Christmas 1 A

Matthew 2: 13-23
Merry Christmas! Jesus Christ is born to us, a savior and a king. Jesus whom they call Emmanuel, which means God is with us.

In addition to Christmastime this weekend we're about to celebrate the new year with most of the world. We know that for the church the year starts before Christmas but it is still pretty new and this is a good time to think about the previous year. All the major events and the ups and downs.

All of the magazines and newspapers are doing it, the best and worst recipes from the year, the best and worst dressed, the most profitable company, the least. The best movie, the biggest flop and so on and so on.

Tim and I were reading an article yesterday about scientific findings for the year, mostly about things relating to nutrition. About how what we eat affects everything from our chances of getting to cancer to the intelligence of our children. It was daunting at best but it ended with a funny little bright note. About how peoples who for centuries have eaten high starch foods have adapted to that kind of diet and so the bright side of the whole article was the possibility that the metabolism of our great great grand children will be adapted to eating fast food and lots of Chocolate cake without needing to watch their waistlines!

All these article that survey the years finding an pull out the best and worst of them got me thinking, what would it look like if we each made our own personal "best" and "worst of" issues for this last year? What would be the greatest thing that happened in 2007, the thing that brought the most joy or the greatest results of most complete sense of accomplishment to your life? What would be the worst, the hardest or saddest? And what would be the surprising bright side to it all?

Take a second to think about it. We're not doing resolutions here, not what you wish you could change, more like reflections, what really happened, this year, how'd it go, what are the results? Where is the good news in it?

I know there have been all kinds of life changes here over the past twelve months, in your homes, jobs and families. Losses and gains, new living situations and different responsibilities new family members, new outlooks. All kinds of changes.

I can certainly look back on some major changes over the past year. A year ago almost today I received a phone call out of the blue with an area code I didn't recognize asking me to take a trip to upstate New York to see if maybe it was a place that I would be interested in living. And Tim and I wondered why so far from home. It was a full nine months before we moved out here. Long after a cold winter day when I was driven around Schodack quietly just so that I could see the place. It felt like a big confusing whirlwind then, so theoretical and so far from home but looking back it is clear to me that God was at work here and God was at work in Spokane, Washington. With the same words and the same ever patient love for all of us. Calling to us with patience and comfort to get up and start again.

While that was all taking place it was hard to hear the words of God promising to be with us, it was probably hard here too. But in the story of the trials of his own son's life we get an example of the way God is always present, always with the same tender words of love and care, sometimes calling us to a new place and sometimes telling us that it is safe to settle in for a while.

There is a sort of recapping of a year or so's worth of events in our gospel lesson today.

This week we hear about a time after Jesus is born. We're not sure just how long it was but we know it was when Jesus was still pretty young, Joseph had another vision in a dream. Remember in Matthew the communication that we get about Jesus from God comes to Joseph through dreams.

This time in the dream he hears that King Herod will try to kill Jesus. We learn that Herod has heard that someone has been born who will be a rival for the throne and so he decides that it is best to stamp out this threat before it even occurs. So Joseph gets the message to flee from Bethlehem, and he goes to Egypt. The land where people go when they are in various kinds of exile. A land where God's people have been held in slavery and terribly oppressed and a land where God showed the greatest mercy and compassion for the people of Israel. As he goes there the angel says I'll tell you when you can come back.

God says, even as you flee I will be with you, watching over you and calling you back to me.

We don't really know how long they are in Egypt but we know they get pretty settled there. They spent enough time waiting that it started to feel like home and they were safe. It is a foreign land but they were safe in it and God was with them.

Then finally the angel appears again to Joseph, in a dream, and tells him that it is safe to go back to his homeland. To take Mary and Jesus and go. And so he does. The language used to refer to Joseph's communication and his actions is the same throughout the narrative (in Bethlehem and in Egypt). When he is in Bethlehem the angel says "get up, take the child and his mother and go" and the text says Joseph "got up, took the child and his mother and went". Once in Egypt again the angel said "get up etc." and the text says Joseph "got up etc."

It is important the words are exactly the same in both places because it is important that God is the same both in the time of great joy that comes in a wonderful birth and the time of pain and fear that comes in fleeing, running, changing everything just so that you can get by. God is with Joseph in exactly the same way in both instances.

