At lunch yesterday, Gina relayed a comment made by a professor. Seems he wanted to say that Martin Luther was a proponent of predestination. As soon as she asked me about this, Allen reminded everyone to prepare for a ten minute answer. Since I was only allowed ten minutes, I thought I would return to the subject this morning.
Here is what I wanted to say yesterday: Luther wanted no one to ever question the depth of God's love for them. In his own life, he had struggled with this question. He wanted to take off the table issues of whether we have done enough, or believed enough, or thought the right thoughts - with regard to being welcomed into God's salvation. "That is God's decision." And the decision is decidedly "Yes." Remember the scriptures say "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
Another German (Rahner) is reported to have said, "Christian Scripture demands that I believe in Hell. My experience of God tells me no one is there." Like Luther, it was his way of taking from Jesus' followers the fear of God, replacing it with the assurance that God loves us, welcomes us, and has forgiven us of our sins. "Stop worrying about this." Hasn't God done enough to convince us that we are not sinners in the hands of an angry God?
All of this came back to me this morning, as I read the appointed second lesson. From 2 Peter 3.1-10 I pulled this verse: "The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." If God has to wait a thousand years, God will wait. God will be patient with us because more than anything God wants us to know that we are loved. If we are worried that we teeter on the edge of condemnation, we fear God rather than love God.
We are predestined. Predestined to be loved by God, welcomed by God, saved by God. Nothing we have done, nothing we could do, can nullify the act of God. Salvation is ours. Now - go on with your life, living in that confidence. This is what has been pre-determined.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Devotion - Tuesday, November 29
After Jesus enters Jerusalem, he enters the Temple. We are told that he is displeased with what he sees. In one version, we are told he fashions a whip out of rope. He drives the money-changers out of the temple. He overturns their tables and says to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you make it a den of robbers."
Jesus understood the Temple to be God's. The use he saw of the Temple was not consistent with what he knew the purpose of that place to be. This angers him. And he responds.
There may have been some there that day who applauded. Others may have seen, as Jesus saw, that the Temple had come to be misused. Others were taken aback. They had become so accustomed to the activities in the Temple that they ceased to evaluate whether it was appropriate. It simply was the way things were.
How does Jesus respond, upon observing our practices? This might be asked of what we do together (as the assembled people of God, in our sanctuaries,) or it might be asked of the conduct of God's children (you and me) in our daily lives. Are we making the use of these things which God would expect?
Worship/prayer - these are opportunities to commune with God. They are times in which we express the concerns of our hearts and lift up the prayers of our hearts. They are also times when God comes to us. These encounters with God inform us in our understanding of who God is and what it is that hopes for us. Surely those encounters need a critical eye - an eye which asks whether it is obviously a house (or time) or prayer, or an encounter beneficial for other interests.
Jesus enters the Temple and acts in such a way as to make all aware of how it is that God intends us to order and structure our surroundings and our lives. As we move into these days of Advent, our task is to invite Jesus to enter. This is difficult work in that welcoming him means being prepared to hear his critique of what he sees when he arrives.
Jesus understood the Temple to be God's. The use he saw of the Temple was not consistent with what he knew the purpose of that place to be. This angers him. And he responds.
There may have been some there that day who applauded. Others may have seen, as Jesus saw, that the Temple had come to be misused. Others were taken aback. They had become so accustomed to the activities in the Temple that they ceased to evaluate whether it was appropriate. It simply was the way things were.
How does Jesus respond, upon observing our practices? This might be asked of what we do together (as the assembled people of God, in our sanctuaries,) or it might be asked of the conduct of God's children (you and me) in our daily lives. Are we making the use of these things which God would expect?
Worship/prayer - these are opportunities to commune with God. They are times in which we express the concerns of our hearts and lift up the prayers of our hearts. They are also times when God comes to us. These encounters with God inform us in our understanding of who God is and what it is that hopes for us. Surely those encounters need a critical eye - an eye which asks whether it is obviously a house (or time) or prayer, or an encounter beneficial for other interests.
Jesus enters the Temple and acts in such a way as to make all aware of how it is that God intends us to order and structure our surroundings and our lives. As we move into these days of Advent, our task is to invite Jesus to enter. This is difficult work in that welcoming him means being prepared to hear his critique of what he sees when he arrives.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Devotion - Monday, November 28
If there is one thing I dislike about campus ministry it is the way in which the academic calendar upsets the liturgical calendar. Lent is interrupted by spring break; Easter is overshadowed by the end of the semester; and Advent is never allowed to be four weeks long. We sometimes hear critiques of young adults as persons with little sense of delayed gratification. Surely the cutting short of Advent adds to the attitude of "We don't have to wait that long, do we?"
