Rorschach

(Scriptures:   Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:22-40)

First of all, for those who were here Christmas Eve, and for those who weren’t, I hope you all had – and I hope you all have – a Merry Christmas.  As the song “the twelve days of Christmas” reminds us, Christmas is not just a day, but a season of 12 days, ending with Epiphany, celebrated as “Three Kings Day” in many Hispanic traditions and “Little Christmas” in Orthodox traditions.  For many, the biggest celebration of Christmas was not on December 25, but is yet to come on Epiphany.  So if Christmas day didn’t work out – somebody got sick, somebody wrecked the roast, one of the toys broke, whatever… by the church calendar, it’s not too late to have a Merry Christmas.  And, of course, you all have my prayers and best wishes for a Happy 2015!

After all the powerful images we celebrated on Christmas Eve – angels, shepherds, wise men, the heavenly host singing in chorus - and crazy king Herod – today’s Gospel reading gives us a quiet but truly touching, tender moment….Mary and Joseph coming to the Temple, and receiving a blessing from the aged Simeon and Anna, whose lives were drawing to a close.  It’s a circle of life moment, those about to walk off the stage of this life blessing the One who has just arrived onstage,   the aged faithful blessing the newborn Christ.

Mary goes to the Temple to offer a sacrifice – per the law, after giving birth, after a time of purification – 33 days for a male baby, 66 for a female baby -  a mother was to make an offering.  And so she went to the Temple, and Joseph with her.  Someone else was coming to the Temple that day, the aged Simeon, a spirit-filled man, who lived in hope of the coming of the Messiah.  Somehow the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would see death until he had first seen the Jesus, the giver of new life.  He crosses paths with Mary and Joseph, and in the babe he saw the One for whom he had waited his whole life, the One toward whom his whole life had been directed.  And so he tells God, “Now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; my eyes have seen your salvation.”  Simeon’s words are still preserved in the liturgy at the Nunc Dimittis, which we don’t use, but which you can find at the top of page 30 in the front of the E&R (Maroon) hymnal.

Mary and Joseph also cross paths with Anna, a prophet – a female prophet, which is unusual in Scripture.  We’re told she had been widowed early in her marriage, and was always at the Temple fasting and praying.  She also recognizes the baby as the promised Messiah, and though we’re not given her words as we were for Simeon, we’re told that she spread the news of the coming of the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Israel.

All these words, all this fuss about a baby who can’t walk, can’t speak, can’t even control his own bowels or bladder, and yet is to be the salvation of the world.  So many expectations heaped upon one baby.

I titled this sermon “Rohschach”, which may seem like an odd title for a Christmas sermon.  Rorschach, of course, is the name of a psychological test involving the use of inkblots.  It’s a test used today; in fact, the psychological testing I underwent as part of my credentialing process – yes, denominations do extensive psychological testing of candidates to weed out those who are predatory or mentally unstable – that testing involved, among many other tests, the Rorschach inkblot test.  The thing about the ink blots is that they’re ambiguous…. While at first glance some of them look like butterflies, they’re not clearly pictures of anything specific.  The testing subject is asked to look at each of a series of inkblots and to tell what they see in the inkblot, what the inkblot reminds them of.  It’s common and in fact expected that some inkblots will remind the subject of more than one thing.  The thing about the test is, since the inkblots themselves are ambiguous – they’re just inkblots after all, nothing more, nothing less - what the test subject sees in the inkblots says something about test subject, not the inkblots themselves.

In reading today’s Gospel reading, and particularly Simeon’s words, those inkblots are what came to my mind.  Remember Simeon’s blessing of Jesus – a surprisingly ominous blessing, if you want to call it that – “"This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too."  Let me repeat that phrase – “so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed.”   Like a Rorschach inkblot, our response to Jesus reveals our inner thoughts, not only about Jesus, but about ourselves.

