Embracing Body and Soul 2-17-13

The Reading— Romans 10:8b-13 The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what was done in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting God to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between us!” Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.” The Middle Reading— from A Call to Christian Embodiment by Rev. Jim Dickerson We need a spiritual practice that is, as Paul says, stronger and more powerful than what the world considers strong and powerful. We need the spirituality that sustained Jesus’ journey to and through the cross. God’s call and our times demand an enlarged, robust form of divine embodiment that clearly and cohesively integrates and expresses the social, ecological, and cosmic as well as the individual nature of our mystically embodied union and communion with God in Christ. Our current practice needs to become a more comprehensive prayer of embodiment with called, gifted and committed people of faith, hope and love in Christ to live and teach it. The Gospel Reading: Luke 4:1-13 Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry. The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to really live.” For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, “They’re yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I’m in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. Worship me and they’re yours, the whole works.” Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve your God with absolute single-heartedness.” For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, “If you are God’s Son, jump. It’s written, isn’t it, that ‘he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; they will catch you; you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone’?” “Yes,” said Jesus, “and it’s also written, ‘Don’t you dare tempt the Lord your God.’” That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity. God, it is easy for us to lapse into times and places in our lives where we no longer seek your will—where frustration and fear take us far away from you. Bring us back again, refresh our spirits, give us courage to live deeply into the right relationships you have designed to bring us love and life and peace. Amen The story of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness is always the Gospel passage for the first Sunday in Lent. I suppose it is to get us thinking about sin and lust and grandiosity and other temptations to which we fall prey along the way. Since temptation and sin are nothing new to most of us, this story of Jesus facing down the Devil always bears repeating. I looked for new truths and I found them. Rev. Elder Ken Martin, one of our own elders says this: “The word in today's text that is translated "devil" is diabolos. Literally, it means "the separator"...something that separates what should not be separated, something that breaks what should remain intact, something that fragments what should remain unified, something that destroys what should remain whole.” The Separator, now that’s a concept I can get into. If we look at the temptations of Jesus as our temptations too, then this concept of separation touches our bodies, hearts and minds. If right relationship with ourselves, each other and that is all the each other’s, and God, then the temptations of Christ show us precisely where our temptations lie. These temptations came at the end of 40 days of praying and fasting. There is nothing to eat in the desert. There is only sand—long, hot miles of sand where mirages play tricks on you and you come to believe that just ahead there is an oasis with water and growing plants; but, somehow you never seem to get any closer. Jesus had been there a long time. Biblical scholars point out two things about the number 40. Jesus was not the only person to have gone on a special ‘retreat’ of sorts for 40 days: Israel spent 40 long years in the wilderness waiting for God to show them the promised land and Moses spent 40 days with God on the mountain waiting for the words of the Law. The number 40 is usually thought to stand for a period of time that is really, really long. Nevertheless, we spend 40 days in Lent and while I don’t see much sand, I know that some of us are squarely in the center of a spiritual desert looking for meaning, looking for peace, and looking for God. Some of you may not be there now, but have been in the past. For some of you, your desert experience may lie ahead. But, it is almost certain that at some point in our lives, God’s spirit sends us—just as she sent Jesus—into the desert to learn of God and ourselves. What, then, can the temptations of Jesus teach us about our own desert experience? After 40 long, hot days, Jesus would have been famished. In walks ‘the Separator”. In this temptation, I kinda see the incarnation of Evil, as a swarm of bees with a voice. “What cha doing, Jesus? I’ve been watching you and I bet you are really, really hungry. Hey, Jesus, if you really are God’s child, make this stone here turn into a nice, warm, fresh-baked loaf of bread. Want some honey to go with your bread?” Jesus answered this swarming mass of bees, “God’s word says “you do not live by bread alone.” Stumped and stymied, the incarnation of evil has another idea. This time I see evil as a great black vulture—you know like the ones you see on the side of the road, magnified by 100 times. The bird leads Jesus high up on a hill. Out of the mouth of this disgusting bird come these words, “Here, look, all the kingdoms of the world are laid out before you. I have the earthly authority over all these nations and peoples. I can give it to you, if you will simply worship me.” Jesus, looking at the bird and not the nations, says, “Worship only God, serving and loving in God’s name.” Now seriously annoyed, the incarnation of Evil—this time a fire-breathing dragon in my mind—places Jesus on top of the tower on the temple in Jerusalem. “Go ahead, jump Jesus. If you are who you are, then God will send angels to protect you and to catch you so that not even your feet will be injured.” At this point, the fire-breathing dragon is so close to Jesus that he can feel the heat on his skin. Perhaps, jumping is the best option at this point. And you can hear all kinds of voices getting louder, “jump, jump, jump.” Jesus said to Evil, “it is written, don’t test God”. For now, the testing was done, and Evil slips away. The author builds the suspense by adding “until an opportune time”. While we may hope that Evil has been defeated, we know, on our hearts, that some other test, or encounter awaits Jesus; and, awaits us. Let’s look at some of the practical applications of each temptation. Now, I want to say up front, that no one’s wilderness or desert experience is the same. Yours may be completely different and that is valuable for us to remember; but in looking at Jesus’s desert experience, we may find some themes that resonate with our own. First, are you hungry? There are so many meanings attached to the word hungry—we can be hungry for food, hungry for sex, hungry for companionship or friendship, hungry for things, hungry for fame or power, or even, hungry for God. When Evil taunts him—“you must be very hungry, just do that little magic thing you do and turn this stone into bread”, Jesus, while certainly hungry for bread at that point, takes the focus off of his own need and says, “I don’t live just on bread”. The implication is clear—we are created as physical beings who need so much more than bread to keep us alive and well in our relationship with God. The layers of need and fulfillment are so deep that it would take sermon upon sermon to even begin to touch all the ways that God meets our needs. This temptation, more than the other two, however, brings our attention to the relationship between the physical and the spiritual. When we become spiritually less than what God calls us to—when, in our relationship with God, we become separated from God, we feel it in our bodies. When, in our relationship with ourselves, we become separated from our truest selves, we feel it in our bodies. Our bodies become our transmitters of God’s message to our souls. I really don’t like examples of my own life in sermons, but one example screams to be included here. Since I moved back to Florida now seven years ago, strange