New Year, New Name

The Reading— Numbers 6:22-27 The LORD told to Moses to pass on the following instructions to Aaron and his sons for their work as priests: “These are the words of blessing you are to use when you bless the Israelite people: May the LORD set you up for life and look after you; May the LORD smile upon you and be generous to you; May the LORD keep an eye on you and give you a life in which all is well. With these words you will remind my people who they belong to, and I will bless them.” The Middle Reading—Diane Faulds Just for Now, without asking how, let yourself sink into stillness. Just for now, lay down the weight you so patiently bear upon your shoulders. Feel the earth receive you, and the infinite expanse of the sky grow even wider as your awareness reaches up to meet it. Just for now, allow a wave of breath to enliven your experience. Breathe out whatever blocks you from the truth. Just for now, be boundless, free, with awakened energy tingling in your hands and feet. Drink in the possibility of being who and what you really are – so fully alive that the world looks different, newly born and vibrant, just for now. The Gospel Reading: Luke 2: 16-21 So without messing around they headed straight into Bethlehem, and sure enough, they tracked down Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the feed trough. When they saw all this, they began telling everyone what they had heard about this child. People could hardly believe their ears when they heard what the shearers were saying. But their words were precious to Mary and she repeated them over and over in her mind, wondering what would become of it all. The shearers headed off towards their camp again — a rowdy mob, singing and shouting in the streets about how fabulous God was because of everything they had seen and heard. Everything had been just the way they had been told it would be. ........Mary and Joseph followed the law and custom of their people and held a ceremony for the baby boy when he was eight days old to circumcise him and name him. They named him Jesus — the name which God’s messenger had given him before he began to take shape in the womb. New Year—New Name 12-30-12 Holy God, on this last Sunday of 2012, we thank you for all the blessings of the past year. We thank you for all we have learned about you and about ourselves. We thank you for your forgiveness when we have fallen short of your call to love each other, ourselves, and you. Fill my mouth with your words and our hearts with your peace. Amen How many of you know the story of how you were named? Here’s my story—I was named for the famous actress Carole Lombard. I was supposed to be Carol Ann, but when my mother unexpectedly found out there were two babies instead of one, she split the chosen name. First one out—that’s me—was to be Carol Lynn and the second one Cheryl Ann. Probably, most of you have a naming story. If not for yourselves, for a child or other relative. Let’s think about how children are named and for whom. My son, David, was named for my favorite uncle because I wanted for my son the same gentle sweetness that I experienced in my Uncle David. And, whether it is because of his namesake or not, from my perspective, naming him after my beloved Uncle played a role in who he would become. We are still telling parts of the Christmas story as this is what is known as Christmastide in those churches which observe a liturgical calendar. For me, the story is simply too deep and too long to tell in only one or two sermons. So, I’m glad I have time—this week and next—to finish telling it. We are celebrating the naming of Jesus this week. We know that most names have meaning in other languages—beyond the Carole Lombard story, the name “Carol” actually comes from two sources. In the old German, it actually means “a person who is free”. Eventually, it was connected to Christmas as in Christmas Carol which means “song”. I long ago determine that for me, my name simply means “freedom song”. In our brief portion of the story today, the shepherds have gone home and eight days have passed. Mary and Joseph, in obedience to the Jewish law, wait until the time of circumcision to name their baby. He is named “Jesus” as revealed by an angel messenger to Joseph now some 9 months ago. The name “Jesus” actually builds upon the most holy name of God—Yahweh, Jehovah, I AM! We have all grown accustomed to the Greek version of the name— “Jesus”; but, the name in Hebrew was probably “Joshua” or “Yeshua”. We, in churches that proclaim themselves to be Christian, do many things in Jesus’ name. I want us to think about that today as we turn our eyes toward the new year. It is easy to throw the name of Jesus around—to use it as a magical word, something akin to abracadabra. And, although we know better, we still sometimes forget the power in using the name of Jesus rightly and the sinfulness of using the name of Jesus wrongly. Think of all the things that have been done in the name of Jesus—the Crusades of Medieval times come to mind. How about the taking of the United States away from her original inhabitants, or slavery or bigotry or hate! You see, claiming the name of Jesus alone does not make our actions just or in keeping with the right relationships in which we are called to live. The name of