Readings; Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, December 16th, 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
According to the Mayan calendar the world will end in a few days time. For the people of Newtown, Connecticut, it already feels like it has. The actions of a disturbed, gun toting, young adult has taken the innocent lives of a community now deep in grief. Words like 'horrific', 'unthinkable' and 'heartbreaking' don't really capture how we feel about these events. That it's all taking place so near to Christmas and, for us, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, seems to increase the feelings of despair and sadness.
We may be tempted to try and make sense of such tragic events, but really, we just tie ourselves in knots if we start playing the blame game or come up with over simplistic solutions. So what do we do? We pray. We contemplate. We take what actions we feel are necessary.
When Jesus was arrested in the garden, a group of armed soldiers came to take Him. At that moment, one of the disciples, traditionally Peter, took a sword and tried to protect Him. But Jesus tells Peter to put the sword away, because, He says... 'Those who live by the sword will die by the sword'. The story pictures a culture of violence and fear in opposition to the kingdom which Jesus proclaimed, one characterized by peace and hope. If the story had played out in our current day, the soldiers would have come armed not with swords but guns. It may have ended up as a shoot out, with Jesus declaring, “Those who live by the gun, shall die by the gun”.
If you grew up, as I did, in a culture where gun ownership was seen as something rather strange and disturbing, you have a different perspective than somebody who has grown up in the United States. I never saw anybody carrying a gun in public, until we moved to the USA. In Great Britain it used to be that even law enforcement were not armed. I honestly knew of only a few people, and they were farmers, who even owned a firearm.
It was a shock to myself to move to West Virginia where people with political intentions would often declare their position as being 'Pro-Life and Pro-Gun' (without recognizing any contradiction in those terms). It was a jolt when I realized that there were people in church, albeit those in law enforcement, who came to worship carrying a weapon. In Middle School my son was in a class who were asked 'How many of you have guns in your homes?” He was the only one who didn't raise his hand.
So when it comes to guns, and the freedom to carry weapons, and the 'second amendment' (an article of freedom which I don't think is recognized by any other nation on the planet) … when it comes to that whole debate... you should know my head is coming from a different place than most of you who were born and raised in this culture.
That being said, and realizing that I am speaking from within my own cultural framework, I still recall those words spoken by Jesus, 'That those who live by the sword will die by the sword” and feel that somehow we need to move from believing that only violence can defeat violence and that the only way to prevent ourselves from harm is having the ability and fire power to cause greater harm.
None of the above takes away the numbing pain of the current events. So many innocent lives, it's just so mind numbingly sad. Something has got to change. In our bible reading this morning John the baptist comes to challenge the people to change their way of thinking. To step down into the waters, wash away the past, and start over again. He chastises the religious leaders (who were also the political leaders) for going though the motions, yet not really being ready to make a radical change.
He lifts up values of generosity; those who had more than they needed should share with those who just didn't have enough, of integrity; tax collectors didn't need to change their jobs, they just needed to do their jobs honestly, soldiers … are urged not to abuse their positions of power, or to use their status for personal promotion, but to uphold the peace.
Then he says 'This is only the start'. Something greater then him, somebody who had a more pressing message and a more dynamic agenda, was about to step onto the stage. 'Get Ready' he declares, to take on board the message Jesus has to offer.
As you hear news from the region where John preached; as we hear of the violence and warfare and struggle over land, ideology and belief, we see that even John's message has yet to be truly heard, let alone his message about welcoming the way of Jesus Christ!
But... the way of Jesus is still there... it hasn't gone away. Christmas is all about the light shining in the darkness. The tiniest candle has a flame that dispels the deepest darkness. The true Christmas story is surrounded by deep darkness. Refugees, unplanned pregnancies, homelessness, even (in the account of the Wise Men) the slaughter of innocent children by Herod, who fears the arrival of a new order.
These are parts of the story we usually bury and put aside. We need to hear them this year. We need to know that in Jesus, God really does know what we are going through and walks with us through these difficult days.
The Presbyterian Church (USA), on their website have resources related to the issue of gun violence. The Presbytery of Long Island has recommended resources to help us talk about the issues with our children. Links can be found below.
Gun violence
Talking with Children about Tragedy
Talking with Children - Resource List
For now though, I'd encourage you to keep the community of Newtown, Connecticut in your prayers and reflect on the message of Jesus; that there is a better way to live than relying on fear and violence and our own ability to arm ourselves. Ponder exactly what Jesus meant when He said 'Those who live by the sword will die by the sword'. Remember that trust in God and pursuing peace are also options to be explored and embraced.