things have been going on in my body. Yes, I’m aging—don’t go there—but, more than that, somewhere along the way I stopped feeling a connection with my body. I knew that my sedentary lifestyle would get the better of my strong, yet fragile body, and yet, I persisted in some pretty unhealthy patterns. Most of you know that about 5 weeks ago, I, like some of you, was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. Suddenly, I got it—this body which had gotten me this far in life—never seriously failing me along the way—was telling me loud and clear that my lifestyle was out of line with what God intends for my life and my work. I won’t tell you that I have made a complete shift yet, but I’m working on it—seriously working on it. And, if nothing else works, those twice a day jabs in my fingers remind me that I cannot control my body, I can only control what goes into it and how I treat it along the way. I trust, that with God’s help and your prayers, that you will be able to see a transformation over the next year or so and rejoice with me that God finally got my attention and said, “You are not in right relationship with your body.” Each of these mini-transitions is hard and there are constant temptations—which sometimes I conquer and sometimes I don’t, but it helps to truly understand that the temptation is not the donut, the temptation is to ignore what my body needs if we are to stay in right relationship. And my spirit grows as well. Being present to my body has the additional blessing of enabling me to be present to God and to all of God’s children around me. Where are you in your body-spirit relationships? Just a question to ponder. Second, who do you want to be? Evil offered it all to Jesus—why just look, you can have all of this—all for the insignificant price of worshiping me. This temptation translates into the shortcuts we are sometimes tempted to take, the footprints we might leave on someone’s back as we climb the human ladder of success, using people to get what we want when we want it—you get the point. Jesus’ answer strikes us in the center of our hearts. “My worship belongs to God and God alone!” Can we face that same temptation as individuals and as the people of God. Keeping our eyes on God, and God as pure goodness, alone calls for us to spend time with God, to seek God’s presence and to learn to listen to God’s still small voice. It’s so much easier to listen to the loud voices in our worlds—God calls us to quiet our minds and listen. What do you hear when you listen? Third, how do you prove it? In what do you place your faith? In what might be the hardest temptation for us to understand, Evil toys with Jesus—trying to get him to prove that his trust is valid. This is hard for us because our friends, our families, our culture all say, prove to us that it is God you are following. Who is this God, anyway? When we take the time to know that God is the source of all goodness, all kindness, all love, we—ourselves—come to a place where the only “proof” we need is in our own changed perceptions of the relationships in our lives. The righting of the relationships between ourselves, each other and God brings us more and more knowledge of God. It will be difficult for some to grasp that knowing God means knowing how much there is yet to know, to seek, to learn. While we do not have magical powers to perform some great stunt to “prove” God’s existence, we are still prey for those seeking to discredit the good they see in your life and in the life of the church. Jesus did nothing to send the Evil away, he just stayed the course of his own spiritual journey. Are you able do stay the course of your faith? And so, this sermon, just like Evil’s time with Jesus, comes to an end. But, in that end, we are called—called to right all the relationships in our lives where we have allowed “the Separater” to split us off from our bodies and souls, each other, the Creation or God. Lent is a time for discovery, Easter is a time for rejoicing and all of life is a time for growing deeper in faith, in knowledge, and in truth. Amen and Amen.

Saying “Yes” to Spirit: Removing the Veil 2-10-13

God, it is so much easier for us to say “no” rather than “yes”. We say it to ourselves, to each other and to you. Forgive us when we fail to comprehend the power of saying “yes”. Show us this day what you would have us to learn. Use my words to bring glory to you. Amen Happy Transfiguration Sunday! What is transfiguration, you might ask? One of my young friends in Orlando loved Transfiguration Sunday. A very devout young man with a great sense of humor, he always called it: “The Sunday of the Great Holy On-Stage Costume Change”. It won’t surprise you to discover that he is a professional drag queen and was always looking for a way to change costumes without his audience realizing it.” But that gets me a little ahead of myself. Let me tell you a great story that we need to understand in order to grasp the meaning of our chosen texts. Some of you will remember that Moses had a bit of trouble with the Ten Commandments. He and the Israelites are in the desert and they’ve been there a long time. Moses has gone up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments, the Law of God. He was there for 40 days and the Israelites have little to no patience. They convince the guy left in charge, Aaron, to build a golden calf so that they have something they understand to worship. When Moses comes down, sacred tablets in hand, he finds that the people have deserted Yahweh while he was gone. The consequences are not good. Moses and God are very angry. Moses goes ballistic and smashes the holy tablets to the ground and says some harsh words. Then God executes some harsh retribution. After the yelling dies down, Moses goes back up the mountain to try to “atone” for the sins of the Israelite people. Among other things, God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses a second time. As Moses comes back down the mountain, Aaron and the other leaders notice that Moses’ face is shining, bright as the sun itself. At first, they are afraid, but Moses calls them and the others to come and they do. This time they have not wandered away like children who have no ability to determine right from wrong. And Moses gives them God’s Law a second time. Then he covers his face so that the people cannot see the glow. Every time Moses speaks directly with God up on the mountain, he takes his veil off. He comes down and speaks the word of God to the people; and, then, the veil is pulled over his face again. This is because Moses’ face is reserved for the conveying of the relationship between God and the chosen people. As soon as that communication has been accomplished, Moses puts the veil back on because, so far, he is the only person who has seen and talked with God face-to-face. The others cannot bear to see his face since he has seen God. The time changes by many hundreds of years. Jesus has been teaching and healing and chooses three disciples to take up the mountain with him for what they believe will be a spiritual retreat of sorts and, perhaps, some R and R. Peter, John and James are the folks picked for this special occasion. When they reach the top of the mountain, the disciples sit down. Jesus begins to pray, and although the disciples are very sleepy, for once they do not give in to the temptation of napping. As they are watching Jesus pray, something mysterious happens. First his face changes—becoming dazzling white. Then he is all in white. Suddenly, Moses and the prophet Elijah, both dead for centuries, show up and begin talking with Jesus. They, too, appeared in a glorified manner. They were talking to Jesus about all that was to happen in Jerusalem, especially of his departure from this earth. Peter, who you will remember from other verses as the disciple who always had a bright idea, told Jesus that it was a good thing the others were there with Jesus so that they could build a dwelling for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as a monument to the occasion. Just as these words came out of his mouth, a cloud came and completely surrounded them. They were, understandably, terrified. Suddenly, before they had time to react, there was a voice from the cloud, saying, "This is my Chosen one; listen to him!" The terror had