Sermon for 7-25-10 "Not Quite What Was Planned" Christmas In July, Favorite Things Summer Worship Series

Sermon for 7/25/10 "Christmas in July"

Favorite Things Worship Series

Luke 2:1-20; Isaiah 9:2-7

"Not Quite What Was Planned"

Some weeks just don't go as planned.  Have you ever had one of those?  On Thursday afternoon your TO DO List from Monday is not even half finished, and you can't find the things you have done on the TO DO List anywhere. Well, this was one of those weeks.  As I was driving out of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport Parking lot on Thursday afternoon, the Ticket Reader said, "Have A Nice Day" and I paused for a moment, unsure whether to laugh or cry.  It was not quite what was planned.  Now, I love being in ministry, and I am glad that I can be open to the working of the Spirit.  I say some of this to answer the camper’s question from Mission Camp who asked, “So what does a pastor do all week?”  Let me back up and start at the beginning.

We have been working for months to bring guests from our Sister Church in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, here for a visit.  Roman Brady and I have planned. We've been in contact with Alma and her sister Ninfa from Fuenta Da Vida Moravian Church.  They waited on the US Embassy for Visas.  We purchased Plane Tickets thanks to last Christmas Eve's offering to help foster relationships with Fuenta Da Vida.  We were FINALLY able to have Alma, her son Jordy, and Ninfa's son Fernando come for a visit.  They arrived in Winston-Salem Thursday a week ago.  They journeyed to Laurel Ridge for Senior High Camp this week, and then were to join us here in Raleigh for this weekend to visit. That is until my phone rang Monday morning at 8:50am. 

Roman called from Laurel Ridge to say they had just learned that Alma's brother had died unexpectedly Sunday night and they all needed to return home for the funeral.  So--I spent Monday and Tuesday on the phone with Delta Airlines and Roman trying to rearrange their flights to get them back in time for the Funeral.  (As a side note--Delta Airlines has been phenomenally helpful and kind throughout this whole process--Thank you Delta!!)

As I was talking to the reservationists for Delta, one was asking about Alma and her family.  I couldn't answer most of her questions and finally almost broke down in tears.  I said to her, "I don't know them yet.  I was supposed to spend the weekend with them and get to know them, but now we won't get to.  I am just so disappointed."  It was at that point that I believe the Holy Spirit invited us to have a gathering to honor our guests and take the opportunity, however brief, to get to know them.  The email blast went out, the Facebook invitation was sent, and the party was a GO.

So-we had 30 people at our house this Wednesday evening for an impromptu cookout to meet our friends.  It was a wonderful time!  I took a moment to look around and enjoy the opportunity to watch everyone talking, laughing, playing games, and sharing a meal together.  Everyone showed up with something in hand to contribute to the meal, and we had a feast!  There was so much food eaten, and so much food leftover.  I recall hearing someone say it was like loaves and fishes being multiplied before our very eyes.  Food, friends, and fellowship make a festive, holy combination. 

Thursday morning I brought Alma, Jordy, and Fernando by the church to show them Raleigh Moravian.  Fernando found pictures of his dad and grandmother on our bulletin board, and they named many of the people in the pictures from back home.  Then we hit Interstate 40 and headed to the RDU Airport.  It had been less than 24 hours since I met them when I stood and watched them head through security.  It was a bittersweet moment.  I felt incredibly glad to have met them and had the time that we shared together, and so sad they had to leave and not be here for worship this morning to get to see all of you!

I headed to my car and pulled up to the gate to leave the parking deck. "Have a nice day."  It flashed the message at me, and I paused.  I thought to myself, "Have a nice day?"  My new friends are mourning the loss of a family member.  It's not really a nice day for them.  My week hadn't gone like I planned at all.  It was not really a nice day for me either.  And Sunday isn't going to be a celebration with our friends from our sister church, but instead a time to remember them in prayer during their time of loss. 

 [Suzanne, Steve, Pennsy, Alma, Fernando and Jordy after the party]

Funerals have such a way of changing our plans.  The visit was holy in so many ways, and so wonderful, but it was NOT QUITE WHAT WE PLANNED!  That's when it hit me.  Maybe, just maybe God was helping us to celebrate Christmas throughout this entire week instead of just on Sunday morning. 

