Annual Meeting Aftermath

Well, the meeting went better than the I had anticipated.  Of course, the "interesting members" were not there.  I guess this is a blessing.  It was also nice having the observer from the Bishop's office there.  She is a great person and I think she did help to keep things in line.

I have one board member, a friend of the former secretary, who was not at the Annual Meeting.  The observer from the Bishop's office, was not happy and was about to remove here right then.  I am going to contact the person to see what is happening,  We may have one more person leaving the congregation.  Hopefully, at this point, the major poison will be moving out of the system.

Epiphany 4 A

Readings for this Sunday

If you remember last week, we were talking about how each of us, with our various thought, feelings, and life experiences can come together and be of one mind and of one purpose. And we also spoke of how we could maintain our Christian identity and still disagree with each other; how we could disagree without being disagreeable. We discussed this and hopefully started to see how we could bring our gifts and our talents to God and trust in God to use them to spread God’s light and love to the world.


In today’s epistle reading, Paul continues the discussion on how to be a Christian in the world. Last week, Paul asks us to be of one mind, and this week he helps us to understand the challenges we have when we bring our message to the world. Paul tells us that the message of Christ is going to sound very different than the message we hear from the world. In fact the message of Christ is going to sound like foolishness.

In our world, I don’t think it would be a surprise if I were to say that when we are allowed to our own devices, we will usually take the path of least resistance. In fact, there is an adage in psychology that says to change a behavior, find an easier way to get the reward. Why is gambling so popular? If we can win money, it is much easier than earning it! It is easier to do drive though than to cook it ourselves. For the most part, we usually look for the easiest way to do things.

And although we so often follow the path of least resistance, we know that the path of least resistance is not often the best way. Quite frankly, the path of least resistance can be very unfulfilling. We have an interstate highway system that can quickly get us from here to there, but in flying along through the countryside, we miss the little towns and the Giant Balls of Twine. When we fly from one place to another, we get there in hours instead of days but we also miss the mountain passes and the roadside artisans. Sure, we have gained something, we are getting to where we are going more quickly, but I also have to believe that we are losing something.

But Paul tells us that God wants something more of us. God wants us to have a full life, not just an easy life. And truly, when we compare the words of Paul to the world, the way of Christianity certainly does look foolishness. And Jesus fleshes out this foolishness in the gospel reading for today. We are supposed to give to the poor instead of keeping everything for ourselves. We are supposed to work toward peace instead of immediately going to war. We are supposed to speak the truth instead of just following the crowd. We are to risk the anger of the crowd in order to speak truth to those in power.

Our world would tell us that we need to look out for ourselves first, but Christ would have us look to the care of our family, friends, neighbors, and community. Jesus is telling us to take the harder path in life. Jesus is NOT saying that easier is better. Jesus is telling his followers, and that would include you and me, that we need to be looking for the better way. And again, this better way is often not the easier way.

When we forget that we are people on a journey, I think we lose a lot. So often we get so caught up in our arrival that we forget to stop and look at the scenery along the way. We get so caught up in looking to our afterlife in Heaven that we forget to look at the world that surrounds us. We get so caught up in the though of living with the angels that we forget to attend to the saints that surround us.

This kind of thing always reminds me of one of those trite saying that used to get passed around the internet: Today is a gift; that is why it is called the “present.” We have been given today as a gift and we are to make the most of the gift we have been given. But quite often, to get the most out of the gift, we need to put some work into it. To enjoy books, we need to learn to read. To enjoy friendships, we need to cultivate a friendly attitude. To enjoy the view from the mountain top, we need to climb the mountain! I guess we could listen to the book on cd or have a helicopter drop us off on the mountain top, but there is something in working achieve the end that brings us greater pleasure than if the end is just placed in our lap. In some ways, the struggle to achieve the results is part of the gift.

I once had a piano instructor who kept nagging me about practicing. He said that even if he could give me a pill that would allow me to play the Bach Inventions flawlessly, he would not give it to me. He said that the beauty of the music does not come from the flawless execution, but from the work that goes into its preparation. It is not the ease that makes the music beautiful, but the work and the insight that comes from the work.

So, too, with life. God knows that if we are to follow the way that is easy, we may have something, but that something in not going to be very beautiful. If we follow the way that is the easiest, we will have a life, but we will not really be living. If we follow the way that the world tells us, we will get from birth to death, but it will be a pretty lonely trip.

As we look toward our future together as a congregation, what are we looking toward? What are we hoping for? Are we looking for the easiest ways to do things or are we looking for the ways that will bring depth and beauty? Are we looking for ways that will just allow us to live or are we looking for ways to thrive? As we contemplate our future as God’s people, what is God asking of us?

Are we content with the easy way or are we willing to trust in God and try what the world may call foolish? Are we willing to just sit in the valley and think ourselves safe or are we willing to risk climbing to the top of the mountain and seeing what might on the other side? Are we content to isolate ourselves from those around us or are we willing to do the work of reaching out, engaging the community around us, knowing that in reaching out we may be hurt? Are we content to grab that which is within reach, knowing that we find the sweetest fruit higher up on the tree?

I will be truthful with you: This is not the easiest to do. This is not what the world would tell us. The world would have us go for the sure-fire pay-off and the safe investments. But our God and our faith is not here to approve of every aspect our lives; our God and our faith is here to challenge us to be more than we ever dreamed. Just like a coach is going to challenge the couch potatoes, our God wants more for us than just the path of least resistance. God wants us to experience more than just the usual. God created this wonderful world for us to experience and enjoy. God created this wonderful world for us to go out and share. God wants us to see the views from the mountain tops! God wants us to be part of the variety and wonder that is our world! God is challenging us to be more than just a little church across from a high-school.

Yes, God’s ways are foolishness to the world. And to those who don’t understand, it may appear to be a waste. But God calls us away from the world, not to make us appear foolish, but to give us a greater gift than the world can ever give. The world can give fame and money, but God gives us love, peace, and forgiveness. These are things that can never be bought. These are only gifts that can be given. And these are the gifts that God calls us to share with each other and our world.

So, What's Been Happening Here?

Well, tomorrow should be interesting.

It is the Annual Meeting.  I am not sure what is going to happen.  I am hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

In preparation, I have an observer from the Bishop's office coming.  Hopefully people will more likely be on their best behavior if we have "company."  I just hope that people will not get nutzo.

As I said before, I sent out  a "play nice or leave" letter.  It was a good letter if I do say so, myself.  I did tell them that I was not kicking them out, but they would need to change their behavior.  I got a letter for the Former Secretary telling me that the letter was hateful and she cannot understand why I am making mountains out of mole hills, that my attitude is what is toxic, and that speaking to my colleagues and finding out about the history of the congregation is rumor-mongering.  She still claims utter innocence on any of this.