I also pray that you will not allow 24 hour media coverage to sap away your Christmas joy. For goodness sake, turn the TV off! Once we read newspapers. We looked at a story. We felt it's horror. Then walked away and did something. We didn't sit glued to the newsprint for hours on end till it was all we could think about!
Go and buy a grocery bag of goodies for the homeless or the hurricane victims and bring it to church next week. Spend some time to play a game with your kids. Spoil the grand-kids. Kids, hug your parents and remind them you are still here. Better still...come caroling with us this afternoon to the Nursing Home and to some of our shut-ins.
Do what John said! Give out of your blessings. Don't quit your job, do it with integrity. Be humble if you have power and use your position of privilege for peaceful ends, not self promotion. Yes, something terrible has happened. But Christmas reminds us that the darkness does not have the last word.
The actions of a lone gunman cannot destroy the Good news that God walks with us, is with us and shall be with us. It is for us to 'Seek first the kingdom of God' and to put flesh on the words we pray every Sunday, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven' .
May God help us to do the right thing. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Living in the Light
Readings; Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 1:68-79, Luke 3:1-6, Philippians 1:3-11
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, December 9th, 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
John the Baptist went into all the country around the Jordan inviting the people to get their lives straightened out for the light of the Lord was coming. 'The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth and all the people will see God's salvation”.
We are in the season of Advent. Advent is the season when we declare “People get ready, the Savior is coming!” How do we prepare ourselves to truly celebrate the coming of Jesus into our world? How do we set about living in the light of His love?
We can find some pointers in Paul's letter to the Philippians. In the section we read this morning, Chapter 1, verses 3-11, we are invited to;
Let us consider the advice Paul gives us.
Energize our Minds
Verse 10 invites us 'to discern what is best' that we may be found 'pure and blameless for the Day of Christ'. John the Baptist offered the people a baptism of repentance. He offered them an opportunity to turn their lives around and symbolically wash away the past by going through the waters of baptism. He holds up the idea of starting over again, with the slate washed clean.
Seasons in the Christian year, such as Advent and Lent, offer us the chance to re-evaluate our spiritual lives. We have the opportunity to reclaim our own baptisms, to remind ourselves that we are baptized children of the One True God, brothers and sisters in Christ's service, empowered by the same Holy Spirit that descended as a dove upon Jesus when He was baptized by John.
As we travel through this season we see the best and worse of what we are capable of. Christmas can be marked by both excess and by generosity. We are encouraged to spend, spend, spend, yet also to give, give, give. If we become consumed by consumerism we lose our souls. But if we become consumed by endless giving we end up tired, cynical and bitter.
Hurricane Sandy brought out the best and worst in people. There have been reports of looting and of scams and price gouging, people taking advantage of others in their time of deepest need. We saw tempers flare when gas was rationed and as folk felt LIPA was not living up to their expectations. That's been the negative side.
On the positive side there have been many angels headed in our direction. The will to rebuild, the sense of community, people who have gone beyond what is expected of them to help others through, many heroic acts and untold stories of generosity.
Paul invites us to 'discern what is best'. To energize our minds so that we make the right decisions. He also invites us to...
Express what's in our hearts
In verse 9 he writes “This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” We sometimes think of love as something fluffy and evasive, as something people fall into, uncontrollably and seal with a ring from the jewelry store. But love isn't something that just happens. It's hard work. True love requires depth and insight.
A Sunday School teacher in Oregon asked the class, “Does going to church make it easier for you to love all people?” One of them answered, “Not particularly. You want us to love everybody in the world. There are only five in our family and I have a real hard time even loving that many!” You have to admire that answer. Telling it like it is! Loving everybody in some vague 'Peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind' is not what Paul is praying will happen in our church communities. He wants us to work at love.
I sense in our post Sandy state of mind many are finding it hard to think about celebrating Christmas. Their hearts not in it. They've had the stuffing knocked out of them. Before the hurricane we took it for granted that when we turned on the light switch the light came on. We didn't really think much about the wiring, or the poles or the sub-stations or the infrastructure, or the work crews. Now we know better. We understand that we are vulnerable.
