Sermons

2011-06-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

06/26/11

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Isaiah 55:10-11

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

SERMON: “Scattered Seeds” Rev. Sandy Daly

Jesus was at a turning point in his ministry. The temple authorities were no longer welcoming him to speak in their synagogues. They had begun to search for grounds to bring charges against Jesus. They feared his radical ideas and his personal charisma. Jesus’ very presence threatened them. More and more, Jesus carried his ministry out into the open air, speaking to people and crowds wherever they met.

Jesus was also increasing his use of parables - short stories, word pictures, that teach about abstract truths by using the familiar objects and activities of everyday life. Difficult ideas become more understandable. The particulars of everyday life have changed since Jesus’ day, but the truths remain constant. The word pictures which illustrate them are as poignant as ever.

Jesus was a master story-teller, gathering both great crowds and intimate groupings to listen. We can imagine him seeking objects close at hand, to point to… or to hold up… weaving them into his story. He was direct, compelling… holding his listeners fast to his words.

Jesus’ stories were meant to be listened to, not read and studied. The truth in them had to be sharp and clear. The truth needed to strike the listener like a lightening flash on a pitch dark night. But there was also a veiled aspect to Jesus’ parables. One had to discover the meaning of its truth personally. The words which flash out for one person may be different for another. For those who are lazy in their listening, or blinded by an unwillingness to hear, the deeper truth may remain hidden. This is as true for us today as it was in Jesus’ time.

The parable of the sower is told by Jesus as he sits in a boat, close to shore. The beach is crowded with people. They have followed him for many reasons: some are believers who, touched by him, have found themselves healed; there are others who are curious, perhaps hopeful… or maybe cynical, but curious nevertheless; some are anxiously seeking healing in their lives and have heard stories of this man; and then there are those who find him dangerous and are suspiciously watching his every move. There are many people on the banks of the shoreline. They have come from many different places. The air is electric with excitement and anticipation.

As Jesus speaks, he scans the horizon, pointing to a sower in a nearby field. It is a narrow strip bordered on each side by hard-beaten pathways. The sower is reaching into his sack and broadcasting his seed with an outward fling of his arm. He has a clear purpose in seeding his land, and the hope of a great harvest. As the crowd listens to Jesus, they glance over at the sower. A small flock of birds is following him back and forth along the edge of the path. As stray seeds fall, they are snatched up by the eager and hungry birds. These seeds will bear no fruit.

The closed mind is like this hardened soil of the pathway, where the seeds are laid waste. Some people close their minds to new understandings because change and growth are frightening and challenging. Other minds are closed by pride or prejudice, seeing only what they choose to see. Seeds of truth can find no entry. Some avoid the truth which points to their destructive lifestyle - unwilling to embrace the possibilities of change. The word of God can find no entry with the hardened heart and mind of these listeners. There are times in each of our lives when our minds are closed like this hardened soil

Then Jesus describes a second kind of soil. It is like the stony soil of the foothills – a thin layer of soil resting on a shelf of limestone. This shallow soil warms easily and seeds germinate quickly. But it dries out in the hot sun and the seedlings wither and die. The shallow soil which cannot sustain growth or withstand the variables of weather is like the person who reacts quickly and enthusiastically, without thinking things through for themselves. They follow the crowd. They are caught up in the shifting currents of the day, but lack commitment and stick-to-it-iveness. Following Christ is more than an emotional response to God’s call – it is grounded in responsibilities and sacrifices, in deep reflection and discipleship.

The third soil described in the parable – thorny soil – looks good and clean when tilled, but little bits of fibrous roots remain in the soil. These perennial grasses and weeds soon choke out the young seedlings. Weeds always grow faster and hardier than other plants! At least they do in my garden! This thorny soil is like the listener too busy to hear – bit by bit, too choked by work… too choked by material goods… too busy to pray… too busy to be still and listen for the word of God in their lives. It may even be that the things that crowd this person’s life are good and valid things… but over-crowding depletes the soil and chokes out growth. We each need the nourishment of the word of God. Too often we neglect this and find ourselves over-stressed and spiritually depleted. .. too busy for worship and prayer, for reading the bible or just being still… too busy with the thorny bushes of worldly affairs choking out spiritual health and Christian life.

Finally, the good soil is deep and clean and soft… like a garden freshly tilled. Seeds easily gain entry, developing deep roots… able to receive nourishment from the sun and the rain – withstanding the variables of the elements. The plants grow healthy and strong. They produce an abundant harvest. This soil is like the open mind – ready to listen, willing to learn at any age… willing to listen for the voice of God in the many ways we may hear it. This listener hears, and reflects, and understands much… thinking things through, searching for personal meaning, asking “What can I learn from this? How might I grow and change?” and then taking it to heart – taking it into their heart. Accepting the truth God holds out to them, this listener finds God’s Word germinating in their soul.

The crowd on the shore heard God speaking through Jesus himself. We hear the word of God in scripture, as it is preached and prayed, in the words and actions of ordinary godly people, in the quiet inner voice of the indwelling spirit. How well do we hear, you and I ? Jesus invites us to listen… for new understandings… to truly hear.

Jesus was speaking both to the gathered crowds and to his disciples. To the crowd he says, “Hear, hear! Listen up!” To his disciples he is saying, “Don’t despair. Many of the seeds sown will take hold. The harvest will be good.” Sometimes we are a part of the crowd. We need to listen to the Word. Sometimes we are disciples, working alongside the Sower, passionately wanting the Word to take root.

Jesus’ disciples were often discouraged and frustrated. Religious leaders were turned against Jesus; many who were healed just went away and forgot; many followers were only seeking their own ends. But even though seed fell on the wayside, never bearing fruit, the Sower continues to sow in confidence, not looking for quick results.

It may take a great while for a seed, lying dormant, to germinate in the heart of a person. So we sow, we water, and wait. We stand in the light… and we trust. Take heart! Continue to sow seeds, for the harvest is sure!

Remember the words of God through Isaiah, “…my word that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

And so, we sow seeds. Amen.

BEWARE MELANCHOLY

2011-06-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Psalm 42:1-6

John 16:31-33

SERMON: “Beware Melancholy!” Rev. Sandy Daly

The sermon title comes from an article written in Christianity and Crisis, by Alan Paton – author of Cry the Beloved Country… a book about the struggle in South Africa. The article asked what lay ahead for S. Africa, what lay ahead? Paton’s response: “Stand firm by what you believe… Don’t waste your breath and corrupt your character by cursing {those in power)… keep your friendships alive and warm… beware of melancholy, and resist it actively if it assails you.”

Beware of melancholy… listless depression. Melancholy strikes when we feel shaken and discouraged, overwhelmed and tired of shoveling against the tide. And the questions come… “How long will this last?” “Do I have the energy… the will… to endure?” “Will it be worth it?”

“Beware of melancholy and actively resist it”… For some people, melancholy seems to be a part of their make-up. It is as natural for them as cheerfulness is for others. We all know a few “Eeyore’s” – “O Bother”… always a bit down around the mouth. Biographers of Abraham Lincoln wrote: “Melancholy dripped from him as he walked – it was a constant torment that he had to live with”. Perhaps you know someone like this – someone who sees the glass half empty most of the time. As a friend, you wonder what you can say to lighten their spirit – to help them get rid of the gloom and doom that weighs them down.

For others melancholy is the consequence of events rather than personality – events beyond their control. Their concerns, worries become narrow and focused. They lose the ability to gain perspective on life. They stand in their own light, making the shadows grow larger. They may become fretful, irritable, sleepless, depressed…perhaps because of failing health or worry over a loved one, or an unexpected turn of events.

None of these are petty concerns – BUT - when they take over your heart and soul and mind, they can be destructive. Lincoln’s biographers called it “perilous stuff!” Perilous stuff, yes… but there are remedies for melancholy. Let me name a few…

1) Get out more into the open air – Mother Nature nurtures the soul that loves her! There is reinvigoration – new life or a wider view of life - in the sound of running water in a brook, birch trees in the sunlight, the wind rolling across the fields … watching bees, or birds, or chipmunks. If you can’t GET out – go there with your imagination. Let your inner visions of God’s Creation lift your spirits.

2) When in the grip of melancholy – do somebody some good! If you think a friend would be lifted up by a letter or a phone call – you might find the good to them will not compare with the good it would do for you! Often when I visit someone, I wonder who has been ministered to – who has received more. Often I think it is me! We forget ourselves and our worries when we reach out to someone else.

There is a verse in the book of Job that speaks to this. If there was ever anyone who deserved to be melancholy, it was Job. Toward the end of the book there is a striking sentence: “The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends.” (42:10) The Lord turned the captivity of Job - when in the grip of melancholy – he was released, as he prayed for his friends. Do good for someone – it will lift your spirits!

3) Don’t yield to the temptation to give up and give in to it! In low moods, in those who try to do good for God’s sake, to change and better the world, the temptation to quit, to give up, to be overwhelmed is immense: “This is too painful, too hard, too frustrating!”It was to people such as these that Paton spoke, “Stick to your course. Stand firm by what you believe… keep your friendships alive and warm… beware of melancholy, and resist it actively if it assails you.” Resist it ACTIVELY! It can be overcome! Just when you want to give up may be the most rewarding time to stay your course!

I was talking not long ago to a woman who was struggling to earn her PhD. and likened it to mountain climbing. When recently climbing with friends she had found herself exhausted after a few hours. They were fairly near the top. She began to ask herself, “What am I trying to prove anyway? I can see quite a bit from here. Maybe this is good enough.” But her friends encouraged her to keep on.

She never would have done it without them. When she reached the summit, she was overwhelmed by the beauty of the panorama, but she was perhaps even more overwhelmed with emotions– gratitude for her companions, a sense of accomplishment, and inspired by “just what was possible”. Just when we feel like giving up may be the most important time to stay the course…

As I have heard the discouragement in people’s voices, “Here we go again. I can’t take another change. We had only just begun to get used to each other.” I have wanted to say, don’t give up! There is so much good here. God has a plan. Stay true to the course… your course. We each must stay true to our course.

That brings me to my final point…

4) Do not be alone. Martin Luther, in all his trials and tribulations said, “Seek out some Christian brother (or sister), some wise counselor, and undergird yourself with the fellowship of the church.” Belonging to a community of faith is a powerful belonging. It is a belonging to one another… it is belonging to God. As we find God’s spirit alive in one another… we find the Spirit alive in our midst.

This is what the disciples discovered as they huddled in the upper room, discouraged and afraid… on that first day of Pentecost. Somehow, the fresh winds of the Spirit entered their midst and their hearts. Soon they were filled with this Spirit. Their hearts were on fire and they broke out of their melancholy… and the church was born!

So, do not be alone. Do not give up. Stay true to your course. Get up and do some good… you will feel better for it! For God is still God, when we think we’ve had all we can take. God is still God, when we have tried everything we know… when we’ve prayed for it to be fixed. God is still God. God’s wisdom and God’s love are beyond our knowing, but not beyond our trusting.

May we find ourselves joining the sentiments of the psalmist,

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him,

my help and my God! Amen”

6-5-11 DAILY BREAD

2011-06-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

06/05/11

SCRIPTURE READING :

Exodus 16:4, 5, 13-15

SERMON: “Daily Bread” Rev. Sandy Daly

At this point in the story of the exodus, it had been only a few days since their great escape from Egypt and they were beginning to worry and complain… “What will we drink and what will we eat in this desert?” First God led them to an oasis with 12 good springs and palm trees for shade. “But what will we eat?”, they cried. And God answered them. God meets their needs with great generosity and care… and even the wilderness becomes a place of Life. The bread of heaven – holy manna – sustains them. Surely God is with them in this place…

Is God with us or not? The people of Israel asked this question as they headed out into the wilderness. At times when we experience crisis or change… when we are facing personal difficulties in our lives – in our health, or relationships, or employment… times full of questions and worries… we too, ask – is God with me in this? Will God provide? This is true of us as a community as well… we ask, - will God sustain us? Guide us and care for our needs?

As it was with the people of Israel, present anxieties can distort our memories and perspective … for how we fear the unknown! Walking into the unknown is scary… so much so that sometimes we are paralyzed - even in unhealthy situations. An abusive spouse is forgiven time and again, and further abuse endured rather than leave home and risk being alone. A dead-end job looks acceptable, compared to the insecurity of leaving it. Even at church we look back on the good old days, forgetting that the past had its trials and tribulations as well. Yes… present anxieties can distort our memories, our perspective.

Immediate needs can also override long-term hopes and vision. The people of Israel, with parched mouths and hungry bellies, didn’t care a whit about freedom and the promised land. It meant nothing if they were going to die in the desert! How quickly they forgot God’s power and faithfulness and all the things God had done for them already! How hard it was for them to believe that even this wilderness could be a place of God’s nurture and care!

How hard it is for us to trust that God will be with us, God will provide, perhaps most especially in the “wilderness places and times of our lives”. And yet, think of the wilderness times we have each come through, by the grace of God.

God gave them “Manna” – which literally means “what is it?” And the manna continued to be provided for them until they reached habitable land where they could provide for themselves. Just enough… throughout their time of need... not so much as to be wasteful… but an abundance nevertheless. What a wise and generous God!

Manna was the bread of heaven - daily bread - provided by God. In the gospel of John, Jesus said, “I am the bread come down from heaven.” Just like daily bread – Jesus is with us every day, every step of the way. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”. Each day God will give us what we need… not to store up or hoard… but enough to share and sustain us. By this we learn to trust God – to have faith .

Just before he was to suffer death and separation from his beloved disciples, bread again becomes a significant symbol of God’s enduring love. Jesus knew that his friends and followers would miss him. He knew they would be discouraged and confused about their future. He knew they would be fearful and anxious. So he offered them a ritual of comfort… a way to remember… a way to keep them joined as a community, and to sustain in them a hunger and hope for the kingdom of God. He took the bread and blessed it, …then he broke it and shared it. “ Do this in remembrance of me…” remembering my love… and knowing God’s forgiveness. Do this believing in God’s abundant grace and God’s will to provide for us.

We are soon entering a wilderness time… and a time of separation – full of unknowns… but also full of God’s grace and possibilities… for each of us as individuals and as a congregation. There will be times when we wonder, “Will God provide? Is God here with us?” We may look back wistfully, and look ahead with anxiety.

I pray that you and I may remember God’s faithfulness, grateful for our daily bread in whatever form our needs are met. I pray that we see it as a miracle, a gift, like manna from heaven. May we trust that God will provide… without knowing how or when… without having everything solved or figured out. And may we simply trust that God is with us… and knows our needs. As we break bread together at this table, may we remember and be fed. Amen.

5/29/11 REMEMBERING FORWARD

2011-05-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

05/29/11

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Psalm 98, John 14 (Selections)

SERMON: “Remembering Forward” Rev. Sandy Daly

There were three things that stood out for me when I read these verses in John…three things which I feel called to speak about this morning.

· a way has been and continues to be prepared for us

· the Spirit of truth abides in us and among us

· our hearts may know peace – a peace which has nothing to do with circumstance – a peace that we call “the peace of Christ.”

Jesus said, “In my Father’s house there are many rooms…I go to prepare a place for you…” A way is prepared for us…

Jesus is called the pioneer and perfector of our faith. He goes before us. He shows us the way. Jesus gave his very life for what he knew to be true. He gave his life for us. How many other faithful people over the centuries have followed Jesus, and have acted with courage and compassion to help prepare the way for us?