I know that I am probably over reacting to this, but it is what it is.  I know that it is a catastrophic response, and I am taking the drugs that I need to take.  But I still am of the assumption that something needs to change here (and quickly!) or I need to go.  When I have extreme abdominal pain and I actually get excited because if I am in the hospital I don't have to deal with the Annual Meeting, I think this is very telling.  So either I need therapy, the congregation needs therapy, or most likely, we both need therapy.

I am actually planning on doing a preemptive strike by addressing the letter to the Former Secretary and the rumors she has been spreading that I kicked them out.  Hopefully by bringing it up first, it will defuse any plans they had.  I hate speaking like I am going to battle, but that is how it feels.

Maybe I should also keep with my initial plan and have a letter of resignation ready, just in case.

Eleven Months Until Christmas!

Being of one mind. Epiphany 3A

NOTE:  I really had a hard time with this one.  I think it may be too close to what is happening in the congregation.

Ok, we have a problem with the epistle reading for today.  How are we all supposed to be of the same mind and the same purpose without becoming carbon copies of each other?  Isn’t that what we think of when we hear this?  Doesn’t it sound like, if we want to be of the same mind, then we all need to agree on everything, right?  And I don’t know about you, but I find the concept of having to agree on everything to be totally undoable.  So if we want to be of the same mind and the same purpose, what does that mean?

I think the first thing to do is to talk about what it is not.  Being of the same mind is not just turning over and agreeing about everything.  Can you imagine how boring that would be!  It is not having an opinion or just biting our lips and saying nothing.  We have God-given brains and God-given intellects.  We each have a unique set of experiences and have gifts and lessons we have learned from these experiences.  We have a life time of experiences that God has given to each of us to build up the church, the world, and each other.  With all the experience that is gathered just in this room, it would be a shame to force everyone to agree on everything and to force everyone to have the exact same attitude about everything that happens.

If we are forced to see everything the same way, we lose the depth of experience we have in the world.  When we restrict the list of acceptable thoughts and feelings to a select few, we lose the emotional color that makes our world the wonderful gift that it is.  Our God created so many thoughts, so many feelings, so many experiences; to say that we all must agree on a select few to be of the same mind is to ignore the great gifts that God has placed in our midst.

So we all are not supposed to have the same thoughts, we are not all supposed to be in lock-step.  So what dose it mean to be of the same mind?  What does it mean to not be divided?

I think the problem with this, for us, is we seem to think that either you agree with us or you are an enemy.  Just look at the world right now.  If we were to pay attention to the news broadcasters, it would appear that the only people we can ever live with are people who think the same way we do.  We can only function with people who have the exact same thoughts and feelings as we do.  Everyone must agree with us.  And if somebody does not agree with us, then that person is not just evil, but Hitler and the Anti-Christ rolled into one.  In our world today, there is no room for any kind of civil discourse; it is an all or nothing proposition.  Either you agree, or you are evil; that is it, cut and dried.  And unfortunately, I think this “all or nothing” thinking spills over into our functioning as the church.

We can see this in the split between the fundamentalist churches and the more main-line churches.  We each take the view that our way of seeing God and understanding God is the only way.  If someone else has a different view, it is often written off.  Some may say that the people are just religious freaks, but others will often go so far as to say that groups are being used by Satan to spread evil.  As Christians, we should be looking for ways to be of one mind, to be united.  We should be looking for ways to see the best in the actions of those around us.  Being of one mind does not mean that we have to agree with everyone on every point, but it does mean that even were we do disagree, we do it with love and compassion.

I think to be of one mind, we need to truly rely on God.  We need to be able to give our egos over to God and allow God to stir our thoughts, our words, and our actions.  To be of one mind, we need to ask God to give us the words we need to say, but also give us the insight to see where we need to be quite and listen.  We need to add our part when it is necessary, but we also need to be open to learning when we encounter a teacher.  And then we also need to trust that God will guide us through the whole process.

When I think about being of one mind, I always think of Brenda.  I think I may have told you about Brenda, but I will refresh your memory:

The thing that I loved about Brenda is that she trusted God and she trusted the system.  She said what she needed to say, but then, in the end, trusted that God would work through the council and do what needed to be done.  She said that after the choice had been made, to keep trying to force her will on the situation was not to act in a Christian manner.

It is not that we can’t have a conflicting point of view, it is how we go about expressing that point of view.  Often a conflicting point of view can make the entire project better.  A conflicting point of view can point out downfalls that may have been overlooked.  A different point of view can enhance what is already in process.  To disagree does not mean that we are not of one mind.  To disagree may just mean that we have different ideas of how to achieve our goals.

When we act as Paul tells and work with the same mind and to the same purpose, we can truly do the work of God.  We are called to bring our gifts and talents to the table, but then we are to finally trust that the Holy Spirit will work in the process.  How this process ends up looking may be way different than what we originally had in mind.  (I was supposed to have a large church in southern California by now!)  But we need to trust that if we continue to work in faith, that God will prevail.  If we are of the same mind, we can approach our disagreements without being disagreeable.

So often I think our ego gets in the way.  We become too invested in “looking good” instead of doing what is good for God.  We want the recognition, we want the glory.  We get caught up in those things that the world tells us is important.  We look for ways to make sure that we are recognized.

Now, being recognized is a pleasant feeling, but it is only a passing thing.  What we are to do as Christians is to work to see that the Word of God is spread throughout the world.  We do what we can, we say what we feel we must, and then we join together and go out into the world.  We add our part and then trust that the Holy Spirit will move us to the places where we need to go.

Is this easy to do?  No.  But it is part of our calling as Christians.  It is part of how we show Christ’s love to the world.  It is part of our humility in being able to admit that we don’t know everything that is going on.  In being of one mind, we are giving the best that we have for the good of God, and then trusting in God to use us to bring God glory.  

I Should Feel Happy

But I don't.

I got a resignation letter from the Husband of the Former Secretary resigning from the council.  Now I don't know if this means resignation from the congregation also. 

I just hope that they will be able to find someplace that will not have as many problems.  I hope they will be able to find a place where they can be part of a community and not be so angry over what has happened previously.

As I said, I should feel happy, but I am not.  But I do hope this is the beginning of the end.

Come and See

Epiphany 2 Year A             John 1:29-42              January 16, 2010    The Rev.Benton Quest

In today’s gospel lesson, we have one of the great tools of evangelism: it is not very hard and we can all do it.  This tool of evangelism is the simple words of Jesus, “Come and see.”  This is the invitation that Jesus gives in the time of the Bible, it is also the invitation that Jesus used to draw his followers to him and it is still as applicable to us today as it was all those years ago.

