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The Gospel: Mark 13:24-37
Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.” Prayer: Lord, you have promised that when two or three gather in your name you will be present with them. We depend on that promise today and pray that you will move among us. Lord, we pray that you have inspired Mike's preparation, that you will enliven his presentation, and that you will empower our application. Amen The Message: Welcome to this first day in the rest of our lives. Now, every day is that right? Every new day gives us the chance to start fresh. Every day is the first day for new experiences and new opportunities. We just have to decide that it is a significant day. Now in our Christian Liturgical calendar, today, as the beginning of this new week, has special significance because it is also the First Sunday in Advent. As you know Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30 which we celebrate as St. Andrew's Day. As we know Advent is that celebration that takes place on the four Sundays prior to Christmas. This time of celebration follows the four themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. This Sunday is also the beginning of our liturgical year. For us as Christians, we understand that this is the weekend of our New Year. That is a lot to remember so how about we narrow it down to two things for this morning? So, let's focus first on the beginning of the church year. Then we will focus on how we can engage in the celebration of hope on this first Sunday of Advent. I know for myself I have to stop and remind myself each year that this is actually the beginning of the year. I don't know about you but I have a tendency to think we are gearing up for a major celebration at Christmas. It seems like Christmas brings the year to an end. Then we follow that up with the annual changing of the calendar into a new year. New Year's Eve rolls around very quickly after Christmas and before we know it we are looking at the end of our secular year and the beginning of the next new year. I have to take some time to make myself acknowledge that our year, as Christians, is set to a different rhythm and a different pattern. At this time we set aside some of our energy and our enthusiasm, from the demands of the world around us, and we decide to acknowledge our Christian roots and heritage. To slow down and consider how we will live our lives in this new year? The last two weeks I have reminded us, that as Bishop Anne said in her Bishop's address at Convention, we need to be concerned that we are seeking to draw people to Christ, to Christ Church for their sake not for our sake. I realized, for myself this year, that it is significant that Advent begins with St Andrews Day. One of the things that we celebrate about Andrew is that he is the one who stopped what he was doing, listening and engaging with Jesus, to go and find his brother, Peter, and bring him to meet Jesus. We hear this story in the Gospel of John: John 1:35-42. John is standing with two of his disciples, and Jesus walks. John says “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”." Andrew could have stayed with Jesus and absorbed all that Jesus had to share. He could have taken the opportunity that he had and soaked it all in for himself. But he chooses to go and find his brother and to bring him to meet Jesus. I am willing to suggest that Andrew realized that John the Baptist was right when he told his disciples "here is the Lamb of God." Andrew knew that Jesus was the longed-for Messiah whom the people of Israel had been hoping for. He shared that hope with Peter. And that brings us to the hope that we celebrate on this first Sunday of Advent. Now, I have to say that these are not easy readings this morning. The God who is described in all our readings this morning is a complex God. There is a lot about God's anger and God's turning away from the people of Israel in the scriptures from Isaiah and in Psalm 80. Last week we heard about this same God who separated the sheep from the goats and sent the people to an eternity separated from him. A place that none of us wants to talk about, or think about. A place of pain and suffering. We would rather not think about that aspect of who God is. But we need to be willing to consider this concept, whether we like it or not. Middle East scholar Kenneth Bailey examines this concept among others in his book "Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes." Bailey encourages us to consider whether any of those who are relegated to this place are repentant or seek to change their attitudes. You can read more about that for yourself. Or you could have a conversation with Lorin Swinehart who has studied and researched Bailey's theories. Now, I have to say, I would much rather talk about the God of grace and love that Jesus has helped us to know and understand. The God of love who is always seeking to reconcile us to himself through the loving-kindness of Jesus. Paul expresses that hope in I Corinthians this way: "I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you-- so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul goes on to say: "He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Now there is a phrase that has been used for many purposes down through time: "on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our Gospel reading from Mark this morning brings our attention to that moment in time. And it creates a new dilemma and a new tension for us all. "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come." How can we maintain a sense of anticipation and or preparedness when we don't know when it will happen? I have to say that I don't think we can remain that watchful. I wish I could tell you I know how. But our tendency as human beings is to become caught up in our own lives and the lives of those close to us, our families, and our friends. To use another sports metaphor like the ones I used last week: "unfortunately, too often we take our eyes off the ball and lose our concentration on the game at hand." Can I suggest another approach? Can we, by acknowledging the truth of what happens to the people, who have fallen short, from last week's story, use that as a motivation to be concerned for our brothers and sisters who have not yet come to that "knowing" that we have experienced, of Gods love and grace, that is available to everyone. Can we commit ourselves to seeking to share and care for those around us? Can we keep ourselves awake by seeking to enlighten others, to the truth of the Gospel, that we have come to know? Isn't part of being a "watchful doorkeeper" as Jesus describes in the Gospel of Mark about being aware of those who are outside the city and need to be drawn into the protection of the city of God. I believe that often we read this passage as though the doorkeeper's job is to keep people out. When I read this passage this year I found myself wanting to say that the doorkeeper knows how people will be protected inside and so he would want as many people as possible to come in and share in the bounty of the city. How can I keep awake for their sake? How can we shape our ministry and our mission here at Christ Church for the sake of those presently outside God's loving, compassionate fellowship? The Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said, “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. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then 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; for 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, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then 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? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And 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.’ Then 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; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I 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.’ Then 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?’ Then 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.