Advent is the beginning of our Church Year. Advent I was yesterday. For the next three Sundays we will continue our slow approach to the events of Bethlehem. During these days we are encouraged to wait, watch, and hope.
Waiting, watching, and hoping do not occur naturally in our culture. We are more inclined to find ways to make it happen, to fix the problem, to go out and grab it. Waiting, watching, and hoping are skills which need to be refined.
These skills can only happen in the lives of those willing to consider the voids in their lives. They are only important to those who long for something, and are willing to admit it is something that must come to them from another source. Waiting, watching, and hoping are traits of those who know their need for God's intervention.
You just returned from Thanksgiving Break. You have a ton of work to do before final exams. How, in the midst of all that activity, can you devote time to sitting quietly, waiting? It is tough.
But only those who recognize their need for Messiah will recognize Messiah's arrival. Only those who give voice to their hope will see those hopes realized.
With a profound understanding of the other demands on your time and the countless interruptions in your life, I encourage you to find opportunity to practice the disciplines of Advent - wait, watch, hope. (And remember these are not to be confused with "getting ready for Christmas." They do not involve putting up color lights.) Become aware of your need for God's presence.
Advent is the beginning of our Church Year. Advent I was yesterday. For the next three Sundays we will continue our slow approach to the events of Bethlehem. During these days we are encouraged to wait, watch, and hope.
Waiting, watching, and hoping do not occur naturally in our culture. We are more inclined to find ways to make it happen, to fix the problem, to go out and grab it. Waiting, watching, and hoping are skills which need to be refined.
These skills can only happen in the lives of those willing to consider the voids in their lives. They are only important to those who long for something, and are willing to admit it is something that must come to them from another source. Waiting, watching, and hoping are traits of those who know their need for God's intervention.
You just returned from Thanksgiving Break. You have a ton of work to do before final exams. How, in the midst of all that activity, can you devote time to sitting quietly, waiting? It is tough.
But only those who recognize their need for Messiah will recognize Messiah's arrival. Only those who give voice to their hope will see those hopes realized.
With a profound understanding of the other demands on your time and the countless interruptions in your life, I encourage you to find opportunity to practice the disciplines of Advent - wait, watch, hope. (And remember these are not to be confused with "getting ready for Christmas." They do not involve putting up color lights.) Become aware of your need for God's presence.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sermon - Advent 1 - November 27, 2011
Advent 1B.11
Mark 13:24-37
Wishing for the Right Messiah
If you read this week’s E-News from UniLu, you probably noticed my attempt at a Thanksgiving devotional. The impetus for that arose during staff meeting. I was sharing updates on my sister’s medical condition, and Donna comforted me by saying that a number of you, when calling the Church Office, had asked about her. Donna also said that a number had acknowledged a lack of information about my family. That struck me as odd; I think I talk about my family more than I should.
This sister of mine (Carolyn) is thirteen years older than me. Because my mother was in such poor health when I was born, Carolyn the sister fell into the role of “mother.” A role she continued throughout most of my life, and the life of my brother. That brother is only four years older than me, meaning Carolyn also has nine years on him. My parents reported being teased that they raised a baby-sitter, then the rest of their family.
Carolyn has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is particularly difficult to treat – as several of you are already aware. She is anxious; she is sad; but she is also doing okay. Throughout her sixty-seven years she has always done okay. In no small part due to her confidence that God is in control and that therefore all things will be right with the world.
Carolyn would have been a pastor, if that was an option for girls finishing high school in 1961. She has always been the best theologian in the family.
I grew up hearing the story of her Christmas wish list at age 5. Given the opportunity to ask for three things, her is what she asked for:
1) that everyone would have a home to live in;
2) that everyone would have food enough to eat; and
3) that everyone would have a mother and a father who loved them as much as her mother and father loved her.
Somewhat taken aback, the teacher who asked for her list wondered why she would ask for those three things. “Because,” Carolyn is reported to have said, “if everyone had these things, no one would go to war or hurt others or feel a need to steal.”