When we think about this invitation, we first need to ask ourselves, “Who is it that offered the invitation to ‘Come and see’”?  Well, that is a fairly easy one; it was Jesus, the Master, the Teacher, and the Messiah.  Jesus made this invitation, but it was not only made to John’s followers, Jesus has made this invitation to believers down through the ages.  Jesus invites all believers, and that would include you and me, to “Come and see.”  “Come and see” where life in Christ can and will lead you.  “Come and see” the miracles that Jesus will do in and through you.”  “Come and see” where a journey, undertaken in faith, can and will lead.  Jesus calls John’s followers, and calls all of us, all Christians, to “come and see.”

Since we now know who is making this invitation, the next question would have to be, “To whom was the invitation offered?”  Well, it was offered to two disciples of John, people who were seeking the truth.  Jesus was not offended that John or his followers did not “get” who they were talking to.  Jesus just saw the men before him.  Jesus saw the men, invited the men, called the men to be a part the greatest ministry in all of history.  Jesus invited these simple men.  Jesus gave this invitation to those who was not of high rank or noble birth.  Jesus gave this invitation and this invitation rings down through the ages to us.  Simple as we are; skeptical, doubtful, sinful, and rough around the edges as we are; Jesus sees beyond the here and now of our lives and sees our future; our future in his love and presence.  Jesus called out to John’s disciples, and Jesus calls to us.  Calls us all, just as we are.

If we continue to think about this phrase, “Come and see”, I would hope we would begin to wonder how it applies to each of us as people.  Do we respond to the invitation; opening ourselves to the amazing things that God is doing in our midst and in the world?  Do we really “come and see” or do we stand back and wait?  Do we keep our eyes, ears, and minds open to the possibilities that can be found in Christ?  Or do get so wrapped up in the ordinary everyday world?  Do we lose sight of the possibilities and power that has been promised to each of us just by responding to Jesus’ invitation to “Come and see”?  Or do we only look to the creation that surrounds us and forget about looking to the creator?

As a congregation whose founding call was to be in mission and to keep putting that invitation to come and see the love of Christ in action; how are doing?  Do we offer the invitation only to certain people?  Are we selective?  Do we look for people who think, or act, or look, or believe, or worship like us?  Or do we look beyond the moment, beyond the outward and worldly appearances?  Do we see the presence of Christ and that potential in everyone we encounter?  Or do we only look to see how someone can be of greatest use to us?

If we are selective in offering the invitation, then we are not understanding the ministry and teaching of Christ.  If we are only reaching out to those certain few, then we need to recommit ourselves to reaching the lost, the hurting, the hungry, the disenfranchised, the “outsider”.  There is room on this journey and at Christ’s table not for a select few, but for everyone. 

Imagine if someone in your past had been selective in offering the invitation --- would you be here?  Would you be on this journey with Christ?  I’m not sure if I would be; but I encountered people like Bishop Gibbs and others who invited me to “come and see.”  I encountered people who continued to walk with me and did not cast me out when it was discovered that I was something less than perfect.  I found people, who like Jesus, were able to look beyond the simple skeptic and see the potential that lives within.

But there is another question that still needs to be asked:  Just what was Jesus inviting John’s followers to “come and see?”  What great thing did Jesus have for the disciples that would be worth them turning their whole live upside-down for?  We are never told.  We are told that they came and they stayed with Jesus, but that is all.

If we extend the invitation for someone to “come and see” what is here at St. Swithin's, what will they find?  Will they find life as usual?  Or will they find something beyond what their previous life could have prepared them for?  Will they find the tried and the comfortable?  Or will they find the exciting and the energizing?  If we invite people to come and see, will what they find here be worth the trip?  If we invite people to come and see, will people find a love that will change their lives or will they find a social club?

As I hope you do, I find the love of Christ to be inspiring and life giving.  But for many people, Sunday worship is just another chore in a long list of things that are demanding of a person’s time.  Worship becomes something that saps life instead of restores life.  If we want to invite people to come and see, then we need to be sure that when they get here, they can find the love that Christ is all about.

The easiest way to do that?  Daily step out and look at the world with the eyes of faith.  Trust in the journey that is set before you.  Coming and seeing is not a one time event, it is something that continues throughout our lives.  And if the journey seems to be troubling, continue on knowing that God will not abandon you.  Share the good things you have seen in Christ with those around you.  If you can’t find any good thing that you have in Christ, ask God to open your eyes; they are there, it is just that sometimes we have become blinded by the world.  And always know that Christ doesn’t call the prepared, Christ prepares the called.  And part of that preparation is the call Christ give which brings you here, to the table, to be fed, nurtured, and energized.

Christ’s table is a big table!  Big enough for all to attend.  If you are feeling lost, then please, come to the table and see.  Come and see the love that is there.  And if you know someone who needs to hear the good news, then invite them to the table, invite them to come and see! 

Come and see, that is the call that is given to us, and that is the call we are to spread to the world.  Come and see, a life beyond anything the world can promise.

Nick's Santa for 2010

Even though it took into 2011 to get it to him!  But here it is, only seven more and the collection will be complete!

The Letter Has Been Sent

Well, the letter has been sent.  What letter you may ask?  The letter that is going out to the Former Secretary and her husband.  The letter that says, "Play nice or go somewhere else."  I am so tired of it all and just want it to go away.  I know I should just "let it all go" but I have some difficulty in doing that.

What I hate is this just hangs on me and it tires me out to keep putting up the "happy face."  But when I do let my guard down, I become a one-trick pony; I even bore myself.  But putting on the false face makes me tired and crabby.  I really don't like myself when I get this way.  I just hope we can get this thing moving in a good way.

But the letter went out yesterday.  It should have landed in the mail box either today or tomorrow.  I am sure it will "go viral" some time soon after that.  What I am leery about it the board meeting on Sunday.  I will make it a point that we are not going to discuss the letter at the meeting and we are not going to discuss the person who has already quit at the meeting.

More Late Night Thoughts

Actually, as of late, it seems like I have been sleeping less and futzing more.  To fall asleep after midnight is becoming more and more common.

I have gotten a letter written and approved by the Bishop, but I am constantly second guessing myself as to whether I should send it or not.  I really am not one who likes to cause problems and I am afraid that this letter is going to cause a BIG problem.  I am basically telling the Former Secretary to get on board or to leave.  I am concerned also for her husband because he can actually be nice at times.  He is also the reason people gave for why they are members of the church.  Just to boot him out is not a good thing.  And even though I tell them that I am not kicking them out of the congregation, I am afraid that is how it is going to be seen.

But to have them stay and undermine anything that I try to do is not ok either.

I just want to move to Montana and have a studio out in the woods where I can make stained glass and have naked soaks in the hot springs.

New Year Check-in

Well, I know I haven't been too good about blogging.  I really didn't want to be whining all the time.  Things here in St. Swithin's Land have been pretty intense.  I just love getting hate mail and having false accusations thrown around.  I love it when the Bishop says we need to get over our differences and then the moment he walks out the door having two board members start attacking.  Even after the Bishop told the board that they were NOT my boss, the attacks continued.