quieted all of Peter’s other thoughts so that when the cloud lifted, and only Jesus remained, the three disciples kept quiet and told no one what they saw. From here, we speed forward only about 5-10 years at most. Paul is writing to the Christians at Corinth. And the subject of his discourse is this very story of Moses. However, since the ministry, death and resurrection of Christ, the story has a twist. The second letter from Paul to Corinth is written by a very frustrated Paul. The people have become negative—slandering each other and spending time in creating divisions instead of building each other up in Christ. They are also arguing over whether or not Paul’s ministry is the leadership they wish to follow. Paul, in his letter, explodes at them and questions their actions with honesty. Just before our chosen scripture, he reminds them that the Ten Commandments which brought punishment and condemnation were engraved in stone. Moses, carried them to the people, came with so much glory that the people could barely stand to look at him. Paul asks a penetrating question: “If there was this intense glory with the rules that brought condemnation, how much more glory will come with the ministry of the Spirit—that ministry which promises to restore and set the world right?” This glory, which accompanies the New Covenant, is everlasting and does not fade away like the previous glory. It is with this promise of hope, then, that we act with great boldness. People’s hearts were hardened by the Old Covenant, just like the veil that separated the glory on Moses’ face from people’s sight. Immediately, the point of Paul’s preaching is revealed—when someone turns to the Lord, Jesus Christ, the veil is removed. And then the line which gives us great hope and the chance for transformation: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. Indeed, all of us now see with unveiled faces the glory of the Lord reflected in a mirror. We are, in fact, being transformed into the image of Christ, one degree at a time, for transformation itself comes from that same Lord. What does all this glory from glory and transformation mean for us here, very much firmly planted in our everyday lives, and most certainly, not on top of some mountain waiting for God’s divine word to us? First, the Transfiguration of Jesus—I think that God surprises us with the unexpected breaking through into Jesus’ and the disciples’ lives. Jesus was about to enter the most difficult time of his ministry. He went up the mountain to pray, to seek guidance and, perhaps, to ask for strength. Who should appear, but two of the men of God who would understand what was ahead for Jesus? The scriptures record that they talked with Jesus about the next steps in his ministry. It is not hard for me to understand that God would send these Spirit Guides to Jesus just when he needed them the most. God always answers our prayers, although not always in the ways we expect. Perhaps, the disciples needed to hear one more time, God’s affirmation of the identity of Jesus Christ. “Listen to him” says God, something we still do not very well. Paul leads us into the nitty gritty of transformation. God’s glory, because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is no longer hidden or veiled from us. Additionally, when we experience our solitary encounters with God, it radiates through our faces and all are welcomed into the “unveiling” of the transformation in our lives. God’s work of transformation is no longer hidden. And in the showing of the growth or transformation of each of us, one degree at a time, we experience community transformation as well. This sacred transformation is both free and freedom for us. It is free in that there is no price to be paid—it is through God’s grace that we are transformed. This great gift, freely given, is freedom to our souls, our hearts, and our bodies. God, through Paul, calls us to trust the process of transformation, one degree at a time. Here is where we become like the ancient Israelites or the feuding Christians at Corinth. This process feels like desert—we are often alone, waiting for our souls to catch up to God. It is not God who leaves us alone in the process, it is us, in our haste and impatience that causes us to feel deserted, or left in a desert of uncertainty. We want to know and, by the way, we want to know now. We want our faces to radiate with the knowledge of divine presence, the first time we encounter God. What is this one degree at a time thing—surely we have more important things to do than to wait for God’s word and call. And in our impatience to get to the destination, we miss the journey. Yet we journey one degree at a time, fully unveiled for all to see. God’s work in our lives shouts to those around us: it is pure freedom in the radically accepting arms of God that pulls us deeper and deeper into our relationship with God and lifts us higher and higher in our work as God’s people. When we travel together, each as each can, with faces unveiled for all to see, the Spirit takes hold of our time together. We are linked by the freedom of the unveiling of God’s presence by the life and work of Jesus Christ. Having grown together in the love of God on our collective journey—made unique by each traveler—we are transfigured and share the transforming love of God to each and to all. Amen and amen.

“Saying ‘Yes’ to Call: Putting Words in our Mouths” 2-3-13

The Reading—Jeremiah 1:4-10 Now the word of Yahweh came to me and said: “Before I formed you in the womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I dedicated you. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Bu I said, “But Sovereign Yahweh! I don’t know how to speak! I’m too young!” By Yahweh said, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ Now, go wherever I send you. Do not fear anyone, for I am with you to protect you. It is Yahweh who speaks.” Then Yahweh touched my mouth and said to me, “look, I am putting words in your mouth. This day I appoint you over nations and territories, to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” Our Middle Reading today is a reinterpretation of 1 Corinthians by Rev. Carol Even if I knew how to speak every language of earth and heaven, if I didn’t love you, it would all just be a cacophony of instruments banging with no meaning. Even if I had the key to all the secrets of the world and professed a faith strong enough to move a mountain, if I don’t love you, all that amounts to nonsense. I could give you and others everything that I possess. Then I, like Joan of Arc, could become willing to be burned at the stake for what I say I believe, but if I don’t love you, it is for naught. Love lasts and waits forever, love is pure kindness. Love allows for all freedom without jealousy, and does not pretend to be more that it is. Love doesn’t think it is better than others, it is never hurtful, doesn’t strike out in anger, and doesn’t keep track of how many times you hurt me. Love will never rejoice when something goes wrong for you, but will rejoice when truth prevails. Love never takes a break. When all the other gifts have ceased, perfect love will reign for all to see. Faith and hope are also important, but love is greater than all. The Gospel Reading: John 14: 21-33 Those who obey the commandments are the Ones who love me, and those who love me will be loved by Abba God. I, too, will love them and will reveal myself to them. Judas—not—Iscariot—said, “Rabbi, why is it that you’ll reveal yourself to us, and not to the whole World?” Jesus answered, “Those who love me will be true to my Word, and Abba God will love them; and we will come to them and make our dwelling place with them. Those who don’t love me don’t keep my Words. Yet the message you hear is not mine; it comes from Abba God who sent me. This much have I said to you while still with you; but the Paraclete, the Holly Spirit whom Abba God will send in my name, will instruct you in everything and she will remind you of all that I told you. ___________________________________________________God, we come into your presence today a little distracted. Our thoughts are other places. Call us back to you. Give us ears to listen and eyes to see. May all that I say bring glory to you. Amen. Put yourself in Jeremiah’s shoes just for a moment. There you are, minding your own business or trying to, and in comes God. This can’t be good, you think. Personal visits from God always mean something’s up and you kinda like your nice and quiet life just the way it is. But God walks in anyway. And then it comes—God speaks: “Before you were even thought of, before your mother even decided she wanted children, I had already chosen you. I dedicated you, and selected you to be a prophet to all the nations of Israel”. Whoa, God. Not so fast. I’m too young (and we can substitute any word you want here—old, shy, busy, tongue-tied—doesn’t matter to God) to speak on your behalf. Besides, I wouldn’t know what to say—you know me—a little distractible—I don’t stay on one subject very long and, anyway, this isn’t what I had in mind for my life right now;” “Stop right now!” says God. “Do not say that ‘I am too young.’ Go where I send you. There is no need to be afraid because I am going with you to protect you.” Then God touched my mouth and said, “I am putting my words into your mouth. This is the day your life changes: I appoint you over nations, countries, and states. It is your job to get rid of all that is unjust, and all that hurts my creation of earth and all its inhabitants. And then, it is your joy to build up that which is torn down and to plant new where old is gone.” And, just like that, God leaves you alone for now—alone with your thoughts, your protests, your amazement. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted after this experience with God. It feels so real, so now. I need time to think, or, maybe I don’t. Perhaps this call to Jeremiah is God’s call to me and to you. I want to do what I always do when I’m trying to understand something. I need to take it apart. What, exactly does God say in the midst of our “can’ts and won’ts and don’t know hows”? I think it probable that most of us, at some point in our lives, have said “I can’t do this”. It doesn’t much matter what you thought you couldn’t do, the experience is similar. Some of you did it anyway, some of you tried and failed, and there may have been times when ‘can’t’ won and you did nothing. God is not a God of ‘can’t’. There are stories of can’ts all through the Bible—look at Moses—and the burning bush—similar to Jeremiah, he tried every ‘can’t’ in the book to get out of doing what God was calling him to do. Again God told him that the words Moses would speak would be divinely inspired as if spoken by God. Jeremiah isn’t the only prophet who experiences this—Isaiah also experienced God touching his mouth at the time of his call. This kind of call expects the spoken word—preached, taught, dialogued, and meditated upon. And, for many of us, speaking—particularly in public—ranks pretty high on the list of things we don’t want to do. So, why does God call Jeremiah and us to speak of God’s grace and transforming power. I believe that, once again, it is about relationship. When we speak to another person, they have the opportunity to see our faces, hear our tone of voice, witness our excitement first-hand. The ancient Hebrew Rabbis were said to prefer the oral tradition—that is, the spoken word—to the written one. Spoken words are alive with not only history, but present and future as well. Spoken words nurture relationships with each other and with God. So why, then, is it so hard for us to speak of the wonderful work of God in our lives. Unfortunately, the concept of who God is has suffered in my generation and the generations that come after me. I lived through “God is Dead!”—most of you did as well—I remember the fear that some folks felt with the publishing of numerous books and articles on the subject. The cover of the April 8, 1966 edition of Time magazine asked the question "Is God Dead?" and the article which accompanied the cover addressed growing atheism in America at the time. This debate kept many theologians busy during the late 60’s and early 70’s—the precise time that a lonely teenager in Apopka, Florida was feeling a “call” from this same God who was presumed to be dead by others. It was a time of great confusion for me and for many. On the one hand, I was trying very hard to live a life according to the teachings of Jesus and worship God in song; while on the other hand, many thought that Jesus was a “great teacher of morals and ethics” and God—well l, I could sing if I wanted to, but there was no God to hear my praise. What finally ensued—and it was a great undertaking--were the efforts of many theologians—Christian, Jewish, and otherwise—to redefine God in a way that contemporary people could identify and understand. The late 60’s and early 70’s were a time of great change across many religious, social, cultural, and political arenas, in the United States and across the world. In fact, the birth of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Churches occurred bolstered and nourished by some of these same changes. This was a similar place to the one in which Jeremiah found himself. His father was a retired priest, and we learn from other Old Testament stories, that his home town of Anathoth was a place where several priests were sent when they ran into some trouble or another. So, Jeremiah was a “preacher’s kid”, surrounded by other priests and used to theological conversations even though still an adolescent himself. The nation of Israel had once again strayed from the right relationship they once had with God. They built idols while armies amassed warriors ready to bring down the Israel nation which no longer focused on the God of Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob. Jeremiah is often called the “weeping prophet”. He was given a great love for the people to whom he prophesied. Because of this, his heart was often broken by the sins of the people and their denunciation of Yahweh. His second book of writings of the words sent by God is called “Lamentations”—not a cheery book at all. But, shy, timid, resistant, reluctant Jeremiah followed the commands of God and took the word of Yahweh-sometimes critical—often frightening warnings—to the people for some 45 years. It is not so different with us. We think we are not ready, not skilled, not gifted. We are reluctant to share the words that God has given to us—reluctant to take the risk of speaking. Our excuses are loud and long. Our yeses are soft, barely uttered—perhaps no one will hear me. But God steps into our lives and uses us—plain, everyday folks like you and me to speak—not just act, but speak as well. God has always chosen people like us—common, ordinary, faithful people like us. Every single person that God has used throughout time has been just one of us before God called. And when God calls, and we say yes, words somehow arrive in our mouths just as we utter them. And, like Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Moses we become prophets, spokespersons for the Lord. God has already written what we are to say. We know that Jesus Christ is the word of God incarnate. We have only to look at his life and work to know the word of God. God is not looking for theological proclamations or didactic presentations from any of us. To know the love of God through the grace of Jesus Christ is all we need to share. We talk so freely of God’s radical acceptance of and love for us—no matter what—gay, straight, short, tall, black, white, smart, not so smart, rich, poor—and, yet we keep it for ourselves. How can we do that? Surely it is worth allowing God to overcome our excuses, our perceived inadequacies, our timid reluctance, to bring someone else to this place of being and feeling loved by God. This place of being God’s beloved is giftedness beyond measure and encompasses all that you will ever need to step beyond your fear, hesitancy, and your focus on the possibility of failure. God will not let you fail when you step out and speak out about how your life has changed since you came to believe that God loves you exactly the way you are. God will not let you fail when you step out and speak out about this place where friends love to gather to share the experience of radical acceptance and inclusion. God says, “stop the excuses! Be who you really are…tell others what God’s sweet sense of love has done in your life. “ And together, we learn and grow, feel and rejoice, and listen and tell. And when God calls, we say “yes”! Amen and amen.