It is traditional on Memorial Day to remember all those people who fought in wars – often giving their lives – so that freedom and human dignity might be preserved. It is hard for many of us to imagine… the cost of choosing to fight in a war… the cost which to many - thousands upon thousands – has been the loss of life and all its promise, the grief of families… the loss of a son or daughter, a husband, a wife, a parent. It is important that we remember these men and women who made the supreme sacrifice. We should not take for granted the freedoms we enjoy – freedoms that were won at great cost. Let us pause for a moment and give thanks to God for them. (pause…)

It is good also to remember those who faced the atrocities of war close up… and survived. Those who suffered physically and emotionally, mentally and spiritually because of the things they saw, or because of the things they did. Whether they have now died or whether they live on with their memories, may we think of them today and thank God for them. May we thank God for all who have suffered because of the conviction of their beliefs. They have helped to prepare the way for us.

Memorial Day is also a time when we are led to reflect on the lives of the people we love, who have gone before us… people who have touched our lives, who are now gone. Jesus said, “My Father’s house has many rooms… I go to prepare a place for you…” We may imagine these people, safe with God.

How do you picture heaven? Is it a great big PALACE - a mansion with many rooms, fluffy clouds floating around your feet, and beautiful white-winged angels serenely milling about? I once saw a movie which envisioned it this way. Are there huge gates with St. Peter checking for names in a great book? In David Heller’s book, “Dear God” (letters from children) 10 yr old Wendy asked about heaven: Dear God, Do women in heaven dress up and wear make-up or are they just “down to earth” people? Then there’s Angela, who wrote: Dear God, What is it like at your house? Do you have an address? My Mom says when you’re with God you’re in 7^th heaven. Is that where I should write you? Love, Angela

The ancient Greeks pictured heaven as successive spheres, where your soul continued its journey toward God. Many believe heaven is right here on earth, and we experience it during our lifetime in bits and pieces, moments of grace... that heaven is a matter of your heart, more than a place.

Still we wonder… if others have gone before us will we meet them again somehow, somewhere in heaven? As the words of the song put it, “Will I know your name… will I know you in heaven?” Certainly it brings us comfort to imagine that we will… and to believe that Jesus has gone before us to prepare the way for us.

So, by many acts of courage and grace, a way has been, and continues to be, prepared for us… by Jesus, by so many saints

The second thing I want to affirm is that the Spirit of God abides IN us and AMONG us. Jesus promised us the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word is “paracletos” which means “someone called in to do what is needed or to empower others to so” … or “someone called in as an expert, for encouragement and advice” – “Paracletos” has been translated as Counselor, Advocate, Comforter, Helper, Guide… Jesus called this “the Spirit of Truth” – HIS spirit - for he is the light, the truth, and the life.

Quakers believe this light of God (this spirit of truth) is within each of us – a spark of divine wisdom and grace. I guess I’m part Quaker! I believe the light of God is within us. In Hebrew this Spirit of Life is called “ruah” – the very breath that gives us life. Surely the Spirit of God abides in each of us – as both life and light.

How much more powerful this is if we believe it… and look for it… if we anticipate it and are in awe of it! When an astronomer looks at the sky, he or she sees more there because of knowing what to look for. When a gardener looks at a hedgerow, he or she sees more because of their affection for botany. When a musician listens to a symphony, he or she hears and anticipates more because of their understanding of music. If we believe the spirit of God dwells within us, and we listen and watch with expectation, surely we will be more aware of it.

Jesus also said the Spirit would be among us. Imagine the disciples in the upper room - after the death of Jesus. They were discouraged, disheartened… no doubt experiencing all the emotions of grief – denial, anger, despair… and somehow the Spirit of God came powerfully among them, just as Jesus promised. It glowed from within them, but it was also among them… as they spoke to one another, as they experienced life together.

The Spirit of truth is among us as we share our life together - in our personal relationships, in our community, in the church. Sharing life is a significant and essential act of knowing the Spirit among us. It is how we experience healing and forgiveness, hope and new life. Not that sharing is always easy! Sharing in its simplest sense is giving of what we have.

On Memorial Day, that may be giving someone a comforting hug… or companionship in a quiet moment by a graveside… or telling a story from times gone by about people no longer with us. These are powerful acts of healing and grace through which the Spirit of God is felt and known… the Spirit is alive and among us.

I have shared before that my Dad died when I was not quite 10. After many years of silence about our grief – stiff upper lip and all, there came a day when my two brothers and I met at Dad’s graveside. Standing together there in silence was powerful. We had no words, just each other’s presence and the Spirit in our midst. Later we found a place to sit and look through a book which our mother had put together – a book of photos and stories about Dad. What a powerfully healing time for us – in our own hearts and for our family. How important it is to share!

Truly the Spirit of truth abides with us, both within us and among us.

And finally, Jesus said this is so that our hearts may know peace - a peace which has nothing to do with our circumstances - the peace which we call “the peace of Christ.” This peace exists, and we each have tasted it, if only for moments here and there. “Shalom” is a word for peace which means “may you have the fullness of all that you need, all that is good and Godly.” It’s a greeting and a benediction, a beginning and an end. The peace of Christ is this full, deep peace… a peace which does not require the absence of conflict, trouble, war, or difficulty… it is a deep peace not built of avoidance… it is the peace of endurance and gratitude… of acceptance and faith… faith in the power and goodness of God, beyond our imagining

May you believe these things:

· that a way is prepared for each of us, in our living and our dying - a way is prepared by God, and by the saints of God who go before us

· that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and among us, bringing light and grace into our lives, touching us and changing us, healing us and bringing new life

· And that, in all, our hearts may know peace - “the deep peace of Christ.” Amen.

5/22/11 IMPRINTED FOR LIFE

2011-05-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

05/22/11

SCRIPTURES:

Isaiah 43:1-7, Jeremiah 31:31-34

SERMON: “Imprinted For Life” Rev. Pam Lucas

A little child broke a vase that was a cherished heirloom. Because she was aware of its value, the child cried out and crumples to the floor when she broke it. Her mother came running. The child, through her fears and her tears was surprised to find – not anger – but relief on her mother’s face. “I thought you were hurt,” her mother said, gathering that child in her arms. Looking back on that even, the child grown into adulthood said, “That day, I discovered that I was the family treasure.”

In the very beginning it was God’s intention that all of us discover that we are a family treasure. But in the course of human history, God’s heart has broken time and time again as human beings have trashed each other spiritually, emotionally and physically. Still, again and again, God has reminded creation that we are still loved and cherished.

We hear that promise today in Isaiah, “BUT – now, thus says the Lord – the one who created you, the one who formed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. I am the Lord Your God. Because you are precious in my sight and honored, and I love you, do not fear, for I am with you, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

It is that promise we heard from Jeremiah. “The new covenant that I will make is this. I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people.”

It is that promise we heard from Matthew’s gospel, “And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

And we – we who are made sons and daughters of God in baptism. We who are made brothers and sisters of Jesus in baptism. This is the same promise given every time the sacrament of baptism is celebrated. It is what we heard God whisper today –“ DYLAN – TRAVIS – you are my beloved sons – precious in my sight.”

This is the promise that is imprinted upon the human heart at baptism.

But baptism is but one step in our life-long relationship with God. A relationship to be nurtured, to be cherished, to become comfortable with, to be challenged by. It is but one step in learning to know and love the God who wants to guide our steps and guard our lives so that we might know forever, without any doubt that we are God’s person, God’s treasure.

In the United Church of Christ, the Sacrament of Baptism is available to infants and children where parents and the congregation make promises to raise the child in the faith and in the church. In the United Church of Christ the Sacrament is available to persons who confess their faith and participation for themselves. It’s called “Believer’s Baptism.

In baptism, whether as an infant like Dylan, who is brought to baptism by believing parents – or someone like Travis, who comes to baptism by his own profession of faith – we come as a person set into the midst of a congregation saying, “Here I am. Enfold me with your love. Help me become what God intends me to be.

Because there is no moment in time when we can point to ourselves and say, “NOW I am what God intends me to be.” God meets us at any given moment where we are – but God never wants to leave us where God found us. There is always the “something more” that God calls us toward.

Whenever we gather to celebrate a baptism we are reminded of what a whole-hearted commitment these promises ask of us. We can choose to take those promises lightly for those times when it suits us, or is convenient – and end up being imprinted by all the things of the world – or we can take these promises seriously and recommit ourselves to them each time we hear them – and become more and more imprinted with the image of Jesus.

We live in an incredibly complex age. We live in a world too filled with things that are not of God. There are those who may wander into our churches. They may have moved here and are looking for a new church home. They may have been invited here by someone already here. They may be someone who is seeking to make sense of the world or their lives. They may be de-churched after being wounded by the church in the past – or un-churched.

How do we fold these persons into our congregations and equip them to become all God intends them to be?

That means offering the same extravagant welcome that God offers – a welcome that learns names – and remembers them. A welcome that acknowledges contributions – that notices when they’re absent and lets them know they’ve been missed. That offers rides and shares a pew – and invites them into greater and greater participation in the life of the church. A church that must be willing to change as new people enter the community and being new gifts and interests.

We must ask whether we are providing the very best Christian Education to all ages – so that all ages learn the story of God’s people and come to understand how all ages can share the love of Jesus with others in a variety of ways. Do we really care enough about Jesus to live our best selves – whether inside the church or not?

People out in the world have big ears and big eyes. What kind of Jesus do they meet through our words and actions? Will they be attracted to find out more about what makes us perk?

When children are part of the worshipping community – and yes – they do wiggle and get fussy and say and do unexpected things – BUT children also respond to feelings of awe and wonder which are part of worship. Children understand that prayer is important when they see their parents and other adults praying – they understand that learning is important when they see adults learning as well. Children begin to understand that the sanctuary is a good safe place to be. They learn that the church is a place where they belong.

Children begin to learn that something is expected of them in this place – and that they too can respond in song and prayer and offering.

A child in the worshipping community begins to find the page number of the hymns and learns to follow along. A child learns the Doxology, the Gloria Patri, the Lord’s Prayer. Children can pass the offering plate as it goes by, add an offering to its contents and learn that worship involves giving. Children learn when to stand and sit. They begin to discover words they can read in the call to worship and follow along as its read. They may even begin to ask for prayer concerns to be shared.

As we welcome people into education and mission and work and worship – we proclaim together - “THIS I BELIEVE. I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRFIST IS LORD AND SAVIOR OF MY LIFE.”

In closing, one more thing. The prophet Isaiah said that a little child shall lead us. Remember that Jesus took a child and set him in the midst of adults and said that unless those grown-ups turned and became as a child they would never enter the kingdom of God. Children may very well give us a glimpse of the tomorrow God wants for us.

There had been no time to brief the class of youngsters attending Bible School about the little boy who had come in late. There had also been no time for the teacher to find out how the little boy had lost his left arm and how he was coping with it. Understandably she was nervous, afraid that one of the other children would comment on it – and embarrass him – or worse – tease him or call him a name.

BUT – taking a deep breath, she proceeded with the lesson. No problems there. No problems with the art project. No problems during snack time. He seemed to have fit in well.

Relaxed and relieved, the teacher led her class into the center for their closing circle.

“Let’s make our churches now,” she said, leading them in the familiar activity

“Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open the doors and see all the people” when the awful truth struck her – seconds too late. The very thing she a feared had happen – done not by a child – but by herself!

As she stood there speechless, the little girl standing next to the boy reached over, placed her left hand against his right hand, and said, “Let’s make a church together.”

Whenever two or three are gather, whenever men and women, young people and old people, girls and boys are gathered together – there is church.

Let’s make a church together.

5/15/11 THE BEST IN LIFE IS FREE

2011-05-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

05-15-11

SCRIPTURE:

Colossians 3:15-17

SERMON: “The Best in Life is Free” Rev. Sandy Daly

Today the music is really the message. There is a spirit to jazz music that is irrepressible. It is emotional… sometimes soulful, sometimes jubilant and free, yet somehow there is always a hopeful-ness… a forward movement in anticipation of what is coming next. There is also improvisation, spontaneity and surprise… and isn’t that true of our lives!

Our scripture passage today calls us to two things: to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts… to be grateful; and to teach and admonish one another through music – psalms, hymns and songs of the spirit. And we are to do all of this giving thanks to God.

Let peace rule in our hearts… and be grateful. Peace and gratitude. These two are closely connected. Just think of a time when you felt the deep peace which we describe as the peace of Christ… peace in our hearts. I think you’ll find it was also a time when you were filled with gratitude: a “glass half-full” moment… or maybe even a “up overflowing” moment.

I have often heard that attitude is half the battle in life… or maybe more than half… perhaps it IS the battle. When we can have a positive, grateful attitude… it’s amazing what we can accomplish, endure or overcome.

Jazz music has its roots in the music and faith of African American slaves… people with much to endure or overcome. They poured out their hearts in spiritual songs… sometimes soulfully sad, sometimes joyful… always with a yearning for freedom… if not in their circumstance, then in their spirits. And when we are free in our spirits… at peace in our hearts … we know that the best things in life are free.

This has been true when I have visited places of disaster or poverty, assuming the folks I was there to help would be desperate and down-hearted. Instead there was a clear and evident sense of gratitude for the simplest things… for life, for family, for water, for shelter… even if temporary. In the midst of the turmoil of their lives, there was this glimmer of peace in their hearts… a faithfulness and hopefulness… gratitude. I have heard it in the recent stories from the Midwest… no – not all or everyone. This attitude, this peace, is a choice… it is available to all of us. Seeing the glass half-empty or half-full is our choice. Gratitude for the simple things… the best things in life is free.

But let’s return to our scripture passage, and the second charge: to teach and admonish one another through music – psalms, hymns and songs of the spirit. Most often we think of music as something to enjoy – and that it is! But music has the power to shape us, to move us emotionally… and yes, to teach and guide us. To teach and admonish… in this sense, the word for admonish Does not mean to scold or warn, but rather to guide. So psalms (which were ancient sung prayers) Hymns and spiritual songs Are meant to teach and guide us.

Think of what we learn through music… Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so. This hymn we teach our children… that Jesus loves us and the Bible is a place to learn his story; Just as I am without one plea…O Lamb of God I come, I come How we need to hear that we are accepted and acceptable – just as we are… no matter our age. Amazing grace how sweet the sound Grace – this gift that opens the door to forgiveness, reconciliation and new possibilities or Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord? Is it I? – Each of us has a calling and the chance – or many chances – to say I will go Lord if you lead me.These are all hymns that have shaped my life. It might be interesting to think about hymns that have shaped your life.

But it’s not only the melody and words of sacred music that have this power… Oh, there have been times when I have sung Nobody knows the troubles I seen… Nobody knows but Jesus… Or Love, love me do, you know I love you, oh please… love me do! Or God bless America, land that I love… Or when we hear the national anthem and sing out “home of the brave and land of the free!” We are shaped and guided by these songs. I’m not a rapper, but even this music is both an expression of and shaping the lives of many in this generation. But I digress.

Paul is telling us that there is power in music… and in this case, most especially music of faith - psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. These have the power to teach and to guide. Music of faith comes in many forms Perhaps what makes it “faithful” is how it leads us to this place of peace and gratitude… not a peace that causes us to curl up, but rather one that frees us for moving forward… perhaps even dancing! And not a sense of gratitude that leads to complacency, but rather that leads us to share in the abundance of good things that we have been given.

And as we may learn from the many songwriters and musicians - from the spirituals of slaves to the love songs on the radio -the best of these good things that we have to share… are free!

Thanks be to God! Amen

5/8/11 BLESSING, BIRTHING AND BAND-AIDS

2011-05-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

05/08/11

SCRIPTURES:

Isaiah 43:18-19

2 Corinthians 5:17-20

SERMON: “Blessing, Birthing and Band-aids” Rev. Sandy Daly

I invite you to take a moment and think about your mother – the specific, particular, unique women who gave birth to you. Picture her face, hear her voice, feel her touch. I know that this is not always easy. Many of us are blessed by mothers with whom we have comfortable relationships, but there are as many whose relationships are complicated, if not painful. This is true for all sorts of reasons – misunderstandings, criticism, differences in lifestyles or values, separation because of estrangement, adoption or death. Remembering Mother is not always easy, we may experience anger or pain or sorrow, but I invite us to remember today this very real and human woman through whom we received the gift of life -- and for that, simply for that, to give thanks.

