “Blessed are you among women!” What does it mean to be blessed? When we pray, “We give you thanks, O God, for our many blessings…” what do we think of? Good health, a job, a family. Prominent evangelists such as Joel Osteen and the wonderfully named Creflo Dollar preach that “God wants us rich”. But Gabriel’s words and Mary’s response give us a very different picture of what it means to be blessed. For Mary, being blessed meant being part of God’s plan, being used by God – even at great personal cost. Being blessed means being where the action is, action in this case meaning God’s acts of saving the world. May we have eyes to see and ears to see the ways in which God is waiting to interrupt our plans, to experience the blessings God has for those whose trust is in the Lord.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
To Live Again
At Emanuel UCC, one of the groups meeting at our church is called "To Live Again." It is a bereavement support group for those whose spouses have passed away. They meet on the 2nd Saturday of most months, beginning with a dinner at 6 p.m. (At present, I don't have a link to any contact information for the group; I'll update this post if I get any information.) They have traditionally invited the pastor and other members of Emanuel to attend their December meeting, and so I represented Emanuel UCC this year. It was my first meeting with the group, and while most of those present were middle-aged or older, they were a lively (verging on rowdy) bunch. For a group whose members have experienced mourning, the room was full of life. Several wanted to see the sanctuary of the church (which is upstairs from the social hall) and so I turned on the lights and invited them to take a look. (They didn't get away without a commercial; I also invited them to our 10 a.m. worship and our 7 pm Christmas Eve service.) I was grateful for the reminder that even out of death, God brings new life.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Rejoice!
As I write this, tomorrow (December 14) is the third Sunday in Advent. In some traditions, it is called “Gaudete Sunday” – the Latin word “gaudete” means “ rejoice”. Below is part of tomorrow’s Old Testament reading:
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor….
Isaiah 61:1-2a
Many Bible scholars think that this text was written at some time after the return from exile in Babylon. The descendents of those who had been exiled to Babylon were finally allowed to return home to Jerusalem – but Jerusalem had been in ruins for decades, the Temple little more than a pile of rubble. Isaiah wrote to encourage those who were struggling to rebuild, to proclaim that God was with them, even in the midst of all their problems.
In Luke 4:14-30 (which is not one of tomorrow’s readings), Jesus preached on this text in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. His sermon was brief: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” In Luke’s Gospel, for Jesus, this text was a kind of mission statement. And it’s also a mission statement for those who follow Christ today. Given the state of the economy, many find it difficult to rejoice, even as Christmas approaches. It’s important for the church to be a place where those who struggle can find good news. As God was with those struggling to rebuild in Jerusalem thousands of years ago, God is with us now – and so even in the midst of our problems, we can rejoice.
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor….
Isaiah 61:1-2a
Many Bible scholars think that this text was written at some time after the return from exile in Babylon. The descendents of those who had been exiled to Babylon were finally allowed to return home to Jerusalem – but Jerusalem had been in ruins for decades, the Temple little more than a pile of rubble. Isaiah wrote to encourage those who were struggling to rebuild, to proclaim that God was with them, even in the midst of all their problems.
In Luke 4:14-30 (which is not one of tomorrow’s readings), Jesus preached on this text in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. His sermon was brief: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” In Luke’s Gospel, for Jesus, this text was a kind of mission statement. And it’s also a mission statement for those who follow Christ today. Given the state of the economy, many find it difficult to rejoice, even as Christmas approaches. It’s important for the church to be a place where those who struggle can find good news. As God was with those struggling to rebuild in Jerusalem thousands of years ago, God is with us now – and so even in the midst of our problems, we can rejoice.
Hello Bridesburg, Hello World
This is the initial entry of what I hope to be a regular series of posts on happenings at Emanuel United Church of Christ, located on Fillmore Street in the Bridesburg section of Philadelphia. (Website: www.emanuelphila.org) Before this blog goes on any further - everyone is invited to join us in worship Sundays at 10 a.m.
The gospel reading for December 7 is from Mark's gospel, which begins with the words, "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." And then the story moves quickly to John the Baptist, that strange character we encounter preaching in the wilderness, telling his listeners to look for the coming of someone who was even greater than John. John preached a gospel of repentance - a bit of church lingo meaning "change". John was telling his listeners that the way they were living their lives would not bring peace with God, reconciliation with neighbor, or health and wholeness in their own lives. Presumably his listeners already knew that the status quo wasn't working, which is why they heard John's words gladly. They were seeking for something beyond what they knew, for something more.
Our Old Testament reading is from Isaiah 40, which begins with the words, "Comfort ye" - but continue with words about change - "every valley shall be exalted, every hill brought low...". Isaiah, and John the Baptist, offer a strange sort of comfort. They bring a challenge - things must change; we ourselves must change. But for people stuck in a place of pain and grief, comfort comes from the idea that things *can* change, that we *can* change, that we don't have to be stuck in a world of hurt.
For the writer of Mark's gospel, good news began with the message of John the Baptist. And this is how good news begins for us. Perhaps we're experiencing family struggles, or facing illness or the loss of a job. We're feeling depressed, anxious, perhaps overwhelmed. And then someone - a family member, a friend - spends time with us, shares advice, gives us hope. For us, moments like this can be the beginning of good news.
During this Advent season, many of our neighbors are struggling. The economy is dismal, with many local employers eliminating positions and city government cutting services. Many of our neighbors are stressed. We can offer our neighbor a kind word or a helping hand, or maybe just our presence. Who knows what effect a random word of kindness or act of caring may have? Maybe for our neighbors, our words or actions can be the beginning of good news.
The gospel reading for December 7 is from Mark's gospel, which begins with the words, "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." And then the story moves quickly to John the Baptist, that strange character we encounter preaching in the wilderness, telling his listeners to look for the coming of someone who was even greater than John. John preached a gospel of repentance - a bit of church lingo meaning "change". John was telling his listeners that the way they were living their lives would not bring peace with God, reconciliation with neighbor, or health and wholeness in their own lives. Presumably his listeners already knew that the status quo wasn't working, which is why they heard John's words gladly. They were seeking for something beyond what they knew, for something more.
Our Old Testament reading is from Isaiah 40, which begins with the words, "Comfort ye" - but continue with words about change - "every valley shall be exalted, every hill brought low...". Isaiah, and John the Baptist, offer a strange sort of comfort. They bring a challenge - things must change; we ourselves must change. But for people stuck in a place of pain and grief, comfort comes from the idea that things *can* change, that we *can* change, that we don't have to be stuck in a world of hurt.
For the writer of Mark's gospel, good news began with the message of John the Baptist. And this is how good news begins for us. Perhaps we're experiencing family struggles, or facing illness or the loss of a job. We're feeling depressed, anxious, perhaps overwhelmed. And then someone - a family member, a friend - spends time with us, shares advice, gives us hope. For us, moments like this can be the beginning of good news.
During this Advent season, many of our neighbors are struggling. The economy is dismal, with many local employers eliminating positions and city government cutting services. Many of our neighbors are stressed. We can offer our neighbor a kind word or a helping hand, or maybe just our presence. Who knows what effect a random word of kindness or act of caring may have? Maybe for our neighbors, our words or actions can be the beginning of good news.
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