Sermon: November 27, 2011

“Angels Among Us”

Scripture Psalm 80: 1- 7 read responsively and Luke 1:26-38

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ November 27 First Sunday in Advent 

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

Psalm 80: 1- 7 read responsively.  The season of advent welcomes the faithful, even beckons the faithful to cast a new vision amidst a world swallowed up in the sounds and images of completing claims.  Whatever the original historical setting of Psalm 80 was, it belongs to the afflicted people of God on their way through troubles.[1]  It is not a safe place or time for soldiers let alone babies.  Yet our Messiah came to us not a conqueror but a little child.  God’s amazing plan to save all the children of God is hard to hold onto, when you are afraid of the future.   May this lament open your heart to God’s message of hope even in the midst of despair.

¹Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth

²before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!
³Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
⁴O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
⁵You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.
⁶You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.
⁷Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Luke 1:26-38
The Angel the Bible calls Gabriel has a remarkable position in our cultural because he plays an important role in more than one major religion. He is referred to in the Old Testament as appearing to Daniel to explain the frightening visions Daniel has had. In Islam he is renowned for dictating the Holy Koran to the Prophet Mohammed. And for we Christians he announce the birth of John to his father Zachariah and Jesus to his mother Mary, which is our reading for this first Sunday in Advent.  All angels and even the term angel have a primary roll as messengers of God.  As you listen to this familiar passage see if you hear Gabriel providing more than a message.

²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.²⁸And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”²⁹But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.³⁰The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.³¹And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.³³He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”³⁵The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.³⁶And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.”³⁸Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

SERMON
The song by Alabama, Angels Among Us comes to mind with this passage.  We will get to that but for now just set it aside.  And let us consider Gabriel in relationship to Mary.  Here is a young woman shocked by God’s message to her.  “You want me to do what?”  This response has been a common question when God calls us to service.  The angel as messenger seems to have more than a delivery boy role in the communication.  The angel is to assure the recipient of the message that it is true and worthy.  The comfort these rather awe inspiring beings can bring is an assurance that you really are being called to service and God will provide your needs.

I find this painted by Henry Ossawa Tanner, Annunciation, very revealing in what is does not show.  There is no image of Gabriel except as a beam of light.  The angels among us are here to keep us on the path of God’s will.  They are our assurance that God is with us.  For Jesus the angels cared for him after his encounter with temptation in the wilderness and in his spiritual struggle of Gethsemane.   Where have God’s angels come to you with a message of hope and new life?

Last week Annie came to me while Andrea was playing the beautiful offering of “While Sheep Safely Graze.”  She climbed up into my lap and for a brief moment I was visited by a messenger from God.  Now Annie is no more angelic than the rest of us.  What made it an encounter with God was God’s intention that I had the rare presence of mind to notice.  I firmly believe God is constantly trying to communicate with us.  Sometimes I can read a passage year after year and it just does not touch my soul as it does when others journey with me.  Those who study scripture in small groups have often experienced angels among us guiding our understanding. 

I have told you the story of Esther’s surgery on her hands at Children’s Hospital.  A young teenage from Jordan was waiting on the gurney in front of us.  She was all along and I am sure scared.  Then one of the other youth rolled up in her wheelchair.  She had the halo screwed into her head for traction.  So she literally looked like an angel.  She promised her companion in suffering that she would be waiting for her when she came out of surgery.  She was an angel among us.  My own brother was in a fox hole in WWII when an in-cinerary bomb went off.  He remembers the fire and that someone pulled him out, but he never knew who.  Was he saved by an angel, he always believed he was.  I sat at a traffic light while the woman in front of me never moved when the light turned green.  No one waiting in line even honk our horns.  Suddenly coming over the hill was a semi-truck and still we did not move and right behind him came another truck barreling through the intersection.  It was like the hand of God saying stay, peace, be patient.  But terrible things happen to good people.  Where are our angels then?  Even Jesus from the cross cried out in abandonment.

Gwendolyn talked about the long nightmare of Vincent’s death at Riley.  But she also remembered the angels that brought food to the Ronald McDonald House where they slept. Churches in Indianapolis came with whole meals and brought them in for the families who can barely care for themselves let alone make a meal.  Angels were among them ministering to them as they did Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Angels rarely take the pain away, but care for us in our suffering.  I have seen congregational members of Unity go way out of their way to care for another during the pain of health concerns or death.  You have been angels among us. 

The last refrain of Alabama’s song is:

They wear so many faces; show up in the strangest places, to guide us with their mercy in our time of need.  Oh, I believe there are angels among us sent down to us from somewhere up above.  They come to you and me in our darkest hour to show us how to live, to teach us how to give, to guide us with a light of love.[2]

God’s mission for Mary is not one for celebration.  She was a young unmarried woman who is already betrothed to Joseph.  Getting pregnant could have gotten her stoned to death outside the city gates.  Gabriel not only brought a message from God, but the strength to withstand the risks that came with the message.  Think about making choices in your own life that you have felt called by God to fulfill.  It seemed impossible that you could take the risk.  But there have been angels of assurance that you are worthy that you’re are meant for this mission.  Some of you have encountered heavenly beings who have guided you to God’s will for your life.  Others have encountered human beings who have guided you with heavenly direction.  What is important is your openness to God’s activity in your life.  Never stop believing there are angels among us. Amen.