I also invite us to look deeper and celebrate the tender and nurturing qualities of mothering where ever and whenever we have experienced them – in sisters or friends, in aunts, in mothers or grandmothers, or teachers, or brownie leaders, even pastors – and yes, also in some of the men in our lives… even in the tender and nurturing qualities of nature, Mother earth.

Let’s celebrate and give thanks for all who “mother” in the broadest sense of the word – all who nurture, protect, guide and care for others – those who are vulnerable or dependent; those who are connected by bonds of love --- this special kind of love which we call “mothering”. May we celebrate and give thanks!

Some form of Mother’s Day has been around for a long time. The oldest celebrations of Mother’s Day were actually worship of Mother Earth, held in the springtime to assure fertility – in harvest and in humans. It was a celebration of the flowering and greening of fields and trees - something we certainly see happening! And the birthing of animals, and the blush of human romance.

But the first Mother’s Day to be celebrated in the United States was organized by Julia Ward Howe, author of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. This amazing Victorian woman was a peace activist, poet, scholar, reformer, and mother of six. Her Mother’s Day was dedicated to world peace. Personally, she led a difficult life. Her wealthy husband was often estranged from her, and resentful of her independence and aspirations –

her ability and need to think and act and be creative on her own. In response to the horrors of the Franco-Prussian War, Mrs. Howe founded the Women’s Peace Conference, but her organization was ignored. In 1870 it was hard for a woman to be taken seriously. After continuing efforts, Mother’s Peace Day was finally recognized in 1872 and was celebrated as such each June 2, for three decades until the turn of the century.

Mother’s Peace Day – dedicated to reconciliation and the hope of a safer, more peaceful world for all children.

Another woman, around that same time, named Anna Reeve Jarvis, was actually the inspiration for the celebration we observe on the second Sunday each May. Anna Jarvis was the mother of 11 children, an active Sunday school teacher and an organizer of local causes - another radical in her day. She initiated a post-Civil War “Mother’s Friendship Day” that brought Union and Confederate soldiers together for reconciliation… another peace-maker. When Mrs. Jarvis died in May 1905, her daughter began a crusade to honor all mothers, in gratitude for her own. After nearly ten years, and thousands of letters to government officials, her efforts paid off.

In May 1914 both Houses of Congress voted unanimously to approve the national observance of Mother’s Day. I wonder if anything before or since has resulted in such agreement in Washington! But then who would dare vote against Mother’s Day and then face their own mother! Still, it shows what one person can do if she is focused and persistent!

Persistence – or perseverance - is one of the gifts that women bring to their families and to our common life together – a persistence built on faith and endurance, a perseverance built on hope, creativity and love.

I came across a piece titled “The Images of Mother” (from the perspective of her child)

4 YEARS OF AGE – My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE – My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE – My Mother doesn’t really know everything

16 YEARS OF AGE – Mother? She’s so old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE – That old woman? What does she know!

25 YEARS OF AGE – Well, she might know a little bit about it.

35 YEARS OF AGE – Before we decide, let’s get Mom’s opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE – Wonder what Mom would think about that?

65 YEARS OF AGE – I Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

There is so much truth in this! It brings up images from my own motherhood: holding my newborn son in my arms marveling at the beautiful translucence of his eyelids and delicate lashes as he slept.; my daughter, who was like an appendage to my body for the first 3 years of her life! Mud-pies and dress-ups; learning to skateboard as a den mother; playing goalie on the frozen pond to my son’s slap shots; sewing prom dresses for 6^th grade, 8^th grade, 10^th grade and senior yr! Listening to heavy metal music in the car, trying to tune it out; listening to broken hearts from first loves – totally tuned in; setting up college dorm rooms, and first apartments; giving advice – mostly ignored; meeting future spouses and planning weddings; again giving advice – sometimes being heard; holding my first grandchild in my arms, marveling at the beautiful translucence of her eyelids and delicate lashes as she slept

There is a song that I used to sing to my children – I think it came from a Kodak camera commercial!

Where are you going my little one, little one?

Where are you going my baby, my own?

Turn around and you’re 2, turn around and you’re 4,

Turn around and you’re a young boy, going out of the door…

Where are you going my little one, little one?

Where are you going my baby, my own?

Turn around and you’re young, turn around and you’re grown’

Turn around and you’re a mother with babes of your own.

Motherhood – like all relationships – is ever changing… always full of blessings…blessings to give and blessings to receive; always full of birthings… new beginnings – sometimes painful, but necessary to give life and to grow; and always full of band-aids… times of healing, comforting, forgiving, reconciling, mending what is broken.

This is the love God offers us – blessings, birthings and band-aids. It’s a wonderful image of a mothering God. This is the love we can offer one another… whether we are mothers, or fathers, or sisters or brothers. We are all one family. Blessings… birthing…and band-aids. Amen

5/1/11 HOW THEN, SHALL WE LIVE?

2011-05-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

05/01/11

SCRIPTURE READING:

1 Corinthians 12:4-13

SERMON “How Then, Shall We Live?” Rev. Sandy Daly

A prominent leader once said, “It’s becoming clearer every day that the most urgent problem besetting our church is this: How can we live the Christian life in the modern world?”

How can we live as Christians in today’s world of war, corruption, poverty, greed…of fanatics, power-mongers, and politicians? How can we live as followers of Jesus in a world of “convincing” rather than “listening”, of “winning” rather than “cooperating”, of “cynicism” rather than “respect”? Dare we be so vulnerable as to love our enemy and welcome the stranger? Should we share what we have with the widow and orphan… or had we better save it for a rainy day? How can we live by the radical example of love set for us by Jesus? The world seems to constantly test and seduce – seduce us away from that which is truly good: good for us… good for others…

The quote I began with is not spoken in recent days, but rather in 1939 by Dietrich Bonhoeffer – a German pastor - at a time of war and upheaval in Germany. He was worried because he saw his world and his church moving in a direction that seemed to have succumbed to worldly temptation – moving away from the good… away from God. His question had been asked before – likely in every age - by people of faith, people seeking to live a life that is pleasing to God.

How can we live in a world like this? Where the temptations and problems seem overwhelming; and we often feel tiny, powerless, insignificant…

What if we change the question from “How CAN we live…” to “How SHALL we live? The assumption is then that we CAN and the emphasis shifts to HOW – not IF. There is hope… it is a matter of choice. We must deliberately CHOOSE to live as Christians in this world. That choice is not made once and for all, but rather day by day…sometimes moment by moment. It takes discipline and faith… trusting God, who offers us a life abundant with blessings and surprises. It takes patience, persistence and courage - but the rewards are worth it.

How SHALL we live the Christian life in a modern world? How shall we live a life of faith? The Old Testament prophet Micah asked “What does the Lord require?” The answer: “to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God”… justice… kindness… humility.

After being baptized by John at the River Jordan, people asked, “How then, shall we live? What then shall we do?” Now that they had made this choice to start fresh, to turn toward that which builds up life, what would it look like, what was required?

Throughout the bible the answer is… “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and soul and strength… and Jesus adds… and love your neighbor as yourself.”

That is how we live as Christians in today’s world. We do it day by day in the choices we make, in how we care about and respect others, in how we use the gifts and blessings we’ve received. Gladly, we don’t have to do it alone. We live as Christians in the world - this world – with all the various relationships we have and groups we are a part of. In all of our relationships – our family, where we work, or volunteer, or go to school, and in our faith community - we come to understand what that means for each of us.

How then shall we live? By faith… with open hearts… and open minds… together. Amen.

4/24/11 "Amazement and Possibility"

2011-04-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

04/24/11 EASTER WORSHIP

SCRIPTURES:

Acts 10:34-43

John 20:1-18

SERMON “Amazement and Possibility” Rev. Sandy Daly

In a few verses recorded in Acts, the apostle Peter recaps the story – the Good News of Jesus Christ:

“God shows no partiality, in every nation anyone who fears (respects, honors) God and does what is right -- is acceptable… and the message spread… the witness to Jesus’ life and ministry, His death … and His resurrection… everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins… new life”

We look at the cross and remember: everything is changed because of Jesus - this Son of God and son of Man, fully human and fully divine –

the one so humbly born, and yet paid homage by wise men;

the one who grew in wisdom and stature, astounding the teachers in the temple;

the one who was baptized with water and the Spirit to heal the lame, give sight to the blind

and set the captives free;

the one who cared for the outcast, the weak, the stranger and the sinner…

Yes, this one who loved with such amazing compassion that He gave up His life to death on the cross, in obedience to His call. This Prince of Peace, and Lamb of God,-- Jesus the Christ.

We look at the cross … the empty cross… and remember that the cross is not the end of the story. In many ways it’s the beginning. Jesus is not there - He is risen! The tomb is empty… the stone rolled away! What does it mean that Jesus lives? That He died for our sake and yet lives, raised by the power and love of God?

I can say what it means for me. Jesus - the man - was deeply spiritual…closely bound to His God… “Abba… Father… Daddy”. So intimate a relationship that they were one, as if every cell of Jesus’ body were infused with a holy essence. The very air He breathed in filled Him with God’s spirit; the blood in His veins was real blood, but also the life-blood of God. In Jesus, we understand the nature of God… God with us.

But I don’t mean that Jesus was anything other than fully human. He felt pain and hope…fatigue and playfulness; He worked with his hands, knowing both frustration and pleasure; He loved with his heart, laughing, crying, questioning, dreaming… Jesus, the man, was real. I know Him by His story, His words, and His deeds. The Bible is my scrapbook, filled with word pictures, parables, poetry and prose.

I know Him also, in a spiritual sense… as my spirit meets with His in prayer. In this way Jesus is very alive – a teacher, friend and companion. Created in God’s image, we are all spiritual beings... able to know Jesus in this way.

Jesus gave up his life on a cross. He died that we might have hope. He offers us freedom from whatever holds us back from living and loving whole-heartedly. Through Him we understand the radical self-giving love of God…a love totally inclusive – no one is shut out. Everyone, in every nation, in every state of life, everyone is offered the loving embrace of God…a love so merciful that our ugliest sins can be wiped clean, the dark and lifeless places in our lives can live again. If only we believe it’s true…then it IS true.

I’m not saying there is never a doubt… doubting is part of believing. But believing is what opens our hearts to the warmth of God’s healing touch. Just as a plant turns to the sun, drinking in its goodness and by this it grows and blooms and bears fruit…as we turn to God, opening ourselves to God’s truth and beauty, our faith will grow and blossom. Our lives will bear the fruit of love.

When we look at the cross… we remember Jesus: His life – so full of compassion for all; and His Passion – death on the cross for His love. But most of all… we remember that He lives forever in us. He lives in our faith… in our hope… in our love for others. By God’s love, even death is overcome – all kinds of deaths. Amazement and possibility – these are the grace-filled gifts of Easter resurrection! ALLELUIA!

Dramatic reading in the voice of Mary

Out in the morning mists I come,

alone … one last time to see him.

I stoop to touch him,

bathe him with my tears again,

wrap him in my gaze of love

for who he was.

But here in the half-light of dawn

the stone is rolled away.

The linen cloths are cast aside.

No body lies within this tomb.

But strange words gently spoken

beckon me … beyond my misty view,

“Why are you weeping?”

At first… but dimly heard …and then,

a second time, repeated clearly,

a voice calling me by name.

O God, this is my life’s great healing teacher!

This voice I hear – the same voice I knew;

the face I see – the same face I loved.

My knees give way,

my heart and hands … reach out

to hold the one I knew as good …

who died before my eyes.

“Do not cling to me,”

come even stranger words,

and I kneel before a mystery.

His death was real, and he is real…

The light now fully dawns before my eyes

that he has left the tomb behind.

And I, I too must let him die for me,

to set my new life free.is death was real, and he is real

4/24/11 IN THE GARDEN

2011-04-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

04/24/11 EASTER SUNRISE

SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 28:1-10

MEDITATION: “In the Garden” Rev. Sandy Daly

Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb, deep in her grief and loss. The one who had freed her of her many demons, who had given her back her life, whom she had followed and supported - is dead. All of us who have experienced the death of someone whom we love can relate to the depth of loss that she felt in the garden that day.

The story of God and humanity starts in a garden. “ In the beginning... “ God walked with Eve and Adam, talked with them, enjoyed their company. They felt at one with God. Then they turned away from God to pursue their own desires – they broke faith with God. As God made garments to protect them on their journey, perhaps God wept into the threads.

Now we come to another garden where there is weeping. We know the terrible loss that death brings. We ache to be whole again. Mary Magdalene, in her grief, thinks Jesus is the gardener and in a way he is – a gardener of our souls – tending us and caring for us and praying us into wholeness. Even on the cross he stretches his arms out to us saying "forgive them" – offering the path back to union with God.

In the garden, Mary Magdalene does not know who Jesus is until he calls her name. There is great power in hearing our name. This naming that is symbolic of our essence - of who we are - and that someone fully knows us and fully loves us… as this unique and only ever person.

“Mary”, he says. Sometimes I act out the part of Mary, and when I say the line, “He spoke my name!” tears always well up in my eyes and I feel overcome by emotion. Think of Jesus, and imagine him calling your name. Say with me slowly, “He called my name.”

God calls each and every one of us by name. This God who is omnipotent, and omniscient – all-knowing and everywhere in all times - this God knows you, each of you, by name… knows the number of hairs on your head… knows the innermost thoughts of your heart… the good and the bad… AND loves you… and loves me!

I remember when I was a young mother of two, pretty overwhelmed with life and all of my responsibilities. Most of my friends were still unmarried and living carefree lives – or at least it seemed that way to me. As a wife and a mother and a sister and a daughter and a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter… I felt totally lost as a person. And then one day, someone coming up the steps to my house called out, “Sandy!” And I heard my name as if for the very first time.

“Sandy”… there is a person named Sandy with a unique history and story, with unique gifts and dreams and hopes. That was an Easter moment in my life… a resurrection! Somehow God used the voice of that person to call my name as never before, and like Mary in the garden, was filled with all kinds of emotion – hope and wonder and joy and disbelief! Suddenly everything had changed! A stone had been rolled away and new life seemed possible! Nothing had changed and everything had changed… that is sometimes how it is when God calls our name.

Life is a garden of possibilities. It has seasons and cycles of life and death. It is full of beauty and bounty… and also times of dormancy and drought. Might God be calling your name? Is there a stone to roll away?

God is with us in that garden of life. Jesus walks by our side and tenderly calls our name. The one who overcomes deaths of all kinds… can show us the path to life. Amen.

4-17-11 THE PARADE AND THE PASSION

2011-04-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

04/17/11

SCRIPTURE READING:

Psalm 118:19-29

SERMON: “The Parade and the Passion” Rev Sandy Daly

It was Passover time and the city was jammed. It was like a carnival. It was like a circus. It was like the Macy’s parade on Thanksgiving Day. Hundreds of thousands of people were jammed into the holiest of holy cities. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims were jammed into those narrow streets. Shoulder to shoulder, arm to arm, body to body... all in those little narrow streets of Jerusalem. Picture it… dirty streets and dusty mules, pilgrims chanting their prayers, Roman chariots bursting through... exerting their power. What a mad house. What a commotion!

