And so it begins... part two

1 Cor 13: 1-13; Jeremiah 1: 4-10; Luke 4: 21-20

It is not easy to be a prophet; usually it means you are given hard words to share. Words that will be welcomed by some and rejected by others.

It’s not easy to be the prophet.

Our readings this morning concern prophets; in the Old Testament Jeremiah, and young man who feels ill-equipped for the task ahead. In the New Testament – Jesus, who is bold in his approach and stirs up strong feelings for all who listen.

You may remember that last week I told you to come back for “what happened next?”!

Jesus, is at home, in Nazareth; this is the synagogue he grew up in; these people have known him all his life. He is Joseph’s boy. One of them, already he has been out, teaching, working miracles, showing wonders of God’s touch. Already, he has stirred things up by doing these things in neighbouring Capernaum with the rival village… the scene is set, and everyone waits with baited breath.

“Today this has come true in your presence!”

Wait, what?!!

What?!

Here…. You… really?!

The pride in one of their own achieving quickly turns to indignation that this upstart carpenter’s son seems to be claiming that he is the Messiah!

Wait, what?!!

As I said, it isn’t easy being a prophet – you doubt yourself, or others doubt you; people don’t always want to hear what you need to say – but you say it anyway -with love. 

The call of Jeremiah reminds us of God’s call to each of us to engage with the world; Paul’s hymn of love – which is Holy Love –  shows us the need to suffuse our engagement with love, whilst Jesus’ teaching is a reminder that responding to this call does not always lead to recognition and appreciation

Paul called all who follow Jesus’ teaching to love first and foremost, if we listen with love – then the prophet’s words bear fruit.

All the images of mirror writing, mirror images and reflections… reminded us that we do not always see the full picture. We cannot always see clearly. Sometimes we need others, we need a wider view, we need to wait to see the full picture.

On our own we can’t see clearly. With God. With Love we can see… Jesus

Howard Thurman’s poem, the work of Christmas is a timely reminder; traditionally this weekend is Candlemas (Feb 2^nd) it is the true end of the Christmas season, the time to start up into the year ahead:

 (The Mood of Christmas and Other Celebrations, 1985)

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,When the kings and the princes are home,When the shepherds are back with their flocks,The work of Christmas begins:To find the lost,To heal the broken,To feed the hungry,To release the prisoner,To rebuild the nations,To bring peace among brothers,To make music in the heart.

It is holy love that calls us to do things we feel inadequate to do. It is holy love that strengthens us and gives us courage and perseverance in times of trial. It is holy love that enables us to speak words of truth to a questioning and sometimes hostile world.

It all comes together in this summary: in the beginning is love. Through the journey is love. In all that is left… is love.

The work of Christmas begins:To find the lost,To heal the broken,To feed the hungry,To release the prisoner,To rebuild the nations,To bring peace among brothers,To make music in the heart

Love, Holy Love, indeed, is the greatest of these.

amen. 

And so it begins… (part one)

Luke 4: 14-21. A sermon preached on January 27th in Earlston following infant baptism.

  

Today is a new beginning for Jacob and his family; as they brought him here for baptism, they are declaring for all to hear that to call on God for blessing is important; they are setting up a new relationship for their infant son, even though he is barely aware of it, he now belongs to God’s family; he receives God’s promises.

Today’s gospel reading is the first of two – come back next week to hear what happens next!

It also contains arguably the shortest sermon ever: “today this has come true in your hearing.” That is it.

There are two things to say on reflection of this passage: 

let the Bible preach itself, as Jesus did; 

then believe it is coming true.

Sorted.

Hmm… maybe you are expecting a little more of me this morning?

Jesus returns home. What are people’s expectation of him now? Will they be expecting some profound insight from the boy who grew up among them? Is there a gentle sense of pride towards one of their own? What would Jesus’ own expectations have been on returning home?

Could a more profound passage have been given to Jesus to read and expound on?

This is the liberation theologian’s dream passage and with the Jews in the middle of an occupied territory, to hear these words of exodus-like freedom from the lips of one of the village sons might have sent hairs standing on the back of each person’s neck. What comment will he make?

What dangerous gospel is he going to exclaim?

What Jesus offers either convinces you he truly does have profound insight, more than anyone expected, or he now thinks he is better than everyone else.

“What you have heard, is coming true.”

What? That’s it? Where are the eloquent words and deep insights you have gleaned from this passage?

But, The Word becomes flesh, always. This is yet another moment where there is no satisfaction in being able to describe things, and wax lyrically on how things will be.

In our hearing, in our presence, in our being, these words come true. Jesus nails his colours to the mast and sets out his stall with a simple (profound) sentence:

“These words have come true in your hearing.”