Saying 'Yes" to Community--A Quality of Heart

The Reading—Philippians 2: 1-7, 12-16a If our life in Christ means anything to you—if love, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness or sympathy can persuade you at all—then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing that would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit, but everybody is to be humble: value others over yourselves, each of you thinking of the interests of others before your own. Your attitude must be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Chris, though in the image of god, didn’t deem equality with God something to be clung to—but instead became completely empty and took on the image of oppressed humankind: born into the human condition, found in the likeness of a human being… Therefore, my dear friends, you who are always obedient to my urging, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, not only when I happen to be with you, but all the more now that I’m absent. It is God at work in you that creates the desire to do God’s will. In everything you do, act without grumbling or arguing; prove yourselves innocent and straightforward, child of God beyond reproach, in the midst of a twisted and depraved generation—among which you shine like stars in the sky, while holding fast to the work of life. The Middle Reading—Community—a Quality of the Heart—Fr. Henri Nouwen The word community has many connotations, some positive, some negative. Community can make us think of a safe togetherness, shared meals, common goals, and joyful celebrations. It also can call forth images of sectarian exclusivity, in-group language, self-satisfied isolation, and romantic naiveté. However, community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own The question, therefore, is not "How can we make community?" but "How can we develop and nurture giving hearts?" The Gospel Reading: Luke 6: 20-23 Looking down at the disciples, Jesus said: “You who are poor are blessed, for the reign of God is yours. You who hunger now are blessed, for you’ll be filled. You who weep now are blessed, for you’’’ laugh. You are blessed when people hate you, when they scorn and insult you and spurn your name as evil because of the chosen one. On the day they do so, rejoice and be glad: your reward will be great in heaven, for their ancestors treated the prophets the same way. Saying Yes to Community: A Quality of Heart 1-27-13 God, we pray for those away from us this day—keep them in our hearts. Thank you for showing us the way to love and the way of community. May we hear your voice and respond with a resounding “yes” as you call us to be your church. Amen One day this week, I was watching the reporting about a snow storm that had dumped 6 inches of wet snow in a state (and no I don’t remember which one) that doesn’t usually get much snow. Not only did it wreck havoc on travel it caused the area to be faced with the unwelcome job of shoveling very heavy, wet and slushy snow that would soon turn to ice. Once commentator, with insight that exceeds most commentators, I think, showed a video of the trees along I-40. Mostly pine, an interesting sight occurred in those trees. Some of the trees were very close together and the snow on those trees bent them nearly double. But they were growing so close together, that they were virtually laying on top of each other—one bent tree holding up the heavy limbs of the next. The trees that were not growing close to other trees, simply snapped from the weight of the snow. The commentator noted that if he were a tree in this storm, he would hope to be among the trees growing close enough together to be able to bear the weight of their neighbor tree. It got me to thinking about this sermon and how that picture of those bent trees relying on the strength of the neighboring trees reminded me of a community that is, somehow, not unlike us. What, exactly, is community? What does it mean to be “in community” and what does it mean to be community? Paul gives us as good a definition as any I could find: “be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind”. Let’s look at each one of these four components in greater detail. • United in convictions—As for our convictions, we need go no further than to the core values of our denomination—those core values which we have vowed to hold up as a standard by which we measure our own ministries and the actions of this expression of the Body of Christ called Open Circle. Here is a quick paraphrase of those values. o Inclusion—Because love is the moral value which determines our actions all of our ministries and actions must work against exclusion. Open Circle will be a place where love invites all to this family of God. I would add this—it is not enough to merely “be” inclusive, we must work to find those who are excluded from other places of worship and ministry and make sure they are invited and included here.. o Community—All of MCC desires to offer a safe an open community for people to worship, learn and grow in their faith. Our study of the nature and purpose of community grows out of this core value.. o Spiritual Transformation—The freedom to love and be loved by God and others is new to many either because of past religious environments or the belief that God and Gay or God and Bi or God and Liberal don’t go together. We know and proclaim differently. o Social Action—Less talk and more doing is our desire with regard to social action. Our commitment to Global Human Rights means that while working locally, we never forget the work of MCC worldwide I am grateful to the founders and leaders of MCC for developing these principles. They guide and direct our local convictions. As we become more and more united around these and other moral principles, decisions become easier, clearer, and the decision-making process becomes more transparent and representative of all our voices. • Paul’s second component is “United in love”. Let me tell you a story that will perfectly illustrate how we work to be a sacred multiple union of love. The last few days, I have spent many hours with our dear Annie as she is making her journey to her God. Much of the time, I do nothing more than hold her hand. She squeezes hard on my hand as I tell her how much you all love her. I want you to know that the all-embracing love of Open Circle is so strong in her room that you can literally feel it. And both she and I know that the healing and peaceful energy that she feels coming from my hand is far more than from just her pastor. We both know that it is the love and concern of an entire community that flows from my spirit to hers. She is walking home along a path that is lined by this entire congregation and she feels you making the sacred path clear and safe and smooth. This is the love that sustains us in these times and in others. Love seems to come easier than anything else for most of us. We must allow the other three components to be informed by the great love that we have for each other. Our love for each other is what people feel as they walk through the doors of Open Circle—may we always focus on that love and use it to motivate us to grow through some of the harder parts. • Paul then calls us as a Christian community to have a “common purpose”. Aha, here is where the road gets a little tougher for most of us. The quote from Fr. Henri Nouwen leads us to the question that we must ask. You will remember that he said, “… community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. “ Let us take just a moment and try to really get into that brief, yet revolutionary sentence. Do we have spiritual knowledge, or do we know in our spirits that we are not alive for ourselves but we are alive for one another? Think back to my little parable of the pine trees full of snow. Those pine trees that grew alone snapped under the weight of the snow. They may have been the tallest, most beautiful, strongest pine trees in the forest, but none of that mattered when the going or the snowing got tough. All that mattered for survival was the ability of one pine tree already bent double under the snow to uphold the weight of the neighbor tree. At that point , perhaps a rare point, but very real in the lives of these trees—their own interests were useless, alone they snapped in two. Once we catch hold of this spiritual truth—that we live not for ourselves but for others, our lives take on a new meaning. Our focus changes from “what do I want, or what’s this going to get me” to “how will this program, ministry, leadership role, whatever, influence the lives of others and bring them closer to the blessed knowledge that that are loved and accepted by the God who created them. • Paul’s final component is that we are all of a Common mind. Does this mean that we will all think the same way or never disagree? Alas, it does not. It means that we will all make a commitment to coming together—all working toward the other three components and being willing to negotiate and sacrifice in order to reach agreement and excitement about plans. I believe that Paul is also calling us to a model of supportive negotiation—meaning that when we come together and make a decision we, for the good of our community, support that decision and work to see it through to fruition. In one last sentence, Nouwen pulls it all together for us. He says, “Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own. The question, therefore, is not "How can we make community?" but "How can we develop and nurture giving hearts?" Let me tell you another story. A student asked anthropologist Margaret Mead what was the earliest sign of civilization in any culture. He expected the answer to be a cooking pot or tool or implement of some kind. What she said surprised him. “A healed femur” was her response. She went on to explain that no mended bones are found when the law of the jungle is the “survival of the fittest.” A healed femur indicates that someone cared enough to take care of this person—to hunt and gather for this person until the leg is healed. That shows compassion—the willingness to put another’s needs first or to make them at least as important as our own. As our nurturing and giving hearts are developed through our own personal spiritual transformation and spiritual maturity—compassion, care for the other—will guide all that we do and all that we are. And with Paul, we agree that when we gratefully allow God to work in and on our hearts we will become those who “shine like stars in the shy, while holding fast to the work or life. Amen and amen.

