Wowza!

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Today we’re celebrating Epiphany.  An epiphany is the sudden revealing of the essential nature or meaning of something.  The PARTICULAR Epiphany that we celebrate today is the one that the Wise Guys had when they first saw Jesus.  Even though they had “observed his star at it’s rising” THAT wasn’t their Epiphany.  That wasn’t the moment where they made the connection and really “grasped” the essential nature of Jesus.  Even after they had arrived at Herod’s and were given the new clue that Bethlehem somehow figured into their mystery… even at that point… that STILL wasn’t their Epiphany.  

They had their Epiphany right before they suddenly did something very different.  Right after they saw Jesus THEY WENT HOME BY ANOTHER WAY.  Before this they had been very good rule-followers.  They had checked in with the local king.  They had shared all their research getting their astronomical studies peer reviewed by the local scholars.  They had received all the correct passport stamps and visa documents.  Their camels had been x-rayed for Eastern fruits not allowed in the country.  They had received all the needed sign offs from the religious authorities and had followed all the local customs.  The story shows they were very good rule-followers… until suddenly… they weren’t!  Suddenly they had changed! 

Herod told them back at the castle to “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”  Which, on the front side of their Epiphany, seems like something they most certainly would have done!  They had followed all the rules before, after all.  But NOW, on this side of their Epiphany they had been changed!  Changed to such a degree that it led these wise, rule followers from the East to throw out everything they had planned and promised to Herod before… and go home by another Way.  

You and I may not be so wise that we catch every new star at it’s rising.  Heck, I couldn't even catch Jupiter and Saturn converging last week with astronomers telling me exactly when and where to look!  But even though we aren’t astronomers discovering a new star… we are, you and I… on our own journey of discovery… this journey we call life.  And frankly, after this past year, a Divine Epiphany telling us which way to go from here would be awesome!  

We have just crossed the miserable desert of 2020.  We've taken a couple steps into 2021.  We HOPE we're headed toward an end to this pandemic.  We HOPE this year will have less desert.  So what road will we take from here?  What Way will we take home? I have to say... an Epiphany right about now would be VERY helpful!  

Now, keep in mind that some today, like Herod back then, will have no interest in walking a New Way, Divine Epiphany or not.  No desire for any new understandings of any natures, essential or not.  They will look away from any Epiphany... dismiss any dream.  That's what Herod did then and there are Herods all around us still today... people obsessed only with themselves, their own power, desperate and willing to do anything to keep it, and all the while completely unconcerned about those around them.   

But we're not called to follow Herod.  Our call is to be Wise Ones!  Ones who notice the countless Epiphanies God offers up all around us every day.  The Ones who listen to God’s dreams for us and all of creation!  We are the Wise Ones who hear and unravel the truth and lean into the Way God is calling us to walk through life.  And so our call, like those Wise Guys way back then, is to not just to gather information, but to also get out there and walk that new Way home.  But which way is that?  This is where a Divine Epiphany would help, right?  Maybe a dream, not about us getting a church gorilla, but a HELPFUL dream!  A dream to show us which WAY to walk through this year to come.  A dream to take us home!

And here is the Good News... you and I... we don't actually need a NEW Epiphany to get that.  Jesus is our Epiphany.  Jesus, with his life, death and resurrection has revealed to each of us our essential natures... we are Children of God!  We also don't need a new dream to guide us.  Jesus is our guide and walks ahead of us along the Jesus Way, showing us with each step he takes how to care for the least, last and lost... how to love our neighbor by giving of ourselves.  

Following in Jesus' footsteps... THAT'S the other road home we are called to walk!  It's not Herod's way.  It’s the Jesus Way and the truth is, walking THAT way, no matter what this coming year might bring, will lead us toward an abundant life.  May we, together be Wise Ones in this year to come.  May we not be caught up in the drama of the Herods of our world and may we instead, join together and step by step, walk the Jesus Way through this year to come.  Amen. 

You Shoulda Tooke That Left!

 Luke 1:26-38

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

WOW!  God can sure pick ‘em don’t you think?  Last week we had the gross bug eating, stinky camel hair wearing, nowheresville wilderness living John the Baptist.  This week we get the poor, young, unwed Mary!  God sure picks the one’s no one would ever expect!  But the REALLY funny thing is… God’s still picking highly unlikely characters to announce and bring God’s unlimited grace, love, forgiveness and compassion into the world even today! 