Without witnessing to the poor and the imprisoned and the blind, we are not living the gospel. This manifesto of the Reign of God is taking the hopes that have been building up over the centuries through the prophets, especially Isaiah, whose words these are, and then opening them up and setting them free. The hoping is over. The fulfilment is here.

In our hearing…

It keeps coming back to this. Not that they are true, or that they have been fulfilled, but that this has happened in our hearing as if this is the proof.

You’ve heard it happen with your own ears. Now believe it.

It is Jesus’ call to his disciples, more than that given to the fishermen on that beach and tax collectors at their tables.

It is Jesus’ call to the church and every faith community to hear the gospel, this gospel, and make it so in our presence.

Next week, we will hear how his friends, family, community reacted to his profound sermon.

But this week, as we stand witness to the baptism of baby Jacob; as witness again, God’s love, manifest in a child, we again need to hear the Good News…

Jesus came to bring life and freedom

To bring challenge and hope

To open eyes and ears, so that all may know God’s manifesto:

Here’s how it is translated in the Message version:

God’s Spirit is on me; he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind,To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”

Taken like that, who could argue?

Freedom, sight, forgiveness, pardon…

These are all things we want; these are all things that God wants for God’s people.

For all people.

Not just those in the know

Not just a chosen few…

But all God’s people.

As Jesus read from scriptures

And then proclaimed that God’s manifesto was being fulfilled, a new era began.

Jesus mission started: he was sent to bring Good News for all people

For those who had begun to follow him it was electric.

For those who had known him all his life… well, you’ll have to wait until next week for part two!

As Jesus proclaims the gospel news to each of us again today

In our hearing…

We have a choice.

Hear the good news and believe it; respond to it.

Or, carry on as before…

It’s up to us.

God calls

Are your ears open?

Can your eyes see?

When church becomes like home, and we become too comfortable or complacent, may God inspire us with the Spirit.

When our congregations become a closed-doors community, that keeps strangers out, may God inspire us by the Spirit to open wide the doors.

 The Church of Scotland is facing something of a crisis, right now.

Right now the church itself needs to hear again this message of hope and inspiration:

We are here to listen again to God’s manifesto:

Freedom

Hope

Love

Forgiveness

For all God’s people

All the time

Amen

Be Prepared

Malachi 3: 1-4; Luke 3: 1-6

In the 57^th year of the reign of Elizabeth the second, when Gordon Brown was Prime Minister of Great Britain, and Alex Salmond was First Minister of Scotland and Barak Obama was President of the United States; during the Moderatorial Year of Right Reverend William Hewitt…

Now with a bit of thought, I am sure you wold be able to work out what year I am talking about?

It is 2009…

For the readers of Luke’s narrative, the information he gave them, enabled them to know what the year was, and fixed the point in history.

They would know when it was that the Wildman came out of the wilderness proclaiming the year of the Lord.

Declaring that it was time to get ready; to be prepared.

His message was strong…

His message was uncompromising

His message was prophetic.

Get yourselves ready!

Turn away from sin!

Be baptised and God will forgive you!

The simplicity of John’s message struck a chord with simple folks; it touched the heart of their hunger

They all knew they needed to connect with God

They just had lost touch with HOW to do so

People today are not so different really

The wilderness some of us encounter may not look like that desert, but it exists nevertheless.

It may be loneliness

Or a feeling of isolation

Or being overwhelmed by the world and everything that is happening around us…

The sense of emptiness can touch each of us at any time, and leads to a seeking of … something.

Something intangible; difficult to explain or define…

We are seeking something other in our lives

We are seeking to know how to connect, or reconnect with God out of the wilderness as we respond to the call to be prepared.

We respond to the call to “be prepared” because we can identify with it

This time of year is all about preparations:

Making lists

Tidying up

Planning meals

Buying gifts

Writing cards

Sending invitations

Accepting invitations

And journeying – near or far there are also going to be journeys

And the busy-ness of all that festive cheer is so overwhelming, so all-consuming

That sometimes we forget; we totally forget why we are doing it

What is Christmas all about?

What do we do all of the planning and shopping and writing and journeying for?

Well I have an answer

It is an answer that came to me out of the blue – when, if truth be told, I was feeling uninspired, lost in the wilderness and a little blue myself...

 And suddenly I remembered!!

All of the preparations are not only for me

They are so I can share something

 All of the preparations are not just for the family

They are so I can show something

All of the preparations are not simply for the fun

They are so we can all share something

 And the something?

