Rejoice Always!

Third Sunday in Advent – Year B

December 14, 2014

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

This time of year, one of the things that many people struggle with is depression. It seems contradictory that in the midst of the season of happiness and joy, so many people have to struggle with depression; but its a fact that many people have personal experience with.

For some people the onset of depression is the result of fewer hours of daylight during the day. The shorter days and longer nights bring about Seasonal Affective Disorder. For people who deal with it, this depression comes back every year. And they annually must deal with those feelings of hopelessness, increased sleep and appetite and less energy. They must work against a loss of interest in work and other activities. I struggle with feelings of depression every year over the winter months. Yet, once the sun breaks through the cold of winter and summer comes, I am once again my happy self.

For many people, depression in winter isn't about the lack of daylight hours, it's about the reality of life itself. The holiday season is a time when we will spend much more time than normal with friends and family. For many of us it is a time of joy. Yet, for many people, those holiday events are a reminder of the loss of loved ones. As others gather together in festive joy, we recall those who are not with us. The parents and spouses who have died. The siblings and children who we will not see. The focus of the holidays on family and friends, can turn into a reminder of the family and friends we will not see. When you add in the increased stress of the season, all the extra expectations that we have on our plates, it can all become overwhelming.

Experts in the field of psychology have some suggestions for dealing with those occasional dark periods during the holiday season. They recommend keeping our expectations for the holiday season manageable by not trying to make the holiday “the best ever.” Try to set realistic goals for yourself. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Do not spend too much time preparing for just one day. They tell us to let go of the past! Don’t be disappointed if your holidays are not like they used to be. Life brings changes. Each holiday season is different and can be enjoyed in its own way. You set yourself up for sadness if everything has to be just like the “good old days.” Look toward the future. Do something for someone else. Try volunteering some time to help others. Enjoy holiday activities that are free such as driving around to look at Christmas decorations. Go window shopping without buying anything. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Celebrate the holidays in a way you have not done before. Spend time with people who are supportive and care about you. Make new friends if you are alone during special times. Contact someone you have lost touch with. But, you also need to find time for yourself! Don’t spend all your time providing activities for your family and friends.¹

It can be hard to remain positive when there are negative things happening around us, when our expectations either do not come to pass or are slow in coming. The child that has been talking for weeks before Christmas about that special toy, the one they want more than anything else. Her parents have searched literally in every store in the area, and its sold out. You can't get it anywhere. So, on Christmas morning, even though there were many other wonderful items found, the fact that that gift was not under the tree makes the holiday a failure in the eyes of a child. Disappointment can be a terribly draining thing, it's hard to rejoice when your hopes have been dashed.

When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, they were in a time of growing disappointment. The early church fervently believed that Jesus would be coming very soon. They looked for his return before most of them died. Yet, they looked around. Many of the first generation of believers were dying. The disciples were dying. The signs around them seemed to point to the imminent return of Jesus, yet he still has not come. They were disappointed, they are losing heart and hope. And we now nearly 2000 years later, are still watching and waiting. And, the apostle Paul writes, “Rejoice always.” Sure thing, no problem.

The dryer just stopped working, the toilet is over-flowing, the kids are fighting, and you just got a call from your aunt telling you the cancer is back. Rejoice! Not realistic is it. Let's face it, there are times in life when rejoicing is the furthest thing from our minds. Bad things happen, unfortunate things happen, we get news that we really don't want to get. Sometimes, let's be honest, life sucks. It would be pretty cold and unfeeling of the apostle Paul to tell us to rejoice when your son breaks his arm, rejoice when your spouse loses their job, rejoice when the car is totaled. So when Paul tells us to rejoice always, and give thanks in all circumstances, he isn't telling us to ignore the bad, or try to put a good spin on what has happened.

No, we know from his other letters that Paul freely admits that his life is full of hardship. But, he doesn't dwell on it, or allow it to drag him down (though, I'm sure there were times when he was sitting alone, chained to the wall of a dank and dark dungeon that he was far from happy). When Paul writes, “Rejoice always!” what he really means isn't to react to the bad things that happen with joy, but to be joyful, to be in the mode of rejoicing at all times. Why? Because of what God has done for us Christ Jesus.

2000 years ago, far from any hospitals or comfortable surroundings, a child was born whose birth was welcomed by shepherds and angels. He lived a quiet, holy life until he was around 30. Then, after he was baptized by John in the Jordan River he began to teach and do amazing acts of healing. After three years of teaching and bringing hope to people throughout Israel, he was killed as a common criminal on a hill outside of Jerusalem. But, death could not hold him and he rose from the dead. In his death our sins were forgiven, and in his resurrection we received the confirmation of our own futures. In our baptisms we were joined with Jesus and his death, and if we have been joined with him in his death then we shall surely be joined with him in his resurrection. And we know this because God is faithful.