Now we have the situation where one of the board members complained during the entire Christmas Eve service that it was not being done right and that we were not singing the right songs and all of this should have been planned weeks before...only to find that she left a resignation letter in my mail box.  If she was going to quit, why complain?  I have a degree in psych and I still don't get it.

The Bishop also told people that the Ministry Review was NOT a review of me.  But certain people kept saying that according to the contract, there needed to be a review.  Even after the Bishop said that he was my boss and he would decide when a review was needed, there was still argument that it was in the contract so it needed to occur.  (Again, the review IS for the congregation and the ministry of the congregation, not a review of me.)

What I find interesting is that the contract also says that I am supposed to get a physical every year, that they pay for, and I am supposed to get $500 for supplies that they are to pay for.  These points of the contract have conveniently ignored.

My anger with this situation is the selective reading of the contract:  when it suits them, they pick over it with a fine tooth comb; when it will cost them money, they conveniently ignore things.  Also, the Bishop said, "The contract is with me, not Fr. Ben.  If you have problems, contact me." (He is the first signature on it.)

So it has been a wonderful Christmas.  I am so ready to just walk away from the whole thing.  I find myself getting angry and easily irritated.  This is not fair to Nick at all.

A letter has been written which basically say to one couple in particular, "Your childish behavior needs to stop."  We will see how that goes over.  Probably like a fart in church.

Happy New Year!

Wishing all my blog friends, and anyone else for that matter, a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year!

You've always wanted to know!

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Christmas Eve Sermon

This is a rerun from last year, but I really like it. 

Where you see (Start Music Here), imagine Mannheim Steamroller's Stille Nacht playing.

I find this time of year to be very interesting.  We seem to spend so much time and effort preparing for Christmas, but by the time Christmas gets here, all we can do is cheer that it is over.  Christmas seems like a race, doesn’t it?  We rush to the stores on the morning after Thanksgiving to get all the sales.  We rush from party to party.  We rush to visit family and then we rush home to prepare for the people who are rushing to visit us.  In all the chaos, I am glad you found your way here to worship this evening!

Really, I am not here to try to make you feel bad:  We have the talk shows and commercials to do that for us.  What I am here to do is to tell you that there can be something different than all the hustle and bustle.  There is a different world out there just waiting for us!  The problem is that in our haste, we so often miss this other world, a world that is right under our noses.  Maybe this is one of the dangers of living in a blessed society; (and even with the economic situation we find ourselves, we are REALLY blessed!) we are so surrounded by so much blessing that we often fail to notice the blessings.

So tonight, I invite you to slow down and enjoy the peace and rest that is Christmas Eve.

There is a certain peace when it is snowing.  The snow seems to absorb all the sound and all you hear is the light fall of snow on the trees.  As you stand there, listening, you feel the slight tickle of snow on your nose.  This tickle is not unpleasant, but it does remind you that it is getting a little cold out, so you begin to walk.

As you are walking, the snow becomes heavier.  It is now also getting colder, so you begin to walk a little faster.  The snow continues to fall and it is hard to tell which direction to go.  Things are not familiar.  Although you do not know where you are going, you know it is better to keep moving than to stop.  So you trust and keep on walking.

Up ahead, you see a faint light; at least you think it is a light.  You walk toward the light in the hopes that is may be a house or at least a campfire.  As you approach, the light continues to grow brighter and brighter.  The glow is warm and twinkles off the falling snow, each flake bursting into a rainbow as it flutters by.  You continue to approach the light and it becomes brighter and brighter.  Soon it is almost blinding in its brightness, but strangely, it does not hurt your eyes.  As you approach, you begin to notice that the night is not quite as cold.  – As you enter a clearing, you assume the light and the snow must be playing tricks with your eyes because in front of you stands a great choir of angels!  They gleam with a warm and glistening light.  As you approach, you hear them singing!  They are singing, “Glory to God in the Highest!  And on Earth, peace to all of good will!”

THE FEELING HERE IS WONDERFUL!  You don’t want to go anywhere!  You just want to stay here and enjoy this wonderful light.  You just want to stay here and enjoy the music and the warmth!  You just want to stay here and be at peace.  But the angels are now telling you to go!  There is something even more wonderful to be found!  All you need to do is open your eyes and stay awake, the way will be shown to you.

And with that, the angels disappear.  The light, the warmth, it is gone.  The angels disappear and you are left standing in the snow.

The snow seems to be even heavier now, and after standing in the glow of the angels, the night seems all the more dark.  You stand in the snow, not quite sure what has happened.  But you realize that you have to do something as your toes begin to grow numb.

So you start walking.  You are completely disoriented and are not sure where you are going.  But you need to keep moving, and as you move, you begin to become warmer.  And as you move, you begin to see another light ahead of you.  At first it seems rather low to the horizon; you hope that is may be a home where you will be able to find shelter for the night.  You begin walking more quickly toward the light.  As you walk, you notice the becoming brighter and brighter.  But you also notice something else; as you move toward the light, the light begins to move higher and higher in the sky.  By this time, although the snow is getting deeper, your curiosity gets the better of you and you keep trudging along.

Ahead of you, you notice a village.  It seems the light you have been following has stopped over the village.  Although this seems strange to you just about everything that has happened this night has been strange.  You look down at the village.  Other than the light in the sky over the village, nothing else seems to be out of place.  But wait!  Out of the corner of your eye, you see it.  People!  People are coming toward the village form all directions.

As you stand there, looking, you notice that the snow has stopped.  You look up and notice the clouds have departed and the sky is clear.  Now you can see the source of the light that has been leading you.  What you have been following thorough the dark and cold of the night was a star!  O, what a star!  A star so bright that it could cut through the darkest, coldest night.  A star that has led you through the woods and now stands over the small village ahead of you.

You notice the people walking toward the village.  People are coming from all directions.  They, too, are looking toward the star!  They, too, are walking through the snow, following the light of the star.  Seeing the people pass beside you reminds you that you have stopped moving when you looked down to the village.  And as you stand there looking, you notice a chill run through you.  This chill seems even deeper now that the clouds are gone.  Or is the chill deeper because you know there is a warm village ahead?  In either case, you blow into your hands to warm them, and once again start moving toward the village.

As you get nearer and nearer the village, the light from the star grows brighter and brighter.  You notice more people approaching.  You cannot make out who they are, but you see them traveling in ones and twos or in small clusters.  They all seem drawn to the star and to the light.  You wonder if they have seen the angels too.  You hope they have so they, too, could have experienced that wondrous warmth, glow, and peace.

Now the wind is picking up and you feel it ripping through your clothes.  The air is cold on your skin but the light of the star seems to warm you from within.