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[1] W. Dennis Tucker, Jr. Associate Professor of Christian Scriptures, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Waco, TX

See: http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=11/27/2011&tab=5

[2] Becky Hobbs - Don Goodman Recorded by: Alabama

Sermon: November 20, 2011

The King Who Demands Compassion

as a Prerequisite for Citizenship

Scripture: Psalm 100 and Matthew 25: 31 - 46

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ November 20, 2011

Christ the King Sunday

Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana 

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

Psalm 100 read responsively:

One can almost hear the outbreak of jubilation described in this summons to praise. It calls the entire community to lift praises to God. This psalm is the last of a collection of psalms that are known as enthronement psalms (93, and 95-99). These psalms celebrate with an understanding that the Great “I Am” who spoke to Moses is God who is worthy of our adoration and praise.  Let us join our voices in this proclamation of joy. 

¹Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.

²Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
³Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.
⁵For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Matthew 25:31-46

Here we have the culmination of the previous parables with the coming of the Son of Man, the King of Heaven, the Messiah, the Christ and the final judgment at the end of time.  As believers, we receive these stories with great anticipation as we have waited to be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven.  We want to be citizens of God realm.  Jesus tells us through this parable that prerequisite is compassion for those who suffer. 

³¹“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,³³and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.³⁴Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’⁴⁰And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’⁴¹Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;⁴²for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’⁴⁴Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’⁴⁵Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

SERMON

It is interesting that neither the sheep nor the goats connected service to the “least of these” as service for their King.  If you want your faith to be relevant to your life, it doesn’t get any more down to earth, gritty material than Jesus telling us to feed the hungry, cloth the naked and visit those who are sick or in prison.  Then if we still don’t get the point he tells us we are not welcome in his Kingdom if compassion is not a priority in our lives.  It is all about what are your priorities in life?  To what or whom have you made a commitment?

Having been born in the US, I don’t even have to say the Pledge of Allegiance to be a US citizen.  To graduate from High School in Illinois, I was required to pass a test on the main points of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of both the United States and Illinois, as well as on the proper use and display of the American Flag.  Last year I was privileged to watch Min Soe became a US citizen.   Her requirements were much more stringent.

·        Be 18 or older
·        Be a green card holder for at least 5 years immediately preceding the date of filing.
·        Have lived within the state, for at least 3 months prior to the date of filing the application
·        Have continuous residence in the United States as a green card holder for at least 5 years immediately preceding the date of the filing the application
·        Be physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the 5 years immediately preceding the date of filing the application.
·        Reside continuously within the United States from the date of application for naturalization up to the time of naturalization.
·        Be able to read, write, and speak English and have knowledge and an understanding of U.S. history and government (civics). She had to pass a test and be interviewed.
·        Be a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States during all relevant periods under the law.
·        Then Min had to promise the following:

 I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

It was a very humbling experience to watch as over a hundred people in North High School make this commitment while family and friends present. 

Commitment is what it is all about.  Marriage is a commitment between two people.  They make promises to each other.  In a Christian ceremony they also ask God to bless their union.   When we join the church we are asked to make a commitment by professing our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, renouncing evil and affirming our reliance on God’s grace, and declare our intention to participate actively and responsibly in the worship and mission of the church.  It is first a commitment we make with God and then it is a commitment we make with the church, and the church makes with us like in wedding vows, we exchange vows with one another. So whether it is a commitment between two people or with a whole group, it is what gives life meaning.

What happened to the commitment of the goats?  Why did the sheep not even understand the meaning of their purpose?  Perhaps like most American citizens, the sheep were born into life in the church and the commitment to caring for those in need was just an expected part of their lives that they did not reflect on its place in their relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is what Christians do!  For the goats it was what other people did.

I was talking to Mark Olsen who with his wife pastors the Trinity Parish about this passage.  He said sheep listen to their shepherd’s voice, but goats do not.  So the sheep were feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger and visiting those confined.  Yet they may never have known why.  I have never heard membership vows that included a promise to live as Christ and care for those on the margins of society.  Perhaps we should make a vow to listen for Jesus teaching us about what is important and who is of value in our lives.  Like the bridesmaids with their oil from the first parable or the slaves with their huge fortunes in the story of the talents, we have a commitment to Christ to keep doing what he has asked us to do.

So are you listening to Jesus’ voice, will you recommit your life to his service?  Will you pour out the oil to be a light in the darkness; will you risk all your abundance to make a difference in this world?   It is our citzenship requirement for the Kingdom of Heaven.