Rejoicing can be hard when we see no reason to rejoice. We tell our children that Christmas is coming, but if they do not see the signs around them will the believe us? If they do not see the decorations, if they do not see trees being found and decorated, if they do not see Santa in the stores, if they do not hear the Christmas carols on the radio, they will have a hard time believing that Christmas is coming. We wait, but we see around us signs that God is faithful. Even in the midst of the world's brokenness, we see signs of its redemption, signs of its righteousness around us and within us that signal the presence of God's Spirit in and among us. The people of God continue to reveal godly and holy lives: the Word is proclaimed, the sacraments are celebrated, the homeless are housed, the hungry are fed, acts of mercy take place as Christ is among us anonymously. In this we can also rejoice.

Traditionally, this third Sunday in Advent is referred to as Gaudete Sunday. The word meaning “Rejoice Always”, taken not from this text, but from the Latin first word of the introit of this day's Mass in the Catholic Church. We rejoice, and Paul's call for us is to rejoice. Yet, this call is not a command it is a promise. A promise just as sure as the promise that we are not alone, and will never be alone. That we are loved by our God, who loved us so much that Jesus came and died for each and every one of us.

It is only by Jesus Christ that what seems like a demand in fact becomes a promise. Whatever is going on "out there," or in our own lives, when we see the struggles for racial justice in our country, the fighting between elected officials, the ever present face of poverty and hunger, the cries of children without parents, the cries of parents whose children die in their arms, the presence of disease and illness, the burden of loneliness, the pain of sorrow and loss, "in here"---in our liturgy, in our public work before God and the world---it is Gaudete -Rejoice-Sunday. And we believe we have reason to rejoice, to pray, and to give thanks. Amen.

1http://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=40187

Just the Beginning

Second Sunday in Advent – Year B

December 7, 2014

Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
   'Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight,'"

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

And, so it begins. This is a true story. Once upon a time. It happened a long time ago. It was a dark and stormy night. He couldn't believe his eyes when he opened the letter. It was the red shoes that caught her eyes first. There are ways that writers tell you to begin a story, and there are ways they tell you to avoid. Obviously, the phrases you just heard are examples of what you are not supposed to do (unless your goal is to turn the reader away.)

Beginnings are important. Sister Maria in The Sound of Music, tells her charges that the beginning is 'a very good place to start.' Plato writing long ago advised us, “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Coaches of athletic teams tell you that the beginning often sets the stage for how the rest of the game will go. When I ran track, I spent a great amount of time working on the beginning moments of the race – making sure I could get off to a good start. Experts in education tell us that the first few years of learning (whether at home or at a preschool) can have long-lasting effects on the lifelong learning potential of the child. Beginnings are important.

So, after that terrible beginning, let's look at the beginning we have today – the beginning of Mark's gospel. The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark begins his gospel with a quote from the Old Testament. Well, to be more accurate, he begins his gospel by bringing together several different passages from the Old Testament: quotes from Isaiah (40:3), Malachi (3:1) and then just for good measure, adds in a touch of Exodus (23:20). The point is clear: what happens in Jesus is not a new thing unrelated to what God has done in the past. Jesus is the next chapter in a long story that has been going on forever. Jesus is the long-awaited one, whom prophets and angels foretold. And, John the Baptist is the one sent to prepare the way for his coming.

And what a guy. If he were to show up today, would we listen to him, to his words calling for repentance and baptism? He likely hasn't showered for a while. I'm guessing he had that sickly sweet smell that you can detect across the room. His clothing definitely wouldn't have helped his image. A camel hair outfit was not the most stylish of outfits. And a diet of honey and locusts would have likely left him thin and gaunt, perhaps even looking a little sickly. I've always pictured John as looking like the homeless guy down under the bridge. You know, the guy whose words and advice you listen to. You know, the really popular guy.

Okay, so when it comes to beginnings, perhaps John may not have been the guy chosen by the marketing firm to be the one to go into town and spread the word that the next big thing is coming. But, as we all know, God rarely does things the way we would, rarely chooses the person we would. John follows in a long line of surprising choices that God has made. And besides, the man is not as important as the message: the one is coming is greater than John. John (who had a good measure of popularity) wasn't even important enough to be the slave that tied his shoes. John's baptism of water was to be replaced, over-powered by the baptism of the Holy Spirit that was to come.

