The True Light, Burning Bright

This sermon was preached at Glebe-St. James United Church on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011.  Advent Three -- our Advent Theme is Advents Flames, Burning Bright.

 

John 6-8, 19-28

The first part of this reading is worth repeating:

“John came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”

The true light.

What does this mean?

As you read the newspaper, or watch television, or listen to the radio,

                there’s no lack of people claiming to have the answers to many of the world’s problems.

Enlightenment seems to shine through many people.

So, who do we believe?

How do you figure out who has the authority to cause you to stop and listen,

                and ultimately, to influence your decisions?

I know that in my own life there are certain people who,             

                when they speak, I really listen.

As I reflect on why I would really listen, and really take what they had to say seriously,

                a few characteristics popped into my head.

The first is integrity.

If my father had a middle name, that would be it.

He is consistently consistent, if that makes any sense.

He is boringly reliable.

He is never late, always early for every hockey game, or other event in his child’s life.

When my brothers played hockey,

                we were always the first to arrive at the arena.

When he talks, he means what says and says what he means.  

He isn’t perfect, in case you’re wondering that he sounds just too good to be true.

Yet, he possesses a strong sense of self, and knows what he believes in. 

He is his own person.

So, when I think about the true light and what that means,

                the first quality is integrity.

The second is curiosity.

If my friend Sheila had a middle name, it would be curiosity.

She is always interested in everything.

She loves the arts, theatre, music, you name it.

She knows all about agriculture,

                having partnered with her husband to raise a special breed of swine.

When you walk into her presence,

                you are surrounded with this light of expectation,

                as if she is busting at the seams because she is going to learn something new.

And with her curiosity comes smiles and laughter.

She loves to find the humour in all situations,

                and to see the funny side of people, quirks and all.

So, when I think about the true light and what that means,

                the second quality is curiosity.

The third is compassion.

If my friend George had a middle name, it would be compassion.

He cares about people so much.

He’s there in your presence as soon as he finds out that you need him.

He listens, and he never judges.

He laughs with you when things are going well,

                and he cries with you when you’re sad.

He knows how to say just the right words.

He respects your choices and doesn’t try to give you advice.

He prays with you and sings with you and gives lots of free hugs.

You might know my friend, George, because he’s your minister, too.

So, when I think about the true light and what that means,

                the third quality is compassion.

The fourth quality is joy.

If my friend David had a middle name, it would be joy.

I’ve talked about him before.

He loved to cook and serve great wine, and laugh and poke fun at everyone.

He drove his Jaguar with great gusto, that is, when he wasn’t driving his farm truck.

He made sure that you knew you were the most talented person in the world.

He mentored many teachers and artists, many who have gone on to great renown.

He was the life of the party, the one who made you feel like you were the only one in the room.

When he asked you to do something, or to be part of something,

                you would never even think of saying no.

He made you eat cheesecake when you knew you shouldn’t.

His joy in small things, his exuberance in all things,

                made you always want to be around him.

So, when I think about the true light and what that means,

                the fourth quality is joy.

You probably have your own list of qualities.

Some others might be honesty, a passion for justice, a forgiving spirit, someone who is a peacemaker.

True light, for you, might include creativity, innovation, a healing presence, a seeker of beauty.

All of these qualities are important but there is one essential ingredient.

The true light, burning bright, must be in tune with God.

For all of these qualities come from God

                and are shared because God inspires them in us.

And for John, who was preparing the way for Jesus,

                a person John calls the true light,

                this person was much more than all these qualities put together.

Jesus was to be the saviour of the world.

Not in the sense of making sure that everyone gets a ticket to heaven,

but in another way.

John the Baptist is convinced that this person, this Jesus,

                would bring salvation to the world by helping everyone he met

 truly understand the nature of God.

As the son of God, he taught the way of humility, integrity,

                curiosity, compassion and joy.

He wasn’t afraid to stand up to the powers and principalities that held people back from a full life.

He had the courage and conviction of his ministry to break through

                the religious conventions that blocked people from truly knowing God.

If God longs for our healing, then don’t stop healing on the sabbath.

If God longs for reconciliation, then divorce cannot be just one-sided.

If God longs for us to value all people, then children are as important as anyone.