I found this icon by Br. Robert Lentz, OFM[1] in Carl Gregg’s commentary.  Perhaps if you take a moment and focus on this image of Jesus, you may hear the voice of the Good Shepherd saying, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these… you did it to me.”  Amen.

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[1]See: www.trinitystores.com/store/artist/Robert-Lentz and  www.patheos.com/blogs/carlgregg/2011/11/four-spiritual-practices-for-preaching-on-matthew-25

Growing Wealth

Scripture: Psalm 123 read responsively and Matthew 25: 14-30

Preached by Linda Jo Peters

November 13, 2011 – Dedication of Theological Education Offering

Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana 

Introduction to scripture

Psalm 123 read responsively
This psalm is a community lament based upon trust in God as it petitions God for help in the face of scorn.  Our Horizon’s Bible study on the Beatitudes, explains how one form of wealth in Jesus’ time was one’s honor, or one’s good name.[1]  So loss of honor or being shamed was a crisis that could affect one’s financial health.

¹To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!

²As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he has mercy upon us.
³Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
⁴Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.

Matthew 25: 14-30

The themes of chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew are about final judgment and the return of the Son of Man, or, the establishing of the reign of God on earth; or teachings about delays.  The first parable that we read last week used the image of oil to light lamps. This parable uses the image of money and what it can achieve. Just as in the first parable the oil comes close to being a description for the Spirit, so here the money is an image for what is potent in the kingdom and for the kingdom. It may also be seen as a way of talking about the Spirit or at least about the life of God within us. It speaks to how we allow the life of God to flow through us - because it is powerful- like money![2]

¹⁴“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents.¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents.¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’²⁶But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter?²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

SERMON

It is proverbially true that what we expect of a given situation, event, or person determines our experience of that situation, event or person. I believe the same is true of our expectations of God.  Our expectations of God shape our experience of God profoundly.  This story is how fear turned an opportunity into a total loss.  So is the glass half-full or half-empty?  Your attitude determines the answer. 

The sum the Greek talanta, a "talent" isn’t a special ability as it is in English.  Jesus was talking about the largest denomination of currency in Rome. We should translate talanta as "a huge bucket full of solid gold." Only the muscular could even pick up a talanton, which might weigh 50 or 75 pounds. Each was worth around 6,000 denarii, and a denarius was a good day’s wage.  These are extravagant sums over which these slaves are given charge.[3]  So was it an extravagant opportunity or a scary one?  Is the glass half-full or half-empty?  For the first two slaves who must of known that their master was “ a harsh man, reaping where he did not sow, and gathering where he did not scatter seed”  found a way to overcome their fear and double the fortune with which they were entrusted.  The third slave’s fear took over and all he could do was bury the fortune until his master’s return.

Now remember we have been exploring these parables near the end of Matthew’s Gospel and they are leading to the great of judgment when those who have cared for “the least of these” will be welcomed into the kingdom of God.  And like the oil of last week’s parable money is like the Spirit of God, powerful and life changing.  In our society we can see both the value of money and how its power can be used for good or evil.  So it is hard to relate this story to God and God’s kingdom.  This master is nothing like Jesus or God, he is cruel and destructive. 

In this day and age with investment losses, what would you do if someone gave you a million dollars and said take care of this for me while I am gone?  Fear of losing it all might drive you to rent a vault box and just preserve it.  Look at verse 15, “to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.”  They had abilities that their master expected them to use. 

God has given us an extravagant treasurer in Jesus Christ: forgiveness of sins, a means of healing a broken and fearful world, eternal life and unending joy.  Wow!  That is extravagant wealth.  It has the potential in any economy to grow exponentially, but it has to be used, risked. Have we shared it out or hidden it away?    Have we used the abilities we have to grow this wealth not for a cruel and vindictive master but for a loving and compassionate King?  Have we buried this treasure deep into our hearts and minds and never looked at it again, never risked sharing it with another? 

Our job as disciples of Jesus is to spread the wealth around.  That may be in the form of money given to do the mission of the church, it may be time to tell his story to whoever will listen in whatever way we can, and it may be using your particular abilities to grow the wealth of the Kingdom of Heaven.  One thing I am sure of it is not to be buried or hidden under a bushel.  The more this wealth is shared/risked the more it grows.  In fact, I believe we can never out give God’s ability to provide the growth of all that we are into all that we are meant to be.  Live unafraid lives of hope and joy.  Take the risk to pour out what has been given to you, the abundance that will follow you, will take your breath away in awe.  Amen.

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[1] Confessing the Beatitudes by Margaret Aymer, 2011-2012 Horizons Bible Study

[2] William Loader, Pentecost 22, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia. 

See: http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MtPentecost22.htm

[3] See: James Howell, “Trojan Horse,” The Christian Century, November 1, 2005, p.19)

www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3289t