Could it be?  I suddenly found myself feeling like Mary in some strange way.  I doubt giving birth in a manger with the animals and overflow crowd gathered around was quite what she had planned.  Births and deaths have a way of changing our plans.  They make us reexamine our priorities and adjust our schedule to reflect the new circumstances.  Our realities are different.  Life is different now, and it wasn't what we had planned.

The more I have thought about Jesus' whole life, the more this week feels interwoven with Scripture.  So many different stories from the Bible include tales of plans changed, journeys re-routed, and lives forever altered.  Just looking at the beginning of Luke--we see the old couple, Elizabeth and Zechariah, told they are finally going to have a child [Luke 1].  This was an answered prayer, but not what they expected.  Mary and Joseph were engaged, but their wedding and life together took a sudden and unexpected turn when she was visited by an angel [Luke 1].  I seriously doubt this was what she planned as she looked through the latest Bridal catalog, visited the local Bridal Boutiques, and filled out their personalized stone tablet on The Nazareth Knot.com registry. 

I doubt the innkeeper planned for the crowds that showed up due to the census being taken [Luke 2].  He was probably surprised to receive the knock on the door by this sojourning couple.  I imagine Mary was clearly about to give birth, and he found himself offering the best hospitality to this young couple that he could given the circumstances.  At least they were in from the weather, had straw to keep warm, and a place to lay their heads.  He might have even called in a midwife or local woman to be there to help with the birth--that is if time allowed it.  Speaking of "If time allows"--A year ago today my youngest niece was born, but it certainly wasn't what her family had planned for her birth.  She arrived so quickly that they didn't even make it to the car to head to the hospital.  Thankfully 911 was only a call away, and the paramedics arrived in time to help cut Lexi's cord.  When we got the phone call, we called 2 other family members just to confirm the story!  Births often don't go as planned.  Mary and Joseph knew that very well.

As for the shepherds in the fields trying to stay awake and guard the sheep... they were startled to be surrounded with a host of angels that night [Luke 2].  Perhaps they were sitting there, rubbing their eyes, and nudging one another, just trying to see if what their eyes saw was really happening?  It wasn't the night they had planned.  That night should have been like the night before--sitting peacefully in a field listening to the crickets chirp and the sheep doze on the grass.  What a tale they had to share!! “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10b-12)

I know many of us have been looking forward to Christmas in July today, and I've had some great conversations about Christmas!  At the Blood Drive on Monday, Carolyn Watts shared a quote with me from a seven-year-old named Bobby.  He said, "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."  I think that's pretty profound.  Christmas is all about Love. 

[Pastors Craig and Suzanne with our Decorated Lovefeast Buns from Christmas 2009.]

I must confess I love Christmas music, candles, decorations, and all the merriment of the Christmas season.  I love A Charlie Brown Christmas playing on TV and decorating the tree.  I love Christmas Eve Lovefeasts and the expectation of what yummy treats will appear inside my Lovefeast bun this year. And right about now those cold temperatures would feel mighty nice.

This was my lovefeast bun from the 2nd Christmas Eve lovefeast last year!

But celebrating Christmas in July, or any time besides December, allows us to celebrate without all the societal expectations of shopping, overspending, often-uncomfortable company parties, and overbooked schedules.  It helps us, I believe, to focus on what is most important--the good news of a baby that was born to show God's love to the world in the most tangible ways possible.  The prophets had promised this baby for centuries, and yet he arrived in a way no one planned.  The Light of the World is here. "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." [Isaiah 9:6 NRSV] 

At our potluck on Wednesday night, we had the opportunity to spend time together in a room soaking in the love that was being shared.  There was no wrapping paper or bows strewn across the floor... instead there were people whose plans had been changed in unexpected ways because of both a death and a birth.  A family member was being mourned, and yet in the midst of that sorrow, God's love shone in the darkness.

I must tell this one story from the potluck.  When I arrived home on Wednesday from picking up Alma, Jordy, and Fernando in Winston-Salem, I opened the fridge.  In there was a bowl of dessert that I knew I hadn't made.  I asked Steve where it had come from.  He said his co-worker had seen my posting on Facebook about the potluck, and just happened to have the ingredients at home to make this chocolate cherry dessert.  So she showed up at work on Wednesday with a dish for our party just to make sure we had enough food.  God's love shines in the darkness and in the sweetness of chocolate and cherries.