Just think of what it was like to grow up with an older sister who gave those kinds of answers.
It has been wonderful.
It is the time of year, when we are likely to be asked what we would wish for. The season of Advent is all about anticipating what will come our way. The Gospel text speaks of being awake, alert, and ready. Jesus speaks to a population who had grown complacent, to a people who had lowered their expectations. He tells them to observe the signs, so as not to miss the arrival of the one who would respond to that which was lacking in their lives. As we re-hear those words, I can’t help but wonder if we have grown complacent, if we have lowered our expectations. Would we even recognize Messiah’s arrival, were it to come, today?
What would that arrival look like? Many of Jesus’ contemporaries did not find in him the one whom they were seeking. They wanted something else, so they did not line up behind him or the kingdom of which he spoke. The way things played out, and the effect which he achieved was not what they were looking for. Some were looking for political power. Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world. Some wanted to continue their current way of life, and go out to Jesus when they wanted to hear a really good sermon. Jesus came to their city and their homes and announced that he wanted their every thought and their every action to reflect his presence.
Many of Jesus’ contemporaries did not recognize or were not willing to acknowledge the contours of his kingdom, and so they went away or turned away. Some even joined in the hysterical mob which thought shouting “Crucify him!” would remove from them the pain of knowing that the kingdom had come close to them but that they had chosen something different. They didn’t see what was right before them.
Do we see? Are we prepared to see? Do we even want to see?
I wasn’t here last week; I was at St. Michael, Greenville, helping them with their Stewardship Campaign. But I know the Gospel text you heard last week. It was the story of the separation of the sheep from the goats. They are divided, one from the other, the sheep representing those who do the will of God; the goats those who do not. What they do is feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and visit those in prison.
That text seems to be a justification of works righteousness (that you get to go to heaven if you do the right things, or are sent to hell for doing the wrong things.) Seems to be, until you get to the line where both the sheep and the goats ask “Lord, when did we see you in such a state, and care for you?” The answer exposes that those who do these things do not do them in order to obtain a reward; they do them because they share the mind and heart of God. They do them because they have understood, accepted, and are living the intentions of their master.
That was the text for Christ the King Sunday – the last Sunday of the Church Year, the Sunday on which everything comes to its ending. As we begin the new Church Year on Advent 1, as we return to the state of anticipation, perhaps that ending ought to direct us in considering what it is that we are to look for. Maybe that ending will help us be prepared to recognize (and follow) the Messiah who does speak the word of God and instruct us in the way of God.
It isn’t that God fails to come. The greater problem is our preference to continue to wait and watch for a Messiah more to our liking.
This One, the One spoken of in scripture, will assure us that we have nothing to fear. That neither life nor death nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from God’s love. This one will tell us time and again that God’s peace has come upon us. This one will teach us all things and lead us in all things. This one will help us see that the few loaves and fish is enough to feed everyone, if we possess the courage it takes to share. This one will show us that serving others is the path to life. This one will show us all these things; but many will prefer to wait for another, for something different.
Being awake, being alert, being ready might need to start with being honest about what it is that we are looking for. Are we hoping for some jolly fellow in a red suit who will grant us permission to ask for an IPad, or will we be ready to accept the One whose humble beginnings set the stage for the remainder of his life?
We don’t “wish” for things, we pray for them. And what we pray for is that God would make us aware of how everything we need has already been provided. We pray that what is true for God and in God’s kingdom might also be true in our lives.
Be awake; be alert. Be ready to accept the Messiah and be prepared to live according to what he tells us is the way to eternal life.
Amen.
Mark 13:24-37
Wishing for the Right Messiah
If you read this week’s E-News from UniLu, you probably noticed my attempt at a Thanksgiving devotional. The impetus for that arose during staff meeting. I was sharing updates on my sister’s medical condition, and Donna comforted me by saying that a number of you, when calling the Church Office, had asked about her. Donna also said that a number had acknowledged a lack of information about my family. That struck me as odd; I think I talk about my family more than I should.
This sister of mine (Carolyn) is thirteen years older than me. Because my mother was in such poor health when I was born, Carolyn the sister fell into the role of “mother.” A role she continued throughout most of my life, and the life of my brother. That brother is only four years older than me, meaning Carolyn also has nine years on him. My parents reported being teased that they raised a baby-sitter, then the rest of their family.