If God longs for all nations to sing God’s praises, then Gentiles are worthy of Jesus’ attention,

                and he’s willing to be rebuked by Samaritan woman  in order to learn that for himself.

If God longs for us to be a servant for the greater good,

then the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

If God longs for peace, then blessed is the peacemaker for he or she will inherit the earth.

The true light, burning bright, is the flame God has lit in us.

It is the sacred fire of divinity that we all possess.

We are not God, but part of a God who is so much bigger than ourselves.

And yet, during advent, we are reminded

that this Godly light can shine brightly through us towards all the world.  

When John came to testify to the light,

                he knew a man who was truly the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ.

And he wanted the world to know about him.

So he asked people to change their negative ways

 so that nothing would block them from seeing the light.

No, John wasn’t the messiah, nor Elijah, not the prophet.

John was the messenger, the herald of joy.

He wanted us to know that

this true light, burning bright, the light which enlightens everyone, is coming into the world.

Are you ready for an infant’s birth to light this sacred fire in you?

A Wild Beginning - Sermon for Advent Two

“A Wild Beginning”                          Mark 1: 1-8

by Rev. Dr. Christine Johnson

It’s a wild beginning for Jesus. 

He leaves the comfort and routine of Nazareth

 to make his way to the wilderness surrounding the Jordan River.

He meets a wild man in the shape of John the Baptist,

                who believes that repentance of sins is an important way to cleanse your soul.

But it’s not enough that you just say it, or believe it.

John says you have to be dunked in the brown water of the Jordan River

                in order to really understand that your sins are forgiven.

He wants you to go down, down, down, and die to your old life,

                so that in raising you up, you realize that forgiveness has offered you a new life.

He’s doing this, not because he’s the messiah, which is what a few people think,

                but because he’s preparing the way for the one who is the messiah.

He wants people to be ready to truly hear and understand

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

It’s a wild beginning for Jesus.

For here in this wilderness,

                he dies to his old way of life and is born into a life of teaching and healing.

He then stays in the wilderness,

                for forty days and forty nights,

                and is tested by the devil.

In the wildness of the wilderness, with the extra challenge of hunger and fear,

                he must examine his own self-understanding in order to make sure

                he doesn’t use his knowledge of God for all the wrong reasons.

In the gospel of Mark,

                Jesus comes to us as an adult.

His birth into a God-centered life comes through baptism.

This is the day he is born to fulfill the promise of his destiny.

John the Baptist becomes his herald, his messenger,

                announcing that Jesus will offer a new type of baptism,

                one in which the Holy Spirit drenches us with the water of divinity.

As many of us know,

                any type of birth is usually a pretty wild beginning.

For each one us has made a journey out of the bodies of our mothers,

                whether through the birth canal,

                or because of a surgical procedure.

And that journey involves the blood, sweat and tears of

                a thousand dreams and fears.

Whether we’re at home or in the hospital,

                the birthing process breaks open new life and possibility.

This gift of life is wondrous,

                as well as being wild:

                for when we are alone with a crying and sickly baby it can feel like we’re in a wilderness.

It’s then that our resolve to raise this child is truly tested. 

                as we examine our own self-understanding in order to make sure

                we don’t raise this child for all the wrong reasons.

This gift of life is what we celebrate in the sacrament of baptism.

And although the infant cannot speak for themselves,

                the parents vow to raise their children in the Christian way.

And we, as the community in which this has happened,

                vow to support the parents in that task.

All of us together make these vows because

the gift of life, as beautiful and precious as it can be,

includes the pain and suffering and desolatiion of wilderness moments.

It’s an ongoing process of delight and discovery, of fear and foreboding.

And once you’ve given birth it never ends.

Just last week, I received an upsetting call

                when I found out that my eldest son, Nathan,

                had been assaulted in a Toronto subway.

Someone wanted the book he was holding

                and when Nathan tried to explain that it was a library book,

                the man punched him three times in the head,

                breaking his glasses in the process.

I was glad it was Nathan who called me because I knew he was okay.

But, still my heart sank, and my 24-year-old suddenly became the infant I held for the first time.

So that is why we raise our children in the Christian way.

The Christian way doesn’t prevent bad things from happening,

                and it doesn’t shield us from disease or pain,

                but it does help us to deal with whatever challenges come our way.

