09 - Sermon - Year C - Christmas 1 - Verse Luke 2:41-52

In the movie “The Nativity” there is this great moment where Mary and Joseph stop on their journey to Bethlehem... and the very pregnant Mary asks Joseph “How do you think we are going to know? Will he say something or do something?” 

That is... how will Mary and Joseph know that this is the Son of God?

These are good questions to ask when you are pregnant with the Son of God. 

...And just how do you mother God?...

And now today we hear Jesus has disappeared for days...

What do you do when you are trusted with the son of God and then lose the son of God? The entire world has been waiting for the light to enter the world and... you’ve lost him. 

Panic... cry... go crazy... stop worrying so much? I can almost hear the careless 12 year old tone in Jesus voice as he says "Mom... why were you worried?... 

For 4 weeks we have been in the season of Advent and finally the light enters the world on Christmas and we explore God with us.  And as we sit here the Christmas leftovers are still not digested and already we are confronted with a story of losing the light that has entered into the world. 

We’re challenged to think about how Jesus was raised in a working class family, loyal to his Jewish roots, exploring life as a member of a persecuted people... and now, at the age of 12 he is starting to have glimmerings of just who he is going to become - starting to understand.

Well they find him and then it says... “His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” 

HA! Not my first reaction. And I can look over at my own mother and see that this is not the reaction that she had when I disappeared a few times in shopping malls growing up. Not the reaction that any parent has.

To have lost what you have been given is not a good feeling. To be lost is never a good feeling at all.

But then... Jesus and Mary must have had a different relationship than most parents. This was humanity and God in the flesh living under the same roof.

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I’ve handed out a picture I want you to ponder with me today...

This is a picture of a stole that was made for my good friend Pastor Robert Grewe in Hanna. His wife had the stole made for him as an ordination gift. And this picture... this cross connected to the cradle is poignant and disturbing... It’s painful to think about death and babies in the same picture. 

More interestingly we see the wheat growing out of the manger. Wheat that contains kernels of grain that will be mashed up, ground up, kneaded, and then baked to become bread for the world....

The Cradle and the Cross are always connected. 

It’s a joyous and yet painful procession... light and life enter the world on Christmas... and we begin again the journey towards the cross and death of Good Friday... and then beyond to new life and Easter, new hope and resurrection.

The season of Advent begins in a deep blue... the blue of the sky before the sunrise... before the light enters into the world. In Christmas the colour is white.

And here in this place we have hung blue bolts of cloth... and they stretched out to the side to make a stable... and in the stable we have the Christ child born to us on Christmas day. But connected to this up here is the cross... and over to the corner where the elements for the Lord’s supper that we will share are stored... it’s all connected... what happens today in the meal we are invited to, what happened in the stable where the light entered the world, and what happened on the cross on good friday.

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A friend of mine is a missionary in El Salvador. I was showing this picture to him by posting it on the online forum of the Alberta synod and he wrote back that the connection was very appropriate - cradle and cross. 

In El Salvador, the people know what it is to live crucified, and live under the terror of death.

In most of South America it is not uncommon for civil rights leader and inconvenient people to be assassinated for protesting the actions of multinational companies... like mining companies... and not just any mining companies... but sometimes it is Canadian Mining companies... 

This isn’t to say that all companies are bad... that all foreign investment and mining is wrong... but it does show us that in our culture of high returns, of investing in foreign markets without knowing what is happening... in outsourcing security and military power to people we don’t really know or control... in the great mess that is international commerce... there are people that are dying... people from little places in the world being ground up and destroyed by the machine that is our economic system.

This is hard news to hear... Canadian companies implicated and involved in political assassinations....

Hard news to hear at best... and yet... not surprising at all in the world that we find ourselves living in. If you check the headlines of major newspapers and blogs and missionary dispatches in South America, the stories of assassination and death squads are not hard to find and unfortunately they are all to common.

I doubt it’s as simple as some guy in Calgary picking up a phone and calling in an assassination... in fact I bet that the executives in Canada have very little understanding of the way that the people they hire get other people out of the way for the mines to go in... living in Canada, we are a world away from where this work of displacement is actually getting done. 

Or maybe some executives do know and don’t care... it wouldn’t be the first time in history that rich and powerful people have turned a blind eye to the suffering of the poor and those who are far away and powerless. The suffering in this case is a world away, and perhaps getting return on investment is the more pressing issue.

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Well, as I was showing this picture to the Alberta Synod online forum of Pastors, and doing some work to tie the theological statement of cross and cradle together the missionary from El Salvador, wrote in saying ,

“Amen, Sean . . . as I'm sure you've witnessed and reflected in Latin America, for a people who continues to be crucified, the cross is never apart from the manger.  Jesus' crucifixion is the culmination of Jesus' incarnation.  Good Friday is the fulfillment of Christmas . . . the Gospel of God's downward mobility, God joining God's people in their stable mangers and on their Golgotha crosses.  The Resurrection is God's Good News of hope and life beyond these painful, otherwise hopeless realities. 