And right at the very top of God’s most “unlikely characters to call” list... IS US!  God is calling US!  You and me together as Christ Trinity Church!  We are being called to proclaim God’s radical new Way for the world.  God is calling THIS CHURCH to bring Christ into this world!  Greetings favored church!  The Lord is with YOU!

I suspect hearing that unexpected bit of news might have left you feeling just a bit like Mary… perplexed maybe?  Confused perhaps? Maybe even scared?  BUT no matter how you feel about it, God still says to US the same thing God said to Mary...  “Do not be afraid, Christ Trinity, for you have found favor with God!  And now you will bear the Son of God out into the world and his name is Jesus!”  

Like Mary you too might want to ask whatever off-course angel is floating this crazy idea, “How can this be?”  After all, most people in Massachusetts think the state ends at Springfield!  Most of the people in our county think the county stops South of Great Barrington!  So how are WE going to bring Jesus to the whole world?  We do good stuff sure … but the whole world!? Really?

And yet, that angel of the Lord still insists on saying to US the same thing they said to Mary, “the Holy Spirit has come upon each one of you in your Baptisms, and the power of the Most High has overshadowed this WHOLE Congregation!  Therefore the Child that you are to bring to the world is a Holy Child, the child that you are bringing to the world is the Son of God.”  

To any angel in their right mind, they should have made that left turn in Albuquerque or at least not stopped off at Theory Wellness before getting to US!  But before you dismiss that angel in a cloud of smoke, take a minute to remember what God has ALREADY done through this congregation over all these years.  We built a church on the heels of the Civil War and made a point to welcome EVERYONE to worship.  The welcoming continued for differently abled people and then extended to all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.  And over all that time, cookies were baked, meals have been made, funds have been raised and a real difference has been made in the world, both near and far.  In recent years we've added Solar Panels and an Appalachian Trail Ministry and Rainbow Chairs to all of what we've done before… and even through this awful, terrible, no good, very bad pandemic… God has done marvelous things… through US!  Thousands have been fed, a string quartet played, and tens of thousands have been raised, smack dab in the middle of it all!  We really ought to ALWAYS remember that NOTHING will be impossible with God! 

 

When the angel gave God's call to Mary, she said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”  Folks, angels still visit us just as surely as Gabriel visited Mary.  We are constantly being asked by God to do EXACTLY what Mary was asked to do... to bring Christ to the World.  Our call really is like Mary’s call.  Like Mary’s, it’s not about our own success, status, power, or image.  It’s like Mary’s call.  A call to give of ourselves for the benefit of our neighbors and the world.  This call of ours is just like Mary’s... A call to bring Christ to the world… a call to bring Christ's unconditional welcome and miracle filled healing to a broken world… a call to bring light and hope and build connections across every divide. 

 

It is an incredible thing that God is asking of us, but just like Mary, this congregation is blessed… simply and only because God has said that we are!  May we, like Mary, always remember the blessings we have been so generously given.  May we hear the call of the angels and may we always be open to what God is asking of us next, and always have as our response…“let it be with us according to Your Word.”  Amen

Let Go and Let God

John 1:6-8, 19-28

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” 

And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 

He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. 

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 

John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

This Advent we’ve heard Jesus' advise us to practice noticing the small things so we will build our “noticing” muscles and not miss the big things when they come.  We’ve been told to do the work of Jesus, even… and perhaps especially… when God feels distant.  Because, Jesus tells us, and brain science bears it out, that not only does hope inspire us to do the work, but it also turns out that doing the work inspires hope.  We’ve heard to practice “real and deep listening.”  Listening not just to reply… but to really HEAR what our neighbor is crying out in their wilderness times… and perhaps, to even hear the voice of God.  

Then today is St. Lucy's feast day… Sankta Lucia… who in her life lived out those bits of advice from Jesus in the darkness of the Roman persecution.  She wore a crown of candles on her head so she could use both hands to bring bring light and food to those hiding in the darkness of fear and the darkness of the catacombs.  

Today, we also hear very clearly, however, that while there are things we are called to do in dark times, and there ARE wise, creative, and courageous ways of living that will make our lives, and the lives of those around us, better in dark times… this week we are ALSO very clearly reminded that… fixing the darkness IS NOT ALL ON US!  Hear that again… IT IS NOT ALL ON US! 

This week we hear from John the Baptist who is VERY clear that he is NOT the light! “That one IS coming, but it isn’t me.”  And this week we also hear from Mary.  It is GOD, she says clearly, who is the One who does the great things… who shows strength, scatters the proud, casts down the mighty, lifts up the lowly, fills the hungry and sends the rich away empty!