John is the great introducer. He is the one sent out to warm up the audience. The opening act before the headliner. He was the trailer before the movie. He was the beginning of what was to come next. But, what if there was more than that?

I want to put forward what may be a new way of thinking about the beginning of Mark's gospel. What if that first sentence in Mark isn't the lead for what is to come, but the title of the Gospel. What if the beginning isn't the entry of John the Baptist, but the entire Gospel itself?

Mark is a funny little gospel. It's the shortest of the four we have in the Bible. It doesn't tell us anything about Jesus' birth, and ends with the tomb being found empty. That's the way the Gospel ends in its shorter, and likely older version. Within the Gospel itself, the disciples are often portrayed as being a little clueless. Time after time, Jesus points things out to them, says things about his mission, about who he was, and they seem to be completely oblivious to what was right in front of them. Mark tells us the story, but leaves us as readers hungry for more. We seem to know there is more to the story, more to know about Jesus, more to discover about the good news. The story goes on.

In recent years, the United Church of Christ has been proclaiming it's motto that 'God is Still Speaking.' It's right in line with what the Comedian Gracie Allen is credited with saying: “Never place a period where God has placed a comma.” And, I think right in line with Mark's gospel message, that this is just the beginning. And I think it also goes right along with the fact that the message of Mark, the message of Jesus is Good News.

In our society there are all sorts of ways we get our news. Some of us read the newspaper on a daily basis. Some of us watch the t.v. news shows, some of us listen to the radio. We may get our news from the internet. We may get our news from conversation with others, sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee in town. We all find out what's happening in the world, and in our communities one way or another. What I'm pretty sure about is that if we wanted to get the news, we wouldn't read the same newspaper everyday, we would want to get the latest one. If we didn't we wouldn't be reading the news, we would be reading the history. Mark doesn't share with us the beginning of the good history of Jesus, he shares with us the beginning of the good news. I think it's pretty clear that the story is meant to go on, that the good news of Jesus, his teaching, his gift of the Holy Spirit, isn't just history, wasn't just good news 2000 years ago, it's good news today. It's good news for you, and good news for me.

Today, we will be celebrating Holy Communion. In my rather short life, I have experienced lots of different ways of doing communion. From little cups and wafers, to huge common goblets and loaves of bread, from wine so full of alcohol you almost choked on it to grape juice that was shockingly sweet. I have experienced long-winded words leading up to the act of communion itself, and the simplest of prayers said as we gathered for the feast. There are many different ways in which we practice communion, but there is one part of the service which remains remarkably unchanged whether happening in a grand cathedral or a hospital room. The words that accompany the bread and fruit of the vine: “for you.”

When we hear those words, when we truly hear those words, we discover that Jesus' words and action, his gift of the Holy Spirit isn't just some story put out there on the internet to be discovered. No, it was done with a purpose, it was done for some one, it was something for you and for me, personally. And, if it's truly good news, it's something that should cause us to jump up and do something.

One of the longest running television game shows is The Price is Right. Most of us have seen it, and it hasn't changed much in the last few decades. People guess the prices of items, and if they guess correctly or get close enough to the price, they win what they are guessing on. But, before they can guess. They have to be chosen. A studio full of people wait on the edge of their seats, waiting for their names to be called. “Stephanie, come on down, you're the next contestant on The Price is Right.” And, people all tend to act the same when their name is called out. They jump from their seats screaming. They jump up and down, the run forward. Their friends seated around them, jump up and down, they cheer, they shout. When they finally get up front to the contestant area, they are often so exited they can barely speak. This is a life-changing moment for them. They have been chosen.

That is the same level of excitement we should have when we encounter the good news. “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ the Son of God, for Bob!” “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ the Son of God, for Jane!” “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ the Son of God, for Fred!” And as we hear those words, as fellow participants in the event we cheer and we encourage and we share that excitement. With the excitement of hearing the good news and our name being called there is a new beginning, a new journey. The calling of our name, our response, is not the arrival, but the beginning.

It's a beginning because what follows is the living out of our calling, the living out of the good news we have heard in our daily lives. Jesus' teachings weren't the end. Jesus' miracles weren't the end. When he brought sight to the blind, it was the end of their blindness, but the beginning of their lives anew. When he healed the sick, it was the end of their illness, the beginning of their health. When Jesus rose from the dead, it wasn't the end of the story, it was the beginning. When we rise from the waters of baptism, it's not the end – it's the beginning.