Jesus has time and again been used by folks who believe they are in the right to keep out those who they think are in the wrong. Think about it—Wartburg Seminary professor Duane Prielle says, “Every time you draw the line between who’s in and who’s out, you’ll find Jesus on the other side.” Now, those of us in denominations like UFMCC—Metropolitan Community Churches—tend to think that by being comprised of mainly marginalized persons, those of us who are LGBT—we have some inherent right to claim that what we do in the name of Jesus automatically falls on the side of right. But God calls us to take a second look and, in that second look, is where we find ourselves on the cusp of a brand new year. There are many of you who have told me in the last few weeks that you are excited about where God may take Open Circle in the coming year—what new ministries, new forms of outreach, new teaching, new everything God may do in our midst. Here’s the catch—God cannot and will not do those things in our midst without our taking seriously what we are doing in the name of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. We have studied many passages in 2012 about what Jesus did while physically present here on earth. I presume that those acts model for us what we are to do in His name. Think back with me. We heard of Jesus protecting and defending the weak among us, liberating those who are in prisons of mind and heart, healing the sick, teaching the confused, comforting the broken-hearted, feeding the hungry, and finding the lost—to name a few. Are these not the actions that we should be undertaking with the gracious gifts our God has poured out in our midst? Here is what we never find Jesus doing—watching others protect, heal, comfort, feed and find those who have needs. I can say with utmost assurance today—that Jesus does not call any of us to the ministry of watching others, critiquing others, or, God forbid, demeaning the honest actions others. Let’s go back to the question of “what’s in a name?” The meaning of Jesus or Yeshua is “God’s salvation” or, in verb form, “God saves”. Jesus spent his whole life showing us how deep and wide, boundless and all-encompasing God’s salvation really was. “Christ” was the royal name given to Jesus to link his human side to his divine side. And, we are called, Christians, those who follow the Christ. I know that many of you know the story regarding Gandhi who was, of course, Hindu. He regarded Jesus as a wonderful teacher and powerful prophet. Missionary E. Stanley Jones once met with Gandhi and asked him, “Mr. Gandhi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?”

Gandhi replied, “Oh, I don’t reject Christ. I love Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ. If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today,” he added. That is an amazing statement made by one of the most admired men of recent times. And so, we as Christians, and as a church are called to look harder at what we do in the name of Jesus. Those things which we do in Jesus’ name determine who we as people and as a church become. Many of you have told me and others in the church, how being in this church and discovering the Jesus who loves and does not condemn has changed your life. Are you telling those outside this church? Many of you have told me of ministries that you hope to see arise in our midst. Are you praying for God’s guidance as to whether or not you are being prepared to step forward and lead that, or some other, ministry? Many of you have told me of your excitement about realizing the dream to have our own sanctuary. Are you also praying for God to show you what role you might play in the capital campaign that we must undertake? Some of you may be aware that there is a commonly held principle with regard to congregational life in most churches—that is, 20% of the people do all the work, while 80% of the people are primarily observers. It is my deepest desire that Open Circle turn that statistic on its head. What if 80% of you were involved in the work of the church and the 20% who truly could not be involved were loved and treasured for their presence among us? What will we do in the name of Jesus in 2013? That answer depends on you—each of you. Where will we see Jesus active in our midst because of our own commitment to participate fully in this body of Christ in the world? Hear again who we say we are—the mission of Open Circle is to share the unconditional love of God and to call us, through the grace of Jesus Christ to ministry by all for all. There are only two verbs in this mission statement—to share and to call. We know what we are to share—the good news that God loves and welcomes everyone to this place and to the larger family of God. The second half might be a little harder to understand. In our mission statement, we have said that Open Circle, the church itself, will call each of us—all of us—to ministry—ministry by all for all. If we are only implementing the first half of our mission, we have much room for growth. Here is the name change I would like for us to consider in the coming weeks and throughout the new year. What if, what if, instead of calling yourself a member, or friend, or regular attender of Open Circle MCC—what if you began to call yourself a “minister” of Open Circle MCC? You