The reputation of Jesus had spread before him. Just the day before, Jesus had produced the greatest miracle yet. He had raised Lazarus from the dead… and then, on the way to town, Jesus healed two more men… and those who had been blind were now able to see. The masses of people had heard about these miracles, and so much more. They wanted to see this healer in action, this mighty miracle worker. They wanted to believe he was their long awaited Messiah – the one who would save them. “Hosanna! Save us!” They cried. That is the way it was on that first Palm Sunday, as they waved their palms and threw their cloaks on the ground beneath his feet. Surely this was the King of kings!

Then there was a second group watching for Jesus that day. They didn’t want a religious carnival; they were much more serious. They were looking for a revolution. There was an intense political undercurrent, like a rally, with all its fanaticism. Finally, the long awaited king was returning to save his nation.

And there was a third group… Those who feared Jesus either because he could disrupt the status quo, create chaos and disorder… or because he threatened their system of beliefs.

So, that is the way it was on that first Palm Sunday.

Revolution had actually started years before. For nearly 100 years, the Israelites again were slaves - this time to the rule of Rome. The Jews hated the Romans: they made them eat pork; they forced them to worship Caesar; they forbade circumcision of their children. The Romans were forcing them out of their Judaism. The Jews hated the Romans and there was revolution going on.

When Jesus was a child, there had been an uprising in and around Jerusalem resulting in two thousand Jews being killed. The Romans hung them all up on crosses. Two thousand men hung on crosses all along the road for the entire world to see. That was the message the Romans sent to any “would-be” revolutionaries. And yet, the riots continued and had even become more intense in recent years. On this Passover day, when Jesus came riding into town, they were on the verge of another riot. The town was ready to blow…

And so, on that first Palm Sunday, there were the religious fanatics who said, “Jesus, give me a miracle and then I will believe.” And there were the political fanatics who said, “Bring us justice; restore our freedom!”

Both groups chanted, “Hosanna! Save us, Son of David, Messiah! Hosanna to the King!”

And there were those who watched warily.

In this crazy carnival protest cacophony, Jesus rode through the city gates on a humble donkey – not a great white stallion. He didn’t say a word. He rode in silence. He didn’t wave to the crowd. He carried an olive branch of peace in his fingers. The crowds wanted miracles… or a speech to inspire them… but they heard only the songs of children. And Jesus didn’t say a word… not a word as he rode into that city.

And slowly, and gradually, the Hosannas became quieter and quieter and quieter. Then as the week wore on, another chant began, almost in a whisper, “crucify him,” softly, softly, then louder, louder and finally bursting with power, “Crucify him. Crucify that man. He is an imposter. He is not our king!”

From Hosanna to Crucify… Parade to Passion… what happened in between?

Jesus wept before entering Jerusalem. He wept because he knew. He knew the people wouldn’t understand. If only they could see the things that make for peace. If only WE could see the things that make for peace.

How is it we miss the mark so often? We don’t quite see the things that make for peace… peace among us and peace within - that peace that we hunger for in our souls. The crowd missed it… and how easily we too, are swept up with the crowd!

Jesus entered Jerusalem. He went to the temple. There he turned over tables, outraged. This was not the meek and mild Jesus… Lamb of God! But what was so offensive? Not that doves and lambs were sold as offerings… but that the offerings were sold for profit and offered insincerely, with pride - or from habit, or for show… not from humble hearts. Hypocritical sinners acting like saints…where were the signs of justice, kindness, forgiveness or mercy? What tables would Jesus turn over in our lives… to get our attention … to help us to see the things that make for peace?

Jesus taught in the temple; he taught along the way; he taught in parables, in stories - stories ordinary people could relate to. That week he taught of two sons: one who obeyed his father and one who didn’t; one who didn’t believe that it mattered… and one who simply didn’t believe. He taught about a landowner, and tenants who didn’t understand though time and again slaves were sent to help them understand… the tenants wouldn’t listen. He taught about a wedding banquet thrown by the King, and no one came – they were all too busy. How do we miss the mark so often? Believing it doesn’t matter… or simply not believing? Too busy to come to the banquet of the king!

And Jesus warned them that there would be many signs… but no one would know their time of reckoning. And then in more parables he told of the bridesmaids who let their lamps run out of oil - “Keep your lamps trimmed and burning!” he said. Like a trustworthy steward, he advised, invest your talents: don’t hide them away – and you’ll find they increase. And then… he taught that we’ll each be judged by our kindness to others… “To the least of these, my brothers and sisters – as you do unto them – so you do unto me!” How do we miss the mark so often? What are we thinking of?

Finally Jesus is asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” And he says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

And then Jesus began to look to the end, for he knew it was near. Tenderly he gathered his disciples and washed their feet, calling them friends. He served them and asked them to serve each other and beyond. They broke bread together and shared the cup. He spoke of things mysterious: betrayal… a new covenant… his body broken. “Not me,” said Peter, “I would never deny you…” How often we miss the mark!

And then there was the violent end, the jeering crowd, and finally the silence…as they all turned away. Jesus knew… and he wept again… “Father forgive them. They know not what they do.” Jesus knows even now… how often we miss the mark.

As we walk together, or very much alone, to the foot of the cross… may we find ourselves humbled, open to this amazing love - a love that is strong, demanding, tender and forgiving; a love that is able to heal all wounds and bring new life… but first we must come to the cross. Amen.

4/10/11 DEAD MAN WALKING

2011-04-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

04/10/11

SCRIPTURES:

Ezekiel 37:1-14

John 11:1-45

SERMON: “Dead Man Walking” Rev. Sandy Daly

Two Sundays before Easter, on this fifth Sunday of the Lenten season, we find two resurrection stories - Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones and John’s account of the resurrection of Lazarus. Both stories of resurrection point us toward Easter from different places.

Ezekiel was in exile, taken from the land of his birth following the Babylonian siege of Judah. After years in which the nation and particularly the city of Jerusalem were under siege, the first wave of exiles was sent from Judah. In that first wave, were the elite of the day, including Ezekiel, a priest and a prophet.

The Babylonian siege was a time of devastation and despair. The city was decimated and the temple was destroyed. What was once a vibrant, thriving economic and spiritual community was laid to waste – left in ruins, with its former residents scattered.

From this place of despair and woe, the prophet Ezekiel is visited by the spirit of God and is taken to this valley of dry bones. These bones had no life and had been lifeless for some time. These were bones long dead... yet God was able to breathe life into them once again. Later we are told that these dry bones were the house of Israel. These people in despair said, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely".

What is there to be done for a people, for any community that loses hope amidst pain and suffering? Where are the words to help the community find God in the midst of their grief and loss? Walter Brueggemann writes: "God’s promise is cast in a series of first-person, powerful verbs: I will lay sinews, I will cause flesh, I will cover, I will put breath. I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you will come to life.

To me, this story shows how hope often returns to places of despair – layer by layer – first closest to the bone – the most painful – the healing begins… bit by bit, layer by layer, until finally we are able to breathe and experience life again… but changed.

For the dispersed people of Israel, this hope points them to a new way of thinking and a new way of doing that which they have always done. This is not a sign of all things being well. The people are in a new place. They are experiencing significant change and that is hard. They are experiencing God in new ways – even as they are experiencing life in new ways., without the temple, without the promise they had envision of “place”… but rather with the promise of presence – God’s presence.

The prophet Isaiah said of God, "I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:19).The promise of new life means looking for a new way for God to be at work in the world. New life is the place where hope transforms what is into what can be.

So now let’s look at the gospel of John.

In his Prologue, John tells us that Jesus is the light and life of the world. The giving of sight to the man born blind (last week’s story) and the raising of Lazarus from the dead show us Jesus giving light and life to particular human beings.

John repeatedly uses the physical to point to the spiritual. Water is a metaphor for the quenching of our spiritual thirst – Jesus is the living water. The bread Jesus multiplies to feed the crowd points to our spiritual hunger – Jesus is the Bread from Heaven. Sight to the blind is a metaphor for spiritual vision and clarity - Jesus is the light of the world. The restoration of physical life shows us the breaking free from bonds that hold us back from life without fear - Jesus is the resurrection and the life. For most of the people in John's gospel, there is confusion between the literal meaning and something deeper. When Jesus says that Lazarus is "asleep," they don't get that he means he is dead. When Jesus approaches Bethany and tells Martha "Your brother will rise again." She thinks he means at the last days. But he is not just assuring her of the resurrection at the last day. He is bringing resurrection on that day.

That Lazarus had been dead four days by the time Jesus got there is meant to underscore that he was beyond resuscitation. The rabbis believed that the soul hovered over the body for three days and after that, there was no hope of resuscitation. Lazarus, whose name means "God helps", is from a town whose name, Bethany, means "House of Affliction."

So God helps one who suffers from affliction. Lazarus is the "one Jesus loves"; he represents all those whom Jesus loves, which includes you and me and all humankind. This story, then, is the story of our coming to life from death in this present moment, by the grace of God.

In this story, there is so much of the human experience: receiving word of a loved one's illness and need; decision-making, timing, and complications, even risks and dangers to be considered; frustrations, questioning, and lack of understanding on the part of those closest to us; grief and mourning by loved ones, and the community encircling them, hope, and the profession of faith and "what might have been"; limited understanding of what we ourselves are saying, courage, anger, and weeping.

As in Ezekiel, there are verbs that move the story forward: in Ezekiel – “Prophesy…Live …Breathe”; in the story from John – “Jesus wept …Come out…Unbind him.”

God can work even through tragedy, though that can be difficult to see and wait for. We ask, "God, where are you?" "God, why did this happen?" Yet… Jesus weeps for the grief and the loss of hope. God identifies with us and feels our hopes and hurts; Jesus, the word made flesh, shares our lot and understands.

"Come out!" – we are called forth by God… in Ezekiel – “Live! Breathe!”… and finally, "Unbind him!" We are called to participate in the work of God to renew and restore the world, and in this we too find life… lives of meaning and purpose.

Take a moment and reflect on these questions:

"When you have felt that God was absent?

“What helped you hold onto your faith?"
"What does it mean to you to know that God weeps with us and for us?"
"Where have you seen God act in your life or in the world recently?"
"What do you feel called to unbind and set free? Who might you be called to unbind?

The promise of resurrection abounds in these readings.

As Isaiah said, “God is doing a new thing, even now… can you see it?”

4/03/11 A SHEPHERD'S GIFT

2011-04-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

04/03/11

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Psalm 23

SERMON “A Shepherd’s Gift” Rev Sandy Daly

A shepherd’s gift… the gift of a young shepherd boy named David was recognized by the great prophet Samuel and was led by the Spirit to anoint him. David, anointed to be king… not because he was first-born, not because of his stature or wealth…but because of his pure heart. To Samuel’s surprise, and perhaps to the surprise of all gathered there – all the older brothers, their father, guests at the feast - it was this least among them, the young shepherd, called in from the field.

The shepherd’s gift was his character, his faith, his courage. We may imagine David… perhaps a bit of a loner, out in the meadows for hours each day with his sheep, playing his lute and dreaming up poetry; gazing up at the stars at night as he watched over his flock; protecting them when danger lurked near; leading them carefully on the rocky mountain paths. It’s not hard to imagine David writing this psalm, so full of imagery that would be familiar from his childhood. It’s easy to imagine the longing in his heart for green pastures and still waters, for a good shepherd’s protection, not only as a boy, but later in life as king of Israel.

There are stories of David’s courage – as a boy against Goliath; as a man against warring enemies. There are stories of David’s love of Jonathan, Saul’s son; and his fear of Saul – the king he dethroned. There are stories of jealousy and abuse of power when David took Bathsheba, another man’s wife; stories of intrigue among his sons that led to murder and treachery. David knew the valley of the shadow of death all too well!

And yet there was something about David’s character and his faith that drew him back to God when he wandered; that caused him to seek God’s mercy and guidance; that led him to praise God with jubilant abandon, singing and dancing in the streets, composing hymns and psalms to be sung in the temple, solemnly and joyfully glorifying God’s holy name.

When I titled my sermon “the shepherd’s gift”, there were several things I had in mind, different shepherd and different gifts. First, the gift of David himself - the shepherd king. He was a very real and human example of how God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. And how God could see into the heart of this shepherd and his gifts, just as God sees into our hearts and celebrates and uses our gifts.

And then there are all the psalms attributed to David – his special gift of music and poetry. Today, we think most especially of psalm 23: a psalm that has been a prayer of comfort and assurance for so many over the centuries – in dark times, or at any time. This psalm is a shepherd’s gift to us – the gift of David, the shepherd king.

Perhaps this psalm- a psalm of trust – actually arose out of a lament (as most of these psalms did), at a dark time in David’s life… perhaps at the death of Jonathan, or as he feared conspiracies against his own life, or in remorse over his sin of adultery. There is in every lament psalm some element of trust— usually stated at the end. And in psalms of trust there is usually some acknowledgment of that which is lamentable. The light and darkness of life are intermingled - we have both the green pastures and the dark valleys.

David’s psalm does two things: it names reality and takes seriously the dangers that are very much a part of life: the valley of the shadow of death; the enemies that surround, even at the dinner table. AND it expresses trust precisely in the face of these realities. And so, trust is NOT overwhelmed by any present reality.

When we read Psalm 23 in a season of loss, distress and anguish, we may find ourselves moving from our laments to a confession of trust.

“I may be struggling to make ends meet, but I will not lack what matters.”

“I might have trouble sleeping because of everything going on, but trusting God allows me to lay down in good pastures to rest.”

“Storms and tsunamis and hurricanes may bring damage to life and limb, but faith in God will lead me to still waters once again.”

“I might be beaten down and hurt and broken right now, but by faith, my very being will be restored.”

The 23^rd psalm brings us comfort, not only at the end and forever more, but in the living of our days as well. A gifted shepherd… and a shepherd’s gift – this psalm, treasured across many centuries.

And then there is another way of understanding my sermon title: “The Shepherd’s Gift”, and that is in God’s gift of the person of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, a metaphor for the constant presence and care offered to us in the spiritual companionship of Jesus. A shepherd feeds his sheep, waters his sheep, protects his sheep, rescues his sheep and knows his sheep by name – so it is with Jesus, as we enter into relationship with him.

Today we celebrate together at this table the gift that this Good Shepherd made to us of a sacred ritual, a way of remembering him, and remembering to whom we belong: the sacrament of Holy Communion, the banquet prepared for us, the cup of love runneth over.

There is no gesture as expressive of well-being as a lavish meal, and an open and extravagant hospitality. The table is at the heart of who we are as Christians, a community that blesses, breaks, and shares bread, a feast that remembers Jesus' sharing long ago and anticipates a time when all of God's children will have more than enough.

But the ultimate Shepherd’s gift was Jesus offering up his own life, so that we might be free from ever fearing death again.

All these shepherds’ gifts – human gifts; heart gifts; poetry, music, prayer; the gift of presence and faithfulness; guidance; sacrifice; remembrance; radical welcome and hospitality… resurrection hope…

With these gifts, we shall not want… Amen

3-20-11 "HOW CAN THIS BE?"

2011-03-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

03/20/11

SCRIPTURES:

Psalm 121

John 3:1-17

SERMON “How Can This Be?” Rev. Sandy Daly

Listen to this conversation, written by Margaret Hess:

“What a curious man you are, Nicodemus. Only the cold, heavily lidded eye of the moon sees you making your way through the darkened streets. The records indicate that you are a learned man steeped in the discipline of scholarship. Yet here you are, driven by your curiosity, pulled by your desire to figure out just who this man Jesus really is. You begin with a statement and set the stage for a speech. But underneath you have a million questions. So do we.

