Worship Message Texts

I concluded my final interim pastorate in March 2016, so I am no longer preaching on a regular basis. I am available for pulpit supply and these sermon scripts and videos give a picture of my approach. For pulpit supply, I am happy to write new sermons targeted at specific concerns or needs of congregations, otherwise I will rework previous sermons based on the texts of the Revised Common Lectionary for that Sunday.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Recognizing God Incognito: Hidden In Human Flesh

Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7; John 1:1-18
December 28, 2014
© 2014
 
Eastern Orthodox icons do not picture an event such as you might get with a photograph. They are a window to look through, not at, and see spiritual realities. Beside things you may recognize, as is traditional, this icon shows the manger as a coffin in front of a,cave-like tomb prefiguring Jesus death for our salvation. Rather than holding a lamp in a stable, Joseph is at the lower left being tempted to doubt Mary's story of Jesus' conception, and Mary is facing Joseph praying for his faith to be strong. Lower right the midwife washes the baby Jesus, prefiguring his circumcision and baptism. Angels, shepherds and Magi are pictured but positioned to symbolize their distinct roles in the birth of Jesus. You can learn more about Nativity Icons with any search engine. Painting an icon is not so much an artistic endeavor as a visual form of prayer.
Merry Christmas! on this 4th day of Christmas – 1st Sunday of Christmastide. The Church’s historic rhythm of 4 Sundays of preparation during Advent and 12 days of celebration through Christmastide reminds us, as David Lose, President of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia says, “Christmas isn’t just a holiday or festival but rather a witness to a reality that permeates our whole life.” During Christmas, Jesus shows us God and empowers us to be God’s children, alive with light, glory and grace. The prologue to John’s Gospel makes this abundantly clear in John 1:1-18.
John may have customized a hymn to introduce his Gospel, showing us God in Jesus so we could become God’s children. What is not clear is whether this was already a Christian hymn or if John drew on a Jewish, Gnostic or even pagan source. While no longer in verse form, it is still dense with poetic meaning.
Twice he interrupted the hymn with comments about John the Baptist, with whom he started the story of Jesus. Unlike the synoptic Gospels, John never used the title “the Baptist” for John but we easily know who he meant.
The themes of John 1:1-18 are intricately woven together with literary dexterity. Listen for the layers developing.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 
9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
15(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”)
16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” Paul wrote it this way in Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God.” Hebrews 1:3 says, “He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being.” During Christmas, Jesus shows us God and empowers us to be God’s children, alive with light, glory and grace.
Starting with “In the beginning” and calling Christ “The Word” evokes the creation story in Genesis 1 with God speaking, “Let there be light!” etc. John echoed creation in verse 3, “All things came into being through him.” John may even have been thinking of the hymn in Proverbs 8:22-31, with wisdom in creation personified as a woman, Sophia. Colossians 1:16 also presents Christ as the creator. “In him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.” Hebrews 1:2 says that God “has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.”
Translating verse 14 as “the Word became flesh and lived among us” is too weak. It might better be, he “pitched his tent with us.” Karyn Wiseman, who teaches at Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia, wrote that Christ did not come as a tourist or even visiting rescuer, he fully identified with and lived as one of us so he could change our world.
During Christmas, Jesus shows us God and empowers us to be God’s children, alive with light, glory and grace. John 1:12 says that “to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”
This goes beyond being created in the image of God. This is to share kinship with God the Father through the only Son who is close to the Father’s heart. This is spiritual power beyond all imagination.
Galatians 4:5-6 that we read earlier says that when we are adopted at God’s children, God sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, so we can cry “Abba,” “Dad,” right along with Christ. The power to become children of God includes the intimacy of being close to the Father’s heart.
During Christmas, Jesus shows us God and empowers us to be God’s children, alive with light, glory and grace.
To be alive with light is to see wonders darkness cannot overcome. Fred Rogers said his mother told him when disasters strike, look for the helpers. When you feel darkness closing in, look for someone holding up Christ’s candle, such as George Mason, pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church just recognized for their response to Ebola.
To be alive with glory is to revel in being personally encountered by Christ’s presence. Mark Ashton was a little kid in the small church we served in Illinois 40 years ago. He is now the pastor of Christ Community Church, a thriving, innovative congregation in Omaha, NE. I am awestruck that he says my part-time ministry there helped to inspire him to consider pastoral ministry.
To be alive with grace is to proceed from setbacks with confidence in Christ. Candy has two cousins who have been pastors but are not active now for different reasons. Both of them have written publically about the struggles of their journeys and their search for Christ’s leading, which affirms for me that Christ walks with us hand in hand even when we feel we’ve jumped the track and our plans seem derailed.