On this past Wednesday and today, and hopefully every day, we celebrate a feast of love and joy and share the Good News that death does not have the final word.  In fact, Jesus' death didn't end as planned either.  The sorrowful disciples found out their plans had changed in quite unexpected ways when their loved one walked through the wall and joined the party.  Jesus' whole life and ministry did not go as people expected, and Jesus came to show God's kingdom often happens in unexpected ways as well.  It's the small things, like a bowl of dessert, that often show us God's kingdom of love at work.

May the Good News of Christmas cause us all to pause and reflect on the birth of God-With-US--Emmanuel.  Christ the Lord.  We can and should celebrate every day that the Promised Messiah has arrived, most unexpectedly and not at all how we planned, and our lives are forever changed by God's gift of love. Amen. 

Christmas 1C-"Celebrate Love" 12/27/09

"The Power Of The Word" "Celebrate Love"

Christmas 1C, 12/27/09

John 1:1-14

            Before I begin, I must make a note to the bulletin.  Due to having to run the bulletins early this week, I came up with a title for my yet-unwritten sermon.  After writing it, I realized it needed a different title.  This sermon is entitled, "Celebrate Love."  After all, the power of the Word is love, and it is that Love of God we celebrate today!

Yesterday I walked into a CVS, and watched as the lady was taking down the Christmas Cards from the display, and was replacing them with Valentine's Day cards.  The signage she put up said, "Celebrate Love."  It struck me as bothersome that Valentine's Day, according to the card company, is only when we are to celebrate love.  Everything in me wanted to yell out, "What about Christmas?"  I felt like Charlie in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" when he says, "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"[1]  But where was Linus when I needed him?  The music on the radio has already changed back to the regular stations, and Christmas music, like the decorations in the store, has been packed away for another year.  I was struck standing there thinking, "If all of this has changed back to 'normal' so quickly, then what difference does Christmas make after all?  Why do we celebrate it and what does it mean?"  Maybe I'm somewhat cynical, or my tiredness from Christmas Eve was still clouding my mind.  But it did make me really stop and think--Isn't Christmas about Celebrating Love?--Celebrating the love of God found in a baby and that love found in the world all these years later--Celebrating a love that physically came down from the heavens and was there for everyone to see.

         Christmas Eve, in the Church's understanding, is the beginning of the celebration, not the culmination of the festivities.[2] Christmas lasts 12 days, and ends on January 6th when we mark the Epiphany.  We gather in celebration of the birth that starts the story --our story--over again.  Advent is preparation for the big event, and then it's here and the Christmas Eve Lovefeasts start the Birthday Party for our King--complete with food, drink, and candles!  I came across this quote that I thought was so fitting for this season.  The author said, "Remember also that for Christians, this is the birthday party of all birthday parties, one that should spin us into a different place, not simply into exhaustion: 'Christmas is a time for enormous celebration, but also a time for pondering, for reverence, for awe at our sheer good fortune that God sent his only child into our midst.'”^[3]

         If we look at Scripture, we get 4 different views of Christmas.  Luke, the one most commonly read for Christmas, presents Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem with nowhere to stay and thus they end up in a barn with the animal's manger for a crib for the new baby.  Shepherds and Angels appear and sing God's praise over the birth of this special child. We see how God's love came in the unlikely places and was presented to the poor, meek, and lowly. If we look at Matthew, we see no manger, no shepherds, no chorus of angels.  Instead we hear of an undocumented number of wise men and three gifts brought to a home where the holy family is now living.  God's love in Matthew is for everyone, even those from distant lands.  Mark, on the other hand, skips the event entirely, and instead rushing ahead to tell of the adult Jesus.  God's love is powerful and immediate.  And then we have today's reading from John that uses metaphors and philosophy to describe the incarnation of God.  God's love in the logos, the Word, has been present since the beginning.  Often we hear the story of Christmas with all of these stories lumped together into an indistinguishable tangle of shepherds and wise men arriving together at the manger.  In many ways there isn't real harm in combining the stories, as they do help us see a fuller picture of Jesus' birth from various viewpoints.  But I do find it interesting to look at them individually.  Today's Scripture reading let's us focus on John's version of Christmas, though it noticeably leaves out the birth all together.  John focuses more on the incarnation and how God has come into the world to bring love through life and light.  For John, it's ultimately about God's love for the world as we hear later in Chapter 3. "16For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:16-17, NRSV) The Gospel of John calls us to look for the love of God in the world and to celebrate that love whenever and wherever we see it.