Jesus says one thing: "You must be born from above," yet you hear another. What does it mean, you must be born again? How on earth can such a thing happen? Confusion is the consequence of your curiosity, Nicodemus, but don’t stop there. Think about it: if you are born again, then you must grow up again. Think about your life, Nicodemus. What would you do differently if you had the chance? How would you edit the story of your life? As you enter more deeply into your questions, Nicodemus, you’ll find that Jesus is inviting you to be curious about your life, to rethink your assumptions… to look to the future through the eyes of redemptive possibility. How might your life be different if you were born again? How would your life be altered if you truly believed, from the beginning, that God loves you with an unconditional love?

Nicodemus, patron saint of the curious, we see you in the flickering lamplight, your face an arresting mixture of confusion and interest. Jesus waits, the silence broken only by the sound of the wind banging the shutter against the house. You tug at your beard and rethink your life, seeing your past and future through the eyes of the One who loves you. You are dizzy with the possibility of it all. And so are we.

Born again? The mere thought of it sweeps through us and sends us reeling. You mean to tell us that our lives might be different? Born again? How can this be? Can this be?

Born again – a buzz phrase for some Christians – Are you born again? But what does it really mean? Born of the spirit? What does that mean? The story of Nicodemus is a story of spiritual journey - slow grace – and transformation over time… the way it happens for most of us

Nicodemus is one of the members of Jerusalem's ruling religious body, the Great Sanhedrin, and he comes to Jesus at night, stepping symbolically out of the darkness. He comes with questions both about who Jesus is and what he is about. At the end of that conversation Nicodemus goes back into the night. There is no immediate understanding of this idea - to be born again. Nicodemus asks simply, “How can these things be?” He and his fellow Pharisees are trained to interpret the Law. So how can this country rabbi from Galilee know or speak truth? At the same time, Nicodemus does not reject Jesus.

We meet him again later in the gospel of John. It is festival time in Jerusalem, the feast of Booths celebrating the gifts of the harvest. Nicodemus is seated in the Temple with other leaders, waiting for the Temple police to return from arresting Jesus. But they return empty-handed, awestruck and saying, "Never has anyone spoken like this."
The leaders are furious and full of condemnations toward Jesus, but Nicodemus dares to speak up: "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?"

God’s grace is gently, slowly working in him as he tentatively challenges his fellow law-givers with their own hypocrisy. As he himself begins to see things in a new way, he clings to the one thing that is certain in his life, the Law. Isn’t that true for all of us – in the midst of changes, new ideas or understandings, we seek familiar ground on which to stand, by which to keep our bearings.

But his voice is a small voice and uncertain, as the Pharisees shout their prejudice against Jesus: "Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee." And so Nicodemus seems to once again slip back into the darkness.

But God's grace goes on working in him. We can only imagine how this man wrestled with this hope that would not let him go; this seed of belief growing within. Allowing Jesus into his life would surely cost him his position and power. But deep in his heart, he knew this man was of God, there was something holy, and deeply spiritual… Nicodemus desired the peace and joy of which they spoke… this “new birth in the spirit”…but how can this be?

Near the end of John’s gospel, when death has claimed Jesus, and night is falling on Calvary's hilltop, two new disciples step forward to lift his body down from the cross. One is Joseph of Arimathea, offering his own tomb for the burial. And joining him in the preparations for burial is Nicodemus, bringing spices to anoint the body, a woman's task, one that belongs to the family of the deceased. Unable to acknowledge him in life, Nicodemus expresses tenderness and respect for Jesus in this final act. As the sun sets on that tragic Good Friday, something is born anew in the soul of Nicodemus. At the foot of the cross, a new life is beginning for him

In this story we see grace working bit by bit to transform Nicodemus, opening his heart to the love of God, found in Jesus. This love and the patience of God's grace are constantly active within us, among us, and in our world. Grace is visible when we meet the generous offer of help, an encouraging word, forgiveness, a shared insight which changes the shape of our day, new possibilities opening before us… At other times, grace is the urge from within that moves us to do these very things, to offer these things, to others.

Grace is God patiently working in our lives, prodding, suggesting, waiting … opening us up to new life: born again. Amen.

3-13-11 STORY OF JESUS IN ART AND WORD

2011-03-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

03/13/11

“Story of Jesus in Art and Word" (slide show)

As we enter the season of Lent, let’s look back over the life of Jesus, that we may reflect more fully on those things he taught, the ways he healed and inspired, and challenged us. Lent is a time of looking inward as followers of his, to consider how we might be called to change… in order to be kinder, or happier, or more loving. Then, on Easter morning, we celebrate new beginnings, new life, new possibilities! The art is from different centuries and different cultures – each envisioned the things through their own place and time.

· It is Luke who tells us about Mary…

· In the 6^th month the angel Gabriel was sent by God

· “Do not be afraid!... The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of God will overshadow you, therefore the child to be born will be holy… and you shall call him Jesus for he will save his people”

· “Let it be with me according to your word.”

· She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger

· When the shepherds told all they had seen and heard, Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart

· Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, following the star to Bethlehem.

· They saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage… gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

· An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you…”

· John, the cousin of Jesus, grew and became strong in spirit, living in the wilderness.

· The holy family returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth, where Joseph was a carpenter

· The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

· Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was 12 years old, they went up as usual… after 3 days of searching for him, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers… and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding.

· Then he went back with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them.

· And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

· John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, baptizing for repentance and forgiveness of sin. And Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the river Jordan

· The spirit descended like a dove and a voice came from heaven, You are my son, the beloved, with you I am well-pleased.”

· And the spirit drove him into the wilderness for 40 days he was tempted by Satan… and then the time was fulfilled… for him to begin his ministry

· Jesus saw Simon and his brother Andrew, James and John, the sons of Zebedee and said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

· Jesus and the disciples were invited to a wedding, when the wine gave out, Mary said to him, “They have no wine.” 6 jars of water became 6 jars of finest wine – the first of his miracles.

· Jesus went to all the cities and villages, proclaiming the good news and curing every disease and every sickness.

· And great crowds followed him…

· When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him and he taught them.

· The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought children, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me… for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”

· Taking the 5 loaves and 2 fish from the boy, he blessed them and there were 12 full baskets left over after feeding 5000 hungry people!

· While they were sailing he fell asleep; a windstorm swept down upon the lake… when they woke him, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased and there was calm.

· “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man, a much beloved friend of Jesus, came back to life

· Those who drink of the water I give them will never be thirsty… Sir, give me this water!

· Ten bridesmaids took their lamps – five were foolish and five were wise, those having oil enough for their lamps. Jesus taught his followers… you know neither the day nor the hour when you must be ready.

· Before going to Jerusalem, Jesus visited Bethany at the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Mary took a pound of costly perfume, anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair … Jesus told them, She bought the perfume for the day of my burial.

· Jesus took with him Peter, James and John to pray on the mountain… Moses and Elijah appeared in glory and the disciples were afraid

· While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed… dazzling. A voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

· Jerusalem, Jerusalem…How often I have desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and your were not willing!

· Look, your king is coming to you , humble and mounted on a donkey…

· Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

· Jesus turned over the tables at the temple, “My house shall be called a house of prayer… but you have made it a den of robbers”

· Very truly I tell you, one of you will betray me… Do quickly what you are going to do!

· Sharing his Last supper with his disciples he said, this loaf is my body broken for you… this cup is the new covenant, my blood - shed for forgiveness of sins. When you eat and drink, remember me… remember this.

· Later, after he washed their feet, he said to them, “Do as I have done for you – serve and love one another”

· He went out to the Mount of Olives to pray, bringing Peter, James and John with him. Stay awake and pray with me, he asked. But they were tired and slept.

· He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

· Judas said to the soldiers, ”The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away. ““Rabbi!” and he kissed him.

· They took him to Pilate, who asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

· Then they took him to Herod. When Herod saw Jesus, he questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answers.

· Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders and the people…”Indeed he has done nothing to deserve death.” But the people kept shouting, “Crucify Him!”

· Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.

· And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, “Hail, King of the Jews!” striking him on the face.

· They took Jesus out, and carrying the cross himself, he went out to what is called the place of the skull, Golgotha.

· There he was crucified, hung between two thieves

· Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

· Standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, her sister, and Mary Magdalene.

· They removed his body from the cross.

· Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus.

· Nicodemus, another secret disciple, brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes for burial.

· They took him to a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. The next day was the Sabbath and they could do nothing but wait in their sorrow, to finish burying him.

· Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw the stone rolled away… seeing what she thought was a gardener, she asked … Sir if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him?

· It was Jesus who said, “Mary!” And she knew it was Jesus “Rabbouni!” she cried, which means teacher. “Go and tell the others…” he said.

· Later that day, two were walking to Emmaus, talking about these things and invited a stranger to dine with them

· When he broke the bread, they knew it was Jesus! He is alive!

· The evening of that day, the disciples met behind locked doors, for they were afraid. Jesus came and stood among them saying, “Peace be with you.” Thomas doubted it was he, until he touched the wounds in his side.

· After many more appearances, Jesus was taken into heaven.

· And now he lives in our hearts!

As we reflect on this story and its power to teach us about humanity and ourselves, our needs, our weaknesses, our possibilities… as we journey toward the cross during Lent may we understand as well the grace and the hope that are offered to us, each and every day. Amen.

3-6-11 A GLIMPSE OF GLORY

2011-03-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

3/6/11

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Exodus 24:12-18

Matthew 17:1-9

SERMON “A Glimpse of Glory” Rev. Sandy Daly

The Season of Epiphany began several weeks ago

with the visit of the magi and Jesus' Baptism.

It ends today with a visit from Moses and Elijah

at Jesus' Transfiguration.

In both the baptism and transfiguration, a heavenly voice says,

“This is my Son, with who I am well pleased.”

Remember (epiphany means "to make known").

These signs and events – these words –

were to make Jesus known as the Son of God.

Like the baptismal story this is a symbolic story

in which heaven and earth intersect.

In Jesus God and humanity come together.

Matthew wrote these passages some fifty years after the resurrection. The story is filled with theological symbolism as to the nature and mission of Jesus as the Messiah.

It starts "Six days later" -

6 days after first telling his disciples

that he must go to Jerusalem and be crucified.

“6 days” is a symbolic connection with the story of Moses.

“The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day God called to Moses out of the cloud."

The transfiguration also occurred on the seventh or climactic day.

This same formula is found in the creation story –

six days leads us to the climax on the seventh.

Ancient story-telling used these formulas and phrases

in the same way we might use “Once upon a time…” –

it sets the scene and piques our anticipation for what will follow.

Jesus selects Peter, James, and John to accompany him

and leads them up a high mountain.

A "high mountain" is a "thin place,"

a place that is close to the spiritual realm,

a place for sacred encounters.

“Mountain-top" experiences are transformative –

times of learning, praying, being healed, and encountering the holy.

Mountains are important in Matthew

as places which symbolically bring us close to heaven,

but also recall Old Testament pictures of Mt.Sinai

as the place of revelation and Zion as the place of hope.

This imagery pertains to the climax of history,

when Moses and Elijah were expected to reappear.

The vision portrays in advance what will be seen

when the kingdom comes.

Matthew tells us that Jesus' face shown like the sun.

Moses also had a shining face after his encounter with God.

Links with Moses are important for Matthew,

Jesus has not come to replace Moses

but to bring new understanding of the Law and of God's will.

“I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.”

The presence of Moses and Elijah on the mountain

emphasizes God’s continuing revelation.

Moses and Elijah represent Israel's tradition

of the Law and the Prophets.

Notice also that Elijah, Moses and Jesus

all experienced a 40 days of fasting:

40 is one of the symbolic numbers for completeness in Judaism - Meaning a full generation or a totally new beginning

and is usually associated with spiritual journey and testing,

Luke refers specifically to Jesus' death as 'his exodus'

As Moses had led the chosen people out of

Egypt

to the promised land, so this new Moses will by his passion

lead God’s people to the kingdom of God.

Jesus selects Peter, James, and John to go with him.

This is the first time the "inner three" are set apart in Matthew.

The next time Jesus takes them with him

is in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The three who behold his glory also see his agony.

B.W. Johnson, said (over 100 years ago)

"The great object was to reveal to the disciples his Divine glory before they beheld his humiliation upon the cross, in order to sustain their faith in the hour of trial."

The voice from the cloud was the voice of God.

Jesus’ identity is now confirmed to Peter, James and John.

They are instructed to "Listen to him.

The form of the word " Listen" implies continual or repeated actions:

"Keep on listening to him" or "Continue to listen to him."

At the sound of God’s voice

The disciples fall to the ground in humility;

and are afraid in the presence of God.

Jesus' response is to approach and touch them,

encouraging them to rise and not to be afraid.

It is a moment of profound grace.

The meaning of grace we might define

as the invitation to stand up and not to fear … for'

‘There is no fear in love; for perfect love casts out fear'.

This is the Jesus who leads us on

and out into love and service, self-giving for others.

Jesus comes to them and touches them –

an act of healing or being "raised to life."

These scared-stiff disciples, who are hiding their heads,

are raised by Jesus to a new life.

This also brings the mystical experience to a close.

Ironically, it is not the "glowing" glorified Jesus,

but the down-to-earth human Jesus

who comes and touches and speaks to the disciples.

We are also called to offer this touch to the world,

to be simply human beings who offer a healing and life-giving touch to the scared, worried, anxious people

with whom we come in contact.

This story is as much about a transformation of the disciples

as it is about the transfiguration of Jesus.

The Greek word for "transfigured" is metamorphoomai. –

metamorphosis.

Paul later uses this word to talk about a transformation

that is to take place within us.

From his letter in 2 Corinthians:

“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image, from one degree of glory to another… “

We may convey God's presence to the people around us.

We don't do it with brightly glowing faces as Moses and Jesus,

but with the very human touch and comforting words,

"Don't be afraid! Stand up – I will walk with you."

Jesus knew that ahead was the long walk to the cross,

He knew that his death was only weeks away.

Imagine Jesus seeking the face of the Holy One

- and in the example of Moses, the great lawgiver

- and in Elijah, the great prophet , who was both afraid

and yet willing to challenge the kings of the earth,

Jesus found both the strength and the courage for the road ahead.

He looked ahead and God gave him the vision and the strength he needed.

God offers us the vision and the strength we need

to face the fears and foibles of our lives,

and to respond to the call to live beyond ourselves,

to live lives of sacrifice and courage.

In the weeks to come we will be reminded

that Jesus did not go straight from his baptism to heaven.

He went out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He healed and taught and listened and loved.

He turned over tables and walked the path of suffering for us;

he prayed for us; he gave his life for us.

The glimpse that we are granted of Christ's glory on the holy mountain

is a vision beyond our understanding…

but not beyond our experience.

We too have had mountain top experiences

Thin places where we have felt close to God –

Places of hope and inspiration –

Glimpses of glory.

These moments transform us

And give us strength and courage for the road ahead. Amen

2-27-11 DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY

2011-02-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

2-27-11

SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 131:1-2

Matthew 6:24-34

SERMON: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” Rev. Sandy Daly

We live in an incredibly anxious culture.

The evening news depends upon worries at home and abroad to attract viewers.

Commercials are constantly inviting us to worry about one more thing that their product would supposedly solve. Everywhere you turn, everywhere you look, there are reminders of just how much there is to worry about. So how in the world can Jesus possibly ask us not to worry?

But today's passage doesn't start by telling us not to worry.

It starts with the assertion that we cannot serve two masters, God and money.

If we try, Jesus says, we'll end up loving one and hating the other.

After teaching on prayer, fasting, and all manner of discipleship, Jesus turns his attention to the questions of possessions and divided loyalties. The larger question is the question about what rules a person's life. While our passage has to do with worry, these first verses have to do with what a person sees as treasure. For "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"

So what is the problem with money – isn’t it the ticket to security?