see, I believe that our mission statement is not, in fact, misguided in its second half. I believe that our mission statement stands as a constant reminder of who we want to become—all of us ministering to anyone who needs the love, grace, and peace of God, through Jesus Christ in their lives. The name of Jesus still has the power to heal, to restore hope, and to set the captive free. But that power is dependent on you to take on the role of doer instead of watcher, minister as well as ministered to. In three weeks, we will celebrate our second anniversary as a fully affiliated MCC church and our third anniversary as a faith community. We are an amazing people, but we have much to learn. I see the next year as a year of listening and following, praying and discerning, seeking and finding our confidence as children of God. This is a pivotal year for Open Circle MCC—I am glad that you are on this journey with me and look forward with sacred anticipation at what God will do in our midst in the name of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. Amen and amen. New Year—New Name 12-30-12 Holy God, on this last Sunday of 2012, we thank you for all the blessings of the past year. We thank you for all we have learned about you and about ourselves. We thank you for your forgiveness when we have fallen short of your call to love each other, ourselves, and you. Fill my mouth with your words and our hearts with your peace. Amen How many of you know the story of how you were named? Here’s my story—I was named for the famous actress Carole Lombard. I was supposed to be Carol Ann, but when my mother unexpectedly found out there were two babies instead of one, she split the chosen name. First one out—that’s me—was to be Carol Lynn and the second one Cheryl Ann. Probably, most of you have a naming story. If not for yourselves, for a child or other relative. Let’s think about how children are named and for whom. My son, David, was named for my favorite uncle because I wanted for my son the same gentle sweetness that I experienced in my Uncle David. And, whether it is because of his namesake or not, from my perspective, naming him after my beloved Uncle played a role in who he would become. We are still telling parts of the Christmas story as this is what is known as Christmastide in those churches which observe a liturgical calendar. For me, the story is simply too deep and too long to tell in only one or two sermons. So, I’m glad I have time—this week and next—to finish telling it. We are celebrating the naming of Jesus this week. We know that most names have meaning in other languages—beyond the Carole Lombard story, the name “Carol” actually comes from two sources. In the old German, it actually means “a person who is free”. Eventually, it was connected to Christmas as in Christmas Carol which means “song”. I long ago determine that for me, my name simply means “freedom song”. In our brief portion of the story today, the shepherds have gone home and eight days have passed. Mary and Joseph, in obedience to the Jewish law, wait until the time of circumcision to name their baby. He is named “Jesus” as revealed by an angel messenger to Joseph now some 9 months ago. The name “Jesus” actually builds upon the most holy name of God—Yahweh, Jehovah, I AM! We have all grown accustomed to the Greek version of the name— “Jesus”; but, the name in Hebrew was probably “Joshua” or “Yeshua”. We, in churches that proclaim themselves to be Christian, do many things in Jesus’ name. I want us to think about that today as we turn our eyes toward the new year. It is easy to throw the name of Jesus around—to use it as a magical word, something akin to abracadabra. And, although we know better, we still sometimes forget the power in using the name of Jesus rightly and the sinfulness of using the name of Jesus wrongly. Think of all the things that have been done in the name of Jesus—the Crusades of Medieval times come to mind. How about the taking of the United States away from her original inhabitants, or slavery or bigotry or hate! You see, claiming the name of Jesus alone does not make our actions just or in keeping with the right relationships in which we are called to live. The name of Jesus has time and again been used by folks who believe they are in the right to keep out those who they think are in the wrong. Think about it—Wartburg Seminary professor Duane Prielle says, “Every time you draw the line between who’s in and who’s out, you’ll find Jesus on the other side.” Now, those of us in denominations like UFMCC—Metropolitan Community Churches—tend to think that by being comprised of mainly marginalized persons, those of us who are LGBT—we have some inherent right to claim that what we do in the name of Jesus automatically falls on the side of right. But God calls us to take a second look and, in that second look, is where we find ourselves on the cusp of a brand new year. There are many of you who have told me in the last few weeks that you are excited about where God may take Open Circle in the coming year—what new ministries, new forms of outreach, new teaching, new everything God may do in our midst. Here’s the catch—God cannot and will not do those things in our midst without our taking seriously what we are doing in the name