Friday, December 19, 2014

Christmas Choir Cantata at Highlands Christian Church

The message this Sunday (December 21) will be in the form of Highlands Christian Church's Christmas Choir Cantata. We meet at 11:00 am at 9949 McCree in Dallas. You are welcome. I will not be preaching, but you can come to this space Saturday 12-27 for the script of my sermon for the First Sunday of Chistmastide (12-28).

Friday, December 12, 2014

For Crying Out Loud: Crying Out to Proclaim the Lord’s Favor

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 1:26-38
December 14, 2014
© 2014

This week I have posted a gallery of paintings depicting The Annunciation from different times and different cultures to prompt us to think of how we imagine the Angel Gabriel told Mary she would become the mother of Jesus. Compare with the text, especially that Gabriel is not really described with wings or radiance.
 
Annunciation
Alfred Eaker b, 1964
The Annunciation
Henry Ossawa 
Tanner 1859–1937
The Virgin of the Annunciation
Fra Angelico 1395-1455
Aannunciation
Russian Icon of Ustyug
12th Century
Many of the words of hope we associate with the birth of Jesus and read during Advent come from Isaiah. (7 of the 12 readings from the Hebrew Scriptures the Lectionary suggests for three years of Advent come from Isaiah; the others from 5 different books.)
Isaiah 61 comes from what is sometimes called Third Isaiah, written in advance for or when Judah returned from Exile to Jerusalem. (I’ve reposted my brief essay about these scholarly issues again below.) The people were discouraged at not experiencing the great joy they had anticipated. Most people struggled to sustain themselves in poverty, and rebuilding the Temple languished. But a few people became very wealthy and very powerful, which the prophets cried out against.
Isaiah 61 is rooted in the Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25 in which debts were canceled, slaves freed and property returned to original owners every 50 years. It was a socio-economic reset button to give people on the bottom a chance for a fresh start. Psalm 146:7-9 paraphrases it.
The Lord “executes justice for the oppressed; [who] gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow.”
Jesus read it to begin his ministry as his mission statement in Luke 4:16-21 and spoke it in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-23. Reading Isaiah during Advent, tells us that with the birth of Jesus, God turns human power upside down and brings joy out of mourning.
The Angel Gabriel’s announcement of the birth of Jesus to Mary in Luke 1:26-38, clues us that Christmas cannot be a sentimental celebration of a special mother and child.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Since before the time of Mary, many Jewish girls dreamed that one of their children would be the Messiah. Mary knew that the Angel Gabriel was saying she’d be the one. Mary never questioned that a common peasant woman would be the Messiah’s mother. She knew God reversed human expectations. Though perplexed to be called God’s favored one, she didn’t argue about her spiritual qualifications. Her objection was that as a virgin, she didn’t expect to be having a child immediately.
Not only am I convinced Mary was conversant with the Hebrew Scripture, I suspect she was a contemplative. Perplexed by the Angel Gabriel’s greeting, she pondered what sort of greeting it might be. After the shepherds had seen the newborn Jesus and left praising God, Mary treasured and pondered these things in her heart (2:19). She was amazed at Simeon’s prophecy when Mary and Joseph dedicated 40 day old Jesus at the Temple (2:33). Returning from Jerusalem after 12 year old Jesus’ visit to the Temple, Mary treasured that event in her heart (2:51). She probed deeply the spiritual significance of being the mother of the Messiah.
The Angel Gabriel told Mary about Elizabeth’s pregnancy as a sign confirming that nothing would be impossible with God. From Nazareth to the Hill Country of Judah was about an 80 mile walk. Very few people rode animals or wagons. No one, certainly not a young woman, traveled alone, but in the 7-10 days the walk would take, Mary had plenty of time to meditate on seeing herself in the Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10). When she saw Elizabeth she was ready with her own song, The Magnificat. Echoing Hannah, Mary celebrated that with the birth of her child, Jesus, God was turning human power upside down and bringing joy out of mourning.
We pick up that theme from Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:4-8, which is also echoed in Psalm 113:7-9.
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. 5Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 6The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. 8He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.
Listen for how Mary echoed Hannah in Luke 1:51-53.
He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 
Psalm 30:5, 11 says, “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. … You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” On this joyful Sunday, we rejoice that with the birth of Jesus, God turns human power upside down, bringing joy out of mourning.
Do we believe God is active and might interrupt in our personal or congregational lives? What are you hearing from God during this interruption between pastors? Can you find God's hand turning human power upside down and bringing joy out of mourning in the recent racial tensions?
As we anticipate celebrating the birth of Jesus, what might God use us to turn upside down to bring joy out of mourning to Highlands Christian Church? to the Lake Highlands community?
Mary responded, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Are we, as individuals and as a congregation, ready to say we are first and foremost God’s servants, ready to let it be with us according to God’s word and not our own plans?