A baby was born a gift from God, what a great joy and god was with them, but then there was great danger and they had to flee but God was with them. Then they were able to come back and in the exact same words each time was a promise that God had been there all along and would always be.

In the news this week there has been horrible unrest in the region all around where Jesus was born and that his family fled to. It is scary to watch the news and imagine the horror of actually being in a place where there are bombs in the street and where leaders are under constant deadly threat. These terrible things still happen in the world because we have not come to the fullness of time, because we live where we yet get only glimpses of the kingdom to come.

But through today's text we have an illustration of the promise that we receive with the birth of Christ that God has come to dwell among us in our broken world and through each event and each day in the years past and those to come we know that God has been and continues to be with us. And through the Holy Supper that we are about to share we continue to live in the presence of Christ knowing that there is an even greater promise yet to come.
Amen

Advent 1 A

Matthew 24: 36-44
I spoke to my mother the other day about Christmas presents. She was telling me about something that she is going to get for my father. I'll have to make sure not to post this sermon to my blog so he doesn't find out because this sure would ruin a big surprise. But would you all like to know what dad is getting? At least one of his presents?

He is getting...A flashlight! Pretty darn exciting gift huh?

Now my knowledge of flashlights is limited at best. But what he is getting is not just any flashlight but a big, high powered, rechargeable flashlight on a stand. A spotlight really.

You see my parents are building a house along a river in what could almost be described as a canyon. It is dark there at night. No lights from the city, no neighbors, no porch lights (at least yet). No street lights. Just the stars and moon and mom and dad. But sometimes, especially on these long winter nights there are things to look at. Animals on the riverbank, a car that needs repair, the pump on the well the dogs running off to bark at something in the woods. And so dad needs a light. Something to overcome the darkness on those occasions.

The light that mom is getting him is something like 10 Million Candlepower. Candlepower is an older way to describe the measurement of light but they still use it for things like flashlights. the equation is very complicated but basically the distance and brightness of this light will be ten million times that of a candle.

Imagine 10 million candles lit and glowing all at one in the same place. It would start with just one light one candle and it would spread first to two, then to Four, then to eight and sixteen and thirty two and sixty four and and one hundred and twenty eight and two hundred and fifty six and then...well you get the point. The river bank is getting pretty bright already.

Advent works like this. We light candles. We start with just one candle and each week we add one, filling the sanctuary with a little bit more light and warmth each time and then by the time we are finished, by late on the night of Christmas eve we will each have our own candles, the sanctuary will be filled with light and warmth and glory and, not just that, the sanctuary down the street at Scared Heart will be filled with candles, and many peoples yards and windows in between with real candles or Christmas lights meant to represent candles. And St. Paul's up on the hill and many yards and windows in between and St. Davids on Brookview and Love Lutheran in East Greenbush. And, well again you get the point, the valley is getting pretty bright already.

We keep adding lights because that is how waiting for Christ works. We keep adding lights. In some ways celebrating advent during the month of December just gives us a chance to think about what we are doing as a church all of the time. We are living in the light of Christ that shone in Bethlehem on Christmas morning and in the light of the empty tomb on Easter. And now in many ways we have the job of acolyte.

We hold the candles and we're promised that all of the little lights will add up and be made complete and glorious through Christ's presence.

I want to go back and reread part of our old testament lesson for today to think about what this might look like. From the book of Isaiah: Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. ”For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

What a wonderful prophecy this is. How unlike the world that we live in today. Weapons of death, swords and spears will be turned into instruments of peace. Not only of peace but of prosperity and sharing. Imagine if suddenly every war effort was turned into an effort to create food and feed the world. And if every institution that teaches trains military everywhere stopped.

Now you have to go out on a limb here because this isn't the kind of stopping that leaves behind fear of vulnerability. It isn't as if the people just decided that they would do away with their standing army. In this vision God does away with war and violence. Completely and forever. Later in Isaiah we hear more about what this would look like. The peace it turns out extends even to the wild animals. Lions will lay down with helpless baby lambs. It will be safe to let your children play right in the midst of deadly snakes. Even nature will be completely at peace.