Beginning something can be a scary thing, Change can be scary. We tend to like the security of things we know, things we have gotten used to, it is safe and comfortable. And new beginnings, newness can be viewed as blessing and gift but also can viewed as change, and we don’t always like change.

Over the past few years here at Saint Paul's we have been blessed to have many children born. The blessing of having so many children present in church is a challenge many churches do not have. Children are without a doubt a blessing, but the birth f a child will forever change your life. The birth of a child, the newness and excitement that goes along with it is fantastic, but it is also not easy. Caring for a new child takes work, adjustment, and learning new things.

Over the coming months and in the years ahead, there will be many changes for all of us. There will be changes in our families as children grow. There will be changes in our lives, as we move from one home to another, from one community to another. Our friendships will change as we meet new people. We will move from one job to another. Our church will grow and shrink. There will be many new things to see and do, to encounter. There will be many questions and times to think about the new things God will be calling us to. There will be times full of joy and excitement, and there will be times that fill us with fear and dread.

And each and every day, each and every change, brings with it a new beginning. A new day for the good news to live today,a new day for each of us to live out the good news in our lives and in the lives of others. A new day to declare, this is just the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Amen.

Times Running Out

First Sunday in Advent – Year B

Baptism of Aidan Frushour

November 30, 2014

Mark 13:24-37

[Jesus said:]
"But in those days, after that suffering,
   the sun will be darkened,
   and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
   and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

The weeks are winding down, there isn't much time left. Every day the pressure seems greater and greater. The commercials and ads seem to never end. Two days only! Hurry, sale ends on Friday! Just a few days ago, millions of people gathered outside of stores in the dark of the night waiting for the stores to open so they could race one another through the aisles, in the hopes of being able to buy the television for that super-low price (that we won't see again until sometime in the Spring!) Time is running out, The signs are everywhere. Christmas is a month away.

It's hard to miss that fact isn't it. We walk into just about any store, and we see it decked out in green and red, garlands and blinking lights. We see the mannequins dressed up as Santa Claus, or the elves. We see the reindeer prancing in the store fronts, behind the signs seeking to draw us in after the newest seasonal items, and unique items that we simply “must have.” There are countdowns on the news channels, telling us how many shopping days there are until Christmas. People that work in the retail world find their hours being extended, or find they suddenly have a number of new coworkers brought in just for the holiday season.

We end up spending most of the next month in a time of frantic rushing. Rushing from one gathering to another, from one family event to another, from one holiday work party to another, from one sale to another, from one store to another. Rushing here and there. And, the whole time we are aware, the clock is ticking, time is getting away from us. The stores close in just a few hours, the sale ends today, Christmas is how many days away?

Welcome to the beginning of the season of joy and happiness! We enter into Advent, into our preparation for Christmas with joy and hope – except our readings are far from joyful; they are downright terrifying. The sun will be darkened, the moon will go black, stars will fall from the sky, and all the powers of the world will be shaken. Merry Christmas! The clock is ticking!

Advent is the season in the church year when we prepare, we prepare for the coming of Jesus. But, our passage this morning from Mark isn't about preparing for the birth of a child, it's about preparing for the return of Jesus. This passage is about Jesus' 'second coming.' The promised return trip when he will bring final judgment on humanity and all those things we read about in the Bible about God's final kingdom and reign will come to pass. This passage is about the so-called, “end times.” In recent years, there has been a lot of press about the end times.

There have been many books, both theological and novels, that have explored the time that is yet to come. There have been movies. There have been television shows and specials. I can pretty much guarantee that I can find at least one show on television interpreting the events happening around us as signs of the imminent return of Jesus. We all can remember individuals and groups through the years that have declared that Jesus is coming back on a specific date; and the fact we are around to talk about them is all the proof we need to know they were wrong in their predictions.

But, even after many wrong predictions, people keep looking for the return. When things are going badly, or it feels to us like the world is falling apart at a faster and faster pace, we want to have it all come to an end. We want the slide to stop. And, so we look for a Savior, and what better Savior to appear than the one who said he would return and make the world perfect once again?

If we look around, it's easy to see how people can look for salvation. Wars are tearing apart countries in the Middle East and in Africa. Children throughout the world are being sold into slave labor or the sex trade. We see churches shrinking and closing throughout our country. We look at our country and we see disagreement and fighting between the politicians, the news pundits, our neighbors, and within our own families. We see the quality of life not improving the way we may want it to. We wonder about the lives our children have to look forward to. It's easy to throw up our hands, and look to the horizon, watching for our salvation to appear in the rising sun.