Think of the reactions to Jesus we’ve seen so far.  For the angels, of course, Jesus is a cause for proclamation and celebration.  For Joseph, the babe in Mary’s womb was originally a deal-breaker for their relationship, but later one to be welcomed at considerable cost into his family.  For Elizabeth, Jesus was the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb, and for the unborn John the Baptist, even though he obviously couldn’t speak, he could jump within Elizabeth’s womb.  For the aged Zechariah, Jesus was a mighty Savior in the house of his servant David, and a sign that the God of Israel has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.  For the shepherds, a cause of rejoicing.  For the wise men, one for whom to travel far, and one to whom to bring rare gifts.  For Herod, a threat to the throne, and for all Jerusalem – we should understand that to mean, for all those in power in Jerusalem -  a cause for fear, one who would, as Simeon said, be the cause of the falling and rising of many, and a signed to be opposed by many.  For Simeon himself, a light to the Gentiles for the glory of Israel. 

And for Mary?  We have a very complicated picture indeed.  Jesus’ coming was a surprise announced by angels – from God’s standpoint, Jesus’ coming was planned from the beginning, but for Mary’s, Jesus’ coming was very much an unplanned pregnancy which surely drew whispers from the neighbors.  Jesus brought discomfort to her journey to Bethlehem, but also many visitors to his infancy.  Mary was surely taken aback at the many who came to visit Jesus, to bring rare gifts,  and to speak of him. Scripture tells us that “Mary pondered all these things in her heart”, and Jesus surely gave her plenty to ponder. But, as Simeon said, a sword would pierce Mary’s sword as well, as she herself didn’t always understand Jesus’ mission – Mark’s gospel tells us at one point early in Jesus’ ministry that Mary thought Jesus had gone insane and was trying to have him put in restraints.  She watched her son’s ministry be casually accepted by many, who were happy for healing and free food but had no real commitment to Jesus himself, opposed by many in power, and truly embraced only by a few – and even those few really didn’t understand him during his earthly ministry.  And then, of course, she watched her son’s arrest, sham trial, and crucifixion…..and then rejoiced at the resurrection.

How about for us?  For us as well as for those in Jesus’ day, Jesus functions as a Rohrschach, so that, as Simeon says, the thoughts of many will be revealed.   Of course, at Christmas, we too see the baby.  For many, Christmas is about the Hallmark Christmas card imagery, warm, fuzzy, non-threatening.  Hallmark Jesus is cute and cuddly-wuddly, and especially at Christmas, it’s easy to forget that the baby will grow up, will teach us new ways to live, demand change in our lives, lay his healing finger on the broken and painful spots in our lives, bring salvation to us all.   For those who lived in Jesus’ day, and for those who live in our day, Jesus was a teacher, a prophet, an example of how to live, and indeed he was and is all these things.  To Rome and to the Jerusalem Temple hierarchy, Jesus was a troublemaker, and indeed Jesus was and still is a troublemaker to the powers that be, including those in political power and many prominent religious leaders right here in our country, which is why our leaders try so hard to promote the non-threatening Hallmark Jesus – the Jesus who reminds you that it’s time to go shopping - or to co-opt Jesus in other ways to fit the agenda of those in power, such as making Jesus a club with which to beat up disfavored groups. We forget at our peril Simeon’s words that Jesus will lead to the falling and the rising of many in Israel – and not only in Israel, but in our day as well.  Jesus is disruptive, one who is willing to make a whip and drive the moneychangers from the Temple.   For many, Jesus is the friend who will listen when nobody else will, and indeed, glory to God, as the hymn says, “What a friend we have in Jesus.”  It is to Jesus that we can take our deepest sorrow and pain and shame and guilt, the things we dare not tell anyone else, and also with whom we can celebrate our greatest joys, when our spirits are ready to burst open with joy and we can’t find words to describe how good life is.

Jesus is many of these things, and more!  As our images of Jesus reflect our own thoughts, they also reflect our own poverty of spirit, our brokenness, our need for salvation.   It is Jesus who saves – not only offering pie in the sky by and by when we die, but salvation here, now, today.  And it is Jesus, the 2^nd person of the Trinity, the Word become flesh, God who became a babe whose diapers needed changing, who is our Lord, the one to whom we belong, in life and in death, the one we are to follow, in life and in death.