Carolyn has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is particularly difficult to treat – as several of you are already aware. She is anxious; she is sad; but she is also doing okay. Throughout her sixty-seven years she has always done okay. In no small part due to her confidence that God is in control and that therefore all things will be right with the world.
Carolyn would have been a pastor, if that was an option for girls finishing high school in 1961. She has always been the best theologian in the family.
I grew up hearing the story of her Christmas wish list at age 5. Given the opportunity to ask for three things, her is what she asked for:
1) that everyone would have a home to live in;
2) that everyone would have food enough to eat; and
3) that everyone would have a mother and a father who loved them as much as her mother and father loved her.
Somewhat taken aback, the teacher who asked for her list wondered why she would ask for those three things. “Because,” Carolyn is reported to have said, “if everyone had these things, no one would go to war or hurt others or feel a need to steal.”
Just think of what it was like to grow up with an older sister who gave those kinds of answers.
It has been wonderful.
It is the time of year, when we are likely to be asked what we would wish for. The season of Advent is all about anticipating what will come our way. The Gospel text speaks of being awake, alert, and ready. Jesus speaks to a population who had grown complacent, to a people who had lowered their expectations. He tells them to observe the signs, so as not to miss the arrival of the one who would respond to that which was lacking in their lives. As we re-hear those words, I can’t help but wonder if we have grown complacent, if we have lowered our expectations. Would we even recognize Messiah’s arrival, were it to come, today?
What would that arrival look like? Many of Jesus’ contemporaries did not find in him the one whom they were seeking. They wanted something else, so they did not line up behind him or the kingdom of which he spoke. The way things played out, and the effect which he achieved was not what they were looking for. Some were looking for political power. Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world. Some wanted to continue their current way of life, and go out to Jesus when they wanted to hear a really good sermon. Jesus came to their city and their homes and announced that he wanted their every thought and their every action to reflect his presence.
Many of Jesus’ contemporaries did not recognize or were not willing to acknowledge the contours of his kingdom, and so they went away or turned away. Some even joined in the hysterical mob which thought shouting “Crucify him!” would remove from them the pain of knowing that the kingdom had come close to them but that they had chosen something different. They didn’t see what was right before them.
Do we see? Are we prepared to see? Do we even want to see?
I wasn’t here last week; I was at St. Michael, Greenville, helping them with their Stewardship Campaign. But I know the Gospel text you heard last week. It was the story of the separation of the sheep from the goats. They are divided, one from the other, the sheep representing those who do the will of God; the goats those who do not. What they do is feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and visit those in prison.
That text seems to be a justification of works righteousness (that you get to go to heaven if you do the right things, or are sent to hell for doing the wrong things.) Seems to be, until you get to the line where both the sheep and the goats ask “Lord, when did we see you in such a state, and care for you?” The answer exposes that those who do these things do not do them in order to obtain a reward; they do them because they share the mind and heart of God. They do them because they have understood, accepted, and are living the intentions of their master.
That was the text for Christ the King Sunday – the last Sunday of the Church Year, the Sunday on which everything comes to its ending. As we begin the new Church Year on Advent 1, as we return to the state of anticipation, perhaps that ending ought to direct us in considering what it is that we are to look for. Maybe that ending will help us be prepared to recognize (and follow) the Messiah who does speak the word of God and instruct us in the way of God.
It isn’t that God fails to come. The greater problem is our preference to continue to wait and watch for a Messiah more to our liking.
This One, the One spoken of in scripture, will assure us that we have nothing to fear. That neither life nor death nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from God’s love. This one will tell us time and again that God’s peace has come upon us. This one will teach us all things and lead us in all things. This one will help us see that the few loaves and fish is enough to feed everyone, if we possess the courage it takes to share. This one will show us that serving others is the path to life. This one will show us all these things; but many will prefer to wait for another, for something different.
Being awake, being alert, being ready might need to start with being honest about what it is that we are looking for. Are we hoping for some jolly fellow in a red suit who will grant us permission to ask for an IPad, or will we be ready to accept the One whose humble beginnings set the stage for the remainder of his life?
We don’t “wish” for things, we pray for them. And what we pray for is that God would make us aware of how everything we need has already been provided. We pray that what is true for God and in God’s kingdom might also be true in our lives.
Be awake; be alert. Be ready to accept the Messiah and be prepared to live according to what he tells us is the way to eternal life.