         Though love is the focus of Christmas, it's sometimes hard to focus on that love.  I ran across a list the other day about the Top 10 Things WRONG with Christmas.  With all of the craziness associated with the holiday and my frustration at CVS about the holiday already having come and gone, I could resonate with many of these. I have also heard many of you naming these things.  Here's the list.  Do any of these things sound familiar?
TOP 10 THINGS WRONG WITH CHRISTMAS [4]

10. A loss of the sense of the miraculous

9. Not enough peace and joy

8. Feeling like you have to give something or you’re a bad person

7. Credit card bills through next Christmas

6. Insane travel schedules

5. Conflicts with the family

4. Feeling alone or alienated

3. Having to decorate to keep up with the neighbors

2. Hours spent searching for the present for kids or grandkids (etc.)

1. Feeling disappointed—again—by the season

         During the Congregational Lovefeast last Sunday evening, I told a story about a man who, though tired from Christmas Eve's craziness, went to feed his neighbor's sheep.  He paused for a moment, during his actions, when he realized that he was in the manger where it all started. He was standing by the manger on Christmas Eve.  I invited everyone to pause sometime during the holiday to reflect on the meaning of Christmas.  So on Christmas day, I took a few minutes to pause and reflecte.  With nods to David Letterman and Rogers and Hammerstein, I've written my own "Top 10 Favorite Things About Christmas" to help me name where I celebrate love during Christmas.  Before I read my own, I invite you to pause for a minute, take out a pencil or pen, and jot down a few of your own Favorite Things where you Celebrate love this Christmas.  [I invite you to include your list in the comments section of this blog.  See "Comments" below!]
         There are no right or wrong answers here.  Each of our lists will look different.  Having said that, here's my own list.

My Top 10 Favorite Things About Christmas

10. Receiving Christmas Cards and photos from family and friends

9. Phone Calls to hear "Merry Christmas" from a distance, especially when you can't be together on Christmas Day

8. Hearing "Morning Star" and remembering back 20 years to when I was the soloist up front.

7. Spending time with loved ones laughing around the dinner table.

6. Watching the Dieners and Choirs' faces as the lovefeast is served

5. The sight of spam, squirty cheese, beef jerky, and other treats inside my Lovefeast bun.

4. Eating together as a church family during the Workers Potluck.

3. The smiles on the faces of the children when it was FINALLY time to put Baby Jesus in the Manger.

2. The smells of beeswax and coffee and the sight of the candles raised in the air at the end of Lovefeast.

1. The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. (John 1:14) [This is how The Message translates the verse, and it's my favorite translation.] 

         At Christmas we celebrate the Love of God that has now taken on human form in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Because God loves us, we can love one another.  And I believe that the more we look for examples of God's love, we find them, even in the unexpected places.  By now many of you know about the ongoing gift that the dieners bestow on the pastors in their Christmas Eve Lovefeast Buns.  If you haven't seen the pictures, I've posted them on my blog and they are worth checking out.[5]  This year at the 7:30pm Lovefeast, our Bun came complete with icing that said, "Love You" in the form of a heart and the letter "U".  Thought it was meant as a good-hearted joke, I laughed and then took it much more symbolically.  God loves me, and sent his son for me.  God sent Jesus for each and every person that was celebrating lovefeast that evening together.  God sent Jesus for each of us.  This bun spoke volumes to me about how God's love spread out from that first Christmas to share that love with each other.  God moved into our neighborhood here on Ridge Road, and we saw it tangibly in the celebration of love that took place.  As the candles spread the light and none were diminished by the sharing, so is God's love spread by the sharing and is not diminished.  It began tangibly in Christ's birth through the incarnation, and continues to spread.  May we continue to Celebrate Love throughout these 12 days of Christmas, and proclaim through buns and candles, through cards and hugs, through all the ways God can speak through us, that God's love has moved into the neighborhood.  Amen.

---

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZw06AbW6Vw

[2] Michael Bennett, "Pastoral Perspective of John 1:1-14" in Feasting on the Word, Volume 2, Number 1 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009) 140.

[3] [Bill McKibben, Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a More Joyful Christmas (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998) 68-69] quoted in Greg Garrett, Reclaiming Christmas: Seeking an Alternative from (www.thethoughtfulchristian.org, 2007) 2.

[4] Greg Garrett, Reclaiming Christmas: Seeking an Alternative from (www.thethoughtfulchristian.org, 2007) 2.

[5] livingonemmausave.blogspot.com (Post for "RMC Christmas 2009: Part 2" dated 12/26/09.)