That sense of vulnerability lies at the heart of the true message of Christmas. Jesus does not arrive as a warrior King, riding on a great white horse, blasting His enemies into oblivion but comes to the womb of a young, yet to be married girl. He is born in poverty, displaced from home, in the most desperate of circumstances. His family become refugees in Egypt, fleeing from the acts of a murderous tyrant, before they ever establish themselves in a place they can call home again.
At His birth there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty and vulnerability, part of the Christmas story that we bury under layers of sentimentality and commercialism. If we are finding it hard to get in the spirit of things, maybe we can focus on the parts of the story we often pass by and discover that, even when everything is bleak, and the road ahead is uncertain, the light still shines. It's not easy. True love never is. It has to be a heart thing. We need God's help. So Paul also invites us to...
Empower our souls.
In verse 11 he writes 'Be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ'. Being together in worship can really make a difference when we go through difficult days. It takes us out of ourselves for a while and points us to a larger framework surrounding our lives. I know we are busy. I know there's a thousand things to do. But that's exactly why we need to recharge our spiritual batteries.
Through our music and hymns and readings and prayers we can reconnect with God. Through seeking to do that as a community we reconnect with each other. Through seeking to serve those around us, we find ourselves lifted up. So pay attention to the words of scripture and the songs that we sing and hear. There's a lot of hope in them! People have traveled down dark roads before us. That's part of the Christmas story. Jesus is born and they give Him the name “Emmanuel” meaning “God is with us”.
When Paul wrote these words to the church in Phillipi he was in prison. He'd been arrested for preaching the gospel. Such was his faith that he could interpret his circumstances as being an opportunity rather than a setback. A few verses after our reading finished he writes; “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” (verse 13).
As people of faith we are invited to interpret our lives in the light of the God who is always with us, revealed in Christ, and present through the work of His Holy Spirit, within us and around us. John the Baptist challenged the people of his day to repent and get ready for the Savior to come. During Advent we have a fresh opportunity to reflect on the implications of Christ's birth all those years ago and consider how we can live in the light of His love today.
Paul, in his letter to Phillipi, gives us his perspective on living in the light.
Looking at the decorations in our sanctuary, hearing the Christmas music around us, seeing the children's smiling faces, anticipating the events of fellowship we will enjoy with family and friends... these are tangible ways that we can enter into the celebrations.
These are difficult days for many around us. But there are aspects of the Christmas message that remind us... love never guarantees an easy ride. The good news of Christmas is not that 'Everything's going to be all-right'. The good and great news of Christmas is that, no matter what, God is with us!
And that, I believe, is something worth celebrating. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, December 9th, 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
John the Baptist went into all the country around the Jordan inviting the people to get their lives straightened out for the light of the Lord was coming. 'The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth and all the people will see God's salvation”.
We are in the season of Advent. Advent is the season when we declare “People get ready, the Savior is coming!” How do we prepare ourselves to truly celebrate the coming of Jesus into our world? How do we set about living in the light of His love?
We can find some pointers in Paul's letter to the Philippians. In the section we read this morning, Chapter 1, verses 3-11, we are invited to;
- Energize our minds. In verse 10 Paul suggests we discern what is pure and blameless.
- Express what's in our hearts. In verse 9 we are told to commit to loving more and more,with knowledge and deep insight.
- Empower our souls. In verse 11 Paul implores us to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus.
Let us consider the advice Paul gives us.
Energize our Minds
Verse 10 invites us 'to discern what is best' that we may be found 'pure and blameless for the Day of Christ'. John the Baptist offered the people a baptism of repentance. He offered them an opportunity to turn their lives around and symbolically wash away the past by going through the waters of baptism. He holds up the idea of starting over again, with the slate washed clean.
Seasons in the Christian year, such as Advent and Lent, offer us the chance to re-evaluate our spiritual lives. We have the opportunity to reclaim our own baptisms, to remind ourselves that we are baptized children of the One True God, brothers and sisters in Christ's service, empowered by the same Holy Spirit that descended as a dove upon Jesus when He was baptized by John.
As we travel through this season we see the best and worse of what we are capable of. Christmas can be marked by both excess and by generosity. We are encouraged to spend, spend, spend, yet also to give, give, give. If we become consumed by consumerism we lose our souls. But if we become consumed by endless giving we end up tired, cynical and bitter.
Hurricane Sandy brought out the best and worst in people. There have been reports of looting and of scams and price gouging, people taking advantage of others in their time of deepest need. We saw tempers flare when gas was rationed and as folk felt LIPA was not living up to their expectations. That's been the negative side.