  

And that, my friends, is true for us in OUR darkness as well.  In the midst of THIS… all of THIS… This pandemic, virus deniers, anti-maskers, microchips in vaccine conspiracy theorists, overwhelmed nurses and doctors and morgues, with more Americans dying each day than at Pearl Harbor or on 9/11.  In the midst of nearly 300,000 of our neighbors in this country who have died in this pandemic.  In the midst of ALL of THIS, we are reminded today that All of “THIS” is NOT for us to bear alone, fight alone, or to solve alone.  

We have our part that we can do.  The work of Jesus, caring for our neighbors by wearing masks, washing hands, staying home.  But both Mary and John remind us today that for all the rest of it… God is the One who sends the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness can not over come it!  And we are reminded of EMMANUEL… God IS with us!  And that Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ WILL come again. Always. Into every darkness.  Including this one!    

So today, in the midst of all of THIS that we have endured for months upon months and will need to endure for probably another half a year… in the midst of all of THIS that is oppressive and overwhelming and exhausting beyond measure… I invite you all to join me in giving all the parts of  “THIS” that we can’t fix, control, or even understand… over to God… the One who can and does bring light out of darkness.  The One who can and does calm the storms of chaos.  The One who can and does bring healing to the nations.    

Let us together then… “Let Go and Let God”… Let Go and Let God do God’s great things in our dark times, show God’s strength, scatter the proud, cast down the mighty, lift up the lowly, fill the hungry and send the rich away empty!  I invite you all to join me as we pray a litany for healing, and hand over all of our worries, fears, sickness, grief, horror, and darkness to God in prayer… 

A Litany for Healing

God the Father, you desire the health and salvation of all people.

We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

God the Son, you came that we might have life and might have it more abundantly.

We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

God the Holy Spirit, you make our bodies the temples of your presence.

We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

Holy Trinity, one God, in you we live and move and have our being.

We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

Lord, grant your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that they may be made whole;

hear us, O Lord of life.

Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent the awareness of your presence;

hear us, O Lord of life.

Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to soundness of mind and serenity of spirit;

hear us, O Lord of life.

Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering; grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience;

hear us, O Lord of life.

Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with your grace strengthen those who mourn;

hear us, O Lord of life.

Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation, and in the world;

hear us, O Lord of life.

Hear us, O Lord of life:

heal us, and make us whole.

Prayers for the Pandemic

Let us pray for all who suffer in this pandemic.

Merciful Lord, you sent your Son to be our peace. Help all who are suffering with sickness, isolation, economic hardship, fear or grief to find in Jesus strength and peace, so that their trust in your promises may be renewed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Let us pray for recovery from sickness.

O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of those with Covid-19: Mercifully hear our prayers and grant to all your children, the help of your power, that their sickness may be turned into health and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Let us pray for those who minister in healing.

Almighty God, source of human knowledge and skill: Guide physicians and nurses and all those you have called to practice the arts of healing. Comfort them in their grief, support them in their exhaustion, and strengthen them for the days ahead by your life-giving Spirit, that, by their ministries, the health of all people may be promoted and your creation may be glorified; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Let us pray for those who desire our prayers.

Blessed Lord, we ask your loving care and protection for those who are sick from Covid-19. Take from them all fears and help them put their trust in you, that they may feel your strong arms around them. Touch them with your renewing love, that they may know wholeness in you and glorify your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Let us pray for those mourn.  

O Merciful Father, you have taught us in your holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve your children;  Look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom our prayers are offered.  Remember them, O Lord, in mercy, nourish their souls with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them, and give them peace.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

Let us prayer for all who have died in this pandemic.

Into your loving hands, O God, we commend our brothers and sisters who have died in this pandemic.  In your infinite goodness, wisdom, and power, work in them the merciful purpose of your perfect will, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  

Amen

Let us pray with Sankta Lucia on her day.

Loving God, for the salvation of all, you gave Jesus Christ as light to a world in darkness:  Illumine our world sunk deep in pandemic darkness with the light of Christ.  With St. Lucy as our inspiration, help us to bring your light into our world, as she brought light into the catacombs of her world.  Through Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever. 