And there will be no war. Anywhere. Just peace, completely peace. And lifelong soldiers will take their weapons apart and start to feed the hungry and heal the world, this would extend not just to armies but even to cities and towns and families. People will live completely in peace, pain, fear hatred and hunger will be gone. The prophets say "all the tears will be wiped away"

And there is more to the vision, mighty kings with the power to give life to the dead will humble themselves even so much as to be born amid barn animals, dirt and cold and then he will submit to death on a cross.

Advent is about this. About this remarkable peace. This remarkable world where all are safe and all are fed and all are comforted. About these impossible prophecies. And about the impossible that has already come to be. About peace at the last and a growing light in the darkness now.

The first Sunday of advent is the one where we focus what is yet to come. Sometimes it is said to be Prophecy Sunday, sometimes Hope. We spend most of advent time looking forward to the birth of Christ. Retelling the story of the time before his birth up through Christmas. We celebrate and remember the miracles that we have been given but this first Sunday we think more about the miracles that are yet to come.

There are little signs of these miracles all around us, signs of hope, Christ's light in the darkness. And often we get to be the ones who hold the candles. Peace grows in Schodack and in America and around the world and the light gets a little brighter, Wounds are healed and another light shines, angers are forgiven and light shines. Hungers are fed and light shines. We visit those who mourn and light shines. We send food to the local foodbank and light shines. We collect hats and mittens for children who shiver in the cold and light shines. We pray for neighbors who are suffering and light shines. We visit lonely friends and a light shines. We proclaim the gospel in the world and more lights shine. We sing carols at the houses of our homebound brothers and sisters and more lights shine. And, well, you get the point, the world is getting pretty bright already and this is only the very beginning, a very small example of Christ's work in the world, for us and trough us.

With the birth of Christ God's words and promises broke into the world. A candle flame in the dark growing and moving. And it continues to grow and to move. The Prophet says "O house of Jacob come let us walk in the light of the Lord" and I say to you, it is advent and we know that Christ is the light that shines in the darkness, the light that no darkness can overcome, so come, come let us walk in the light of the Lord. Amen.

Advent 4 A

Matthew 1: 18-25

Have you ever noticed how when a baby is born and everyone is so excited to see and hear about the new little bundle of joy the parents sometimes get overlooked? That happens with the parents of the Christ child too I think. Mary and Joseph are so important to the story but they almost get left out! which is too bad because they are two of the best examples of faith that we have in all the gospel stories. But it make sense too that we don't talk about them a lot. First, Joseph just barely made it into the story. As it is the poor guy has no speaking part anywhere in the bible. But I like him. He reminds me of us. He was kind of on the outside of the events that were unfolding in Nazareth. Mary was forewarned of what would take place, even her cousin Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s husband were forewarned both of their child and hers but Joseph was just kind of hanging out doing some carpentry when all of a sudden his bride to be comes to him and says “I’m pregnant”. Now knowing that he had nothing to do with that shocking news he was probably more hurt and confused than anything else. I can imagine him angry and sad cursing God, ashamed to go to his parents, who had no doubt set up the engagement.

Lets take this right from the start here. We know that Mary is about 15. Joseph would have been older but he was probably still pretty young, early twenties maybe. What were the real first thoughts he had. He was so excited that there was this girl he really liked and his parents had agreed that she was alright and set it up so that they could get married. He was still learning what marriage was about but now he was going to be embarrassed in front of his friends and he was kind of missing out on part of the parenting thing. He hadn’t gotten to live with Mary to get to know her, to set up a home with her and to dream about what their children would someday be like. Instead he came into a relationship with a scared pregnant girl! That would be rough! And if you remember the story one of the first things he had to do was put her on a camel and take her across the desert to be registered. So much for the Honeymoon!

Do you know the law actually gave him the right to kill Mary. It wasn’t like a modern day broken engagement. Even if he didn’t kill her and if he did dismiss her they would both be living in shame. So just as you and I might have Joseph started having bad dreams. Dreams that he was doing the wrong thing by breaking off the engagement, dreams about marrying her. Finally he had a dream that was so vivid he woke up realizing that it wasn’t just a dream at all. That it was a message from God that God was calling him to do something that he never would have dreamed of doing.