Merry Christmas . . . as we prepare for "Pascua". 

Paz,

B

Pascua is Holy Week... that is... the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The same 12 year old boy that our Gospel text speaks of.

Do we really have to look that far ahead in the story? Can’t we just be happy with our new little baby and the lights and the Christmas carols? 

Yes we can... And as we take Joy in the light that is entering into the world with us... the light that is bringing light to our darkness, we also need to live side by side with the realities of life on this planet. We need to notice that the same light that enters the world for our benefit also displaces the shadows covering the places that we have been ignoring...

We aren’t called to sit in the light... we are called to enter into God’s mission of Peace and new life for all the earth. We are called to let ourselves be transformed to live effective and new lives in the world. We are called to examine what is given to us, where our passions lie, and then to get active. 

We are called to follow in the footsteps of the one that brought light to our darkness... and to work where the light leads.

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The next email from my friend came a day later on the forum and let us know about yet another killing in El Salvador that would appear to have economic and political motives written all over it but... will likely never be properly investigated. He concluded the email writing:

Merry Good Friday.  

Paz,

B

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Merry Good Friday...

That is... death has struck another blow...

So let us look again at this picture... and see a cradle... the hope of new life... 

Let us see a cross... the symbol of torture, shame and death... 

And let us look at the wheat... bread of life growing out the combination of both. New life given out of death. Death conquered and new life rising.

And let us give thanks to the God that came down... into our stables, into our history, into our reality, and onto our crosses of death and shame.

Let us give thanks to the God who overcomes all of these things and continues to come down... to feed all of us at his table, to wash us clean and transform us into wise servants, to send us out and journey with us from Christmas light to Good Friday death..., to Easter resurrection. 

Today we worship and are invited to the meal of the God who came as a light to the world for all people... for all creation... 

We are not left alone by the God who keeps coming to us. 

Here, in El Salvador, in our rising and sleeping, in our dying and, in the end, our rising. 

There is Joy in Christmas because Christ has come... God with us... and through death and resurrection, the doors to the Fathers house are flung wide open... there is no mystery to where Christ is... 

Christ is in bread and wine of forgiveness and new life offered to us at this table. 

Christ is in the dying breath of an El Salvadorian human rights activist struggling against oppression. 

Christ is in all our eyes that see the light of his coming in the manger at Bethlehem, in the stories of a life proclaiming the Kingdom of God, in the Spirits ongoing presence with us.

Thanks be to God for coming down. Emmanuel... God is with us.

Amen.

09 - Sermon - Year C - Advent 3 - Verse Luke 3_7-18

"So with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people..."

This is one of those readings where it ends and I say the Gospel of the Lord and you say... “Thanks be to God?”

What appears to be a very scary story ends with Luke’s commentary... Luke says that this is good news. So we need to look closely at what John is saying... and if Luke is right, we should find good news. Brood of vipers that we are... there must be some good news in here. 

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To illustrate the good news, I wanted to sing you a song that is equally scary as the bible verse today:

You better watch out 

You better not cry 

Better not pout 

I'm telling you why ...

Santa Claus is coming to town 

So far... not so scary... but the terrifying part is coming:

He's making a list 

And checking it twice;  

(together now)

Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice 

Santa Claus is coming to town 

Hmmmm... you’ve heard this one... And I wonder if we aren’t all a little guilty of confusing the kindly old man image of Santa with the Kindly old man image of God. 

The song does in fact grant to Santa some pretty God like qualities. Apparently Santa can be pretty much everywhere at once. Apparently Santa pretty much knows everything about everyone which... is a little creepy... and as the song shows... as much as Santa is coming to give some gifts... Santa is also coming to judge! 

He sees you when you're sleeping 

He knows when you're awake 

He knows if you've been bad or good 

(all together now...)

So be good for goodness sake! 

O! You better watch out! 

You better not cry 

Better not pout 

I'm telling you why 

Santa Claus is coming to town 

Santa Claus is coming to town 

I hope that you have all been good little girls and boys. I want you each to get lots of presents and good things.

I hope that you all find big presents under the tree on Christmas.

In fact... I never got skipped over... maybe it happens but even in the years where I was not particularly good... I never really worried about missing out on Christmas presents. In fact... it seems that you don’t have to be particularliy ‘good’... and perhaps you would have to be astonishingly bad in order to miss out...

Still... I hope that you all get presents.

But this is sortof a strange hope... if I’m hoping that you have all performed well enough this year... that magically you have crossed some sortof ‘goodness’ line where you are “worthy” enough to receive something good - it is a strange hope.

This is the kindof hope that a young man or woman has when they start courting the one that they hope they can fall in love with. I hope she thinks I’m funny enough. I hope that he likes how I look. I hope that I’m judged as good enough.