How many prophets wrote Isaiah?
You don’t have to be a scholar when reading Isaiah to recognize that a very significant change takes place between chapters 39 and 40 and a less obvious change takes place between chapters 55 and 56. Chapters 1-39 were clearly written by Isaiah to people about events that were happening in Judah in the 8th century BCE. Chapters 40-55 do not mention Isaiah or any of the people or events of 8th century BCE and speak quite directly to the conditions Judah was facing while in exile in Babylon. Chapters 56-66 also do not mention any people or events of the 8th century BCE and seem to fit conditions when the people of Judah had returned to Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon.

I grew up and was educated in a tradition that insisted that the prophet Isaiah wrote the entire book in the 8th century BCE. Very learned and responsible scholars marshalled the arguments and evidence for what they the called the integrity of Isaiah’s authorship. At some points this position became a litmus test (Shibboleth – Judges 12:6) of theological orthodoxy and scholarly acceptability. Most of these scholars recognize the three sections of Isaiah were written for these three distinct times in Judah’s history and say that God inspired Isaiah to write them in advance of the time they would be needed.

Many other scholars believe the second and third sections were written by other prophets than Isaiah at the time Judah needed those specific messages from God. Most believe that the prophet who wrote the third section (chapters 56-66) is likely also the one who assembled the book of Isaiah as we have it today. They also believe those two other prophets were likely descendants of the original Isaiah’s disciples who kept his message and ministry alive through the terrible years of exile. Though the three sections are distinct, they do share some common themes and literary approaches.

Personally I would suggest that whichever approach makes the most sense to you, you should not treat it as a test of faith and condemn those who hold the other opinion. I certainly believe God is quite capable of inspiring Isaiah in the 8th century BCE to write what the people of Judah were going to need going into and coming out of exile. I also believe God is quite capable of raising up new prophets in the descendants of Isaiah’s disciples to speak God’s Word contemporaneously with the events to which it connects. Since Isaiah’s name and other people and events of his time drop out from chapter 40 on, I see no reason to postulate any factual contradictions if they were written by others. From a strictly literary perspective, Isaiah as a whole is commonly viewed as a towering pinnacle of human literary achievement in any language at any time. From a faith perspective, whether written by one or three prophets, I recognize Isaiah as God’s Word, Scripture divinely inspired, reliable and authoritative.


