For November 30

The First Sunday of Advent
Scriptures:

Isaiah 64:1-9 "O that you would tear open the heavens and come down...."

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 "Restore us, O God, let your face shine, that we may be saved.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 "You are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing..."

Mark 13:24-37 "Beware, keep alert..."

Theme: "Where Are You, God?

Sermon title: "Longing for a Glimpse of God"
"Where is God?" is a question many people pose after great tragedy. "Where is God?" is the question that Priscilla posed to her "Faith Club" in the book by that title. Suzanne responded that she saw God in all those people who rushed to help those who were fleeing from the buildings, those who brought food and blankets into Manhattan. "Where is God in the financial crisis?" is the question on the cover of the Sojourners magazine I received a few days ago. Does anyone ask the whereabouts of God in times of safety, stability, and bounty? I can't think of an instance. I suppose that is evidence of our sad state of sin-- we are such self-absorbed creatures.
Perhaps the up side of the economic scare is that it puts us in company with so many others who, throughout the ages, have lived in fear and sought the elusive face of God. We are well-prepared for the first Sunday in Advent.
Generally, we want to rush into the giddiness of Christmas. When pastors gather to let our hair down and commiserate over common complaints, one we can all agree on is that inevitably, we will be criticized for our choice of hymns during Advent. Christmas carols have been playing at Target and SuperOne since just after Halloween, why can't we sing carols in church? Because it isn't Christmas yet, we explain, patiently or testily, it is Advent. Advent is a season of anticipation and preparation. So we sing the somber tones of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."
In good times, we don't look for God. We rarely give God a second thought. But in hard times, we ask "where is God?" That is just the way we are. So if these are indeed hard times for you, then you are in precisely the right mood for Advent. Let's come and seek God's face, together.

For Sunday, November 16

Scriptures:
Judges 4:1-7
Psalm 123
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Matthew 25:14-30

Theme: Extravagant Opportunity

Sermon Title: Seasons of Faith

Hymns: #25 Our God, Our Help in Ages Past
#432 'Tis Winter Now, the Fallen Snow
#436 God of Grace and God of Glory

I don't remember ever hearing my name read aloud in church. I was teaching Sunday School, as a sophomore in high school, when I first read about Deborah, the prophetess, one of the great leaders of Israel, who teamed up with Barak, a military captain, to lead troops into battle against... whoever it was the Israelites were battling in that particular chapter.
The book of Judges follows this rhythm: The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; so the Lord punished them by letting their enemies oppress them; then the people of Israel called out to the Lord, and the Lord sent them (insert name of hero) to defeat their enemies. And there would be peace until the next time the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the cycle would repeat itself.
Deborah and Barak and a woman named Jael are the heroes of the fourth chapter.

Psalm 123 is a plea for mercy.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 is the text the Reverend Cleophas chose for his sermon in the Triple Rock Baptist Church scene of the movie The Blues Brothers. "Don't be lost when the time comes... for the Lord cometh like a thief in the night."

Matthew 25:14-30 is the parable of the talents. Contrary to popular opinion of those whose messiah is Adam Smith, this is not an admonition to go forth and earn as much money as you can by any means you can. No! It's not!
Think of the talents entrusted to the servants as the wealth of scripture and tradition, the wealth of the holy wisdom entrusted to us by God, given to our keeping, as a legacy, a trust for future generations. Faithful servants will do what they can not only to preserve the trust, but also to increase it. In my mind, those who attempt to protect scriptue and tradition from modern interpretation are like the one who burries the talent in the ground. It does not profit, it does no one any good. Adding our own interpretation to the inheritance entrusted to us-- this is the intrest accrued for the sake of future generations.

This Sunday we will acknowlege the changing of the seasons: from Fall to Winter, and from Ordinary Time to Advent. This time of year generally tugs at my heart, reminding me of the passage of years. I am haunted by memories of those with whom I spent childhood Thanksgivings, who are now part of that great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us and cheers us on-- my sister, my parents, my grandmother, aunts & uncles. And when I say haunted, I don't mean in a spooky Halloweeny way, nor a scary, late-night B-movie way-- I just feel a presence, or maybe a lack-of-presence, and it is comforting, but bittersweet.

James Fowler took the disciplines of Human Development and Theology and synthesized them into Stages of Faith. His book of that title describes how our faith changes as we grow. I believe that in addition to stages of faith, we experience seasons of faith, similar to the seasons of the church year. We experience periods of insight and great growth, green seasons of our faith that might be descibed as a Pentecost season. We experience seasons of anxiety, hope, and anticipation, which is precisely the mood of Advent. We experience birth as Christmas; Epiphnies when the lights shine in the darkness; we experience grief as deep and dark as Good Friday, and resurrection as brilliant as Easter.

The church year can help us to understand that these seasons of faith are cyclical, that nothing lasts forever, all things must pass, and give way to what comes next. This wisdom is comfort for those who mourn, and humility for those who rejoice. "It's not always going to be this way," is good news, or cautionary. It depends on how you feel about the "now."

What season are you in? How do you feel about coming to church when the season of the year does not correspond to the season of your faith-- for example, if you are grieving while the church rejoices, or rejoicing when the liturgy of the church mourns?

It is my hope that we can participate in each other's seasons, and encourage one another in the hope of the Easter to come.

For November 9, 2008

Scriptures:
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Psalm 78:1-7
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 25:1-13

Theme: Tending God's Light

Hymns: 55 Rejoice, You Pure in Heart
376 God, We Thank You for OurPeople
369 Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning

Sermon Title: From Generation to Generation

A summary of the scriptures: The reading from Joshua is about a crossroads for the Hebrew people: Chose this day whom you will serve; as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." The psalm is a celebration of the faith of generations: Tell your children what you learned from your parents, so that they set their hopes on God. The epistle lesson is a comforting message from Paul to the church in Thessalonica, regarding those who have died. The gospel lesson is the parable of the bridesmaids with thier lamps-- some brought extra oil and some didn't and those who were prepared met the bridegroom and those who had to go shopping for more lamp oil were left out in the cold. So keep your lamp trimmed and burning.

Tending the light, passing the torch, these are the images for the day. Light is a metaphor for wisdom, and a sign of God's presence, and a symbol of the Holy Spirit. God spoke to Moses from a burning bush, and guided the Hebrew people as a pillar of fire. The Holy Spirit appeared on pentecost day as tongues of fire. The motto of my alma mater, Elmhurst college, is taken from a psalm: In lumine tuo, videbimus lumen. In your light, we shall see light.

Have you been thinking of those people in your life who have shared the love of God with you? On Thanksgiving Sunday, November 23, we will be collecting an offering of thank you notes, to be mailed to those people. These are some the "saints" who have tended the light of God's love to keep it for future generations.

How are you engaged in tending the light, and sharing God's love with the next generation?