Once we believe that money can satisfy our deepest needs, we discover that we never have enough. Money, after all, is finite. Once we decide money grants security, then we enter into a world of counting, tracking, and stock piling. No wonder we worry – It creates an attitude of scarcity, there is simply never enough.

And so we worry.

The word "worry" appears six times in these nine verses,

And relates to the very basics of human life: food, drink, and clothing.

The problem is not that a person needs all those things – we do.-,

Our worrying about them divides our attention between God and the stuff (mammon) of life. Jesus calls us to totally reorient our lives so that God is at the center, the source from which all things flow rather than our needs or worries at the center.

The problem of worry is one we can all relate to! If you look around anxiety is everywhere. We seek to find security in the accumulation of things…cars, homes, televisions, the latest gadget. We look for security in popularity, beauty, achievements…And in that search, our anxiety grows. We will never have enough, be beautiful enough, popular enough, right enough…The question we need to ask ourselves is "enough for whom?" The God who tells us that we are more precious than the sparrow?

The Gospel lesson today beckons us to turn away from the worry that comes with a life edged by the "not good enough's, don't have enough's" ; that tell us that our value comes from our ability to try harder and have more, Rather, to turn toward a trust in God that allows us to start from a place of "enough" and cast our gaze outward to the world as we share that deeper abundance through a life of generous love.

Jesus invites us to this trusting relationship with God, our God, who is infinite and whose love for us and all creation is infinite as well. Love operates from a different "economy" than money.

When our second grandchild came along, I didn't have to divide my love for our first grandchild between the two. Without doing anything, there was more love – enough for both!

No doubt you've noticed the same thing: how the more you have to love, the more love you seem to have. Love – especially God's love – cannot be counted, tracked or stockpiled. When you live in this kind of relationship of love and trust, you've entered into the realm of abundance, the world of possibility, the world of contentment. Suddenly, in this world – Jesus calls it the "kingdom of God" – not worrying actually becomes an option.

Jesus specifically mentions food, water, and clothing as our objects of worry. While these things are listed here as items we have, need, or will be given by the God who loves and cares for us, they are also precisely those things that we are called to share. “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…I was naked and you clothed me'" (Matthew 25:35-36). An attitude of scarcity creates fear, but an attitude of abundance produces freedom. Jesus shows us how discipleship has at its heart a sense of abundance that sets people free to bring life to others.

This is the world Jesus invites us into: a world of abundance, generosity, and new life…is also a world of trust and vulnerability. Lilies and birds, after all, must trust God's providence and love.

Again, I know this is hard. We are surrounded by countless images of scarcity and fear that cause us to worry. But maybe this is exactly where we start. If we are surrounded by images of scarcity, worry, and fear, then perhaps our task this week and in the weeks to come is to capture thousands of pictures of their opposites: abundance, courage, and trust. images where we have seen God at work caring for the world in a way that helps us relax, breathe, count our blessings, and trust in God's providence.

Perhaps these will be pictures of children and grandchildren, or maybe of someone just doing an honest day's labor. Maybe pictures of groups of friends, or the photos from the incredible and utterly unanticipated – and isn't that almost always the way abundance is?

I think we'll be amazed at the number of places we see abundance, courage, and trust once we look. Perhaps we'll find the confidence that we can, in fact, trust the God we know in Jesus and leave worry behind.

I’d like to share with you a passage from Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning. Frankl was a psychotherapist who was imprisoned by the Nazis and survived to write a book about his experience. He told about the afternoon in one of the camps when the men had tramped back several miles from their work site and were lying exhausted and sick and hungry in their barracks.

It was winter, and they had marched through a cold, dispiriting rain. Suddenly one of the men burst into the barracks and shouted for the others to come outside. Reluctantly, but sensing the urgency in the man's voice, they stirred themselves and staggered into the courtyard. The rain had stopped, and a bit of sunlight was breaking through under the lumpy, leaden clouds. And it was reflecting on the little pools of water standing about on the concrete floor of the courtyard. "

We stood there," said Frankl," marveling at the goodness of the creation. We were tired and cold and sick, we were starving to death, we had lost our loved ones and never expected to see them again, yet there we stood, feeling a sense of reverence as old and formidable as the world itself!"

It was an experience of incredibly deep significance to those men. It reminded them, for all their woes, of the invincibility of the things they really believed, of the values of love and friendship in a world gone awry. It put them in touch again with faith and hope and courage. It gave them what they needed to go on living …despite cruelty and humiliation.

"Consider the lilies."

Should we be doing less, in times like these, when the world order is changing

and nobody yet has a handle on it, when our inner cities have become unlivable and school children carry guns, and drug carriers from the Third World would rather live in prisons in our part of the world than face the poverty and disease in their own, when our courts are backed up for years with wrongful injury suits and Washington is so highly politicized that nobody trusts a Congressperson anymore?

Maybe noticing the lilies would bring us back to center again, would have the effect on us that Jesus intended for his disciples, of reminding us of whose world it is and how holy it is and how reverently and attentively we should be walking through it.

Nowhere does it indicate that being a disciple would lead to a trouble-free life. But worry tends to project outward into all the "what if's" of life and removes us from the present, where we can know joy and gratitude.

Remember that rastifarian song of the 80’s?

Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah nah…DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY.

This is God’s will, God’s desire, God’s promise.

If we can treasure this day, our hearts will know wonder and joy. We will find an attitude of abundance that overflows. Freed from the chains of worry we will be able to meet today's troubles with the humble confidence and trust that the God who holds tomorrow also holds today.

Amen.

2-20-11 WHAT IS PERFECTION?

2011-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

02/20/11

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Leviticus 19:9-18

Matthew 5:38-48

SERMON “What Is Perfection?” Rev. Sandra Daly

Jesus often says things that make us uncomfortable; he challenges the disciples (and us) to do things that seem contrary to human nature. In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the disciples to turn the other cheek, forego revenge, give more than is required, go the extra mile,… give to all who beg, lend without limit, love your enemy, pray for your persecutors… He challenges us – as someone once said to me – to be nicer than we really are! This standard asks us to be more perfect than we may think is possible. Jesus teaches a way of being we find difficult to imagine and embody. Be even better that the scribes and Pharisees who spend all their time trying to follow the law perfectly? Who can be THAT perfect? Let’s be reasonable!

Besides… if I give to everyone who begs, I will have nothing left for my own needs or those whom I love; if I turn the other cheek, I will likely just get slapped again.; if I love my enemies, I will risk being hurt or even killed by them; if I am too nice, I will be seen as weak or a push-over, I’ll be taken advantage of. We might not say these things out loud, but most of us find these requirements difficult because we fear the consequences. We hold these beliefs in our hearts.

Jesus says the payoff will be to inherit the kingdom of God. But what does that mean exactly? How about what we’re feeling here and now? What do we get for loving, forgiving, being kind, gracious, and offering generosity? Some of us are too suspicious of what might happen and so resist living by these values of God’s kingdom. We are more intent on making sure we are safe and secure so no one has a chance to abuse, bully or oppress us ever again.

And then there is the whole perfection piece – another can of worms that makes us either feel uncomfortable or inadequate… or obsessive compulsive. Some of us spend a life-time seeking perfection, setting impossible standards for ourselves and are frustrated, depressed or ashamed when we fall short.

This text carries two challenges. First, God’s community - God’s kingdom – is to be filled with people who think of others first.- where every decision and action is carried out for the common good. Each person is sister or brother to the other and acts out of love.

The capacity for this kind of love is within us. We are able to be gracious forgiving, hospitable and generous as we are freed from our fears and insecurities; as we accept the truth that we each are worthy and created in God’s image; and that God offers us abundant grace, mercy, love and protection. The capacity for this perfect love is within us because of God’s love.

Second, Jesus lets us know that he himself embodies this love. He moves from “you have heard it was said” to “I say to you”. To understand God and God’s will for creation. we simply have to look at and listen to Jesus… God’s word made flesh – love embodied – to live and dwell among us.

Jesus calls us to a spiritual perfection. The word “perfect” used in this context actually means fully mature, complete - a wholeness and maturity that results in more holy and loving behaviors and motivations. Jesus seeks neither to set impossible goals or to shame us who cannot reach perfection, Instead, he sets forth God’s vision for the world where love – genuine and unconditional – is the rule. By the example and person of Jesus, we are empowered to live by these values into this vision.

To be perfect is not to add pressure to already overwhelmed lives; instead, it is a matter of the heart It is a call to maturity and wholeness – to be complete. This may actually be to let go of a different kind of perfection - the standards we set for ourselves (or that others have set for us) based on performance, achievement, appearance, or possessions. This perfection to which we are called is about love – maturity and wholeness. It is less about getting things or doing things right and more about being loving. And Jesus is God’s concrete example of that love.

There are other examples of this perfect love all around us. We may be amazed at people’s capacity to do things that defy our natural inclinations, that rise above basic instincts and take us on “the high road”:

the survivor of a violent crime who is able to forgive her tormentor;

Black South Africans who work with their former oppressors to rebuild their country;

the Mother Teresa’s of the world who give selfless service to outcasts;

and so many people who make sacrifices in order to do random or habitual acts of kindness.

We are surrounded by examples of unselfish love and caring. God’s kingdom is already moving and growing among us.

Reflect…

Where have you encountered this perfect love?

How and to whom might you offer it?

What fears and expectations do you need to be free from in order to be whole?

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lets us hear his instructions to his disciples and followers – fellow children of God. Like a new Moses, he stands on a mountain not with laws on tablets, but with laws for our hearts – a way of blessing for ourselves and others.

Jesus calls us to “Be perfect” – to rise above, be mature, free of fear and whole - that we may learn to love as God loves us – fully, unconditionally, abundantly, and completely … perfectly. This is what it means to inherit God’s kingdom. It is not a time or a place. It is a way of being… it is perfect love. Amen

2-13-11 JUST LIKE JOHNNY APPLESEED

2011-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

02/13/11

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Deuteronomy 30:15-17, 19

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

SERMON: Just Like Johnny Appleseed” Rev. Sandy Daly

I always find it thought-provoking when I hear the reactions people have to an “all church meeting”: some avoid it at all costs, some work hard in anticipation, while others seem oblivious. Today is our annual financial meeting – one Sunday out of the year when members are asked to focus on the business of the church. Like any family, our church family has decisions to make that will affect all of us. Much work has been done and great care given to preparation for this meeting. The way we spend our finances says a lot about our vision, what we care about and our goals as a church, as a family of faith.

You each come to this church as a choice, because in some way, at least some of the time, it offers you something... a time of peace or inspiration, time to refocus, to consider what really matters to you, a place of belonging, a place where your children can learn values and discover their own faith, where multiple generations come together and build relationships; a place of comfort, or healing, or hope; it’s an opportunity to be a part of something larger than ourselves, to reach out to others - near and far, to wrestle with our own faith questions and, at best, to grow in our relationship with God.

I don't know the reasons you come, but perhaps they are somewhere in that list... This church, which offers so much and has so much possibility – will only thrive as its members contribute their TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE. Yes, that phrase is over-used - TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE. Just like the casual use of the word “LOVE”, we cheapen these words and phrases by not pausing to consider what they really mean.

Let’s look at the word “LOVE”. To love - to truly love - is not just about delighting in someone. And I'm not talking about how we love things – like ice cream or chocolate. To truly love another is costly - it involves sacrifice and compromise, it involves putting up with things you don't like or appreciate for the sake of that love. Love, like a plant, needs to be nurtured, watered, tended, and fed, sometimes protected from harm or pruned to grow. Love takes work and attention. Yes, love can also be delightful and playful, full of possibility and promise. To STAY in love, we have to embrace the whole picture.

Of course with Valentine's Day tomorrow, you may be thinking of romantic love when I use the word LOVE. Certainly all I have said does apply to romantic love – both the delightful and the difficult. But it also applies to other kinds of love. Three kinds of love are described by the Greek terms: eros, filios, and agape. I guess you know what eros is – the love between two individuals that expresses itself physically and emotionally to bind them together – romantic love. Filios is the "brotherly or sisterly" love of neighbor for neighbor, the love within families, between friends – love that expresses itself in the Golden Rule, in respect, as a basic tenet of all the great religions, and in community, as people working together for the common good. The third kind of love, agape, is self-sacrificing love - the love expressed ultimately and perfectly by Jesus – love in which the other is so loved that their needs, their hopes, their life, are placed before your own.

What does all this talk about love have to do with “time, talent and treasure” – that other overused phrase? Everything! How else do we express our love – what and whom we care about or value – other than with the giving of our time... spending time, taking time... to be with, to support, to enjoy, to work on that love; and the giving of our talents – who we are, our unique gifts and personalities? This is what we bring to any relationship, person, or organization. Think of the word “talent” in its broadest sense – we are each a unique bundle of talents.

And finally our treasure - the way we use our resources can have a brutal honesty in how it shows us what and whom we love. What and whom we love… where does your relationship with God and your desire for spiritual nourishment show up on your calendar…or in your checkbook? Where and how does the church fit in your life? These words feel harsh… they stick in my throat. But I feel they must be said… the questions must be asked. There is not a right answer, there is your answer. An honest answer allows you to make honest choices.

Several years ago I felt pulled in too many directions – it’s a gift I have! But seriously… a wise friend gave me a little booklet about ordering your life. The first thing it asked was for me to list the 5 most important things in my life - in order of priority. Then I was to take a grid of a week, broken down into hours and fill it out with what I do each day in a typical week. Then there was a formula to figure the percentage of time I spent on these 5 most important things. It became abundantly clear that there was a mismatch between my values and my behavior – my choices! Honest reflection can lead us to honest choices.

The whole of Chapter 30 of Deuteronomy is a call to God’s people to renew their commitment to God… “to return with all their heart and soul”. God will “circumcise their hearts” so that they might love God and follow God’s commandments. Circumcise their hearts – cut away what stands in the way to renew the covenantal relationship. Verse 11 begins, “Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away… no, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart”. Then today’s reading continues… “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God… by loving God and walking in God’s ways, observing God’s commandments… then you shall live and be blessed…” and finally the author implores, “Choose Life!”

When you get right down to it, the thing we are to do to know God’s blessings in our lives, is simply to live our lives doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God . Justice, kindness and humility – these were named by Jesus in the beatitudes as ways of blessing. Or to put it another way, we are to live loving God and our neighbors as ourselves. So, we are called to love… and God says it is built into us – it is not far away – it is in our hearts and in our mouths.

But… it is not automatic. It is a choice. Choose Life! Choose that which brings life. We can easily find ourselves choosing wrongly, sliding into apathy – not caring or attending faithfully to this call… this covenant promise offered by God. This was the case at the church in Corinth – ordinary people just like us - they were slipping away from that which brings Life and blessing. When Paul says in his letter to the people of Corinth, “What is Paul and what is Apollos”, he is calling them away from their inclination to be competitive and comparative - picking at each other about who is right and who knows best. Both Paul and Apollos were teachers and leaders of the church, Apollos coming after Paul. Each had their adherents. Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

What really matters here, as it connects with the point I am trying to make, is that this community needed the gifts Paul had to offer, AND the gifts Apollos had to offer. God can and does use each and every one of us to build up life, to be a blessing. Each of us matters.

Our reading ends with the assurance that we are all God’s fellow workers, God’s field, and God’s building. In the verses that follow we are called farmers, builders, and stewards. We are to grow, build up and care for the amazing blessings God puts in our lives.

A few months back several of you filled out a bulletin insert where you were asked to choose three words that were important to you as you envisioned the future for our church. The words you circled showed a high value to building community, words like friendly, inviting, and inclusive. These were followed by words of dynamic life together – words like empowering, joyful and innovative. The next highest grouping of words described faithfulness and a desire for a spiritual life that would give it all a deeper meaning. These were the values you expressed.