Amen.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Devotion - Tuesday, November 22
Thanksgiving break starts today. I wonder how many of you are already packed, and ready to depart. Holidays are reminders that while we might say we "go to Clemson," or "live in Clemson," Clemson is not our "home." Our home is somewhere else.
My wife and I experienced different childhoods in that her "home" shifted a couple of times. Her first home was in the city of Atlanta. That home was sold when she was in middle school and she has only been back to see that home on one, maybe two occasions. The home of my childhood was built on land given to my parents by my grandfather. It is 700 yards down the road from his home, the home where my mother grew up. When my parents died, I inherited that home. My niece lives in it now. I am heading to that home later this afternoon.
We are familiar with the saying, "Home is where the heart is," and certainly heart and home are connected. Where we find comfort and assurance and confidence is where we are at home.
Give thanks, this week, for the home that welcomes you. Realize that not everyone has the security of such a place. Give thanks, and consider well how that home might strengthen and sustain your efforts to create a safe zone for others. How might you be able to transform the gift which has come your way into a blessing by which others might be blessed?
Above all, enjoy these days. And be safe. We will be back together come Monday.
My wife and I experienced different childhoods in that her "home" shifted a couple of times. Her first home was in the city of Atlanta. That home was sold when she was in middle school and she has only been back to see that home on one, maybe two occasions. The home of my childhood was built on land given to my parents by my grandfather. It is 700 yards down the road from his home, the home where my mother grew up. When my parents died, I inherited that home. My niece lives in it now. I am heading to that home later this afternoon.
We are familiar with the saying, "Home is where the heart is," and certainly heart and home are connected. Where we find comfort and assurance and confidence is where we are at home.
Give thanks, this week, for the home that welcomes you. Realize that not everyone has the security of such a place. Give thanks, and consider well how that home might strengthen and sustain your efforts to create a safe zone for others. How might you be able to transform the gift which has come your way into a blessing by which others might be blessed?
Above all, enjoy these days. And be safe. We will be back together come Monday.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Devotion - Monday, November 21
The significance of these weeks on the liturgical calendar are too often lost to the secular calendar. Talk of shopping on Black Friday, or the exciting football games on Rivalry Weekend, or cooking the perfect Thanksgiving turkey overrun and overshadow all talk about Christ the King and/or the beginning of Advent. As I read Maggie's devotion for this past Friday, I realized the importance of her commitment - that we are moving into a culture where being a Christian takes us out of step with what is going on around us.
Christ the King Sunday is the culmination of a year's worth of work. On Christ the King we remember the whole cycle of God's interaction with us - we revisit the hope and expectation of Advent, the joy of Christmas, the darkness of Lent, and finally the exhilaration of Easter. The Pentecost Season has allowed us to step back and recall all of Jesus' instructions to us and now, on Christ the King, we are prepared to celebrate Christ as our King. The celebration is an opportunity for dedication. It is our chance to say, "Yes, Lord Jesus. Come into my life as I give my life to you."
It is a short-lived celebration. On the following Sunday (Advent I) we begin the cycle all over again.
Christian faith is always on the move. It seldom sits down or stops. It is therefore appropriate that the self-centered celebrations of Christ the King occupy no more than seven days of our liturgical year. But I hope they will get their due and be remembered, during these seven days.
And what a difference remembering Christ the King can make, on these seven days.
We gather at Thanksgiving to give thanks. The traditions in our particular family may vary, but the underlying theme is giving thanks to God, to our Lord. Rivalry football games are fun, but let's keep them in perspective - they are only a game, and certainly not an occasion to make disparaging remarks about the opponent. And what of all that shopping? My sister, who has taught me so much throughout my life, has recently taught me that if I really want to do something to bring joy into her life, help her to bring food to the bellies of those with too little to eat. "Send a check to the Food Pantry (where she spends so many days fixing meals.)" It is the perfect way to demonstrate your love; by showing that our love is focused in the same direction.
Yes, Christ the King makes a difference in so many ways. Christ, or King, makes all the difference.
Christ the King Sunday is the culmination of a year's worth of work. On Christ the King we remember the whole cycle of God's interaction with us - we revisit the hope and expectation of Advent, the joy of Christmas, the darkness of Lent, and finally the exhilaration of Easter. The Pentecost Season has allowed us to step back and recall all of Jesus' instructions to us and now, on Christ the King, we are prepared to celebrate Christ as our King. The celebration is an opportunity for dedication. It is our chance to say, "Yes, Lord Jesus. Come into my life as I give my life to you."