You wander through the streets of the village.  Everything seems closed, locked for the evening.  None of the people of the village can be seen.  Maybe they are afraid of all the people streaming into their village.  You stop and look but all the houses are closed up tight against the wind.  You begin to move again.  Your heart burns within you but it is getting harder to keep your feet from becoming numb.  You need to find a place to seek shelter against the wind and cold.  You are getting desperate.  Whenever you stop, the cold sinks into your bones.  Blowing on your hands no longer works.  You need to find shelter from the cold world surrounding you.

You look down the road and see a barn.  The light of the star seems to be shining down on this spot.  The star!  Why have you stopped following the star?  You see the people gathering around this barn.  Although there are people standing by the door, a warm light spills out onto the snow. 

(Start Music Here)

You begin to run toward the barn and the warmth that must be there!  So many people must be seeking warmth against the cold of this dark night.  All the other places are boarded against them; this is the only place that is warm and welcoming.  As you run toward the barn, you begin to see the people gathered more clearly.  They are not quite the people you expect; they are the poor.  They are the homeless.  They are the lost.  For all of these people to be gathered here, it must be a very welcoming place.

As you approach, the people gently back away and allow you to pass.  You can feel the warmth of the barn and you can smell all those good, “earthy” smells of the hay and the animals.  And after the cold of the world outside, this warm world feels safe and welcoming.  You take a deep warming breath and feel the cold and stress slip away.  The warmth and light of this special place surrounds you and a profound peace sinks into your bones.  You close your eyes and relax.  With the chill gone from your body, you realize how truly cold you were.  But now, in this place, that is all just a sad memory.

When you open your eyes, you see something quite unexpected.  You see a young family.  There is the father, and the mother, and a very tiny baby.  The baby is so small and so fragile; he can’t be very old at all.  You cautiously walk toward the family but then you hesitate.  You wonder if you are welcome.  Dare you enter into the peace and joy you see before you?  Dare you disturb this moment, disturb these people?  You stand wondering what to do when the mother beckons you forward.

It is remarkably still in the barn.

You cautiously walk up to where the mother has placed the baby.  There was no proper place for the mother to lay the baby, so she gently placed him in a manger filled with straw.

You look down and see a tiny face.  Such a small face, such a fragile face.  But in that tiny, little face, all you can feel is love and acceptance.  As you look into that tiny, wonderful face, you realize you are no longer cold.  As you look into that tiny, miraculous face, you wonder how you could have EVER been cold.  As you look at that tiny, beautiful face, you realize you need never be cold again.  All the chill in your body had left.  All you can feel is an indescribable warmth.  All you want to do is stand there and stare.  How can one so small impart so much love and warmth?

Now you remember; there are others here, yes, but there are more who are boarded up in their homes!  Everyone should feel this love!  This love, this peace, THIS WARMTH is something to be spread to the whole world!

You look to the mother and you ask, “May I go and tell others about your wonderful son?”

She looks at you and smiles.  Her smile fills you with an unexplainable warmth.  She says, “That is why you have been brought here.  You have been chosen to receive this great love not to keep it to yourself, but to spread it to others!  Go!  Run as fast as you can!  Tell the world of the miracle you have found here!”

You turn and run out of the barn.  You feel more joy than you can ever explain.  You have been chosen to receive this great love and to spread this love to others!  As you run through the night, you realize that the warmth you felt when looking at the child stays with you.  The light of the moon lights your way and the love of the Christ child burns in your heart.

This is the joy of Christmas.  It is not the rush of gifts and parties.  It is the love of a tiny child, come to earth, to give us a love we can never, ever, understand.

After sermon, lights are out.  I will walk over and light the white candle on the Advent wreath and begin singing Silent Night while lighting candles in the congregation.

He is coming!

I am so ready to quit.

I have been trying to figure how we have come to this point.

When I first come to St. Swithins, I was excited to hear that there was someone in the congregation who made stained glass.  From the pieces I had seen, I knew that this was someone from whom I could possibly learn some techniques and with whom I could share my excitement.  But I must admit that when I showed a piece to you, Former Secretary , and your first comment was that I needed to polish my solder lines, I was a bit taken aback.

Then there came the repeated calls to hire Former Secretary back as the secretary.  Even though I had made it known that I did not hire from the congregation, I was still receiving constant pressure to hire Former Secretary back.  (I was also instructed by the Bishop that I would NOT hire from the congregation, but I did not feel that this was pertinent to the conversation as this is my general mode of operation.)  It became annoying to continually explain that Former Secretary was not going to be hired back and to constantly get pressured to do so.

Although this is conjecture, there also seems to be some connection between the difficulties with Stage Mom that was getting played out with the Secretarys.  I was not told about Stage Grandma’s surgery, but then I was getting blamed for not visiting her.  How could I visit if I did not know the surgery was going to happen?  Shortly after this, Former Secretary Husband decided that I needed to visit Fr. Alcoholic.  And later, Former Secretary Husband decided that I needed to visit people from the congregation.  And then after the “ambush,” he asked me to hire back Former Secretary.  I was confused as to why I would want to hire back Former Secretary after being ambushed in BC.

Things seemed to calm down for a while.  A new secretary was hired and went to work.  But shortly thereafter, Former Secretary Husband spent one Sunday morning going through the files.  I was not sure why, but I was not going to ask; I assumed it was something to do with Junior Warden activities.  Later, Former Secretary Husband presented me with some papers telling me that the new secretary needed a contract.  My understanding was that this was not necessary and if Former Secretary Husband would have asked at BC, this would have been cleared up.

I had also been troubled that Former Secretary Husband and Former Secretary appeared to look at Current Secretary’s office as their own space.  Granted, the office had been Former Secretary’s while she was the secretary, but the computer and files were not just open to anyone.  I know that the files are open to BC members, when Former Secretary Husband had gone through the files for what appeared to be the express intent to make hiring the new secretary difficult, I was troubled.

Then came the conversation about the stained glass in the sanctuary.  I moved the glass with specific purposes in mind.  (That purpose was to paint the window for Christmas.)  Former Secretary came to me and told me that she did not like the fact that the glass had moved.  She said that the glass was in the east window so that the sun would come through it.  I explained that the glass was not proper sized for the windows and that since the glass had moved, people seem to be more involved with it; seeing it and appreciating it.  Former Secretary said that the glass should be moved back and I thanked her for her opinion but the glass would not be moved.

It was shortly after that the “beading incident” occurred.  That it was not even considered to check with me to see if the timing was ok and that the building was open totally boggles me.  This just seems like something that would occur.  Granted, that was an assumption that I made, and I would have assumed that this was an innocent mistake except for one thing:  The sign-up sheet. 