The something is love

Christmas IS about fun and family and feasting and friends and the fullness of life

 But more than anything else it’s about love

All the preparing

Of house and home

And life and living

And body and spirit

All comes down to love:

In the reign of Queen Elizabeth the Second; when Theresa May was Prime Minister, and the country was waiting with baited breath for answers and resolution: the people of Earlston listened again to the voice crying: in the wilderness prepare for the God of Love

In your wilderness prepare for Love.

Be Alert

Be Alert - sermon for 2nd December 

Jeremiah 33: 14-16; Luke 21: 25 – 36 

Traditionally the first Sunday of Advent signifies HOPE.

And of our two readings this morning, the prophet Jeremiah starts out as a beacon of hope: Surely the days are coming… he writes as God speaks, when I will fulfil the promise  made.

There is much to hope for in God’s promises; God’s promises can be relied upon… and as we prepare to remember God’s greatest promise, fulfilled in a vulnerable baby more than 2000 years ago, it is good to have hope.

And then we come to the third week in a row of doom and gloom and the end of the world as Jesus comes back in judgement…

Ugh!

But, hang on a moment! That second paragraph tells us something else; something that really is hopeful.

Jesus and parables; yes, they always have some hope if you know where to look.

Fig trees; buds, new growth… that is a good sign, isn’t it?

(You all know of my connection with the RevGals, and I know I have told you before about the reflections we share on the week’s passages and how that might inform our preaching and worship each week. Over on our blog, there was a really helpful discussion about the fig tree and changing seasons.

Jesus talked about the signs of spring turning to summer; of buds and leaves and what we all know to look out for; and that when we see these things, we will know that the Kingdom of God is near at hand... In other words, the Realm of God is always at hand!!

Wow!! I had never looked at it like that before, but there it is; every year, day follows day; week follows week  and seasons come and seasons go… and as we witness them, we witness God’s kingdom at world all around us.

Now, if that isn’t hopeful, I don’t know what is!!

There’s more… because, obviously, sometimes we are not aware of God’s Kingdom; we get weighed down by the worries of  the world; we read in the news of terrible things happening and we forget to remember God’s Kingdom.

Counter to that –

When we pay attention, we are able to see the nearness of God’s Realm and the possibilities there are for hope and liberation.

As soon as we are able to listen for God and follow holy ways, we discover that it really is possible for Christ to come again.

In the deepest mysteries of faith we are able to recognise, that even in the darkest times, God is there; even in the worst situations, Hope becomes possible.

God does not just leave us to our own devices but calls us to bring the Kingdom of God into the here and now.

Jesus calls us to be alert… to be ready, to keep a lightness in our hearts and let the light shine.

As we witness the signs of winter we know that the earth needs to rest in order to have the strength for spring growth; as we hunker down, keep warm, and share the joy of Christmas – deep in the darkest weeks of winter, we remember again why Jesus came: to bring light in the darkness. Darkness we see; darkness we pierce with brilliant lights! Darkness that shows us hope.

Winter sunlight JMR2010

This hope is indeed, Good News.

Good News that our world needs in today’s tumult and confusion.

In this first week of advent, may we all be agents of Hope and may we remind ourselves again to be alert for the light of the Kingdom.

How long must we wait - sermon for 18 November

Hebrews 10: 11-25; Mark 13: 1-8

Entering a big city, when you’ve been out in the countryside can make the mind play tricks, the buildings seem bigger; the traffic noisier; the crowds pushier…

I well remember the first time I travelled to America – how big it all seemed.

Travelling from the airport into Seattle I was speechless looking out of the window; everything seemed huge: the roads were wider, and they we tiered – so there were two more highways above; the buildings scraped the sky, reaching ever higher.

As we moved through the city and into the suburbs, to where my friends lived, I discovered their small apartment, was not quite as pokey as I had been led to believe.

It’s all a matter of scale; for in a couple of days none of it really seemed that big after all; my mind had adjusted, and I was able to regain perspective.

Now that I have been back and forth fairly frequently, I am not so overwhelmed as I was twenty years ago.

As humans we adapt; we move from one thing to another, and what is strange, or big, or overpowering becomes the new normal.

The disciples had been travelling with Jesus for around three years; but they were still, really, country folk at heart. Coming to Jerusalem, the big city, was a novelty; and the Temple was a magnificent building – they were rightly awed by it.

Jesus, appears to be less impressed, and issues this terrible prophecy: it will all fall; the temple will be toppled.

Of course, immediately they began to clamour for more information – how? Why? When? How will we know? What warnings will there be?

Jesus continues to speak in riddles; and it seems he is laying the foundation for the end of things: wars and rumours of wars; fire and earthquakes…

Jesus knows they are leaving the Temple for the last time before he is arrested but this is not the end.