It is a short-lived celebration. On the following Sunday (Advent I) we begin the cycle all over again.
Christian faith is always on the move. It seldom sits down or stops. It is therefore appropriate that the self-centered celebrations of Christ the King occupy no more than seven days of our liturgical year. But I hope they will get their due and be remembered, during these seven days.
And what a difference remembering Christ the King can make, on these seven days.
We gather at Thanksgiving to give thanks. The traditions in our particular family may vary, but the underlying theme is giving thanks to God, to our Lord. Rivalry football games are fun, but let's keep them in perspective - they are only a game, and certainly not an occasion to make disparaging remarks about the opponent. And what of all that shopping? My sister, who has taught me so much throughout my life, has recently taught me that if I really want to do something to bring joy into her life, help her to bring food to the bellies of those with too little to eat. "Send a check to the Food Pantry (where she spends so many days fixing meals.)" It is the perfect way to demonstrate your love; by showing that our love is focused in the same direction.
Yes, Christ the King makes a difference in so many ways. Christ, or King, makes all the difference.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Christ the King - November 20, 2011
Note: I was asked to assist St. Michael Lutheran with their Stewardship Program. This is the sermon I have prepared for the conclusion of that process.
Christ the King - Year A
November 20, 2011
St. Michael, Greenville
Matthew 25:31-46
Consecration Sunday
A couple of “thank you’s” are in order. I wasn’t sure where they ought to be inserted into the service, so it seems this is as a good a time as any.
The first thank you is to all of you, who accepted the change in schedule, who responded favorably to the invitation to lunch. Change is never easy and seldom welcomed. Thank you for becoming a part of Consecration Sunday and for being here today. I pray that as the morning develops you will come to understand even more clearly why it was so important for all of us to be together, today.
The second thank you is to the Consecration Sunday Team. I began meeting with them on October 17. They had done much work prior to that meeting and they have worked tirelessly since. We all owe them our gratitude and we have all benefitted from their service.
A final thank you is a personal one. I want to thank you all, for allowing me this glimpse into your congregation, into your ministry, and into your lives together. It has been a blessing to me, far beyond the ability of words to express. Thank you. Thank all of you. While my glances from afar had indicated the health and vitality of this congregation, my six weeks working with you have confirmed the wondrous ways in which St. Michael is a community centered on the Gospel and committed to the ministry of Christ.
There is a certain amount of what is going to happen today which is the result of careful planning and meticulous attention to detail. That is why we needed to say “Thank you” to the Planning Team. They have done their tasks well. But their careful planning and their attention to detail could only accomplish so much. What comes after that, the deepest blessings of this day, come our way as a result of plans larger than our own. I asked the Team, at our meeting last Sunday evening, whether their planning had intended for Consecration Sunday to fall on Christ the King Sunday. The answer was “No, not really.” It was more a matter of trying to complete all this before the busyness of Thanksgiving and Advent. Plans larger than our own were at work in making these two coincide. And I want to take a few minutes to point out how appropriate it is that this has occurred.
By now you should have a reasonably good understanding of Consecration Sunday. Even if you missed the temple talks of the past three weeks, your presence here, at 10:00 am rather than 8:30 or 11:00 means you know something about what is going on. Consecration Sunday is an opportunity for us to come together as a community, for us all to come together, and consider what it is that God calling upon us to do. What we will be able to do, as a congregation, is to be built upon what it is that God is calling each of us, as individuals to do. Consecration Sunday shifts the locus of action. Rather than saying, “This is what St. Michael will be doing in the coming year – can you join the effort.” We ask, “What is God calling you to give?” and build the ministry of St. Michael around those offerings. This morning we encourage you to see yourself as one who has been consecrated, for service to God. This morning we will ask you to consecrate your financial resources, making them an instrument for the work of God’s Kingdom.
That is what Consecration Sunday is about.
But today is also Christ the King Sunday. And long before there was a Consecration Sunday, Christ the King Sunday as been on our liturgical calendar as a time to come together and do the same thing. We assemble on Christ the King in order to look back over the previous year, consider all that God has done for us, and then decide whether all of this is going to make any difference in the way we live our lives. The liturgy of Christ the King Sunday forms around the question of whether we will proclaim Christ as our King? Or will we go off looking for another?