When I returned from vacation, I found the sign-up sheet for the beading workshop on the bulleting board in such a way that it was covering the note that I put on the board saying that use of the building had to come through the secretary’s office.  The way the sign-up sheet was placed, there is no way that this could have happened “accidentally.”  The push-pins were removed from the original sign, then the sign-up was place over it, and the original push pins were put back in.  I tried to see this as an “accident,” but all I could see is it was as disrespectful and a direct attack on my leadership of this church.

Then there was the ambush by Former Secretary Husband at the BC meeting following the vacation.  Did I send out letters?  Did I call people?  As with the situation involving Stage Grandma, it seemed to be too coincidental that I would go against Former Secretary’s wishes and an ambush from Former Secretary Husband would appear.  I will admit that this is conjecture, but again, there seems to be a correlation.

I was surprised to have Board Member bring up the need for a calendar.  I was trying to figure out why Board Member would need the calendar, she did not seem to do anything that would require consulting the calendar.  Again, it felt like some trap was being set.

I was also surprised that throughout all of the “Beading Incident” one key person was remarkably quite: Former Secretary.

Then came the “Family Fun Night Incident.”  Granted, the calendar was not back out, but the calendar seems to be metaphor for something else that is going on.  There is too much drama over this to have it “just be about the calendar.”  The question about whether Church of God was going to use the building again felt like a trap.  Committee Chair was in charge of set-up and had already talked to Cong. Pres.  Current Secretary was in all week if people needed to know the building usage.  The usage calendar was on the bulletin.  But I was told (granted, this was from Board Member) that Current Secretary should have known to call the Women’s Fellowship and let them know.  (This just does not make sense to me.)  Then when I walked out, Former Secretary and Board Member were staring at the bulletin board, at the spot where the calendar was.

I said the calendar was not coming back.  Well an argument ensued.  I decided that I would rather leave the situation and regroup then to say something to Former Secretary that I would later regret.  Former Secretary accused me of “not communicating” and for turning my back on her.  I explain that I did not want to say anything that I would regret.  Instead of leaving it at that, she decided to push the situation.  And, unfortunately, I said some things that I regret; not that I would not have said them, I just would have said them in a more appropriate way.

I put on my coat to leave and Former Secretary said that maybe she should leave.  I did not stop her.  Again, if felt like I was being set up.

The Bishop came and talked about how we needed to move beyond our past and how we needed to look at what we are doing to each other.

As soon as the Bishop left, Former Secretary Husband claimed that Former Secretary was innocent in the situation and that I better never speak to her in that manner again.   And Board Member said again that Current Secretary should have called the Women’s Group and let them know because this was my “big show.”  So much for the message of the Bishop!

I quit!

The Nutcracker

OK, Nick had never seen the Nutcracker before.  So we went to the movie, Nutcracker in 3D.  In my opinion, not worth seeing.  It reminded me of a bad cross of Tommy and The Wizard of Oz.   About the only thing that was Nutcracker about it was some of the music, it had a Rat King, a Nutcracker, and a growing Christmas tree.  Other than that, nah.  For introducing someone to The Nutcracker, that was not the way to do it.

It so happens that Ovation had a Nutcracker competition.  So we have been watching various versions. 

The Berlin Ballet version was difficult to follow.  Not really sticking to the story.  Although the guy who played Drosselmeyer was beautiful!  He was not the traditional old craggy Drosselmeyer, but a young and mysterious one.

The Bolshoi was wonderful!  Very traditional.  Well danced and well costumed.  None of the dancers really stood out, although the guy who played the Nutcracker was very talented.

The final Nutcracker we saw was the Bejart Nutcracker.  Usually I would not like a production like this because the music and the Pas de Deux was maintained.  Otherwise, the dance was a story of the choreographer's life.  Now, I tend to be a purest, but OMG, the guys were BEAUTIFUL and very scantily dressed.  The "Drosselmeyer" character was just a joy to look at!

Well, now Nick has seen The Nutcracker.  I probably should give up looking at ballet dancers ballet for a New Year's resolution.

Advent 3A Tell Him What You See

Advent 3, 2010


Tell Him What You See


Matthew 11:2-11



First off, I am going to apologize for this sermon. This is not the kind of sermon I usually like to give. I like to preach things that will be enlightening and uplifting. And I really like people to walk away from a service with two feelings: one is being challenged and the second is being supported and empowered for that challenge. But with today’s gospel reading, I am having trouble with the supported and empowered part. I think we have plenty to challenge us in today’s readings; that is not the problem. What I see as the problem is that we don’t have a lot to feel uplifted about.

Let’s first look at the story. John the Baptist is in prison. He has been out spreading the message to the people that the messiah, the anointed one, was coming. Because of his message, the authorities of the time have gotten just a little upset with him. And how little was this upset? Enough upset to get John thrown in jail and eventually enough to get him beheaded. That is not much upset at all, right?

So we have John in jail; awaiting who knows what. John sends his followers to see if Jesus really is the messiah. John wants to be reassured that what he had been giving his life to had, in fact, been the proper Rabbi, not just another person claiming messiah status.

Now, Jesus could have been nice and simply answered, “Yes, that would be me!” and sent John’s disciples back. But, of course, Jesus won’t just answer the question and be done with it. No, Jesus refers back to the passage in Isaiah that tells what to expect when the messiah comes: the blind see; the deaf hear; the poor are raised… What Jesus is saying is, “Look around, all the things that have been foretold are occurring. If all these things are happening, then you should assume that the Messiah is here.” So without actually answering the question, Jesus IS answering the question.

If we were to look around today, would we be able to tell that Jesus is the Messiah? If we were to go back and tell John what we see and hear in the world today, my guess is that it would be much different than what Jesus presents. People are starving. People are being tortured. People are indiscriminately blowing each other up. (I guess it wouldn’t be much better even if they were discriminately blowing each other up.) People are walking into schools and killing each other. We may listen to politicians, but we certainly NOT hearing good news. In many ways, hatred seems more present than ever.

This is, in part, the reason that many Jewish people give for not believing that Jesus is the messiah. If the messiah has already come into the world, then how come the world is so messed up? How could something like the Holocaust happen if the Son of God has come to redeem the world? How can oppression and exploitation exist if the Good News has come to the world? How can we claim that Christ is the Messiah when the fruits of the Messiah’s presence are nowhere to be found? And you must admit, that is a pretty hard argument to refute.

When we look at the world, it is difficult not to get depressed. The way things are now, even places of worship need to have armed guards. One group of people is telling another that they are wrong and neither side gives any credence to the point of view of the other. It is pretty depressing. If we proclaim that Christ is alive, where are the blind gaining their sight? Where are the deaf, hearing? Where are the poor having the good news brought to them?

Is the fulfillment of Isaiah being lived out in our malls? In our schools? In our jobs? Within our congregations? Are we, as a country and a world, focusing on the needs of those around us or are we just searching for ways to hide and keep ourselves safe? If John were alive today, would he believe that his life was given for a purpose or would he assume it was given for some kind of pipedream?