The Christian way gives us a set of values by which we live.

It helps us to negotiate the hills and valleys of life.

But what is the Christian way?

The Christian way is the way of hope, peace, joy and love.

It values forgiveness over vengeance.

It values reconciliation over estrangement.

It values the need for choosing a way of healing,

                when resentment and anger tear you apart.

It values the beauty and sanctity of life,

                and calls us to take care of the earth and each other.

It values the stories of Jesus,

                and helps us to always be ready to hear new insights.

But lest we get into the mindset of a pastoral scene,

                in which only wonder and peace exist,

remember this passage from the gospel of Mark.

For it is in the wildness of the wilderness of the valley of the Jordan River

                that it all begins.

Many people from Jerusalem and Judea traveled here as well,

out of their way, out of the routine of their own lives 

                so that they could confront their way of life.

And it’s the same journey we need to take.

The Christian way demands that we risk ourselves in the service of God,

                and others.

For the sake of all the children of the world,

                whether young or old,

                we want them to know the peace and joy that we know.

That’s why we go into war zones, even if we’re peace lovers.

That’s why we raise money for countries that are going through famine.

That’s why we study for years and years to be able to do an obscure medical procedure,

                so that someday somewhere someone might be healed because of it.

That’s why we try to understand climate change,

                so that weather events won’t alter the world as we know it,

                or if they do, we’ll be able to respond to them.

That’s why we engage in the political process,

                and march in protests,

                and camp out in tents,

                because we believe we have the right to express our opinion.

In all our attempts to create the perfect lives,

                don’t forget the wild side of the Christian way.

There’s just too much injustice in this world for us to become complacent.

There’s just too much pain for us to turn a blind eye.

Our passion for others is the advent light which burns brightly in our souls.

It’s that determination that drives us to give to others what we have first been given.

Our baptism is our initiation into this Christian way.

And believe me, its wild beginning is only a foretaste of what’s to come.

For the birth of Jesus means we have not only been baptized with water,

                but also with the Holy Spirit.

And with the Spirit, our flame can never be extinguished.

The Big Picture -- A Sermon

Sermon

Glebe-St. James United Church

Oct. 23, 2011

“The Big Picture”

By Rev. Dr. Christine Johnson

I wish that we didn’t need a stewardship campaign.

I wish that we understood the deep meaning of the word “stewardship”

           so that our contributions, both financial and in terms of our time and talents,

would pour out freely as a natural consequence of our faith in God.

If that was the case, I’m sure that we’d have more than enough in our budget

for what we are called to do in this ministry.

Now, what do I mean by this statement?

Doug Hall, in his book “The Steward: A Biblical Image Come of Age”,

describes the Old Testament meaning of the word steward.

He describes the steward as an extraordinary servant,

one who does more than take orders.

It is a supervisory role that makes decisions, gives orders, and takes charge.

A steward is a manager of what belongs to another,

usually royalty or a ruler in the biblical context.

A steward is so closely identified with the owner's interests

 that he (always male in the biblical situation)

 is a full representative or deputy of the master,

making decisions on behalf of the owner, without consulting others.

It is a significant position,

presuming great trust on the part of the owner.

A Steward is NOT the master or owner and therefore is accountable to the master/owner;

yet the Steward is given a vocation to fulfil and the wherewithal to fulfil it,

and therefore has responsibility.

If we adopt this Biblical image of Steward,

            then we are responsible for taking care of what God has given to us.

And we need to be reminded we are not the owner.

From a faith perspective, we own nothing.

We are here for a short period of time on this earth in order to care for creation.

Now, let’s look at what we’ve been given.

First of all, the greatest gift is life,

            and all the things that sustain life...air, water, sunshine, food.

We’ve been given companions on the journey... parents, spouses, children, friends.

We’ve been given the materials to make everything from houses to ipads.

We’ve been given knowledge, judgement, introspection and imagination.

Yet, rarely do we stop and realize these are pure gift,

and offer thanks for them.

In fact, often we’re sullen and ungrateful, because we feel we’re entitled to more.

Why does this happen?

Why are we so darn cranky sometimes?

When these feelings creep in,

there’s a disconnect between reality and perception,

            a disconnect between understanding our role as trustee rather than owner.