of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. We have studied many passages in 2012 about what Jesus did while physically present here on earth. I presume that those acts model for us what we are to do in His name. Think back with me. We heard of Jesus protecting and defending the weak among us, liberating those who are in prisons of mind and heart, healing the sick, teaching the confused, comforting the broken-hearted, feeding the hungry, and finding the lost—to name a few. Are these not the actions that we should be undertaking with the gracious gifts our God has poured out in our midst? Here is what we never find Jesus doing—watching others protect, heal, comfort, feed and find those who have needs. I can say with utmost assurance today—that Jesus does not call any of us to the ministry of watching others, critiquing others, or, God forbid, demeaning the honest actions others. Let’s go back to the question of “what’s in a name?” The meaning of Jesus or Yeshua is “God’s salvation” or, in verb form, “God saves”. Jesus spent his whole life showing us how deep and wide, boundless and all-encompasing God’s salvation really was. “Christ” was the royal name given to Jesus to link his human side to his divine side. And, we are called, Christians, those who follow the Christ. I know that many of you know the story regarding Gandhi who was, of course, Hindu. He regarded Jesus as a wonderful teacher and powerful prophet. Missionary E. Stanley Jones once met with Gandhi and asked him, “Mr. Gandhi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?”

Gandhi replied, “Oh, I don’t reject Christ. I love Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ. If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today,” he added. That is an amazing statement made by one of the most admired men of recent times. And so, we as Christians, and as a church are called to look harder at what we do in the name of Jesus. Those things which we do in Jesus’ name determine who we as people and as a church become. Many of you have told me and others in the church, how being in this church and discovering the Jesus who loves and does not condemn has changed your life. Are you telling those outside this church? Many of you have told me of ministries that you hope to see arise in our midst. Are you praying for God’s guidance as to whether or not you are being prepared to step forward and lead that, or some other, ministry? Many of you have told me of your excitement about realizing the dream to have our own sanctuary. Are you also praying for God to show you what role you might play in the capital campaign that we must undertake? Some of you may be aware that there is a commonly held principle with regard to congregational life in most churches—that is, 20% of the people do all the work, while 80% of the people are primarily observers. It is my deepest desire that Open Circle turn that statistic on its head. What if 80% of you were involved in the work of the church and the 20% who truly could not be involved were loved and treasured for their presence among us? What will we do in the name of Jesus in 2013? That answer depends on you—each of you. Where will we see Jesus active in our midst because of our own commitment to participate fully in this body of Christ in the world? Hear again who we say we are—the mission of Open Circle is to share the unconditional love of God and to call us, through the grace of Jesus Christ to ministry by all for all. There are only two verbs in this mission statement—to share and to call. We know what we are to share—the good news that God loves and welcomes everyone to this place and to the larger family of God. The second half might be a little harder to understand. In our mission statement, we have said that Open Circle, the church itself, will call each of us—all of us—to ministry—ministry by all for all. If we are only implementing the first half of our mission, we have much room for growth. Here is the name change I would like for us to consider in the coming weeks and throughout the new year. What if, what if, instead of calling yourself a member, or friend, or regular attender of Open Circle MCC—what if you began to call yourself a “minister” of Open Circle MCC? You see, I believe that our mission statement is not, in fact, misguided in its second half. I believe that our mission statement stands as a constant reminder of who we want to become—all of us ministering to anyone who needs the love, grace, and peace of God, through Jesus Christ in their lives. The name of Jesus still has the power to heal, to restore hope, and to set the captive free. But that power is dependent on you to take on the role of doer instead of watcher, minister as well as ministered to. In three weeks, we will celebrate our second anniversary as a fully affiliated MCC church and our third anniversary as a faith community. We are an amazing people, but we have much to learn. I see the next year as a year of listening and following, praying and discerning, seeking and finding our confidence as children of God. This is a pivotal year for Open Circle MCC—I am glad that you are on this journey with me and look forward with sacred anticipation at what God will do in our midst in the name of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. Amen and amen. . .