On the positive side there have been many angels headed in our direction. The will to rebuild, the sense of community, people who have gone beyond what is expected of them to help others through, many heroic acts and untold stories of generosity.
Paul invites us to 'discern what is best'. To energize our minds so that we make the right decisions. He also invites us to...
Express what's in our hearts
In verse 9 he writes “This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” We sometimes think of love as something fluffy and evasive, as something people fall into, uncontrollably and seal with a ring from the jewelry store. But love isn't something that just happens. It's hard work. True love requires depth and insight.
A Sunday School teacher in Oregon asked the class, “Does going to church make it easier for you to love all people?” One of them answered, “Not particularly. You want us to love everybody in the world. There are only five in our family and I have a real hard time even loving that many!” You have to admire that answer. Telling it like it is! Loving everybody in some vague 'Peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind' is not what Paul is praying will happen in our church communities. He wants us to work at love.
I sense in our post Sandy state of mind many are finding it hard to think about celebrating Christmas. Their hearts not in it. They've had the stuffing knocked out of them. Before the hurricane we took it for granted that when we turned on the light switch the light came on. We didn't really think much about the wiring, or the poles or the sub-stations or the infrastructure, or the work crews. Now we know better. We understand that we are vulnerable.
That sense of vulnerability lies at the heart of the true message of Christmas. Jesus does not arrive as a warrior King, riding on a great white horse, blasting His enemies into oblivion but comes to the womb of a young, yet to be married girl. He is born in poverty, displaced from home, in the most desperate of circumstances. His family become refugees in Egypt, fleeing from the acts of a murderous tyrant, before they ever establish themselves in a place they can call home again.
At His birth there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty and vulnerability, part of the Christmas story that we bury under layers of sentimentality and commercialism. If we are finding it hard to get in the spirit of things, maybe we can focus on the parts of the story we often pass by and discover that, even when everything is bleak, and the road ahead is uncertain, the light still shines. It's not easy. True love never is. It has to be a heart thing. We need God's help. So Paul also invites us to...
Empower our souls.
In verse 11 he writes 'Be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ'. Being together in worship can really make a difference when we go through difficult days. It takes us out of ourselves for a while and points us to a larger framework surrounding our lives. I know we are busy. I know there's a thousand things to do. But that's exactly why we need to recharge our spiritual batteries.
Through our music and hymns and readings and prayers we can reconnect with God. Through seeking to do that as a community we reconnect with each other. Through seeking to serve those around us, we find ourselves lifted up. So pay attention to the words of scripture and the songs that we sing and hear. There's a lot of hope in them! People have traveled down dark roads before us. That's part of the Christmas story. Jesus is born and they give Him the name “Emmanuel” meaning “God is with us”.
When Paul wrote these words to the church in Phillipi he was in prison. He'd been arrested for preaching the gospel. Such was his faith that he could interpret his circumstances as being an opportunity rather than a setback. A few verses after our reading finished he writes; “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” (verse 13).
As people of faith we are invited to interpret our lives in the light of the God who is always with us, revealed in Christ, and present through the work of His Holy Spirit, within us and around us. John the Baptist challenged the people of his day to repent and get ready for the Savior to come. During Advent we have a fresh opportunity to reflect on the implications of Christ's birth all those years ago and consider how we can live in the light of His love today.
Paul, in his letter to Phillipi, gives us his perspective on living in the light.
- We energize our minds. We seek to discern the good and bad in the world around us. We make informed decisions as to how we are going to live.
- We express what's in our hearts. Paul tells us it's OK to say how we really feel. If we are going through a hard time, be it in our practical circumstances or our faith journey, then acknowledging that's how it is, can be the way forward. True love has room for vulnerability and hurt. It's a process, not a destination.
- We empower our souls. We seek Christ in all things and all places. In worship. In service. In community. It is as we listen for the still small voice and as we open ourselves to God's influence, that we discover ourselves empowered by God's Spirit for whatever lies ahead of us.
Looking at the decorations in our sanctuary, hearing the Christmas music around us, seeing the children's smiling faces, anticipating the events of fellowship we will enjoy with family and friends... these are tangible ways that we can enter into the celebrations.
These are difficult days for many around us. But there are aspects of the Christmas message that remind us... love never guarantees an easy ride. The good news of Christmas is not that 'Everything's going to be all-right'. The good and great news of Christmas is that, no matter what, God is with us!
And that, I believe, is something worth celebrating. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
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