The destruction, the fall of the Temple, the violence and persecution are not sure signs of what is to come.

This is not the end. 

These things may occur and they may indeed be happening but this is not the end.

Here we are 2000 years later; still living faithful lives; still waiting.

All things are changing, the Temple is not the focal point anymore. 

Now we focus not on a building, but on an event: the resurrection. 

We know that faith is not about the buildings, but about the people.

We of course, also have the wisdom of hindsight: we know the fall of the  temple in around 70AD did not signify the end of the age and the return of Jesus.

We also have the complacency of 2000 years; there have been wars, and conflicts; famines and earthquakes; fires and flood, and still the world goes on; still humanity continues.

We may find ourselves saying, sure Jesus will return, but it won’t be in our lifetime.

The passage of time has numbed us to the reality of Jesus’ promise.

But we are now living in challenging days; the church is facing a new crisis; one it has not before dealt with.

Faith may seem hollow because it has been institutionalised;

Yet there is still hope in this passage.

Faith is not restricted to what the institution of the church is able to do; for Jesus predicts that these institutions, even the biggest ones built, with the greatest stones and minds and fervour shall not last.

Our Hope instead is in the arrival of Jesus and his kingdom.

How can we hear Jesus’ words that Temples will fall but the end is not yet? There is always new life and such upheaval has always been the way of it as one generation moves into another.

In these days of uncertainty; when our presbytery is tasked with once again looking at ministerial numbers. It is good to ask hard questions.

Is it right to use vast resources within the church to keep the stones in place?

Does the ‘listing’ of buildings that preserve their and our heritage have an uncanny way of preserving the problems that institutionalise us as well. 

What are Jesus words to us?

“Do not be alarmed”

The writer to the Hebrews was writing to people who were unsettled; he was writing in a time of change.

Today’s passage is clear: our confidence is not in the building, but in Jesus; and through Jesus we have hope.

Through Jesus we are able to  hold on fast to the promises of faith. Because of that, the author writes: “Let us provoke one another to love and good deeds… to meet together… to encourage one another…”

The world can be a big scary place

And we can feel small and isolated in it

But, we are not alone

We are never alone

We have a living God, who seeks good for us

And through God’s prompting we can work together for whatever our future is.

Over the next few weeks, a small group from our church, will be meeting with small groups from some of our neighbouring churches to consider the future plan:

What do we need to continue to be the church here in the  Leader Valley?

How can we bring the gospel message of Love to all the people who live here?

Their task is challenging; and we are living through challenging days.

Jesus said, “When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed”

Jesus called us to love each other; to love God – Jesus also promised he would return.

When? We do not know

How long do we wait?

We do not know…

But this we do know: God is love, and in God’s love we can overcome all things.

Demolition of outbuildings at Earlston Manse

Why do we give? A sermon for Remembrance Sunday

“Out of her poverty, she has put in everything she had…” (Mark 12:44)

Every widow; every orphan; every amputee; every one suffering from PTSD; every shell-shocked mind.

Every private; every corporal; every able seaman; every flight engineer…

Each, put in their two pennies.

Everything they had

Everything they were

Everything they lost

Given – for hope.

The human desire to strive for justice; to protect the vulnerable; to stand up for the oppressed can be summed up in the Psalmist’s verses:

Happy are those … whose hope is in the Lord their God; who keeps faith forever;

who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

 The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow (Ps 146: 5,6, 7-9)

For so many in the Great War a simple faith in God was core to everything; the words of the bible brought comfort; the very fact that each serviceman was given a bible tells us that.

The cost; the true price of war – cannot be measured in pounds and pennies, but in lives – shortened or changed – given in trust.

Trusting that the loss would not be futile

Trusting that the forfeit would be worth it

Trusting, that those who sent them out into peril knew what they were doing.

Trusting that their actions would fulfil God’s vision: justice for the oppressed.

Those young men who marched off to war in 1914 had no inkling of what would happen next; but all believed that it would be over by Christmas; they they’d be back home in no time… but as weeks turned to months; and then months turned to years, they, and their loved ones discovered it was not to be so simple.

Jesus, sat down and watched… the people; praying; offering; worshipping. Jesus watched, and Jesus knew the true cost to each donor.

And I am sure; that in 1914, Jesus watched the people: praying; marching; offering; worshipping.

Jesus watched, and Jesus knew the true cost to each donor. Every life cut short; every life changed through terrible injury; every home with empty chairs for those who would not return.

We now, in 2018. One hundred years after the guns fell silent, need to continue to remember the true cost of war.

There are few now who remember the Second War; and none remain from the Great War.