An Anniversary Sermon--2013--A Year of Yes--1-20-13

The Reading: Romans 12: 1-3 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for [your Creator]. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what [God] wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what [God] does for us, not by what we are and what we do for [God]. THE MIDDLE READING—Psalm 36: 5-9 Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. The Gospel Reading: Mark 5: 25-34 A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with. At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!” But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.” An Anniversary Sermon—2013: A Year of Yes January 20, 2013 God, we thank you for this day—for the celebration and the challenge. Keep our eyes focused on you as we journey with you into our collective and individual futures. May my words be from you and our thoughts be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Amen Happy Anniversary! Today we are celebrating lots of anniversaries—almost too many for one service. We are celebrating being a fully affiliated MCC Church for two years. We are also celebrating our three years of being a church. I am celebrating my second anniversary of the transfer of my ordination from the Southern Baptist Convention to the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, and all 79 of us who joined Open Circle MCC on January 9, 2011 are celebrating our second anniversary of church membership in this church. Almost a hundred more of you have joined us as we grew into the church we are today. So, this is a celebration for everyone—from first-time guest to those who once sat in a living room with a dream of forming this church. Some of you might think it strange that I would preach on this healing story—a very strange and unique healing story at that—on the day of our anniversary. Nevertheless, I think this story has much to say to us as we ponder how we can best give thanks for the blessings already bestowed upon this church in its short history as well as consider what our individual roles may be in the communal future of this church. Open Circle MCC initially grew at lightning speed. For the first two years, both before and after affiliation, we gained new members, started new ministries and, in general, enjoyed watching the blessings of God unfold before our eyes. In our third year, 2012, I believe a very important series of events began to happen which were crucial for the sustainability of Open Circle and the enlargement of our ministries. We continued to reach out beyond the boundaries of The Villages and began, with increased intention, to be a church for the region. We now have members from at least 4 counties and it may be 5. We purchased land and renovated buildings which we use almost daily in an ever-increasing array of programs and ministries. Things changed and we found ourselves no longer a smallish pastor-sized church. We began with excitement to talk of moving forward into the next size church—a Program Sized church, where the emphasis moves to the leadership that arises out of the congregation. Some things in the last year have been uncomfortable. We have lost a few folks who did not share in the vision of a church intended for a region. I’m sorry that they were disappointed, but our ministries will, I believe, continue to prove that we have followed God’s leading in our expansion. Many of you have found Open Circle in the last year and we celebrate your presence here in this place. I love hearing your stories of how you found us and the ways God, through Open Circle, has changed your life. Hallelujah, as a church, we have prayed and followed and are steadfast in our vision of “ministry for all by all”. I believe that God has used this past year to solidify our congregation. Growth in numbers has slowed, but growth in ministries and spiritual maturity has continued in wonderfully blessed ways. I trust God to provide the exact kind of growth that we are called to year after year. God is a good God and knows us better than we know ourselves. And, so, we stand ready for the leading of God in this, our fourth year as a church, our third year as an MCC church. God is calling us to a year of “YES!”—a year of stepping out in faith and hearing God’s call in many areas of our lives and in the life of this church. And, it is into this Year of Yes, that our Gospel story brings insight and challenge. The story of this woman’s interaction with Jesus is about healing—being healed and bestowing healing. It is about faith, risk-taking, and breaking rules. It is also about kinship, community, and welcoming those who we might otherwise not welcome. And, finally, it is about showing up one last time when one has exhausted every other avenue in the search for healing, belonging, and peace. Our Gospel story is sandwiched in between the beginning and ending of another story—the story of Jesus’ journey to the home of a very important man whose daughter is very sick. The crowds are all around—it’s a mob scene. Jesus is trying to get somewhere and the hoards of people, jostling and pushing to get a glance of him are slowing down the journey. The disciples are at their best—shooing people away and trying to make a clear path for Jesus to follow. Suddenly, something strange happens. No one saw her coming, this woman who has hemorrhaged for twelve years. If you know the Jewish Law, you know this makes her unclean and untouchable. But she persisted—pushing her way, this way and that—until she is right behind Jesus. Unlike others, she isn’t looking for an audience with this great Teacher; she only wants to touch the very hem of his garment. She kneels down and touches the tassel on his robe, just a small touch, and she knows she is healed. She sneaks back the way she has come, but she doesn’t get far before Jesus turns around. “Who touched me?” he asks. The disciples are incredulous—“Who touched you?” they repeat in frustration. Everyone is touching you—we can hardly keep the crowd from knocking you down and you want to know who touched you?” Jesus insists on knowing who it was that caused him to feel the flow of healing energy go from his body to theirs. The woman, realizing that she must step forward, returns through the crowd and stops in front of Jesus. Kneeling before him, she tells him the whole story of all the places she has been and people she has seen seeking healing. And then, a wonderfully amazing thing happens. Jesus says, “Daughter, you have taken a great risk, you broke all the rules. But your faith is persistent and has made you well. Go in peace.” Can you imagine what it must have felt like to hear Jesus say, “Daughter”? I can barely take it in. She is a Child of God, she is whole, and she is healed. Is that not what we are about at Open Circle? I pray the invitation to kinship with God is always present in all that we do. We say “yes” to the invitation to be a child of God and invite others to do the same. Let’s look more closely at the interaction between this unnamed woman and Jesus. Some scholars argue that she is unnamed because she was a woman. That may be, but I think she is unnamed so that we can understand that we do not have to know the names of those who are receiving our love and concern. This woman is one tired woman—all of us who are women can identify. Twelve years, wow—makes me tired just thinking of it. And, gentlemen, I know that you can identify with an