Christmas Eve at RMC 2009--Part 2

Hi Everyone,
so I have finally had a chance to download my photos.  Unfortunately I don't have any during the service, since I was sitting up front.  I'm counting on David Chervany's photos and look forward to seeing them.  (Here's a link to David's Facebook photos!!  Check them out! http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=47474&id=1257733985)

During the Children's Lovefeast at 2:30pm we did have a photographer from the Raleigh News & Observer come and take lots of photos.  They are included in the gallery on their web (photos 19-30).  Check them out here: http://www.newsobserver.com/galleries/gallery/256173.html

RMC's Moravian Youth Fellowship presented their live nativity again on Christmas Eve before the Children's Lovefeast.  It was great to see all of them living out the reason for the season! Check out the slideshow:

There is a (no-longer secret) ongoing joke at Raleigh Moravian where the Dieners (Servers) make special lovefeast buns for the pastors that include various and assorted fillings and decorations.  I posted last year's pictures in an earlier blog.  Well...here are the long-awated photos from this Christmas Eve!  Thank you for the great laughs, and the special additions to my Lovefeast experience! (And see my next post of the 12/27 sermon for more info too!)

During the 2:30pm Children's Lovefeast, the Dieners gave to me:
A squirty cheese and whipped cream-filled bun.  (It harkens back to last Saturday night's MYF Christmas Party and the fun that was had by many there with squirty cheese and whipped cream.)

For an insiders view:

I actually ate this one after the photos were taken.  It was surprisingly good--cheesey with a hint of sweetness!

For the 5pm Lovefeast, Craig and I both received this lovely creation:

I mistakenly looked at it from behind, and missed that smiling (Shrek-ogrey) face.  Instead I thought it looked like this:

Strange, indeed!

(Ingredients list: 1 slice of Spam, Marshmallow ears, gummy Life Saver candy nose, Vienna Sausage eyes, and Squirty Cheese mouth and eyebrows) [On a side note, I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not--now everytime I smell Spam, I think "Christmas Eve"!  Thanks for the gift 2 years in a row!]

Not to be outdone, the 7:30pm Lovefeast took the cake!  The dieners said it was "dessert" after our Worker's Potluck that was held between the 5 and 7:30 Lovefeasts for everyone that's there helping.

[The worker's potluck is my favorite part of Christmas Eve--I love the spirit of joy and merriment that is in the air.  I also believe it's much closer to the idea of the Agape Lovefeast, since we are all there worshiping and don't want to leave to go home to eat.  Instead we bring food in and eat together as the family of God!--just my $.02]

[Ingredients list: Hamburger Buns, Gummy Life Saver eyes, Beef Jerky hair, sweet tart teeth, marshmallow ears, whipped cream and red hots smile, and Icing eye brows and writing]

[The book says "Celebrating the Spirit of Christmas" which we certainly did, thanks to these lovely gifts of love from our dieners!]

Merry Christmas from Raleigh Moravian Church! ~Pastors Craig and Suzanne

Christmas Eve at RMC 2009

Yesterday was a whirlwind of cider, buns, coffee, candles, and true joy and merriment!  My second Christmas at RMC was even better than last year.  I'll write more soon, including the photos of my decorated buns from all 3 lovefeasts!
Check out the Raleigh News and Observer's photos from our 2:30pm Children's Lovefeast.  http://www.newsobserver.com/galleries/gallery/256173.html We made photos 19-30 in the list.

Thanks again to everyone who helped--diening, making coffee, making candles, ushering, making/folding bulletins, keeping the nursery, reading, playing firefighter (aka blanket holders), etc.  I can't begin to list all the people involved, but I appreciate all of your hard work!

May everyone have a wonderful Christmas and have a moment today to pause and reflect on the true meaning of today--God became flesh and moved into the neighborhood (John 1:14, MSG).

Christmas at RMC 2008

The post below is what I wrote last year for my other blog.  With Christmas Eve tomorrow, I thought it was fitting to relive my first Christmas at RMC!  Enjoy!

This was my first Christmas serving at Raleigh Moravian Church. So I thought a few images from Christmas Eve would be fun to include in our blog. We have a congregational Lovefeast the Sunday before Christmas that I presided over. Then we have 3 lovefeasts on Christmas Eve. 2:30 is for families and children and is geared to the children--they do a skit to tell the Christmas Story (Steve made his directing debut this year with the skit and it went very well), sing some kid friendly songs like "Jesus Loves Me" and "This Little Light of Mine." They even include stand up and wiggle breaks to help the kids maintain attention throughout the service. They still get buns and candles, and substitute cider for the coffee. We also added baby Jesus to the manger/putz/nativity/creche that we had been building each week. The other two lovefeasts are at 5pm and 7:30pm and are more traditional.