One year ago, last February we met together after worship to do some dreaming and brainstorming about our hopes for our life together as a family of faith. In small groups and committees we have tried to capture these hopes and transform them into realities throughout the year. This is the work of growing, building up and caring… this is our labor of love… costly love, delightful love…needing all the time, talent and treasure we have to offer it.

Think of Johnny Appleseed – just one man, with a vision and the willingness to give it his all. Think of the cost, the dedication, the time, the persistence, the joy, the pain, the blessings, the set-backs, the relationships, the faithfulness as his vision became reality. Think of all the individuals who have, who do, and who may… give of themselves wholly in love… imagine what would be possible?

In a few minutes, when our service is over and we are ready to move into the business of the church, we will still be worshipping God…the choices we make are a testimony to our values… to our faithful living of our covenant. Please consider staying to add your voice, your heart, to the decisions being made – such a small cost as a member of this family, such a big difference each and every one of you makes. Amen.

2-06-11 SALT & LIGHT

2011-02-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

02/06/11

SCRIPTURES:

Isaiah 58:6-9

Matthew 5:13-18

SERMON “Salt and Light” Rev. Sandy Daly

Isaiah had it good – his people couldn’t wait to worship – to seek God. It says, “They delight to draw near to God”. They can’t wait to fast! For most of us, church is not the first thing that comes to mind when we say, what brings you delight…? In our culture many things compete for our Sunday mornings… lounging with the paper, brunch out, or activities that aren’t an option during the workweek. Worship is optional. When you think of what we consider mandatory… sometimes it makes us wonder about our values and the power of cultural pressures.

There were cultural pressures in Isaiah’s time as well. Isaiah was saying just worshipping and going through the rituals is not enough, as important as they are. The “fast” that pleases God is the way we live our lives. We know that is not a simple matter. Our world is a complex and ever changing place where it can be difficult to negotiate our way through shades of light and dark, right and wrong, just and unjust, good and evil.

We have likely all heard or read that mainline churches are in crisis – budgets, membership and attendance are all down. Nietzsche predicted that in our age we would claim that “God is dead” – not that God died, but rather, to us God/religion, would be meaningless. I think, instead, we are searching for new meaning, relevant to OUR time. This has been the task for every age.

John Shelby Spong’s book… “Christianity Must Change or Die” and Anthony Robinson’s book “Changing the Conversation”, and so many more, challenge us in our post-modern, post-liberal, post-liturgical, new reformation, emergent church time. Some are willing to try anything to distinguish themselves from what came before, while others try to hold fast to “right” worship – returning to the past. We are all trying to find the way to ensure our future, our hope, our faith.

Isaiah’s people were also rethinking their worship of God in a “post” world… a post-temple, post-exile, post- Davidic kingdom. But according to Isaiah, it is not worship style or practice that pleases God – it is right living.

Don’t get me wrong – worship is important! As a church, as individuals and congregation, it is what we do together to shape us into people of God. As one resource put it,

“It is the place where we inhale God’s love and grace,

so we can be sent forth to exhale God’s love and grace

in a broken world in need of (healing and) redemption.”

Isaiah was concerned about the distractions of focusing on right worship and piety drawing away from a focus on the ethical obligation to justice and community.

There is an illustration I came across that I’d like to share with you.

Some members of an upscale urban congregation decided on an experiment during Lent. To better understand the lives of their homeless neighbors and come closer to a discipleship that experienced the cost of being outcast, they decided to dress accordingly and spend a night on the streets. As the night wore on it began to rain and the temperature dropped. Miserable and chilled to the bone, they came across a church that was holding an all night prayer vigil. Seeking a warm, dry place, they knocked on the door and were greeted by a man who asked them to move along. When they tried to explain and said they were Christians, the man looked them over and saw only a group of dirty, disheveled, somewhat desperate looking –even angry – vagrants, he again asked them to move on. They had no place for homeless people at their church. There were shelters elsewhere.

It’s a harsh story and true. This church was focusing their attention on “right worship”- a prayer vigil – while those with a need they could easily have met, were literally standing on their doorstep. How much more true for those who are homeless every night!

Isaiah would not have been surprised. Their effort at pure worship caused them to miss the point – to love their neighbor. Isaiah says, It’s not about a reordering of liturgy, it’s the reordering of life; it’s not the reordering of worship, but how worship reorders us.

In our reading from Matthew, Jesus had just introduced the eight beatitudes as the opening to his sermon on the mount. His disciples and many followers had gathered to hear him teach.

Blessed are the poor in spirit… those who grieve… the humble and those who hunger and thirst for

justice… blessed are those who show mercy… whose thoughts are pure and those who work for peace… blessed are those who stand for goodness even when persecuted…

Right away Jesus had their attention as he turned conventional wisdom on its head. Blessings had been thought to be evident in wealth and privilege and power… not poverty, humility and persecution! Then he raised the bar and made it personal… Not the distant “those who”, but rather – YOU! YOU right here… are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. It is you I’m talking about! These aren’t just nice sayings, comforting or discomforting ideas. YOU are it… You matter… YOU are salt and light.

Salt and Light are powerful metaphors. In the Ancient world, salt symbolized purity. It was white, and came from elements of sun and sea, God’s creation. Sacrifices were offered with salt as a sign of purity/preservation. Salt was used as a sign of covenant. Salt from each party’s home was thrown over the shoulder of the other to “preserve the purity” of their promise or contract. It was a symbol of ethical purity.

Of course, in a more practical sense, salt WAS a preservative for foods, and necessary for survival. Salt was essential. It was also important as an antiseptic, used to heal wounds. It was even mixed with dung to help it burn more evenly and longer. Salt was very useful. And of course, it was and is appreciated for its flavor – enhancing goodness of all kinds of foods.

Let’s consider again these qualities, as they apply to You and Me. We are to live pure and ethical lives, keeping the covenant of relationship with God and our neighbor… in this we help to shape a world that is a better place, more like the kingdom of God we are called to be… to preserve what is good and true and just. We are called to be the “salt of the earth” – solid and worthy people. We are called to be healers as well, to bring compassion and hope to those who are wounded, to help those who feel useless like dung, find value. The flavor we bring as “salty Christians” is a richness of meaning, enhancing life’s natural goodness with spicy joy, tangy challenge… well, you get the picture!

And then there is LIGHT. You and I are to be the light of the world: to shine God’s light in places of darkness; to reflect God’s light wherever we are, in whatever we do. We are to be a lamp on a stand, not under a bushel…a city on a hill, a beacon of hope… God’s light is meant to be seen in how we live, offered as a guide and hope for all who see it. Just as our children were reflected in the mirrors, God’s light is reflected through each of us.

This is a high calling to which we are called! Jesus said he came to fulfill the law, not to do away with it. There is continuity from one generation to the next. The laws, their wisdom and truth, endure. We in this day, as Jesus in his, must interpret their meaning for our living with passion and compassion. Jesus shows us the way in the simple metaphors of salt and light: images of goodness, purity, healing, love, guidance, joy and fullness of life.

Whenever you tip your salt shaker, whenever you turn on a light, remember Jesus’ words…

YOU are the salt of the earth… YOU are the light of the world! Believe it…become it... by the grace of God. Amen

1-23-11 SOS: A STORY OF SERVICE

2011-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

01/23/11

SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 25: 31-40

SERMON “SOS: A Story of Service” Jeanne Zammataro

Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We often hear that the whole of the Gospels is love God with all your heart and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. But what does it mean to love God and neighbor?

Today's gospel lesson answers that question straight on. This passage is where the pedal meets the metal and the rubber meets the road. In this passage, Jesus tells us exactly what we need to do to demonstrate our love for God and neighbor. Jesus tells us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger and visit those who are sick or in prison. The great thing about this passage is that it is not ambiguous and it is not airy fairy. Jesus did not suggest that we feed the hungry. He did not invite us to give drink to the thirsty. He leaves us with no doubt as to what to do. Jesus simply said welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, visit those in prison. And then He said when you do things to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.

This morning I would like to share my story of visiting Jesus in prison. I am a retired attorney and until 2007 was a very lapsed Lutheran. That winter, a very dear friend was diagnosed with brain cancer. Seeking pastoral care for myself, and so I could be a better friend to a friend in dire circumstances, I started worshiping at SCCL and decided that I had to start living out my belief in the priesthood of all believers.

I started delivering MOWs and somehow said yes when my pastor asked me to reinstitute our senior lunch. And then I saw a press release from something called the Prison Justice Committee of the Vermont Conference of the UCC that said the Committee was holding a meeting at the FCCS for potential volunteers.

I went and met some remarkable people, including member Will Hunter. So I said sign me up, thinking that my legal skills might be helpful. But I soon learned that prisoners and recently released inmates did not need my legal skills, such as they are, but rather needed my humanity, such as it is.

So when Will suggested cooking and eating at Dismas House, a transitional house for former inmates to live in a structured setting as a way for them and for society to be reconciled, I thought that it made excellent sense, except that in 30 years of marriage my husband had done most of the cooking, and I had rarely cooked for my family, never mind making a meal for 15. But as I thought more about it, I realized that this was a great way to visit Jesus in prison and that it might work if I brought along others who were better cooks. And so now I have been cooking and eating at Dismas House with other members of SCCL for over two years.

There is a tradition at Dismas House of starting the meal with what are called gratitudes. My first meal I was grateful for getting the meal on the table on time. Over and over again, the residents are thankful for being substance free another day, for having a job interview or, in this economy, leads for a job, for having a good day at work, for being reunited with their families and for the company of the volunteers.

It is clear that our mere presence is strikingly important to the residents. Just by waving to those sitting on the porch as we drive in or out, by laughing and joking with the residents while they help us cook, by saying take care to one of the residents by name as he leaves the kitchen, by listening to the residents individual stories and by sharing a meal at the dinner table, there is a mutuality, sharing and reciprocity of our common humanity that helps the residents understand the possibility of new life.

I recently ran into a gentlemen on his lunch break He had been a long term resident at Dismas House, and I had just seen him there the week before, when he had stopped by to say hello. We greeted and chatted with each other as friends. That reconciliation of a former inmate to society and society to the former inmate, accomplished at Dismas House, is to me the Good News that results from visiting Jesus in prison.

Will’s next challenge was that the mainline churches are not very well represented as volunteers in the Springfield prison. I am even worse at arts and crafts than I am at cooking, I can’t sing, and up to then had never led a worship service. But I thought that I could use my church’s bulletin as a guide for putting together a service, and with the guidance of my pastor and the help of those who can sing and play the keyboard, I have joined the worship rotation of the Springfield Area Association of Churches.

The very act of worship has turned a sterile room of cinder block and no windows into a sacred place. Each time I leave the prison, I feel very deeply that Jesus was present as we gathered in his name. Men come to our worship because we give them a choice of hymns, we discuss scripture, they have a chance to greet each other with a word of peace and we are known as the service that includes prayer concerns. Which in many ways are not so different from the joys and concerns voiced every week in our churches: joy that a mother’s health is better than expected, concern for the health and well being of family, a young man mourning the death of his mother; I wish I could describe the pain in his eyes that turned into gratitude as I stopped to offer a word of comfort as I was leaving. Some of the concerns are unique to the prison, as the men are concerned for their fellows who remain incarcerated only because they have no place to live, given the huge shortage of transitional housing in VT.

And that brings me to my last story of visiting Jesus when he was in prison: the creation of transitional housing. A retired Lutheran pastor asked me if an inn located in rural Mt. Holly owned by the Lutherans might be suitable for a Dismas House. I said no because there would be no place for the residents to work. But, I thought some more, talked to Will Hunter, and we decided that it would make terrific transitional housing for those who need long term, residential substance abuse treatment. So Will and I went to a meeting of many Lutherans and, long story short, the inn is being transformed into a twenty bed transitional house for long term, residential substance abuse treatment. With extraordinary effort, Will and a crew of paid workers from Dismas House and other volunteers have renovated the facility's main building, which is almost now ready for its first residents.

I would like to close with a quote from Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. The setting is that Jean Valjean has just been released from prison, destitute, with nothing more than what is on his back. He has been repeatedly turned away as he seeks shelter and food, until he is welcomed by the priest in a rectory. After Valjean expresses surprise that the priest hasn’t asked his name, the priest says:

This is not my house; it is the house of Jesus Christ. This door does not demand of him who enters whether he has a name, but whether he has a grief. You suffer, you are hungry and thirsty; you are welcome. And do not thank me; do not say that I receive you in my house. No one is at home here, except the man who needs a refuge. I say to you, who are passing by, that you are much more at home here than I am myself. Everything here is yours. What need have I to know your name? Besides, before you told me, you had one which I knew."

The man opened his eyes in astonishment. "Really? You knew what I was called?"

"Yes," replied the priest, "you are called my brother."

The question that I would like to leave you with this morning is - what is or could be your story of feeding the hungry, of giving drink to the thirsty, of clothing the naked, of welcoming the stranger and of visiting those who are sick or are in prison? Amen

1-16-11 QUIET EVANGELISM

2011-01-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

01/16/11

SCRIPTURES:

Psalm 40:1-11

John 1:29-42

SERMON “Quiet Evangelism” Rev. Sandy Daly

Perhaps the most famous disciple is Simon Peter, whom Jesus called “Cephas” – the stone, or more commonly, the rock. Judas may be the most Infamous – but Peter is probably the most famous. Many of us can relate to his impetuous, leap before you look, blustery personality… and his human weaknesses.

At least three stories come easily to mind when I think of Peter.

- When Jesus was walking on the water, Peter stepped out of the boat to come out to Jesus, and then began to sink when his faith faltered.

- At the last Supper Peter said to Jesus, “Don’t you wash my feet!” a job usually for slaves – but Jesus had to shush him as he was missing the point all together.

- And of course, Peter’s vehement promise, “I won’t deny you.” And then, when the cock crowed in the morning, he had denied Jesus three times.

There are other famous disciples - James and John, Sons of Zebedee. They were both fishermen and two of Jesus’ first disciples. They argued about who would sit at the left and right of Jesus in heaven. James became the great leader of the church in Jerusalem; and John, the beloved disciple, took responsibility for Mary, the mother of Jesus, when they were standing at the foot of the cross. So those are perhaps Jesus’ closest disciples - Peter, James and John. Peter, James and John were on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter, James, and John were with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

Who else can you remember? How about Matthew, the tax collector? An odd choice for a disciple: tax collectors were thought of as crooks, politically acceptable thieves who often steal from the poor and pass it on to the rich (with a cut for themselves!)

And then there was Thomas…Thomas, the doubter. We all have doubts. We can relate to Thomas. Living in a scientific age, we have doubts and questions and Thomas often symbolizes all those questions and doubts we have in our hearts. Yet, the Thomases of life become disciples, too.

And I already mentioned Judas… Judas who betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Even he had a part to play.

How about…Andrew? Do you know anything about Andrew? Andrew was called Simon Peter’s brother, as if he were not important for his own sake. You may have had that experience… “She’s so-and-so’s wife, or mother…or he’s so-and-so’s son… “ Hey, I’m me… just me!

Well, Andrew was just a regular guy as best we can tell. You see Andrews every day.

Andrew is not the two talent person who is at the bottom of the heap and he is not the ten talent person who is at the top. Andrew is “the man in the middle.” He is not up on the podium making speeches but he is in the choir, over there in the middle of the chorus of life. Andrews are essential to make the world go around. Andrews are essential to God’s work in the world.

Let’s imagine that Andrew was Simon Peter’s younger kid brother, perhaps growing up in Peter’s shadow. When a joke is being told, who is telling it? Simon Peter. When someone asked about fishing, who answers immediately? Simon Peter. Andrew - always in the shadow of his outgoing older brother - Andrew was often left out... Where was Andrew on the Mount of Transfiguration? Where was Andrew at the Garden of Gethsemane? Andrew was left out. But there are some stories about Andrew… You just have to look a little harder!