As we turn another page of the calendar and enter a new year, let us take time to ask ourselves, really ask ourselves some challenging, searching questions: “Who is Jesus?  Who is Jesus to the world?  Who is Jesus to me?  And what does that mean for my life?  What will have to change in my life because of who Jesus is?  What will have to change in the way I treat my neighbors because of who Jesus is?  Does Jesus save?  Will Jesus save me?  Is Jesus saving me right now?  How and in what ways does Jesus save?  What does salvation look like?  What is the reign of God that Jesus proclaimed?  Is that kingdom here now, or at the end of the world – or maybe both?  What does it look like?  What is it about God’s kingdom that demands that we reject the things of this world?  Why can’t we have both?”   Let’s not rush to answer these questions – rather, we should sit with them, ponder them, meditate on them, live with them.  For those so inclined, you might even start a journal and write down your thoughts on these questions.  Our answers may and I hope will change as our faith matures – certainly, what Jesus is for a child of 6 is different from what Jesus is for a man or woman of 60.  Questions are answered, and new questions are asked.  For indeed, the life of faith is directed toward the mystery we call God, and with mystery comes questions, many of the answers to which we will not know until the end of all things, when all will be revealed.   

Simeon called Jesus “a sign that will be opposed, so that the thoughts of many will be revealed.”  May the Risen Christ reveal us to ourselves – the goodness of God’s image within us, the pain of brokenness and sin within us, the need for healing and salvation within us – and may that revelation change our lives, turn us upside down and all around, so that we can be used by God to change the world.  Amen.

Favored

Scriptures:  2 Samuel 7:1-17, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-55

Favored

You’ve probably seen the commercial at some point in your life…..a van drives up to the curb of a house, and out of the van come two people in dark blazers and khakis carrying balloons, roses, and a great big check for a whole lot of money to the lucky resident of the house.   Yes, it’s the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes Prize Patrol in action, driving around telling a number of very surprised people that they are lucky sweepstakes winners!  And people react in all kinds of ways – they laugh, they cry, they hug.  One thing they never seem to do, though, is refuse the sweepstakes winnings.

Today’s reading from Luke’s Gospel also features a prize patrol of sorts, in the form of the angel Gabriel, a messenger from God.  And in the first chapter of Luke’s gospel – of which we only read a portion – Gabriel’s been busy.   It is said that the Publisher’s Clearinghouse prize patrol will find you wherever you are, at home, at work – I read online that one check was even delivered to someone  who’d been admitted to the hospital earlier that day.  In our Gospel reading, the angel Gabriel, God’s prize patrol, found an aged priest named Zechariah, while he was in the most sacred part of the Temple, the Holy of Holies, offering the incense – something that was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege among the priesthood.  At this once-in-a-lifetime moment of standing before the Lord and offering incense, the angel Gabriel brings news of an even greater blessing, an infinitely greater privilege, when he said to Zechariah, “Do not be afraid”, and then informed the aged Zechariah that he and his elderly and long-barren wife Elizabeth were about to become the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy –and we later learn that the boy will grow up to be John the Baptist, of whom we’ve heard so much in our gospel readings from the previous two weeks.  Folks who get that once-in-a-lifetime visit from the prize patrol react in unpredictable ways, and Zechariah’s reaction wasn’t quite what Gabriel was looking for.   Zechariah couldn’t quite wrap his mind around what the angel Gabriel was saying, and so his power of speech was taken from him until John was born.

Six months later, the angel Gabriel, God’s prize patrol, pull up in front of the home of a virgin named Mary.  He doesn’t pull out a giant check, but Gabriel says to Mary, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you.”  Mary isn’t quite sure where Gabriel is going with this – “ok, Gabriel, thanks for sharing, but could you say a little more?”…..when Gabriel tells her, as she told Zechariah, “Do not be afraid”, and tells Mary that, though she’s a virgin, she likewise is about to become the proud mother of a bouncing baby boy.  Like Zechariah, Mary had trouble wrapping her mind around the angel’s words – but the angel reassures her, saying, “nothing is impossible with God.”  And Mary responds, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your word.”

When someone wins the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, expectations are fairly simple – the winner will live, if not happily ever after, at least comfortably for a while.  If they win a really big jackpot, they may be able to retire early.  At the very least, the expectation is that life will become easier, at least for a while.