illness that just won’t go away no matter what you try. She is frustrated as we all would be and she has looked everywhere for help. How many times have I heard one of you say, “Open Circle was my last chance at finding peace, or finding Church, or finding a faith community.” But something or someone caused you to come, one last time, just as something caused this exhausted, ill woman to try one last time. She didn’t want a show, she just wanted to sneak up, unnoticed, and let God heal her through the healing energy of this man Jesus. I’ve seen many of you do the same thing—you might even slip in late, sit away from other folks, and just quietly—with no show—absorb the love of God present all around you in Open Circle. We say “yes” to your presence and enlarge the circle again. It may be that you identify with this woman in the story or you may identify, as part of the Body of Christ, with Jesus. It is an astounding blessing to know that through your words or your touch God is using you to give healing to another person. We are a wounded people, all of us. Some of us come with achy scar tissue and some of us come with open oozing sores. We arrive seeking God’s presence, acceptance, and peace. This is the Gospel that Jesus shared with our unnamed woman—Daughter of God. We come to God just as we are and we are healed. We use our last emotional resource to get us here for one last stab at this thing called faith and this man called Jesus and what do we find? We find Jesus, beckoning us with a sacred “Yes” to become the daughters and sons of God. Here, God is here, and we will not be the same when we say “yes”. As soon as we say yes, a strangely surprising change occurs. We become healers to each other. We become the ones who beckon with the sacred “yes”. And Open Circle becomes a place for healing and rejoicing and joy. God, our creator, is waiting for our “yes”. God is far from done building this church. Will you say “yes” to God’s leading in our future ministries and leaders? Will you spend some time at least several times a week listening to God’s call for you in this sacred healing, holy circle? And will you say “yes” when God calls? Will you open your hearts and reach out and invite others to come? Will you say “yes” as we enter this new year of challenge and change? Will you become healers to each other and become the body of Christ in the life of another? May God grant us courage and grace and may it be so. Amen and amen.

The Unfathomable Riches of Christ--1-6-13

The Reading-Ephesians 3:1-12 For I, Paul—a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you, Gentiles—am sure that you have heard of God’s grace, of which I was made a steward on your behalf; this mystery, as I have briefly described it, was given to me by revelation. When you read this, you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was unknown to the people of former ages, but is now revealed by the Spirit to the holy apostles and prophets. That mystery is that the Gentles are heirs, as are we; members of the Body, as are we; and partakers of the promise of Jesus the Messiah through the Good News, as are we. I became a minister of the Good News by the gift of divine grace given me through the working of God’s power. To me, the least of all believers, was given the grace to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to enlighten all people on the mysterious design which for ages was hidden in God, the Creator of all. Now, therefore, through the church, God’s manifold wisdom is made known to the rulers and powers of heaven in accord with the age-old design, carried out in Christ Jesus our Savior, in whom we have boldness and confident access to God through our faith in Christ. The Middle Reading-“Balancing Act” by Robert Schnase The practice of attentiveness involves noticing what God notices and seeing the world through God’s eyes. It takes a passionate attentiveness rather than a groggy indifference to notice the movement of the Spirit, to hear whimpers of God’s grace, to discern the presence and power of God among us, to identify the calling of God. It takes discipline and an intentional practicing of attentiveness for us to develop the interior life, the life of the Spirit, the life of love, grace, forgiveness, mercy, justice hope. As we practice spiritual attentiveness, we begin to see the world differently. We stay awake, we become alive, we practice resurrection. Through the eyes of faith, we fathom such questions as “Where is God in this? What might God be trying to alert me to? What does the world look like through God’s eyes?” The Gospel-Matthew 2:1-12 After Jesus’ birth—which happened in Bethlehem of Judea, during the reign of Herod—astrologers from the East arrived in Jerusalem and asked, “where is the newborn ruler of the Jews” We observed his star at its rising and have come to pay homage. At this news Herod became greatly disturbed, as did all of Jerusalem. Summoning all the chief priests and religious scholars of the people, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they informed him. “here is what the prophet has written: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, since from you will come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Herod called the astrologers aside and found out from them the exact time of the star’s appearance. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, after having instructed them, “Go and get detailed information about the child. When you have found him, report back to me—so that I may go and offer homage, too.” After their audience with the ruler, they set out. The star which they had observed at its rising when ahead of them until it came to a standstill over the place where the child lay. They were overjoyed at seeing the star and, upon entering the house, found the child with Mary, his mother. They prostrated themselves and paid homage. Then they opened their coffers and presented the child with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they went back to their own country by another route. The Unfathomable Riches of Christ 1-6-13 God, you continue to bless us with your presence. Lead us to the manger one more time and enable us to grasp the Truth that lies sleeping in that trough of fresh hay. Give us voices to glorify you and knowledge to take the wisdom of the ages into our hearts. In the name of the one who came to us as a child. Amen I love a good mystery. I devour them—I like the psychological aspects—trying to figure out the why and the how and I enjoy trying to outsmart the author—figuring out the “who done it” before I’m supposed to. Mysteries are my very favorite kind of “down time” reading. Matthew has given us a great mystery in the story of the three Magi—those exotic kings who travelled from afar to worship this baby, led by the light of a very unusual star. Those of you who used to have the pleasure of having children in Christmas pageants, or, perhaps directed them will know this well—all the kids wanted to be kings. Why, the costumes are wonderful; and, you get to wear a crown. Who in the world would want to be a shepherd in a lowly bathrobe, when you could be a king? Of course, we know as adults that the kings and the shepherds weren’t at the manger at the same time, but it makes our nativity scenes so much more interesting when the kings arrive just behind the shepherds and sorta upstage those lowly adoring sheep herders. There’s a little bit of