So today I’m going to lift up three stories from the life of Andrew. We find from today’s reading that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. Jesus had come out into the wilderness and had been baptized by John. John pointed to Jesus, and said, “Andrew. There is the one. I just baptized him. He is the one.” Andrew, John’s disciple, was given permission to go and follow Jesus. Andrew approached and Jesus asked: “What are you looking for?” In John’s gospel, everything has a double meaning, and Jesus’ question had this meaning: “Andrew, what are you really looking for in life? Andrew, what do you really want out of life? What are you looking for?” Andrew responded with another question. “Where are you staying?” That question also has a double meaning – the Greek word used means not so much: “Where are you living, Jesus? “as “What lives in you? What makes you alive?“Jesus answered, “Come and see.” Again, the word, “see,” in the Greek, does not mean physical sight but spiritual insight. – “Do you see?”Jesus was saying to Andrew, “Come and see what you are really looking for.”

Andrew spent the whole day and night with Jesus. He became a disciple. The first thing the next morning, what did Andrew do? He went and found his big brother. The scripture says, “Andrew brought Simon to Jesus.”

Andrew did not try to convert his brother. Andrew left that to the experience of Simon Peter and Jesus. So in this first story about Andrew, this man in the middle, he introduced his brother to Jesus...”the One.”

So now let us move on to the second story. Jerusalem was on a major highway. People from all over the world were going to and through Jerusalem on the way to Rome or on the way to Egypt. It so happened that two Greeks were there in Jerusalem and were listening to Jesus preach. They came up after the sermon and said to Phillip, “We would like to meet Jesus.” Phillip took the two Greeks over to Andrew, and he said, “Would you introduce them to Jesus?” So Andrew introduced those two to Jesus and they became disciples. We find the second story is on the same theme: Andrew introduced people to Jesus.

Now for the third story: the story of a little boy who had five loaves and two fish. Jesus has finished his sermon, and the people needed to be fed. There was a little boy with five loaves of bread and two fish. Who brought the little boy from the back of the crowd? Who was it out there looking into the basket of this little boy? It was Andrew. Andrew brought the little boy to Jesus, and Jesus transformed his life and his bread and his fish.

So the sermon today is not about Simon Peter who preached a great sermon and converted three thousand.

It is not about James, the great leader of the ancient church in Jerusalem. The sermon is not about John, who inspired the Gospel of John that has touched the lives of billions of people. The sermon is about the man… woman… child… in the middle – Andrew…you… me… ordinary people who in some way, introduce others to Jesus … to his message… to God’s love… to the good news of the gospel: that the blind will find sight, the lame will walk, … the captive will be freed.

On this Sunday when we remember and celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. – certainly more of a Peter than an Andrew – I would like us to think also about the Andrews of the world. King didn’t walk alone on that march to Birmingham: hundreds, thousands of Andrews marched with him: Andrews who wouldn’t sit at the back of the bus; Andrews who wouldn’t drink from a different fountain or be turned away from the lunch counter any longer…

Jesus stood with the outcasts of his time and demanded justice and compassion. Jesus embraced the hurting, the wounded, the despairing, and healed them with compassion and love, standing with them in their pain.

When I think of Andrew bringing people to Jesus… I don’t think of great revival meetings and “Come to Jesus” moments. I think of quiet evangelism…personal, listening to someone’s story, discovering their gifts, sharing his own story and how he has experienced God’s love. Quiet evangelism…Andrew brings his brother, perhaps the person nearest and dearest to his heart, saying: “I had the most amazing experience, I want to share it with you! I understood things and felt things as never before… come see what you think!” Quiet evangelism…I imagine Andrew welcoming the Greek travelers, listening to their story, glad of their interest and answering their questions, walking with them to Jesus. Quiet evangelism…Seeing the need and the hunger and believing that what the young lad had could make a difference – believing and encouraging him… so that something good could come of it.

Quiet evangelism is not small or weak evangelism – it is the everyday calling of everyday disciples. Yes we need the Simon Peters and the Martin Luther King Jrs… we certainly need Jesus! But let’s not forget the power of the Andrews to bring the good news to life! The man… the woman… the child… in the middle… you …and me. Amen

1-9-11 SCANDAL FROM THE START

2011-01-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

01/09/11

SCRIPTURES:

Isaiah 42:1-9

Matthew 3:13-17

SERMON: “A Scandal from the Start”

A Scandal from the start--it began even before Jesus was born. Matthew’s gospel opens with an account of Jesus’ lineage going all the way back to Abraham, 46 generations! Generation by generation he lists them – forty-two men and four women. It was unusual in that patriarchal society for him to include women – especially these women!

The first was Tamar, who as a widow fell victim to incest by her abusive father-in-law, then was labeled a prostitute. Then Rahab, a foreigner and woman of ill-repute who protected Joshua’s spies and helped them escape. Ruth was also a foreigner and a widow, who, by necessity, seduced Boaz in his bed so he would marry her. And finally, Bathsheba, the object of King David's adulterous passion and murderous cover-up, father to Solomon, who later took the throne. These women seem very unlikely as exemplary foremothers, but they were nevertheless part of Jesus' family of origin. Scandalous!

And then there was a young girl named Mary, who became pregnant before her wedding, and called it a holy visitation. Scandalous! Much later in Jesus' life, the mocking crowd asked, "Isn't this Mary's son?” In Jesus' day children were identified as their father's sons, unless there was no father.

Then, upon the occasion of his birth the scandal got worse. The long-awaited Messiah, the King of Kings, Son of God, was born in a stable, not a palace; wrapped in rags, not silk; asleep in a manger, not a crib--a scandal!

Jesus is honored by pagan magi, foreigners from Persia with gifts of gold for a king; frankincense for a god; and myrrh for burial. What do these gifts mean for a newborn? Scandalous! Not to mention the escape to Egypt and the murder of innocents!

And then the baptism--After living in obscurity his entire life, in his late twenties Jesus left his family in Nazareth and burst onto the public scene by joining the movement of his eccentric cousin, John the Baptizer. John was a prophet of radical dissent. Living on the margins of society, both literally and figuratively, he preached a baptism of repentance, announcing a message of both indictment and invitation: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Contrary to what we might have expected from such an ascetic man with an austere message, the Gospels say that people flocked to John.

John's preaching in the Judean desert and baptizing in the Jordan River confronted both the religious and the political powers of his day. John called the religious authorities a "brood of vipers". Imperial Rome beheaded him when he rebuked Herod for sleeping with his brother's wife. John challenged these religious and political powers with his message of "protest and renewal." By joining John the Baptizer's fringe movement, Jesus did likewise. Jesus even announced his own ministry with John’s exact words, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

All four Gospels tell the story of Jesus' baptism by John:

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. As he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven:

'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased'"

Still wet with water after his cousin had plunged him beneath the Jordan River, Jesus heard a voice and saw a vision.

Jesus' baptism shaped his public ministry by his identifying himself with "all the people." He stood with the faults and failures, pains and problems, of all the broken and hurting people who had flocked to the Jordan River. By wading into the waters with them, he took his place beside us and among us. With his baptism Jesus fully identified with humanity. Instead of standing apart or above us, this beloved son of God stands with us. How scandalous!

He intentionally takes sides with people in their neediness, and declares that God is biased in their favor. God's abundant mercy, Jesus declared, is available directly and immediately to every person; it's not the private preserve doled out by the temple establishment in Jerusalem. By the power of the Spirit, the Son of God embodied divine unconditional acceptance of all people, without exception. Scandalous!

Jesus comes before the world as a follower of John the Baptist. But soon, even John is puzzled by Jesus’ behavior, away from his ascetical beginnings to mixing with worldly sinners. Jesus’ course was very different from John’s so that John sent disciple’s to ask Jesus,

“Are you the one we hope for, or should we look to another?”

Jesus responded,

“Report to John what you see – the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear”

Jesus’ first disciples were working class, illiterate, married men--ordinary local fishermen. The scandal fanned into flame when the ministry of Jesus truly began. His own family tried to stop him. The village of Nazareth tried to kill him as a deranged heretic. Scandal upon scandal!

The priests, who we might have expected to recognize and glory in the coming of the Messiah, were offended by Him. Pharisees were offended by the company that He kept: the outcasts of Jewish society - tax collectors, prostitutes, and lepers. He went so far as to pronounce their forgiveness, something the scribes and Pharisees knew only God Himself had the authority to do. How scandalous!

His parables, his teachings, his healings turned conventional wisdom upside-down, raised up the lowly and brought the powerful, the “righteous”, into question. And the scandals continued – to his death and resurrection and beyond.

So what is this scandalous saga all about? Why do we call it the good news?

Harvard professor, preacher and author Peter Gomes writes in his book, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus,

“For us to have a deepened understanding of what Jesus called the gospel, - good news or glad tidings – we have to understand afresh, or perhaps for the first time, the radical nature – not only of Jesus’ life – but of the substance of his preaching.”

“…it is easier to talk about him than it is to talk about what he talked about… the subversive gospel… this good news that was bad news to many … so much so that at the beginning of his preaching they nearly killed him, and at the end of his ministry they succeeded.“

There is a famous New Yorker cartoon that shows aristocrats leaving a church after saying sweet nothings to the preacher at the door. In the caption the wife, swathed in furs and jewels, says to her top-hatted husband,

"It can't be easy for him… not to offend us."

In the British comedy The Vicar of Dibley, the vicar is often accused by her Senior Warden of preaching "socialist twaddle". "Why not stick to the gospel?" he asks, and she sweetly replies, "This is the gospel."

As those who seek to follow Jesus, if we want to know what Jesus would do, we must risk the courage to ask what he says, what he asks, what he demands of us: to risk stepping into this story of radical love, costly sacrifice, forgiveness, challenge, mercy and healing. This is the sign and seal of his baptism. It is the sign and seal of our own. How scandalous!

1-02-11 SEEING GOD

2011-01-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

01/02/11

SCRIPTURES:

Ps 147:1-11

John 1:10-18

SERMON “Seeing God” Rev. Sandy Daly

Although the Christmas season may seem to end on December 26 - in the church year it continues for the “Twelve Days of Christmas” until a day we call “Epiphany” - January 6. This is the day that we celebrate the arrival of the Wise Men, with their gifts for the baby Jesus.

Epiphany is from the Greek word that means “to show” or “make clear” and it’s about making clear who Jesus is - and who God is… as we may know the nature of God through Jesus. There are three main stories in the season of Epiphany: First, the baby in the manger - honored by the magi, Next, Jesus’ baptism - recognized by John and blessed by God, and then, his first miracle at the wedding of Cana – servants and guests wonder at the water turned to wine.

But I get ahead of myself…Today it is about the wise men from the East, who symbolically represent all of the non-Jewish world, and that God’s gift in the Christ child – God’s love - is for the whole world. Since epiphany is about “seeing God”… recognizing God…today I am inviting us to consider how we see God: How God’s light shines forth in our midst. So, how can we see God? Let me start with a story…

There once was a little girl who lived in a big old house with her mother and father. In the middle of the night, she cried out “Mommy! Mommy!” The wind was beating rain against the windows; a shutter was tugging against its latch; branches of the walnut tree were scraping the siding… and it was dark -- dark -- with lightning and thunder.

And suddenly, the little girl awoke and became aware of all the sounds. She cried “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!“ Her mother scrambled out of bed -- no robe, no slippers and ran to her daughter’s room. “What’s the matter? What’s the matter?”

Mom sat on the side of her little girl’s bed and held her. She held her tightly to comfort her. She stroked her hair. She hummed -- no tune really -- just soft rhythmic sounds. After a few minutes the little girl’s body relaxed, her breathing returned to normal and her hand reached up to touch and rub her mother’s bare arm.

Mommy said, “Sweetheart, you heard the wind and the rain playing with the trees and the house. Besides when you’re frightened like this, you can know that God’s always with you and God loves you.” She replied, “I know, Mommy, but I need love with skin on.”

We all need love with skin on. It’s one of the most powerful ways that we see God… in the love we offer one another… love with skin on. Jesus shows us how to be God’s love… with skin on.

How else do we see God? I remember once asking Sunday school kids to draw pictures of God. Most had beards and sat on thrones; some had long flowing robes. One of my favorites was just a pair of boots, hanging out of some clouds! How do we see God? Often these childhood images stick with us throughout our lifetime for good or ill.. Is your God a comforting God with open arms or a judging God with gavel in hand? Is God warm and close… or cool and distant? How do you see God?

You may have heard of a book called The Shack. It’s a best-selling novel about a man named Mack whose family is hit by a gut-wrenching tragedy, and in his working through his grief, his faith questions and his anger, he has a personal encounter with God. He meets God… he sees and talks to God,

In this book, God doesn’t look anything like our stereotypical images of a gray-bearded man on a throne! God is a large black woman named Elousia; Jesus is a Middle Eastern-looking man in laborer’s clothes, and the Holy Spirit is a small Asian woman named Sarayu who seems to change every time you look at her… but you can never quite see her by looking straight at her. You can only see her if you kind of glance out of the corner of your eye.

Elousia tells Mack that she’s appearing in these forms so that he’ll start to think outside the box…that God isn’t who he has always made God out to be.

As Mack is having these conversations and experiences with Elousia and Jesus and Sarayu, he wonders if he’s going crazy… and at one point, he just figures that he must be dead and that’s why all this is happening. But seeing God in new ways eventually helps him through his grief. He learns that God meets us - really meets us – at our points of deepest pain, and that unless we have a personal relationship with God, we’ll miss the essential nature of God, which is love and relationship.

At one point, Elousia says, “Mack, we want to share with you the love and joy and freedom and light

that we already know within ourself. We created you, the human, to be in face-to face relationship with us, to join our circle of love...”

What an invitation... to join God’s intimate circle of love!

The Shack is a thought-provoking book – like many - that may open us to new insights … to seeing God in a new way. (By the way, The Shack will be the focus of our book study next month) Of course, the Bible does this as well. But sometimes when told in a fresh way we see or understand things we might not have considered before.

John 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.”

Jesus helps us to know and see God.

“In the beginning was the word” – and the word was God’s spirit moving over the watery chaos bringing new life out of disorder. In Jesus, God’s spirit moves into the chaos of human history and reveals to us in his words and deeds a new order - a different way to live. God wants us and all of creation to be brought into this circle of love and relationship that is the essential nature of God. This is the new order. Jesus helps us to see and experience what this really looks like.

The New Year is a time of making resolutions. We can resolve today that this year we will focus on our relationship with God. - not studying about God, not thinking about God, - but being in a relationship with God...

We don’t know what this year will bring, but if we are inside God’s circle of loving relationship, if we are seeing God in our midst, whatever the year brings - we will be okay. There is nothing that can happen to us which is stronger than God’s love for us.

Let me close with one more story:

There was a little boy who went to his older sister and asked, “Can anybody ever see God?” She said, "Of course not silly. God is up in heaven where nobody can see Him." He went to his mother: "Mom, can anybody ever really see God?" "No, not really," she said. "God is a spirit and dwells in our hearts.

Not too long afterwards, he went on a fishing trip with his grandfather. They had a wonderful day. As the sun was setting, he watched his grandfather’s face reflecting such deep peace that he said, "Grandad, I wasn't going to ask anybody else, but I wonder – can anybody ever really see God?" The old man didn’t even turn his head, but answered quietly. "Grandson, it's getting so I can't see anything else."

May it get so that you can’t see anything else. In loving relationships, in personal prayer, in your service to others, in good times and in places of pain, in your home and wherever you go, may you see God everywhere. Amen