Friday, December 5, 2014

For Crying Out Loud: Crying Out to Prepare the Way of the Lord

Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-8
December 7, 2014
© 2014

In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day with the refrain “Of peace on earth, good-will to men!” In 1914, all along the western front of World War I, allied and German soldiers came out of the trenches to celebrate together on Christmas before returning to killing each other. Since the angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds, we have struggled with the incongruity the promise of peace and the world’s harsh realities. Peace is the theme for the second Sunday of Advent, and we yearn for the fulfillment of Isaiah’s cry of “Comfort, O comfort, my people, says your God.”
As we will hear shortly from Mark 1:1-8, John the Baptizer proclaimed the way to personal peace when our hearts and our world are in turmoil. Confident in God’s comfort, during Advent we prepare spiritually for Christmas by confessing our sins.
When our world seems at odds with the peace of Christmas, it is easy to grumble about the sins of others. My friend Ted Ward, who used to teach at Michigan State, calls these “L” shaped amens. We cheer calls for others to repent while minimizing our own sins.
I was confronted by this when our Milwaukee son sent us a DVD of the musical Oklahoma! when we took the interim in Midwest City. I had played in the orchestra when my high school did it as a school play. The song Curly sings to Judd became popular. “Poor Judd is dead. A candle lights his head. He’s lying in a coffin make of wood, and the daisies in the dell let out a different smell because poor Judd is underneath the ground.” We all laughed at someone who was a “Judd” to us. But watching it recently, I had to say, “Ouch! That’s a terrible case of bullying presented in a way that normalized it.”
God’s comfort announced in Isaiah 40:1 is for the “Judds” of the world who have been beaten down and for those of us who regret that they are the ones beating them down.
I know scholars disagree whether all of Isaiah was written by him in the 8th century BCE or whether chapters 40-55 and 56-66 were written later by two other prophets. I posted a summary of that at the bottom of this post. Whether God spoke in advance or contemporaneously, all agree that this word of comfort was for Judah in Exile.
At the lowest point in their history, God’s word of comfort came. The penalty for their sins has been paid double, meaning completely, not because they deserved to be forgiven but because God is gracious and merciful.
Fading flowers and withering grass illustrate human frailty. People are weak and will sin again. But by contrast, God is mighty and gentle.
Mark 1:1-8 introduces Jesus starting with this prophecy from Isaiah. The first verse is really the title of the whole Gospel of Mark, suggesting that the good news keeps going after the cryptic account of Jesus’ resurrection that leaves us hanging.
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And 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. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He 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. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John’s baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy of a messenger crying out, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” The image of highways in Isaiah suggests making connections between people. For them to be level and straight suggests that even the lame and feeble will freely connect to God.
In Isaiah’s and John’s times, highways were repaired and adorned to welcome royalty and dignitaries. But John’s way of preparing people for Jesus Christ and his good news was to proclaim a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Those who would be prepared were the ones who had been baptized confessing their sins. Bringing these two passages together in Advent suggests that confident in God’s comfort, during Advent we prepare spiritually for Christmas by confessing our sins.
We are uncomfortable with such spiritual preparation. We’d rather decorate, cook, shop and party. Preparing for God’s arrival changes us, which is what confession is all about. No status quo. No safe, sentimental piety. As James wrote, “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” (5:16)
Preparing the way may be personal, but it is not private. Isaiah called Judah to proclaim good news from a high mountain. We add our voices to John’s, “Prepare the way of the Lord.”
Proclaiming good news is not wallowing in failure and shame but introducing Jesus! Isaiah wrote to proclaim, “Here is your God!” John the Baptizer announced, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29,36) What good news to connect with him!
I am convinced that introducing people to Jesus during Advent is a lot more profound that fussing about public pronouncements, advertising, or greeting cards that say “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” rather than “Merry Christmas.” I am afraid that makes us seem cranky to those who are not Jesus’ disciples. Instead of correcting others, I suggest asking the Holy Spirit to open opportunities to affirm how Jesus has comforted you.
When asked if you are ready for Christmas, ask yourself how you are doing with your spiritual preparation.

How many prophets wrote Isaiah?
You don’t have to be a scholar when reading Isaiah to recognize that a very significant change takes place between chapters 39 and 40 and a less obvious change takes place between chapters 55 and 56. Chapters 1-39 were clearly written by Isaiah to people about events that were happening in Judah in the 8th century BCE. Chapters 40-55 do not mention Isaiah or any of the people or events of 8th century BCE and speak quite directly to the conditions Judah was facing while in exile in Babylon. Chapters 56-66 also do not mention any people or events of the 8th century BCE and seem to fit conditions when the people of Judah had returned to Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon.
I grew up and was educated in a tradition that insisted that the prophet Isaiah wrote the entire book in the 8th century BCE. Very learned and responsible scholars marshalled the arguments and evidence for what they the called the integrity of Isaiah’s authorship. At some points this position became a litmus test (Shibboleth – Judges 12:6) of theological orthodoxy and scholarly acceptability. Most of these scholars recognize the three sections of Isaiah were written for these three distinct times in Judah’s history and say that God inspired Isaiah to write them in advance of the time they would be needed.
Many other scholars believe the second and third sections were written by other prophets than Isaiah at the time Judah needed those specific messages from God. Most believe that the prophet who wrote the third section (chapters 56-66) is likely also the one who assembled the book of Isaiah as we have it today. They also believe those two other prophets were likely descendants of the original Isaiah’s disciples who kept his message and ministry alive through the terrible years of exile. Though the three sections are distinct, they do share some common themes and literary approaches.
Personally I would suggest that whichever approach makes the most sense to you, you should not treat it as a test of faith and condemn those who hold the other opinion. I certainly believe God is quite capable of inspiring Isaiah in the 8th century BCE to write what the people of Judah were going to need going into and coming out of exile. I also believe God is quite capable of raising up new prophets in the descendants of Isaiah’s disciples to speak God’s Word contemporaneously with the events to which it connects. Since Isaiah’s name and other people and events of his time drop out from chapter 40 on, I see no reason to postulate any factual contradictions if they were written by others. From a strictly literary perspective, Isaiah as a whole is commonly viewed as a towering pinnacle of human literary achievement in any language at any time. From a faith perspective, whether written by one or three prophets, I recognize Isaiah as God’s Word, Scripture divinely inspired, reliable and authoritative.