But, the message of scripture is clear, "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." But, we still make our predictions. We still try to interpret the proverbial tea leaves. And then, we have Jesus' words, "Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake!”

So we watch. And many people watch with a mixture of fear and eagerness. Looking forward to being united with God, and seeing the destruction of all those 'other' sinful people who have been such thorns in their flesh throughout their lives. Finally, God is going to do something about it, and they will have the best seat in the house to watch the tables turned; the final victory of God.

Jesus' words of keeping awake though, aren't ones that should prompt us to watch and wait. They are words that should prompt us to watch and work. Jesus tells his disciples they will not know the time. The master could return at anytime, and the slaves have been given their responsibilities.

Being ready at a moments notice is something I am trying to get used to. With our house finally being on the market, there have been a few days when our Realtor has sent me a text message telling me that there is a viewing that afternoon at 4. I suddenly have 3 hours to make sure the house is picked up and ready to be presented. It's stressful. I run around in panic mode, stuffing stuff into drawers and cupboards. Scrubbing and sweeping, dusting and cleaning. Thank goodness that our Realtor let us know, it would be a disaster if the potential buyer simply showed up on our front steps for a tour.

Yet, that's very much like the situation Jesus is presenting to the disciples. They have been given a task, they have their responsibilities, and he could come back at anytime and he is telling them to be aware of the jobs they have been given. How are they doing? Are they ready for their showing? Jesus is seeking to show the disciples, and us, that it is the duty of the servant, our duty, to care for the house, the gifts, we have been given in such a way that if the Master were to show up on our front steps today or in a thousand years, we would be ready for our showing, the Master would be pleased with the stewardship we have provided, with our care for what has been entrusted to us.

“If this world, our lives, are gifts from God, entrusted to us, then simply, it matters deeply to God that we believe in Him and obey Him; that we proclaim Him in word and deed. It matters that we take seriously the call to follow Jesus - because that was at the core of His teaching. It matters how we treat this world of ours, because God calls us to care for His creation. And it matters - matters deeply, how we treat one another - how we live with our families, spouses, children, friends; how we care for our colleagues and work mates; and how we treat strangers, the hungry, the homeless - the lonely.”¹

I strongly believe that Jesus' words are less about his coming back, than about the work we are to be about as we watch and wait for his coming back. We know the time is coming when Jesus will return, it will happen. The question is, are we focusing on his return – watching and waiting for the first sign on the horizon, or on being ready for when he returns?

When we focus more on being ready, on our tasks as servants of the Most High, rather than on the return itself, we live in an awareness, that each minute is an opportunity, a gift, to receive, to give, to live in a way that says I believe in more than what is going on around us, in the things that seem to be collapsing around us - I believe there is something bigger, someone better, more powerful than any darkness we humans can devise. It says, I believe that someone is Jesus and He has come, He is here, and He is coming again!

Now, the bad news is that we don't seem to be doing a great job – whether we are talking about the church or the world. A quick glance through the newspaper can be a rather depressing reminder of how much work there is still to be done. We are far from perfect, and there is a huge amount of work to be done if we are to be ready for the return of our Master.

Yet, we cannot allow the amount of work to cause us to throw our hands up in despair. This last weekend, there has been a lot of football on television. There were games that were decided by close scores, some in overtime, and others where the eventual victor was never in question. Yet, each and every game had something in common. They all had a final two minutes. Whether your team is in the lead, or trailing, the Two Minute Warning, alerts you to the fact that the game isn't over yet, there is still time. History has shown us that the final two minutes of a football game can often be the deciding factor in the game itself. Last minute heroics bring about victory where defeat seemed a sure thing.

So, when we look around and see the situation of the world, the pain and hardship, the oppression, the poverty, the hunger, the strife, the inequality, the fighting. We should without question see them as signs to remind us of Jesus' imminent return, and the work we have yet to do. We should see them as are our Two Minute Warning. Time is running out, Jesus is coming, get your head back in the game.

This season of Advent, as we prepare for Christmas, as we prepare to welcome the Christ-child. May we also be aware of our duty to prepare for the coming of Christ the King. May we be reminded of our calling, our gifts, our tasks to declare to the world the love of God, to be the hands and feet to our neighbors and the stranger, to do all we can to make the Reign of God, the presence of God, felt here and now. So, that when Jesus does return, when he shows up unexpectedly on our front steps (which he likely will), we will be ready, we will be awake, and he will welcome us into his kingdom as his faithful servants. Amen.

1http://day1.org/3358-twominute_warning