Amen

A Panda Walk Into A Bar

Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way;

the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight,’”

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

A Panda walks into a bar.  He eats shoots and leaves.  Now, did that Panda just eat a meal of bamboo shoots and leaves, OR did that Panda, eat his dinner, pull out a gun and blast his way out of there to avoid paying the bill?  How about this one… is it, "A voice cries out! 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord.'”  Or is it, “A voice cries out in the wilderness: ‘prepare the way of the Lord’.”  Are we being told to start a highway construction project out in the wilderness OR are we being told to listen to the guy who lives out in the wilderness?  How about this one... Let’s eat, Grandma!  Is this ol’ cousin Ralphie just inviting grandma to the table for the family meal... OR, has ol’ cousin Ralphie, started channeling Hannibel the Cannibal and wants to serve roasted grandma for dinner with a nice chianti?!

How can we know which way it is?  Punctuation?  Sure, if you’re reading it in English, but there’s no Oxford comma in Biblical Hebrew or Greek.  Fortunately our brains are wired to make the calculation for us based on our past experiences.  Since ol’ cousin Ralphie’s never shown any cannibalistic tendencies before, Grandma’s likely to be just fine.   

Figuring out the world we encounter each day based on our past experiences is part of how we were created.  Those experiences taught our ancestors not to pet the Saber Toothed Kitties and that tar pits where terrible swimming holes. This way of sorting out the world around us works really, really, really well most of the time... right up to the point… where it doesn’t.  Because, while most of the time it does work, sometimes our past experiences blind us to what’s really going on in the present.  All those past experiences with cousin Ralphie have taught us he’s not a cannibal.  BUT the day he shows up at dinner screaming, “LET’S EAT GRANDMA!” while revving up his chainsaw?  That’s probably NOT the day to ONLY trust our past experiences with cousin Ralphie! 

Sometimes, we encounter times when we need to let go of what we have been TAUGHT in the past and instead really LISTEN and SEE what is in front of us in the now.  That’s exactly the case with the first lesson and the Gospel today.   When Isaiah first spoke those words it was with the voice of HOPE... it was the voice of promise, forgiveness and life!  It was a voice telling the people they would soon be walking a highway across the wilderness back to home!  But, when those VERY SAME WORDS came flying out of John the Baptist’s mouth, they carried a VERY different message.  John didn’t have a message of hope.  It was a warning!  The LORD is coming and the people’s crooked ways needed some serious straightening out!  BOTH were voices crying out.  BOTH had something important to tell the people from God.  BOTH used the VERY SAME words.  But unless the people REALLY LISTENED they would miss what they really needed to hear.    

The fact that these same words take on different meanings doesn’t make Isaiah “right” and John the Baptist “wrong” or vice versa.  What it does though, is to teach us the importance of REALLY listening, and not just assuming that our past experiences are always all we ever need, forever and ever amen.  Assuming (in addition to that thing that assuming does) can lead us to a trap that much of our country has fallen into head first.  A trap that says, for ME to be “right” YOU have to be “wrong.”  My experience of life is how “real” life goes.  If you say your experience of life is different than mine, then you must be lying and your experience is just fake news.  When we fall into that trap, when we fail to really LISTEN to those around us… fail to listen to the ones crying out in the wilderness of their lives, we deny them the dignity with which God created them.  

Failing to listen to our neighbors cry in the wilderness is bad enough, but failing to listen also puts us in danger of missing what God is trying to tell us, through them.  How often do we dismiss the voice of those crying out of their wilderness, simply because it’s not a wilderness we’ve personally experienced in our own lives? 

My experience of life, for example, does not include the wilderness of injustice that is poured relentlessly on those with brown or black skin.  But when black lives cry out in the wilderness of a life experience I know nothing of, does that make their life experience untrue or invalid?  NO!  If a black life cries out in the wilderness, telling me where he experiences rough places in their life, then it is my calling as a Christian to LISTEN.  At the very least I’m called to honor the dignity of that life by listening.  But their cry in the wilderness MAY ALSO be a call from God to do what I can to make rough places a plain.  

Really listening to the life experiences of someone from a different world is hard.  Really listening means understanding that their experience and ours can be as different as Isaiah’s and John’s, but that each experience, like Isaiah’s and John’s, is fully true, AND, at the very same time, vastly different. 

This Advent we were advised last week to take time to practice noticing the small things, so our noticing muscles are limber enough to notice the big things when they come.  This Advent we’ve been advised to DO the work of Jesus, even while Jesus feels very far away, because the work itself can give us hope in our waiting.  To those sound bits of advice from Jesus, today’s lessons ask us to add the Spiritual practice of really listening to our neighbors, and just maybe within their crying wilderness voice we might also hear the voice of God.  Amen.