Now here is the part about why I like Joseph so much. He did as he was called to do. And we barely see him when he does it. I can even imagine the story without Joseph. An angel came to Mary, Mary had a son named him Jesus and he grew into the Messiah. But without Joseph this might not have happened. Mary would have been without a protector, without a partner. After Jesus was born the emperor sent soldiers to find and kill Jesus. It was Joseph who got the message to take Mary and the baby and hide. It was Joseph who gave Jesus his name both his name as one in David’s line and his name as Jesus, God saves.

So if Joseph is a good example of listening to the call of God, mary is a good example of how to praise God for everything.while Jospeh was doing this dreaming and this leading what was Mary doing? Mary was praising the mystery of the whole thing. The scripture says she was pondering the things she heard in her heart and that she sang praises for the work the Lord was accomplishing through her. We get her song in the Magnificat:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Mary understands that the greatness of the Lord comes in the most unexpected ways. In looking with favor upon lowly servants. She didn't have an easy task in front of her, mother of the lord or not, she was still young and pregnant with a ruined reputation and some pretty confusing information. She didn't make the mistake of, thinking that now that we have the Lord everything will be simple but instead she gathered her spirits and her voice and sang about how very, very amazing it is that God would come to walk among the everyday. That God would consent to being not in the company of kings but that of Inn Keepers and shepherds, of carpenters and fallen women.

Sometimes I laugh when I read the gospels at the disciples, and at many of the people that Jesus encounters in his life. They just don't seem to get it. I think that is why they are there. Because they are like us. Often confused and pretty far from the right answers, even a lot of times the right questions. They are there to wonder and bicker, to fear and to doubt. And thank God for them because in his infinite wisdom he knew that the only way we would get it would be if we saw other people like ourselves trying to figure out the mystery of the faith too. But thank God on days in the dark stillness of advent with all of us gathered around, for making sure that Mary and Joseph made it into the story too. Devoted, proper Joseph who threw tradition out the window in order to be lovingly obedient to God and Mary. Mary who lets us know that even in the most confusing places God comes to us as a messenger, as family, as a child and as a friend and even if we don't get it at all we just have one thing to do. We have only to sing God's praise.

To say with her, My soul magnifies the Lord.
And my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
God looks with favor upon his servants even though they are lowly and unsure, filled with doubts and pains and fear. All that will be wiped away and
From now on all generations will call us blessed.

Amen

Advent 2 A

Matthew 3:1-12
For the past couple of weeks we have been going back in time through our gospel lessons. We started on Christ the King Sunday at the crucifixion, right at the end of Jesus' time on earth. The last week we heard a story from Jesus ministry, after he was established as a teacher and preacher but before he was tried and put to death. Now this week for the gospel we hear about the first public appearance that Jesus made. His first appearance as an adult, the preparation for his ministry and his baptism by John the baptist.

A little background on John. John's father was a priest in the temple, Zechariah and his mother was Elizabeth. They were too old to have children when an angel came to Zechariah in the temple and announced that Elizabeth would bear a son who would prepare the path of the Lord. We get most of the story about these folks from Luke's gospel and in that gospel when the angel came to Mary it shared with her the news that Elizabeth would have a son as well, and so Mary went to see Elizabeth. And they spoke about the children that they would bear.

Once John grew older he did as the angel said he would. He announced the coming of the kingdom of Heaven. That is where we find him today. Baptizing in the river Jordan and proclaiming that all should Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near.

Now it just so happens that I have a letter from this period of John's life that he wrote to his mother or he could have, if he did I think it would have been like this so just sit back, relax and hear about this work in the words of John the baptist. Chosen one of God, the new Elijah, the cousin of Jesus, the one who prepares the way of the Lord...

Dear Mother Elizabeth-

I'm sorry that is has been so long since I last wrote to you. I've been wandering in the wilderness, eating locusts and honey, wearing camel hair clothes and a leather belt. Now I know what you're going to say but please don't worry. The wilderness isn't so bad and besides according to the prophets we have all been wandering in the wilderness ever since Adam and Eve and their...um incident. And if things really go as planned we're going to be out of the wilderness very soon. After all “someone” is coming. Someone that they call a new Adam, the son of God and the son of Man. He's coming to fix our relationship with God. You know, maybe put a new spin on the apple thing...I'm not really sure. No one ever told me just how he will fix it. I know a few things about him though, old stuff from the Torah. Things we read in temple. Mostly from the prophet Isaiah.