In all honesty, I don’t know if things were really all that much better in the time of Jesus. In Biblical times, they had their problems too. There were people who were hungry. There were people who were homeless. There were people who were begging. There were people who were warring. And in actuality, it probably is better now than it was back then. But that does not get us off the hook. We know that the world could be a better place for us all. And it is this world, this better world, that Jesus points us to.

John’s disciples could have gone back to him and said, “That Jesus guy is crazy. On the way back here, we were accosted by five blind beggars. And when we tried to tell them that the Messiah had arrived, they all pointed to their ears and said, ‘Huh?’” Even with Jesus in their midst, I am sure that the problems of society continued.

But I am also sure Jesus was not lying. Miracles were happening. The blind were receiving their sight. The deaf were able to hear. It may not have been happening to everyone, BUT IT WAS HAPPENING! And this is the important thing, just because it was not happening to all didn’t mean that it unimportant! It reminds me of a story I heard. A man was walking down a beach and noticed thousands of baby turtles scurrying to get into the water. But many, if not most, of the turtles were being eaten by the birds that saw the whole thing as nature’s “All You Can Eat” buffet. Now the man also saw a woman picking up baby turtles and she would toss each baby turtle into the water. Well, the man decided to tell the woman how silly this was. He said, “Look at all the baby turtles and so many of them are being eaten. Picking up one here and there and throwing it in the water isn’t going to make any difference. Why bother?” At this question, the woman looked at the little turtle in her hand, and then heaved it into the ocean. She turned and responded to the man, “It made a difference to that one.”

If we turn on the news, it is tough to not get overwhelmed. It is tough not to just look at the situation of the world and turn away in disgust. Really, the whole thing looks like a losing battle. But that would be like the woman saying that since she cannot save all of the turtles, she would not save any of the turtles.

I’m guessing that God may feel very similarly. There was so much happening. The sin in the world was so great. God could have just turned away from our world and have forgotten all about humanity. God could have just abandoned us and left us to our own will. But instead, God sent Jesus.

Now Jesus could have looked at the Middle East of Biblical times and decide that the problem was just too big for one man and decided to do nothing, but he didn’t. He went out. And even though he could not encounter every blind, deaf, or poor person in the world, he healed those whom he did encounter. Just because he could not physically touch all of them didn’t mean that he shouldn’t touch any of them. While Jesus was on earth, he did what he could for those who were near him. He healed those who came to him and brought the good news to those who would listen.

We, as Jesus’ followers, are also called to likewise go out into the world. Even though it may look like the problem is just too big, we are still to go out and be the light of Christ in the world. That is one of the things about the Gospel of Matthew; Jesus is always calling us, not just to faith, but also to action. It is in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus gives the great commission, telling the disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations.” And we too are called to go out into the world and make disciples. And in most cases, that is going to be one person at a time.

This too was the way John had gone out into the world. John went to the people and spoke of the one that was to follow. And this is also what Jesus is referencing in that somewhat confusing last section of the gospel reading. How can Jesus say that no one has arisen greater but yet say that he is the least of those in heaven? Seems kind of confusing.

What Jesus is referring to is that John is the last and the greatest of the “Old” prophets. John is the last prophet before Jesus is risen to glory. John was the greatest of prophets, but like I said last week, he does not have the whole story; John does not know about the resurrection. But it is us, the ones who come after that may be the least in the kingdom of heaven but are greater than he. We have the knowledge and promise of the risen Christ where John did not.

And it is through the risen Christ that God scooped up all of us turtles on the beach and tossed us into the ocean of forgiveness. It is through the risen Christ that we are given new sight. It is through the risen Christ that our have our ears opened to hear the good news. We have what John did not have and could not know; we have the blessing that God spread over the world.

So we are able to go out and to do more than we ever thought was possible. We are able to bring healing to a world that is in pain. Now granted, we may not be able to bring this healing to the whole entire globe, but we can bring it to our family, our places of work, to our congregation, we can even bring it to those we meet in our daily lives. When Christ was on earth, he was just in one spot. But through the power of Christ’s Spirit within us, that power can encircle the world. Just by doing our part, we help create the world that Jesus told the disciples to report to John. But as with the theme of Advent, we are not there yet. We may never get there in our lifetime. But this is the vision Jesus would have us strive for and as we look to that day when we remember Jesus’ birth, we also look to the day when reign of God will be here on earth.

That is our challenge. And I guess we have the uplifting promise of the Spirit. So this isn’t as bad as I suspected. In Advent, we have both, the promise and the expectation. But with Christ, we can live in that tension and still go out to spread God’s love to all we meet.

Voice in the Wilderness Advent 2A

I was thinking back to my days in grad school. I was remembering one afternoon when there was this man on campus. He was in his mid-thirties and dressed in jeans. He referred to himself as “Brother Jim.” Now the thing that made Brother Jim so memorable was not what he was wearing, it was what he was doing. He was standing near the Student Union on campus telling all of the people that they were “Damned to hell!” Now remember, this was the early 1990’s in the middle of Iowa, we didn’t see this kind of thing very often! Brother Jim was telling people that frats and sororities were nothing but “Hotbeds of fornication!” and he was telling people that listening to rock-and-roll music was to be “Brainwashed by the devil!” And best of all is he kept telling people that wearing shorts was a heinous sin and would cause you to burn in hell.


Needless to say, Brother Jim had quite a crowd of people surrounding him. Most of the people that surrounded him were there to heckle the guy. People were opening their Bibles and quoting scripture back to Jim in an attempt to refute his arguments. Some people were just taunting him to see if they could get a rise out of him. The Abnormal Psychology class decided to have an impromptu field trip o watch not only Brother Jim but also the people in the crowd.

Finally, the security people came and escorted Brother Jim off campus. When Brother Jim complained that he had every right to be on campus as this was a public university, the security people agreed. However, the security people also told Jim that they would not be responsible for his safety if he chose to stay on campus. With these words, Brother Jim decided to leave.

Now Brother Jim didn’t call those of us standing there a “brood of vipers,” but he could have. He wasn’t baptizing, but he was calling us to repent. He wasn’t wearing camel hair and eating locusts, but he was certainly drawing a crowd. And the people came out; some of them, myself included, came out just to get a look at this “nut.” But by the time security finally lead him away, a very large crowd had gathered.

This is probably the closest I have ever come to a situation similar to that of today’s gospel.

When I read today’s gospel, my first thought was, “Oh, John the Baptist. Prepare the way of the Lord. Yadda, yadda, yadda.” I thought that this should not a hard one. John was right, we should turn our lives around. I thought that yes, we should live our lives to the glory of God. I mean, really, this is pretty old hat, isn’t it?