This is the position that Moses finds himself in.

He leads his people from slavery to freedom,

            but he knows that he is not to enjoy the fruits of his labours.

His whole mission has been to lead his people to the promised land,

            but he will not get there himself.

He is a trustee of God’s purposes,

            not the originator or ultimately, the possessor.

In the wanderings in the desert,

            the Hebrew people have been totally dependent on the free gifts of God.

They have had no safety net.

There is no slush fund.

From that mountain top, Moses sees the bigger picture.

He sees the future of his people and it is bright.

They will be entering a land of milk and honey,

            no longer dependent on daily manna.

This people, who have known scarcity and hard times,

            have been given a path to their greatest dreams.

And yet, like us, they are cranky too!!

But Moses, their leader, knows that they will get where they need to go.

And it’s okay that he will not be there with them.

For his job is done.

He gets a glimpse of the promised land, but knows his feet won’t touch its soil.

But that doesn’t stop him from his mission.

He keeps on keeping on.

He still puts one foot in front of the other until the day he is buried.

Nothing will stop Moses from seeing the bigger picture,

            and like a true Steward, he takes his responsibility like an adult.

Many church commentators are saying that the future of the church is bleak.

They are predicting that most of our church buildings will need to be sold

            over the next 20 years.

Christians, they say, will have to give up their big buildings

            and worship in small groups, possibly in houses or other rented accommodation.

Some contemporary Christian prophets are saying this will be a good thing.

Some say that the church triumphal was never where Jesus wanted us to be.

And so they look forward to that humiliation with expectation. 

I see things a bit differently.

They may be right but it would be a crying shame.

For faithful people built this church and this community for us,

            and we in turn have the trusteeship of this building for a future we won’t see.

If we squander this gift, what does that say about this cranky generation?

In one of the richest communities in Ottawa,

            in one of the richest countries in the world,

            we have to nickel and dime every decision we make.

What is the disconnect?

We don’t want to steward what God has given us,

            we want to hoard it thinking that we’re the owners.

As your spiritual leader,

            I would say that this attitude is sinful.

According to Doug Hall,

            “Sin is not a category of morality

 but a distortion of being that is the consequence of distrust.”

If our lives are built on mistrust,

            then we won’t be able to be generous.

And without a generosity of spirit,

            in both our day to day life and in our financial budget,

            then we are not taking responsibility for the earth God gave us.

I still wish that we didn’t need a Stewardship campaign.

I wish that we were able,

            based on our income and life circumstances,

            to put God first.

I wish we were able to tithe and to make a difference in the world

            by putting this figure as the first item of our budget.

That simple act requires a huge shift in our faith and understanding of God

            and our understanding of ourselves as stewards.

As one financial guru put it,

            “We should give ten percent to God, ten percent to savings,

and be able to live on 80 per cent of our givings.”

But, in a consumer society, we want instant gratification.

Our national debt load is frightening.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

The disparity between the wealthiest 1 per cent, who own more than 94 per cent of us,

            is the subject of the “occupy” protests.

According to Doug Hall,

            there is nothing more spiritual than the way we choose to spend our nickels and dimes.

I have to say that I tend to be a glass half full kind of person,

            but I’m frightened about the world economy.

As a citizen of the earth, I can’t keep living beyond my means.

The first world has taken more of its share of the riches of this world

            and there might someday be a reckoning.

The occupy protests are trying to point to the disparities that our economic system has created.

But what does all this mean for us, at Glebe-St. James?

As stewards with responsibility,

            we can begin with our own budgets and our own resources.

We can decide to accept the gift given to us by God,

            and stewarded by the foremothers and forefathers of this church.

We can give generously out of our abundance so that the gift is not squandered.

If you don’t care about your faith and your faith community, rip up the pledge form.

But if you care, if you really really care about the future of this church community,

            then put your tithe first, your savings second, and live within your means.

This spirit of generosity and gratefulness will not only transform our ability to do ministry,

            it will transform your heart and your relationship to God.

You will become a Big Picture Christian,

            a faithful person who puts their own self-interest second to God’s purposes.

And in that moment, you will truly understand what it is

            to love God with your whole Heart, and Soul and Mind.