Here are some images from Christmas:The Latin reads: Our Lamb Has Conquered, Let Us Follow Him. This is one of the decorations on the narthex (Sanctuary entrance area) Christmas Tree.

Even the chandeliers get decked out for the holidays!

This is the Christmas tree in the narthex of the church. It is decorated with stars, candles, and Schierenschitte (German paper cutting).

The youth serve as dieners (servers) for the Children's lovefeast. The candle portion of the service is so beautiful!

During the singing of the last song, the congregation is invited to raise their candles in the air, which is the most beautiful part of the service in my opinion. It takes my breath away every time I see it!

This is the front of the sanctuary with the star, candles and Southern magnolia greenery.

This is our advent wreath signaling the 4th Sunday of Advent--Christmas is here!!



The dieners love giving the pastors a treat on Christmas Eve for the lovefeast. It's tradition. Here is my Lovefeast bun from the 5pm service--sliced and filled with peanut butter, then decorated with marshmallow eyes and smile. I commented afterwards that it was actually really good with peanut butter but the marshmallows made me long for hot chocolate...






So at the 7:30pm Lovefeast, the dieneres (cough--specifically Dee Ann--but I don't want to name names) thought that SPAM would be a good addition to the Lovefeast buns. So here is my eyes wide open, smiling at me SPAM bun. They took my suggestion of Hot Chocolate seriously, so I had Hot Chocolate instead of Coffee. I can't recommend the SPAM, but the Hot Chocolate was YUMMY! I can't wait to see what the next Lovefeast brings...

Congregational Lovefeast "Candle Talk" 2009

This is my short "Candle Talk" from the 2009 Congregational Christmas Eve Lovefeast at Raleigh Moravian Church.  It was held on Sunday, Dec. 20th at 7pm.  The Scripture text was: Luke 2:1-20.

So the story goes...The night was much like tonight--cold and dark--it was Christmas Eve.[1]  The children were in bed fast asleep from a long day of waiting for Christmas to finally come.  The father and mother were tired from all the preparations and work that had gone into getting ready for Christmas. The presents were finally wrapped and under the tree.  The dinner dishes were done, the lights and stockings were hung, and the dreaded words of parents-- "Some Assembly Required" --had been conquered.  Bedtime was finally here.

Just as he was taking off his slippers and getting ready for bed, the father remembered he had promised the neighbors on the farm next door he would feed their sheep tonight.  He'd almost forgotten with all the hustle and bustle of the day.  But it was cold and the animals needed to be fed.  So he put on coat and boots, and took off into the cold.  A small lantern lit his way as he trekked down to the sheep's pen.

The lantern reflected off the fresh coat of snow that had fallen that evening.  He arrived at the barn and found the sheep in the pen.  He found the switch and turned on the light.  Combined with the full moon and the lone bulb hanging from the ceiling, he could see despite the darkness.  As he entered the pen, the sheep stood in the corner watching the stranger's every move.  He got down the bales of hay and opened them up in the trough for the sheep to reach easily.  They stirred from their corner, eagerly welcoming the gift the father brought. 

Finally the father was done and it was time to return to the warmth of his home.  "He [reached] up to turn off the bulb, and suddenly [realized] where he was.  The winter darkness.  The glimmer of light.  The smell of hay and the sound of the animals eating.  Where he [was], of course, [was] the manger."[2]  He almost missed the significance.  So instead of rushing home, he paused for a moment to remember the humble beginnings of the Light of the World. Then he headed back home with the lantern lighting his way.  The light perhaps seemed just a bit brighter against the darkness.  The cold perhaps seemed a little less cold. 

"While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn."[3] "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood."[4] 

As a reminder to us that we celebrate the Light of the World that has come and entered our world, we each receive a candle tonight. We invite you to raise your candles on the last verse of our last song ("Christ the Lord, the Lord most glorious") to signify that Christ does indeed shine brightly in our world.  We also invite you to take your candles home as a reminder of the Christ Child, the Light of the World, has moved into our neighborhood yet again this Christmas.  My prayer is that we may each have a few moments this Christmas to pause and notice where God is present in our world and how we can celebrate the light even in the mundane and ordinary places of our lives. And then whenever you see the candle throughout the year, it will remind you to pause, despite how tired you are, and give thanks for the Light of the World that shines in our lives, just as the father did in the manger.  May the light shine just a bit brighter for us this year as we remember anew the birth of the Light of the World.  Amen.