As I have said before, this is one of the dangers of living in our time: The readings from the Bible just become often told stories. These stories lose the immediacy that they had when the events originally happened. For many of us, we have heard the story of John the Baptist so many times that we forget that he was a radical in the community. He had crowds surrounding him not because they wanted to hear what he had to say but because they thought he was a kook!

The people of biblical times were a people in search of meaning. They were looking for a person to come and save them from their problems. They were looking for a warrior king to come in and save them from the harsh government. As such, one group of people would follow just about anyone with a new teaching while the rest of the people would stand around and heckle the teacher. I guess when you don’t have TV; just about anything will count as entertainment! Well, most of the people in the crowd surrounding John were of the same mind as those surrounding Brother Jim on campus; most just wanted to see the show. Similar to the people in the crowd on campus wanting to tell the “nut” he was wrong, the Pharisees and Sadducees went out to listen to the “kook in the desert” and to tell him how his preaching was wrong.

The question I have, though, is; why do so many people want to tell these “kooks” they are wrong? If these people really are not in touch with reality, why do we pay any attention to them? If these people are not in touch with reality, why do they make us so angry with their words?

I think we listen to these people and get angry with these people because they speak a truth to us. Within their ranting and ravings, there is a word of truth that convicts us. When John yells at us from the desert, we know that despite all of the hype, somewhere in his words, he is speaking a truth we need to hear. But I’ll tell you, I may need to hear the words but I don’t want to hear them! When the man was ranting on campus, some of what he said I believe was wrong. I don’t think wearing shorts is a sin, but I do think there were things that he was saying that we did need to hear. I think Brother Jim was calling us to look at our life anew just as John was calling the people of the Biblical time to reexamine their lives.

Now, believe it or not, these people, calling to us from the wilderness, are trying to make our lives better. They are trying to show us a way of living that will bring us peace and joy not strife and contention. They are trying to show us a new way of living that they believe is pleasing to God. That doesn’t sound like a bad thing, does it? But if it is not a bad thing, then why do we resist?

I think we resist because in the words of these people shouting in the wilderness, we are not hearing the word of God! We resist the words of John and of Brother Jim because these are not the words of God. It may sound odd to say, but the words these men speak are not the words of a Savior! These men in the wilderness come close to speaking the words of a Savior, but they miss the mark.

As I said, both John and Brother Jim are trying to show us a way to live our lives that is better and more fulfilling that the way we had been living; the problem is that this way of life is more difficult. Actually it is even more than that, what John and Brother Jim are asking is downright impossible! I think we resist the message because we are left in a corner: We cannot always live the upright, upstanding life; but if we don’t live an upstanding life, then we will burn in Hell! So we resist the message because it convicts us without giving us a way to redeem ourselves.

This is the way of the world. The world tells us that it is all up to us. The world tells us that if we don’t do it, it won’t get done. The world tells us that we are totally responsible for our lives. This is the way of the law. The law tells us what we do wrong. The law points out what we need to fix in our lives. This is not bad, but this is not what we are waiting for in advent. We are not waiting for someone to yell at us and tell us that we are vipers.

What we are waiting for in Advent is the one to come who will change us and will change the world. We are waiting for the one who promises us a future of hope and discovery, not just one of judgment and punishment. We are waiting for the Savior.

Jesus is the one we are waiting for. He is the one who gives us love, power, and forgiveness. Jesus gives us more than just the option of “turn or burn.” Jesus gives us a reason to listen to John and to Brother Jim and gives us a reason to heed their words.

You see, the words of the Baptist are a call to wake up and experience life anew. We are to listen and respond. But our salvation does not depend on response. Our salvation does not depend on us. If it depended on us, we could never make it. But it doesn’t, it all depends on the great gift given to us in Christ. Christ didn’t die so that we could “earn” our salvation, Christ died so that we could receive the gift of salvation, a freely given gift. Christ died so that we could have a full life. Christ died so that even if we don’t change and get it all right, we still have love and forgiveness.

This is the freedom of the gospel. John and Brother Jim tell us that it is all up to us. John and Brother Jim tell us that we need to change or we are damned. John and Brother Jim tell us that we need to repent or we are lost. But Jesus tells us that we are saved. Jesus tells us that we are loved and forgiven. Jesus tells us that we are free to live a life of service because we have been given the ultimate Christmas gift. This is the gospel and this is the gift of Christmas. As we look to the birth of Christ, let us also remember the great gift that we have been given.

Welcoming in Christ (Unfinished Sermon)

Often, when I have interviewed with churches, I will ask them to describe themselves without using the words “Welcoming,” “Friendly,” or “Outgoing.” One of the reasons I do this is because I think these are words what we really do not know the meaning of. We may think we know what they mean, but when I look at various congregations, it seems that that understanding was not present.


In our reading from Romans, Paul tells us that we are to welcome each other as Christ has welcomed you. That we are to welcome each other for the glory of God.

So, if we are to welcome each other as Christ has welcomed each of us, what does that mean?

Well, that is a question that I cannot answer for you. That is a question that I can only answer for myself. I can tell stories about being rejected by congregations and denominations that I had devoted my life to. I can tell stories about family and friends that chose to let me know that I created too much difficulty to bother with. I can tell you stories about judgment leveled against me because I did not conform to someone’s preconceived notion of what it meant to be Christian.

Now, some of you may be drawing conclusions as to what I am talking about. And in some cases, you would be right, but in other cases you would be very wrong. I have lost friends because I believed that God could and would save anyone. I lost friends because I believed that God’s love was greater than anything we could do here on Earth. Something as simple as believing that Christ’s gift on the cross was meant for everyone has caused me to lose friends.

In the situations of my life where people have turned me away, I am sure if you asked these people, they would all claim to be friendly and welcoming. No one wants to think of themselves as cold and judgmental. And in the stories I could tell, I am sure all the people thought they were doing the right thing. But in each of these situations, what I felt was not welcoming at all; what I felt pushed me farther away from the love of God. I don’t think that what I felt from these people who claimed to be Christians was what Jesus had intended.

How did Christ welcome people? Did he pass judgment on them? Did he speak of them with contempt and fear? Did he make comments about people just within earshot? No. When Christ welcomed people, he welcomed them with love and with compassion. He invited the sinners and the outcasts to eat with him. He extended forgiveness to the adulterer. He embraced the downtrodden and he healed the ones who were excluded from society. He became the servant to those whom society called outcasts and died for us all, even as we continue to flaunt our gift. This is the welcome Christ gave to us and the welcome we are to give to others.

I want you to take a moment. Think of a time when you were not welcomed. Think of a time that you were shunned, hurt, or cast out. What did they do that made you feel left out and alone? What happened that let you know that you did not belong?

Now think of a time when you were welcomed. Think of a time when you felt lost and someone brought you in and made you feel at home. What changed? What helped you to feel that all was ok? What was said that let you know that you were indeed welcomed.

To be welcomed as Christ would welcome us is to have