12/13
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| A holiday pot luck |
It’s a
warm, too sunny, too warm, strange spring in December day.I haven’t seen Marty
in awhile. He’s sitting in front of Dunkin' Donuts, hand out looking for tips. When he recognizes me, he nods, salutes.
Pastor, did
Albert Einstein have anything to say about the weather?
Not that
I’m aware of Marty.
72 pages of
equations. he said it all comes down to e=mc2. And that only 3 people in the
world understand it.
And I’m not
one of them, Marty.
And he
laughs. You have a good day, Marty.
He nods.
Salutes again.
Our
scriptures for the day are Zephaniah 3:
14-20, Isaiah12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7
and Luke 3: 7-18. As part of our musical reflection, Jed and I do Don’t Worry be happy by Bobby Mc Ferrin.
And then our reflection….
Yesterday when I got on the subway to come to the church to
rehearse with Jed, the train was filled with Santa Con revelers. And then
I noticed….the air conditioning was on!!
Much as I enjoy December spring, there’s something basically just not right
about that.
What I’m thinking about today is worry. Is thee anyone here
today who is free from worry? I worry
about the church. My kids… My future…I could go
on…Perhaps the best expression of
this is the Bobby McFerrin song.
I wanted to sing it today because I used to find it completely annoying.
One time, I was at a church leaders retreat back in Pittsburgh. Our leader was
from the intentional community Church of
the Savior in Washington, DC. He was kind of like a monk and was
wearing sandals in winter. Every break
he would play this song. After 2-3 times, it was driving me crazy. I said to my friend John, if he does that one more time, I’m outta
here. Which is exactly what happened. One more Don't worry, be happy…and we were off to the bar.
It seemed insipid. Is anyone
here old enough to remember Alfred E. Newman?
Mad Magazine? The What, me worry? guy? And of course,
our advice from Donna Schaper last week on living mercy, promise
never to offer illusory hope…which usually begins with don’t worry…
I told Andre about this one time. He kind of of scowled a
little. Told me that he’d studied with Bobby Mc Ferrin’s father. You ought to think about this, he said. He really means it.
It’s been said that worry is
its own reward…as when you are worrying about something, you emotionally feel as if you’re engaged, as
if you don’t need to do anything about it…because you are worrying…
So Bobby Mc Ferrin say, Don’t worry, be happy. Paul says :
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.
Prayer….with all the shootings, think
about that a moment, you always see
the Facebook post sending with thoughts
and prayers…it’s almost meaningless..it doesn't change anything. Prayer
must be accompanied by doing…
Paul’s prayers are not easy…. by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God….that thanks-giving we’ve been talking about
the last two weeks…the idea being if you put your whole self into it, all your heart,
clearly tell God what you are asking, be
profoundly sincere in your asking, you will turn it over to God…you will feel peace as you let it go…..your hearts and
minds will be guarded…you will do
what you need to do, what you can do.. and after that, it’s out of your hands…
It was CS Lewis who said, I don’t pray to change God’s mind, I pray to
change my own…
I will also say that when two people
pray together, there is real intimacy that is formed. Spiritual intimacy. We meet
each other in a deeper place, a place where the holy spirit dwells. The Place where God is.
When I was I Seminary, I was part of
an urban core group of about 12 people
my senior year. We each worked 20 hours
a week in an urban church. We met for four hours every Monday. We began with a
theological reflection paper. Then a
case study from our experience. Then group process. Then finished with worship.
Eucharist. There we people in that group that I just plain did not like, but as
we met each week and prayed for each other, near the end of the semester I
discovered that while I still didn’t like some of the people, I had come to love them…We are a small enough
community.. what if we each prayed
for all of us each week? Consciously and deliberately? What might change? Pope
Francis always asks of people pray for
me. Are we able to ask that of each other? Pat asked me to pray for her
mother-in –law last week…What if I asked
you to you pray for me? By name? In
your home, in your heart? What might change?
I cannot say that any change in external circumstances
are ever guaranteed. What can change
is your heart and mind.
Our three passages share a model of Fear,
presence and joy…
We name ,claim our fear….
We experience the presence of the
Holy Spirit
And then experience joy….. we sing praise….we feel….happy…?
I can’t leave without touching on
John the Baptist again this morning. He stormed in here last week, like
he always does, every year. With his wild hair, rough clothes and
strange diet. Knowing hast he was raised in the Temple, it’s like he’s gone
form Trinity Episcopal Wall Street to the sawdust tent revival trail of hot
August nights. And he comes on strong today…You
brood of vipers…this not seem to be a good way to build a church. Who wants to hear Who warned you to flee from the wrath to
come?
But I’m struck by his advice…..He
starts with sharing serious crowd sharing….
10And the crowds asked him, "What then should we
do?" 11In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two
coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do
likewise."
And then check this out…
Tax collectors? Those despised
collaborators with the empire? Making their living by cheating their own people?
, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for
you." 1
And Soldiers?
Not Roman soldiers, but those who
worked for the Jewish establishment, kind of like the Palestinian authority" Do not extort money from anyone by
threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
He’s saying do your job…and do it appropriately…he
doesn’t say, Walk off your job…join me in the wilderness..become revolutionaries
a las montanas …her says DO your job where you are….
He doesn’t say, NYPD officers, occupying
enforcers of the empire, Leave the force,
join the people…he says, serve the people, do what you are supposed to do, are pledged to do…protect,
serve, defend….
The revolution will never get
anywhere without defectors, without those
who are converted into a new way of living where they are.
We traditionally hear the wheat and
chaff part as separating the bad guys…the good from the bad, our enemies from
ourselves…but here is the point…we all have both
wheat and chaff inside of us…we are all BOTH…the call is to allow the holy
spirit to burn chaff away from inside of
us all that keeps us from being who we are supposed to be. Internal from a
That’s what this season of
preparation is all about…
In this meeting ahead…
Don't worry
Feel the Presence
Be open to Joy
Joy…this gaudate
Sunday….it’s hard to think about as we go from holiday party to party, but in the past, this
was a time of reflection, penitence…. This was to be a Sunday to break the darkness, to be a break from penitence ….so let
us go into our time together with that spirit….
Amen
Following the service, we go to the
chapel for a very important congregational meeting. We have a serious
discussion of our financial situation, always perilous. We discuss the plan for
our new 501c3 (not for profit ) finally putting legs under the Center at West
Park. Possible changes in pastoral coverage.
Hard stuff. But there is support. And enthusiasm. We’re still in it.
Willing to take a risk. The next step.
After our meeting, we share in a
holiday pot luck. Everyone has brought something to share. The spirit is good.
It is a time of anticipation. Of hope.
 |
| Pastor Stephen and Russ |
Zephaniah 3 :14-20
14Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
15The LORD has taken away the
judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
16On that day it shall be said
to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
17The LORD, your God, is in
your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
18as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19I will deal with all your
oppressors at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20At that time I will bring
you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the LORD.
2Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And
you will say in that day:
Give thanks to the LORD,
call on his name;
make known his deeds among the nations;
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5Sing praises to the LORD, for
he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
6Shout aloud and sing for
joy, O royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let
your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not
worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.
7John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him,
"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear
fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have
Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to
raise up children to Abraham. 9Even now the ax is lying at the
root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut
down and thrown into the fire."
10And the crowds asked him, "What then should we
do?" 11In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two
coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do
likewise." 12Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and
they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" 13He
said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for
you." 14Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should
we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats
or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were
questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the
Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize
you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy
to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his
threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will
burn with unquenchable fire."
18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to
the people.
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