---

[1] Adapted from Frederick Buechner's story in "Christmas" from Whistling In The Dark: A Doubters Dictionary (NY: HarperSanFrancisco, 1988) 29-30.

[2] Frederick Buechner, "Christmas" from Whistling In The Dark: A Doubters Dictionary (NY: HarperSanFrancisco, 1988) 30.

[3] Luke 2:6-7.  NRSV.

[4] John 1:14.  The Message.

"It is Blessed to Give AND Receive" (Christmas Eve Congregational Lovefeast Message 2008)

"It is Blessed to Give AND Receive"
Christmas Eve Congregational Lovefeast
Sermon from December 21, 2008 7:00pm
Year B Luke 2:1-20

It's better to give THAN to receive. This phrase is often heard a lot during this time of year:
--Stores use it to entice us to spend money and remember the ones we love with gifts.
--Charities use it to remind us that there are people around us that have less and need more than we do.
--Agencies, charities, and groups use it to propel us to give to their causes and organizations.
--Churches use it to prompt us to participate in God's mission and ministry in the world.
And it is true that giving is important--no doubt. Many of these places would not exist without our giving and their receiving.

Giving is important---God GAVE us Jesus on that long ago Christmas night as a bewildered mom and baffled dad welcomed a most unexpected baby into the world. God GIVES us Jesus again each year as we celebrate his birth anew as a reminder of this most beautiful gift to the world. The magi GAVE gold, frankincense, and mirth to the tiny baby they sought in love. We GIVE gifts to our family, friends, and even sometimes strangers that we seek to love.

But with this gift from God of Emmanuel--God with us--coming into the world, is it still true that it is BETTER to GIVE THAN to RECEIVE? When we GIVE, there has to be a receiver or it's not a gift. Maybe this phrases "It's better to give than to receive" is heard so often, is because it is more difficult to receive. I personally enjoy giving gifts more than receiving. Giving gifts is one of the best ways I find to love people--it's my love language. It's much harder for me to receive gifts, especially without the feelings of guilt or the need to return the favor. Maybe some of you can relate.

I was reading my advent devotional the other day and something really struck me that I would like to share that has affected the way I understand this whole idea of giving and receiving. Bishop Will Willimon, the former Dean of Duke Chapel, said, "The Christmas story--the one according to Luke not Dickens--is not about how blessed it is to be givers but about how essential it is for us to see ourselves as receivers." [William Willimon, "The God We Hardly Knew" in Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2004) 144] Willimon goes on to say, "The Christmas story implies that what God wants to do for us is so strange, so beyond the bounds of human effort and striving, that God must resort to utterly unnatural, supernatural means. It tells of an unimaginable gift from a stranger, a God whom we hardly even knew. This strange story tells us how to be receivers. The first words of the church, a people born out of so odd a nativity, is that we are receivers before we are givers. Discipleship teaches us the art of seeing our lives as gifts." [Willimon, "The God We Hardly Knew," 146-147]

Maybe the phrase "It's BETTER to GIVE THAN to RECEIVE" should be stated a bit differently. Maybe hearing the Christmas Story and living into the Christmas story compels us to stop and say, "It's blessed to give AND receive." Receive God's gift to us in a baby--Emmanuel--God with us. Receive God's love and grace. Receive the Light of the World. --Without guilt--Without the NEED to give something in return--Just RECEIVE.

As we are receiving our candles this evening and --in a minute -- as we receive the light of Christ that is passed among us from the Advent wreath, may we be reminded this Christmas season that it is blessed to give AND receive. As we sing our closing hymn "Christ the Lord" in a bit, I invite you to raise your candle in the air on the last verse as a sign and symbol of the gift we are all given this night--Jesus, the Light of the World. I also invite you to take your candles home and place it somewhere to let it DAILY remind you of the gift we receive this day and everyday--the gift of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior--Emmanuel--God with us. It is blessed to give and receive. Receive God's gift to us this day and every day. Amen.