This is the kindof hope that hockey players feel when they try out for a team... hope that they have made the cut... Hope that they skated fast enough... scored enough. Hope that I’m judged as good enough.

This is the kindof hope parents and grandparents have for the home coming of kids. I hope they call. I hope they come. I hope they send a letter. I hope that I’m judged as good enough.

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This is Santa hope. If I fix myself, wash myself, workout enough, work hard enough, sacrifice enough... If I perform well THEN the goodness will come. THEN the reward will be given. THEN the God- like Santa vending machine judge will give ME MY reward. Santa always has his bag of toys for good little girls and boys.

This is a hope that makes us slaves to chance and an uncertain future. When God is confused with Santa we find ourselves stuck under some heavenly winnowing fork, quivering and hoping that we have made the cut. Hoping that we will judged good enough. 

But at the same time... those who suffer are offered no hope... because if God is only looking for some sort of average life of Good enough for all of us then... well... that’s not much of a change that so many people need... God isn’t really doing Justice... God is just... average.

This kind of hope is one of bondage... it leaves us trapped and unsure of the kind of God that we serve. Unsure if God is going to be for us... or maybe we worry that God is waiting for the judgement so he can pounce... great fork in hand... 

There is a name for this kind of hope... this is a whole different system... this is a karma system. Good things for the good, and if you’ve ever made a mistake... it’s coming back at you. If you’re suffering... well... maybe next time you’ll get more.

I hope this is not the kindof hope that you have this advent season.

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John gives us a scary picture today. But before we can unpack John’s story... we have to fix one of the words. Our translation says “His winnowing fork is in his hand...” A closer reading of the greek a quick email from my German friend confirmed that it should actually read something closer to “Winnowing Spoon” or in Alberta...  “Grain Shovel”.  This makes the rest of the sentence make sense... it would be very difficult to gather up all the grain on the floor and put it into a granary using a fork. 

And even more appropriately we might read “The combine will gather the harvest and separate the grain out from the stock of wheat that it grows on... the one who is to come will drive his grain truck to bring the harvest to the bin”

Jesus is coming with a grain shovel.

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Now John really pulls the rug out from his audience. Last week we heard the promise that God is coming and making a straight path right out of the Wilderness into our lives. All flesh will see the salvation of the Lord we are told. 

It turns out that being Jewish or having the right parents or any of the securities that have been clung to are not going to help. In fact, the ax lies at the root of the tree waiting to cut it off if it doesn’t produce.

And the crowds hearing this... being afraid... nobody wants to be cut down or off and tossed aside... naturally they ask “What can we do?”

And now it gets really confusing because John gives some advice that is outside of religion. 

To be a good religious person John should have said, “Go to the temple and make an offering and do what is demanded of you and then you’re good to go...”

But no... John says, “Give away our excess stuff.” “Feed the poor” “Be honest in your job” “Don’t extort money from anyone by threats or false accusations”.

To sum up... be good people - take care of other people.

This is not the advice you expect to hear from a holy man or religion. It’s all so... normal... so mundane. 

And that is exactly the point.

It’s in the normal everyday parts of life that the Messiah is coming. It is among the poor that he will live, born in the food trough of farm animals. Born... in the flesh... in the everyday miracle of a babies birth. He will eat food, breath the air. And in him everything will change. For God will walk among us as one of us. 

This changes everything...

God is not distant... God is in the flesh.

God doesn’t live in a temple or church somewhere... God is with us in Spirit.

God’s judgement will be one of the chaff of death and pain and sin being removed and burnt away from each one of us, and Christ will gather us in with his shovel. 

The fruits of all creation will be purified, cleansed by fire... and gathered by the Christ.

This does not and Cannot mean business as usual... this means that things are going to change... that we will be changed. This means that God is not OK with average or good enough. It’s not OK that people suffer. It’s not OK. 

And as it’s not OK... we’re now in a process.

As we go about our week bearing our fruits of repentance... that is to say... being the good people we are called to be... we have hope.

Not that our being good is going to please God and lure the Santa Claus type God close to us to give us good things from his magic bag of toys.

No.

We have hope that the Messiah has come in Jesus. 

We have hope that the Spirit is continuing to move with us... pulling at the chaff of life that clings to us. Removing it and tossing it into the fire. Transforming us into the pure and golden pile of wheat that we are meant to be. 

This is what it is to be Christian - we live our lives to the best of ability... we have been set free by Christ to do this - the same Christ who desires to gather us all in. We are set free to live a life of joining in the work of the incarnate Christ in the world. 

And we look to the future where Christ stands on the horizon as all of creation is being harvested... his well worn grain shovel in his scarred hard working hands... waiting to bring us and all of creation home.

I love Santa Claus and the spirit of giving that Santa brings.

But more so... let us love the Christ who calls, redeems, sanctifies, and sends us out to live freely in the world.

All thanks and praise be to God - The Lord of the Harvest.

Amen.