Christ the King is a “consecration Sunday,” whether or not it happens to coincide with the Stewardship Committee’s planning.
Consecration Sunday provides us with the opportunity to make tangible our devotion to the one we affirm as our Lord and Master, our devotion to Christ the King.
Neither of these is a gimmick or trick. We are not setting up some sort of “show” for our giving, and we are clearly not in the business of setting up measuring sticks for faithfulness. No one is to feel pressured into doing more than they know they are capable of doing. The presence of any such emotions would mean that all of this is a colossal failure. And let me repeat what you have heard many times already - determining our response to God with regard to financial sacrifice is not to be taken as some sort of test of how deeply we love God. We will have done a disservice to Consecration Sunday and to Christ the King Sunday if any such thoughts are present among us.
That is the disclaimer. Let me return to the main message. Your devotion to Christ is shown through your participation in worship, your personal prayers, and your service to others. Using the image from today’s Gospel reading, we become the sheep of God’s fold, who go about these tasks without ever stepping back to consider them, or perhaps even to realize that they are indicators of our consecration. Today we want to pull ourselves back a bit from the activity and consider the match between what God has entrusted to us and what we are capable of giving back.
In the Gospel lesson, the Son of Man comes and he sits on his throne and he separates people, one from another. At first, those being separated don’t understand why they are being put into one group or another. Notice that both groups ask, “Lord when?” Those who have done the will of their father ask. Those who have failed to care for the least among us also ask. Neither group engaged in their actions with the intention of obtaining a particular reward. Both were living out their lives in accordance with what they considered to be important. When the Son of Man comes, he sits down among them and allows their actions to reveal what they truly value.
The reason for Consecration and for Christ the King is to make sure that we are aware of how our actions reveal what it is that we value in our lives. We need to be encouraged to consider what our behavior says about what we hold dear.
I have said my “Thank yous” and I would never take any of them back. But I hope I won’t offend anyone by saying that in these last four days a few of the well-laid plans were abandoned. As much energy and effort as had been put into Consecration Sunday, and as important as the events of this day are to all of us, everything shifted on Tuesday with the death of Lum Leonard. Nothing we had planned for this morning would be allowed to take precedence over celebrating the life of our brother in Christ and making sure that the news of his resurrection was proclaimed. All of this special stuff we had planned was set aside so we could go back to what it is that we do every day of every week of every year. The “sheep” gathered yesterday to acknowledge one of their own. Yesterday’s gathering is the true consecration, the powerful celebration of Christ as King. Today’s events affirm that we are committed to continuing to do what it is that we have done so well in the past four days.
God has done much. Exceedingly much. Embarrassingly too much. What are we able and prepared to do in return? On Consecration Sunday we have the opportunity to decide. On Christ the King Sunday we join our responses with those of God’s children in every time and every place.
Amen.
Christ the King - Year A
November 20, 2011
St. Michael, Greenville
Matthew 25:31-46
Consecration Sunday
A couple of “thank you’s” are in order. I wasn’t sure where they ought to be inserted into the service, so it seems this is as a good a time as any.
The first thank you is to all of you, who accepted the change in schedule, who responded favorably to the invitation to lunch. Change is never easy and seldom welcomed. Thank you for becoming a part of Consecration Sunday and for being here today. I pray that as the morning develops you will come to understand even more clearly why it was so important for all of us to be together, today.
The second thank you is to the Consecration Sunday Team. I began meeting with them on October 17. They had done much work prior to that meeting and they have worked tirelessly since. We all owe them our gratitude and we have all benefitted from their service.
A final thank you is a personal one. I want to thank you all, for allowing me this glimpse into your congregation, into your ministry, and into your lives together. It has been a blessing to me, far beyond the ability of words to express. Thank you. Thank all of you. While my glances from afar had indicated the health and vitality of this congregation, my six weeks working with you have confirmed the wondrous ways in which St. Michael is a community centered on the Gospel and committed to the ministry of Christ.
There is a certain amount of what is going to happen today which is the result of careful planning and meticulous attention to detail. That is why we needed to say “Thank you” to the Planning Team. They have done their tasks well. But their careful planning and their attention to detail could only accomplish so much. What comes after that, the deepest blessings of this day, come our way as a result of plans larger than our own. I asked the Team, at our meeting last Sunday evening, whether their planning had intended for Consecration Sunday to fall on Christ the King Sunday. The answer was “No, not really.” It was more a matter of trying to complete all this before the busyness of Thanksgiving and Advent. Plans larger than our own were at work in making these two coincide. And I want to take a few minutes to point out how appropriate it is that this has occurred.