But, conflict continues. And British service personnel are deployed all around the world.

Afghanistan

Syria

Africa

The Baltics…

Today, as we remember 100 years ago; we must also remember all who continue to serve our country; all who continue to answer the call to serve, to uphold justice; to restore peace; to bring safety in an unsafe world..

As we remember, may we be thankful, grateful, knowing that because of them, our lives are more secure.

Jesus knows all about sacrifice; it is through his sacrifice that we have hope for tomorrow.

Why do we give?

We give to honour the fallen; to honour each other; to honour God

We give to remember.

Amen

 

Remembrance Display Earlston Church 2018

Sermon 14 October: What Must I Do?

Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31

The encounter between Jesus and the Rich Young Man is one I have turned back to, time and again; it features in both Matthew and Luke’s gospels too; and it tells us something about priorities, and motives.  – whatever our status, hearing the assertion that it is virtually impossible for the wealthy to get into heaven is one which disturbs and resonates in equal measure.

The story is multi-layered, but all too often we look at it and assume it is a simple story about the way God looks upon rich people – blessed are the poor after all.

But this story is much, much deeper than this. And Jesus is saddened by the man’s inability to shake loose from his chains.

This letter to the Hebrews could well have been addressed to that rich young man...

As I explained last week, we do not know who the writer of this letter/sermon is; but we do know he cuts to the heart of things: in this passage the word of God is alive and active!

There is nothing that can be hidden from God

And it is to God we must give an account of ourselves – thus we see the tie to the gospel as the rich man – approaches Jesus – clearly troubled and anxious about something

His question is to the point “What must I do to receive eternal life”

Jesus had spent the majority of his time with others being asked to heal; to relieve and to soothe. For this young man to come along and ask about eternity must have been a heart stopping moment of joy for Jesus. And of course, Jesus knew the heart of this young man; he wanted to tease out of him the nub of what was really bothering him.

When Jesus gave him the received answer: “keep the law”, the man is not satisfied

He is a righteous and good man

He has studied scriptures

Loved God

Been faithful and true to all the commandments

But in his hearts he knew there was something missing

Something not quite right

He was discomfited

And Jesus looked at him

And Jesus knew him

And Jesus loved him.

Up to this point in the narrative he could have been any one of the hundreds in the crowd

But now we know that he is different

He is wealthy

And he loves being wealthy and all it gives him

And he cannot let it go

He cannot let it slip

He is bound by it; chained; restrained and restricted by his wealth.

His despair at being told to sell it all; give it away and follow Jesus is too much. And he is unable to let go

So he turns to leave

To walk away...

If Hollywood was writing this script at the last minute he’d turn back – leave his wealth behind and claim the life Jesus is offering him – and they would all live happily ever after.

But this isn’t Hollywood; this is scripture; and scripture teaches us about life.

Real life

Not soap opera life; not movie town life

No happy ever after ending recorded here

Instead, Jesus turns to his disciples and makes a sweeping statement which seems totally at odds with everything else they know about Jesus

How hard for rich people to enter the Kingdom!!

This is shocking enough

What follows is worse

It’s a conundrum: easier for the rich to get into heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.

To the disciples, this is so impossible; so devastating a suggestion that we can feel their despondency – and identify with Peter as he wails – “but we’ve already given up so much!”

What on earth are we doing?

Why are we following?

Is there no one who can be saved?

We have already given up so much

Jesus, as ever is turning things upside down

Those who are first in this world will be last

And the last will be first

God knows us

Our weaknesses

Our indulgences

The things which test us

The things that we love

Things are not important

People are

Things are replaceable

People are not

Things are useful and used

People are loveable and loved

Don’t confuse the two!!

People were created to be loved

Things were created to be used

The reason why the world in is CHAOS

Is because things are being loved

And people are being used

The writer to the Hebrews said, “have confidence then, and approach God’s throne where there is grace – grace to help us just when we need it”

Grace is there to help us, when like the rich young man we cannot let go of that which holds us back.

Jesus, God, knows exactly what is on our hearts; and, God gifts us grace – riches that will support us.

Grace: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

Grace – enough to lift us and inspire us; to move us from where we are, to where we need to be.

We do not know what happened to that rich young man – we are told he went away, grieving for he had many possessions.

What do you think?

Did he think about it and start to give away all of his things?

Did he carry on as before, loving God, being faithful but always aware that something was missing?

 We can only speculate about him; in our own lives though, we can do as Jesus asked

Not literally giving everything away – but looking at our priorities; loving God, knowing we are beloved by God; and remembering what else Jesus said: “for God, all things are possible”.

That is our hope; that is our answer

In the age to come – eternal life.

Amen