Like they say that the one who comes to be our new, great Messiah will

Be filled with the spirit of the Lord

With Wisdom and understanding

With counsel and Might

With knowledge and fear of the Lord (you know that means reverence and love and respect)

In fact his greatest delight will be in this fear of the Lord.

I guess that means he will be a good leader. In fact they say he will be mightier and more wonderful than David or Solomon or even David and Solomon combined! And he will be a new kind of leader because if his concerns are really the same as God's then he will care about those who need his help and he won't get hung up on power or money or anger or fear. Much better than some certain leaders that I know whose names begins with seize(ceasa) and end with ours (rs). If you know what I mean.

Anyway I am out here in the wilderness telling everyone that someone is coming. I haven't really harped on the fact that that someone is my little cousin Jesus whom I met before we were even born. I remember you used to tell me a story about before I was born when Mary came to visit you and before she even told you that she was going to have the baby Jesus, I leapt around in your womb with joy at the upcoming birth of Jesus. You told me that that was how you knew that he was going to be something special, something different. Because I showed you. And you told me that that would be my job. More like a calling than a job. It isn't as if I get paid for wandering around foraging for food and telling people that “someone is coming”. But anyway you said that would be my purpose in life to announce the coming of a Christ, a purpose I fulfilled before I was even born.

But I have to confess I don't really know what I am doing now. I'm following father's instructions. After all, he is a priest, he was given a vision in the temple about me and Jesus before we were born. How I would be the announcer, making straight the paths of the righteous and how “someone” would come then with the words and knowledge and power of the Lord. I guess it wasn't right away that you guys put together that that someone was going to be Mary's son.

Because of that though dad says that it is very important that I live the life of a prophet wandering here in the wilderness. He calls my ministry the return of Elijah. Can you believe that?! I mean yes, Elijah was the greatest prophet and was carried away by the Lord in a fiery chariot and we believe he will come back at some point to announce the wonderful plans of the Lord. But ME! Does that sound like me to you? Greatest prophet ever, chariot of fire, undead...But you know dad. He is proud of his family and he is so sure that some great change is about to take place. That something wonderful is coming. That we live in a time of Advent.

That “someone” is coming. So here I am announcing an advent. We are waiting for someone or something remarkable. A great change is coming. I'm not even sure what an advent is or what it will be but people keep coming to me, asking to be baptized, telling me that they repent that they are ready to change and to turn to God. They are sure that something new is about the happen. I hear rumors and murmurs of the kingdom of heaven. They seem to feel it in their hearts. Maybe they should be the ones announcing this “someone”. Anyway I think they will help me spread the word when they go back to their homes and villages. They sure are walking away from here telling stories. People from all of Judea proclaiming that the kingdom is coming. Saying hear the good news (do you like that? "hear the good news" I came up with it, little play on the word gospel).

Oh! Mom I've got to go someone is coming. I think, yes I recognize him. It is Jesus. He is coming to the water. Coming to...to be baptized. How can that be. He is the change, he should baptize us. Why would he want such treatment from me. I'm just the messenger. You know that, I know that, even the man who thinks I'm Elijah knows that, doesn't he know that?! What good is a messenger to baptize when the very Lord is here.

Oh but I know, I know what you would say. I am here to do the work of the Lord. I was born for it so I'd better go and do what he asks. Go and baptize the son in the name of the father. Imagine, the one of whom the prophets spoke. The one who will be God among us. The one born to sweet Mary, the one born to forgive all ours sins and cleanse us and make us whole. The one whom the prophets promised would bring new order to the world is here coming to us as we baptize and are baptized and saying he wants to be baptized with us.

I'm not sure I understand how I could ever be worthy of this after all, like I said, I'm just the messenger announcing that “someone” coming. Hmm...I guess I need to proclaim that he is here. A king unlike any other is here. A messiah walking among us here by the riverside and with you and father up in Jerusalem and with all the people throughout all of the ages. Truly, truly he is here. Can you believe that father was right, the prophets were right. Repent and hear the Good news that Jesus the Christ comes to us! Amen

Your Son,

The last Prophet, John (the baptizer)