By now you should have a reasonably good understanding of Consecration Sunday. Even if you missed the temple talks of the past three weeks, your presence here, at 10:00 am rather than 8:30 or 11:00 means you know something about what is going on. Consecration Sunday is an opportunity for us to come together as a community, for us all to come together, and consider what it is that God calling upon us to do. What we will be able to do, as a congregation, is to be built upon what it is that God is calling each of us, as individuals to do. Consecration Sunday shifts the locus of action. Rather than saying, “This is what St. Michael will be doing in the coming year – can you join the effort.” We ask, “What is God calling you to give?” and build the ministry of St. Michael around those offerings. This morning we encourage you to see yourself as one who has been consecrated, for service to God. This morning we will ask you to consecrate your financial resources, making them an instrument for the work of God’s Kingdom.
That is what Consecration Sunday is about.
But today is also Christ the King Sunday. And long before there was a Consecration Sunday, Christ the King Sunday as been on our liturgical calendar as a time to come together and do the same thing. We assemble on Christ the King in order to look back over the previous year, consider all that God has done for us, and then decide whether all of this is going to make any difference in the way we live our lives. The liturgy of Christ the King Sunday forms around the question of whether we will proclaim Christ as our King? Or will we go off looking for another?
Christ the King is a “consecration Sunday,” whether or not it happens to coincide with the Stewardship Committee’s planning.
Consecration Sunday provides us with the opportunity to make tangible our devotion to the one we affirm as our Lord and Master, our devotion to Christ the King.
Neither of these is a gimmick or trick. We are not setting up some sort of “show” for our giving, and we are clearly not in the business of setting up measuring sticks for faithfulness. No one is to feel pressured into doing more than they know they are capable of doing. The presence of any such emotions would mean that all of this is a colossal failure. And let me repeat what you have heard many times already - determining our response to God with regard to financial sacrifice is not to be taken as some sort of test of how deeply we love God. We will have done a disservice to Consecration Sunday and to Christ the King Sunday if any such thoughts are present among us.
That is the disclaimer. Let me return to the main message. Your devotion to Christ is shown through your participation in worship, your personal prayers, and your service to others. Using the image from today’s Gospel reading, we become the sheep of God’s fold, who go about these tasks without ever stepping back to consider them, or perhaps even to realize that they are indicators of our consecration. Today we want to pull ourselves back a bit from the activity and consider the match between what God has entrusted to us and what we are capable of giving back.
In the Gospel lesson, the Son of Man comes and he sits on his throne and he separates people, one from another. At first, those being separated don’t understand why they are being put into one group or another. Notice that both groups ask, “Lord when?” Those who have done the will of their father ask. Those who have failed to care for the least among us also ask. Neither group engaged in their actions with the intention of obtaining a particular reward. Both were living out their lives in accordance with what they considered to be important. When the Son of Man comes, he sits down among them and allows their actions to reveal what they truly value.
The reason for Consecration and for Christ the King is to make sure that we are aware of how our actions reveal what it is that we value in our lives. We need to be encouraged to consider what our behavior says about what we hold dear.
I have said my “Thank yous” and I would never take any of them back. But I hope I won’t offend anyone by saying that in these last four days a few of the well-laid plans were abandoned. As much energy and effort as had been put into Consecration Sunday, and as important as the events of this day are to all of us, everything shifted on Tuesday with the death of Lum Leonard. Nothing we had planned for this morning would be allowed to take precedence over celebrating the life of our brother in Christ and making sure that the news of his resurrection was proclaimed. All of this special stuff we had planned was set aside so we could go back to what it is that we do every day of every week of every year. The “sheep” gathered yesterday to acknowledge one of their own. Yesterday’s gathering is the true consecration, the powerful celebration of Christ as King. Today’s events affirm that we are committed to continuing to do what it is that we have done so well in the past four days.
God has done much. Exceedingly much. Embarrassingly too much. What are we able and prepared to do in return? On Consecration Sunday we have the opportunity to decide. On Christ the King Sunday we join our responses with those of God’s children in every time and every place.
Amen.
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