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Prayer: Lord, you have promised that when two or three gather in your name you will be present with them. We depend on that promise today and pray that you will move among us. Lord, we pray that you have inspired Mike's preparation, that you will enliven his presentation, and that you will empower our application. Amen The Message: Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. That you had the opportunity to gather with family and friends and remember what it is that we have to be thankful for. There is so much that we have to be thankful for, isn't there? Even with the challenges that many of us face we have a great many things to give thanks to the Lord for. So, today we have reached a milestone. The end of the year of the "Sundays after Pentecost in Ordinary Time." Today we have the opportunity today to celebrate Christ the King Sunday. Next week we will launch another series of Sundays. The Sundays of anticipation, of hope joy, and love. We will begin Advent next Sunday as we prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of the coming of Christ. All of this will culminate in our joyous celebration of the Feast of the Coming of Christ, with the Mass for the Celebration of Christ on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The past few years the scriptures for Christ the King Sunday have focused on the Kingship or Lordship of Christ. There has been an emphasis on Christ and how we should recognize and acknowledge His Lordship or Kingship in our lives. This year the Lectionary takes a different tack. The readings this year are more about our behavior because we are in relationship to Christ as our Lord or our King. But before we get to talking about the scriptures for this morning I would like to spend some time talking about motivation. I would like to use the phrase "You could tell they really put their heart into it." Or its counterpoint: "Their hearts just weren't in it." We usually use phrases like that when we are talking about sports teams, or athletes don't we? We reflect on their level of participation and sometimes on their success by talking about how much effort they appear to put into the game or the event. One of the highest accolades you can give an athlete or a sports team is to say "They played their hearts out." When we do that we are seeking to describe what we understand to be the motivation behind the athlete's performance or the sports team's efforts and achievements. We might say that we are seeking to express how much we understand about how committed to, or how much they love, what they are doing. We can often tell when an athlete or sports team is grateful for the opportunity they have to be competing or to be a member of a team. Motivation is key to the level of participation and often results in athletics or sports. Sometimes it is the heart, that is shown, that makes the difference between athletes or teams that have face other athletes or teams with greater skill levels or abilities. Sometimes the "underdog" will rise up and defeat the "better" athlete or team because their hearts are in the competition. The passage from Ephesians this morning uses a really interesting phrase that I believe is key to connecting our readings for today. "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power." Ephesians 1 "The eyes of your heart enlightened. You may know what is the hope to which he has called you." Isn't that an interesting concept? "The eyes of your heart be enlightened." Why does Paul pray that for the Ephesians? Well, because he wants them to "know what is the hope to which he has called you." Paul wants the Epesians to know the hope that is theirs. Paul is consistent in his concern, throughout his writings, to have people understand deeply in their hearts what the hope of the Gospel is. He understands that when people get a heart knowledge of the Gospel it makes a difference in how they go about living their lives. They stop living for themselves alone. They want to live for others and for Christ. I would suggest that people who know for themselves the hope of the Gospel are also motivated to want to bring others into a similar relationship with Christ and the Trinity. At Sundays@Five two weeks ago I spoke about having an "attitude of gratitude." When we are grateful and thankful for what we understand has happened in our spiritual lives we are eager to draw others into a similar relationship. Going back to my sports metaphor from earlier when a fan notices that the athlete they support or their team is playing with heart. When they know that the person or the team will give their all for the cause they want others to know about it. How often have you heard the phrases: "Did you see....... play the other night " or "What about those...." "They are really on the top of their game" You can insert your own athlete or team? When they are doing well we want other people to experience the joy and the hope that we feel. We want others to know about someone or a team that is performing well. In the Old Testament text this morning from Ezekiel we see that it is the Lord's desire to draw all those who are wandering and lost into his loving compassion. Ezekiel uses the metaphor of the sheep to describe the people of Israel, and unfortunately us. He shows how the Lord desires to draw us to Himself. There is a corollary to that proposition and it is expressed in the famous passage from St. Augustine’s Confessions in which Saint Augustine states “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” I am sure many of you have heard of the "heart-shaped hole" or "the Jesus hole in our hearts" that some preachers talk about. That emptiness within us that only Jesus can fill. When we experience that infilling we suddenly have all kinds of motivation to talk about what the Lord has done for us. It is a bit like Scrooge on Christmas morning after he has experienced the visitations through the night. He realizes he has an opportunity for a new lease on life and his response is to shout it from his window. He begins to make amends to those he has slighted or ignored. Now in the time we have left, I would like to consider the Gospel from Matthew. As we consider this Gospel reading this morning there is a great challenge for us all isn't there? I would be tempted to say that this reading is a wonderful follow-up to my message last week. As we look at our life together here at Christ Church what is our motivation? Where are our hearts? Have our hearts been moved by the realization of how much the Lord has done for us? Are we like Scrooge, on Christmas morning, ready to shout from the windows - Merry Christmas - and then go out into the world to share what we have experienced? Are we putting our hearts into it? Are we playing our hearts out in the mission and ministry of the life of Christ Church in this community? Maybe it is taking the sports metaphor a little too far, but do people here in Huron know what team we are on? I would be willing to say that the Goats in the parable in Matthew this morning are unaware that they are playing the game for themselves. They are focused on the outcome for their own sake. While the sheep are engaged in the sharing of their lives and their resources for the sake of those around them. Isn't it interesting that they are surprised to be rewarded for doing what they are doing out of gratitude? "Then 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? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’" They weren't even aware that they were doing anything unusual. The King's response is clear and direct: "‘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.’" I can't help but think of the prayer we pray after Communion. I know I have quoted it quite recently, but it is worth sharing again: "Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen." I love that part that says: "Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart..." We are not passively leaving the Sanctuary this morning we are being sent into a world where we will need the peace that only Christ can offer us. Then we ask the Lord to "grant us strength and courage to love and serve you" Then it all climaxes with our asking that we would make the Lord our focus and our priority - our heart motivation: "with gladness and singleness of heart.." That we would be glad to be a Christian in the world and that we would desire to do it with a singleness of purpose and care. A care for the sake of others. |
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