royal, mysterious king and humble, ordinary shepherd in all of us. And, today, in our last trip to the manger this year, we want to see how the mystery of this great Epiphany—the time when God’s light was revealed—informs and inspires our lives here in 2013. Let’s first review the mystery that Matthew tells us about those kings. We almost always focus on their journey, their gifts, and their worship of the new-born (well, perhaps several weeks old) baby. But before we get to the manger, we must unravel the first part of their journey. We simply don’t know how those astrologers knew that the bright star that they saw in the East heralded the birth of the Messiah. Somehow, it was revealed to them and they began to follow that star. They arrived in Jerusalem; and, as foreign royalty, they were given an audience with King Herod. With apparent innocence, they announce the purpose of their journey, and Herod secretly starts to stew. Calling all the teachers and priests together, he asks where the Messiah is supposed to be born. Using the same prophecies that we have listened to throughout Advent, the priests tell Herod that the Messiah is supposed to be born in Bethlehem. Coming up with a plan, Herod calls the three astrologers aside and says, “Go and see the child and find out all that you can about him. Then come tell me so that I can worship him, too.” Now, from the outside, we know that Herod’s charge to the kings is not on the up and up. The intrigue grows. Will the kings do as Herod has asked and risk putting this tiny infant at risk? And for a while, we do not know and must live with our question. Enter the Magi, stage left. Here they come, on camels taller than the kings themselves and dismount and bow in honor of the tiny babe. Gold, frankincense and myrrh are laid before him and his mother. We do not know what the astrologers told Mary and Joseph or how they explained their presence. But they worshipped and responded to the new Messiah by giving wonderful gifts of great value in that day. As they leave, we are still unsure of the outcome. Then we learn that they were warned in a dream not to take the information back to Herod, and they returned home by a route that did not take them through Jerusalem. And, so we know, that the evil Herod will not get any help from these three visitors and we breathe a sigh of relief. Many sermons preached world-wide today will focus on these gifts brought by the Magi and make the connection between those gifts and the gifts that we lay at the manger. And those will be good sermons. But, Matthew gives us a second story, one that we should also hear as we ponder the meaning of this day. Matthew shows us that not everyone will rejoice at the coming of this new King. Herod, and all of Jerusalem, are reported to be concerned, ill at ease, afraid. History gives us the answer to “why?” Herod and his followers are powerful and we know that those who are in power rarely want that power challenged. This new King—the prophesied Messiah, is to be a servant leader. Herod wants none of that. So this tiny baby, even in his birth, sends ripples of fear and anger through the ranks of the rulers of the day and is seen as a rival. Herod knew, through his familiarity with the Jewish scriptures and through the wisdom of the priests, that the Messiah would turn the world upside down; and, more particularly, turn his world upside down—threatening his power and control. And, in the darkest part of the story, we learn that when the three kings do not return and give him details about the Messiah, Herod retaliates and orders the death of all male children under the age of two. We stay away from this part of the story, wanting no part of death and destruction that came in direct retribution to the birth of this baby we call ‘Jesus’. But, there is more, these three kings come from afar, signaling that God’s message of radical justice and peace has spread far and wide. The distinctions between those in power or those “in the know” and humble, ordinary folk are already beginning to break down in the presence of this tiny baby. If this continues, who knows what may happen next? We know of the life this child lived, of his teachings and of his dismantling the wall between the “have’s” and the “have nots”. And yet, we are still left with mystery—the great mystery that unfolds in the teaching and preaching of this child—the mystery of God’s inclusion of everyone in the invitation to the reign of justice, well-being, wholeness, and peace after all those centuries of favoring only the Hebrew people. Thirty years of growth and preparation readies Jesus to unlock the keys to the truth that Herod suspects at the time of his birth. For the answers to this mystery we look to Paul, an apostle of the adult Christ, who understood this mystery well. Paul was in prison for preaching exactly the same message that ignited fear in Herod’s heart at the time of the birth of the Christ child. Paul, through truth given to him in revelation, announces that he has insight into the mystery that formerly was hidden from all people of earlier times. This mystery, now revealed by the Holy Spirit to spiritual people everywhere is that Gentiles, and that would include everyone who is not Jewish, are welcome to receive this same miraculous news and become members of the Body of Christ along with the Jews. Paul is grateful that he has been given the gift and grace of being called to preach the “unfathomable riches of Christ” as well as the “mysterious design” that was formerly hidden in God. It is through the church—the Body of Christ—that this great mystery is now to be shared. And this is where the two stories within the story of the Journey of the Magi come together—precisely when we need them to. The bright star leads us to Christ and through His Church to the ministry we are compelled to accept through the gifts and grace of the Holy Spirit. We, just as the Magi, bring our gifts and lay them at the altar of the sleeping babe. And, in those gifts—given in love and adoration of the Messiah—the mystery of how the Church is to spread the Good News of this new kind of justice and peace. We bring all our gifts to God to share with those who need them the most—the tired neighbor, the hopeless gay teen, or the troubled, broken-hearted individuals who have not yet discovered truth of this great mystery. Christmas isn’t very merry at all if you think the story is only about God choosing to enter the world as a baby in a messy stall destined to become a king with no palace or throne. Perhaps the Wise Men missed their target and ended up in Jerusalem because it would have been almost impossible to believe that the new King would be born in a town like Bethlehem. The palace is where this baby should be. Perhaps, when the baby was not there, they trusted what they heard from the priests or Herod himself and travelled that extra nine miles to Bethlehem—or, perhaps, disappointed in not finding the child in Jerusalem, they simply continued their travel. Either way, they followed a sign that led them to where God, come as a baby, could be found. Are we not signs as well—signs that lead people to this God who waits to welcome them into the sacred family. This God, who loves us with an irresistible love, longs to use us to bring about a vision of a perfect and just peace in the name of the one who we worship this day. Amen and amen.

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. . .