How about when Gabriel, God’s messenger, God’s prize patrol comes with good news?  Far from becoming simpler, life becomes more complicated.  We hear nothing about Zechariah and Elizabeth after John is born – presumably, since they were already quite elderly, they died while John was quite young.   But John was rewarded, not with prosperity, but with controversy, and eventually with martyrdom.  Similarly, Mary’s life became, at least in the short run, harder rather than easier.  In order to comply with a Roman census, Mary was forced to travel, while pregnant and approaching delivery, some 90 miles (on foot or donkey) from Nazareth up in the north to Bethlehem down in the south, a few miles outside Jerusalem; at the end of her long, uncomfortable journey, there was no place to stay, no room in the inn, so she ended up giving birth in Jesus in the manger, in a barn, amid the barnyard smells of the animals, laying the newborn baby in the trough which normally contained the slop for the animals to eat.

What does it mean to be favored by God? It surely doesn’t mean an easy, uncomplicated life.  Rather, it means being willing to be a servant of the Lord, willing to cooperate with God, willing to be privileged to have a role in God’s work of bringing salvation to a world that doesn’t necessarily want to be saved or even know it needs to be saved.  To be favored by God is to have a small part in changing the world.  Somehow, Mary seems to know this.  Hear again Mary’s words of praise to God:

‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
   and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
   Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
   and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
   from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
   he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
   and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
   and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
   in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
   to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

“Brought down the powerful from their thrones…..sent the rich away empty……” – Mary knows that the news she proclaims is good news for the poor, but disruptive news for those in power.  And those in power don’t like disruption.  After giving birth to Jesus, Mary and Joseph will be on the run to Egypt, running away from Herod, who feels so threatened that he’s willing to kill, willing to kill children, in order to stay in power.

As people of faith, God is calling each of us, calling our congregation, not to be comfortable, not to be respectable, but to be faithful, regardless of the cost.  Remember that at the center of the Christmas story is a homeless unwed mother named Mary. We know that Mary was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, but her neighbors surely didn’t, and questions from the neighbors about the identity of Jesus’ father were for Mary a part of the cost of being faithful.   God’s good news came into the world, not through those in power such as Herod, or those considered respectable, such as the temple religious hierarchy, but through that homeless unwed mother.   For Herod, for Caiaphas, for Annas, there was no room for Jesus.  It took Mary, that homeless unwed mother for whom there was no room in the inn, to make room for Jesus, to make room for our salvation.

I’d like to close by reading portions of the Roman Catholic Trappist monk Thomas Merton’s  Christmas meditation, “The time of the end is the time of no room.”

“We live in the time of no room, which is the time of the end.  The time when everyone is obsessed with lack of time, lack of space, with saving time, conquering space, projecting into time and space the anguish produced within them by the technological furies of size, volume, quantity, speed, number, price power and acceleration..

The primordial blessing, “increase and multiply,” has suddenly become a hemorrhage of terror.  We are numbered in billions, and massed together, marshalled, numbered, marched here and there, taxed, drilled, armed, worked to the point of insensibility, dazed by information, drugged by entertainment, surfeited with everything, nauseated with the human race and with ourselves, nauseated with life….

Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for Him at all, Christ has come uninvited.  But because He cannot be at home in it, because He is out of place in it, and yet He must be in it, His place is with those others for whom there is no room.  His place is with those who do not belong, who are rejected by power because they are regarded as weak, those who are discredited, who are denied the status of persons, tortured, exterminated. With those for whom there is no room, Christ is present in this world.  He is mysteriously present in those for whom there seems to be nothing but the world at its worst….”

           

May there be room in our lives, and room at Emanuel Church, for the poor, for the homeless, for the refugee – room not only in our hearts, but in our homes, at our tables, and in this building.  For the baby Jesus was all of these, and to welcome them is to welcome him.  May we at Emanuel Church be among those who can truly sing, and mean it, “There is room in my heart, Lord Jesus” – in my heart, in my home, at my table, at my church - 
“there is room in my heart for thee.”  Amen.