"Waiting" from Meredith College Moravian Lovefeast, 12/2/08

"Waiting"
Meredith College Moravian Lovefeast
December 2, 2008
Luke 1:26-56;
Luke 2:1-20

Thank you for inviting me to share with you tonight. I'm excited to be back on Campus sharing in this annual tradition. Being an Angel, A Meredith Angel, myself, I thought it might be interesting tonight to briefly look at the passage that takes place just before the likely familiar Christmas Story we heard this evening. It is sometimes called the Annunciation, and is where Mary encounters the angel. These are excerpts from the story found in the first chapter of Luke:

"26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

They talk and then we hear the angel say:
"36And 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. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Then 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.

39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

56And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home."

Mary, upon hearing this god-news, this good news from the angel, has a lot of waiting to do for it to fully come to fruition in the birth of Jesus, so she takes off to see her relative Elizabeth. These two pregnant ladies spend their time waiting for the births together. They are actively waiting--in the present moment and fully tuned in to what is going on. [Henri Nouwen in "Waiting for God" from Watch for the Light: Reading for Advent and Christmas (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2001) 31]

One of my favorite authors, Henri Nouwen, describes this scene we heard when he says, "I find the meeting of these two women very moving because Elizabeth and Mary came together and enabled each other to wait.... they created space for each other to wait. They affirmed for each other that something was happening that was worth waiting for." [Nouwen in "Waiting for God" from Watch for the Light, 35.]

Isn't that what we are doing here tonight? We are here in community, sharing a meal and singing, listening together and waiting. Waiting for the candles to be brought out. Waiting for Christmas to arrive. Waiting for Christ Jesus to be born again like last year. Waiting for news of where God is going to act next in our world and how we can be a part of it. Elizabeth and Mary were in community together helping each other prepare for something unexpected and wonderful. They lifted one another up and reminded each other that waiting is worth the effort. Patience is important. Hope and the promises of God are easier to wait for when we do it together.

The early Moravians gathered together in hope and promise in the first lovefeasts as they waited to see where God was acting in their world and how they could be a part of it. They were so excited by their being filled with the Holy Spirit that they could not help but stay together and share the excitement in that present moment. I can image them saying, "Bring in the food, cause there's something big going on and we're waiting together." The young children who received the first candles at a Christmas Eve lovefeast years later saw their patience and hope come to fruition in the valuable gift of their own candle. Candles in the 1700s were valuable and important gifts. Now they too could see in the dark and have the light to carry to their homes on Christmas Eve reminding them of the light of Christ that enters the world on Christmas again and again.

We gather here tonight waiting. Waiting for Exams to be over and have time to rest. Waiting for the chance to see family and friends that we are separated from during the semester. Waiting for food and laughter shared over the table and around fireplaces on Christmas Eve. Waiting for a baby to be born anew. Waiting for God to burst forth into our world--Emmanuel--"God with us" to teach us how to love one another.
Are we hopeful?
Are we patient?
Are we holding on to God's promise that Jesus is on his way?
Are we ready?

Let us wait together, be attentive, and live expectantly. Amen.

"Risky Business" (11/16/08, Proper 28A/Pentecost +27)

"Risky Business"
Proper 28A (Pentecost +27A)
Sermon from 11-16-08
Matthew 25:14-30; Psalm 90:1-8, 12


Please join me in praying the prayer Jesus taught us to pray: The Lord's Prayer (found on page 4 in the Blue Book of Worship if you need to read along).

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, power and glory forever and ever. Amen."


This week sitting in my office was risky as I was tempted, oh SO tempted by the smells wafting through the hallway-it was RISKY being in the building with hundreds of pans of fresh-baked sugar cake. It was sugar-cake-baking-week here and BOY DID IT SMELL GOOD. All those ooey, gooey pans of dough, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter--what's not to LOVE! I walked through the fellowship hall once or twice and it was all I could do to resist snatching a fresh baked, still-hot-from-the-oven sugar cake square.

Our scripture passage this morning from Matthew's Gospel is often referred to as the Parable of the Talents. I would guess it is difficult passage to understand for most of us, and there are so many different parts to examine and look at to try to interpret what Jesus is saying here. I often find it helpful to look at other translations to gain insight and would like to share another version of this story with you from The Message. Eugene Peterson, the translator, entitles it "A Story about Investment". We pick up the story when the master meets back with the third servant in verse 24.

24-25"The servant given one said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'

26-27"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.

28-30"'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'

Strong words for sure--Living safe, cautious lives is a "terrible way to live." There are so many different angles we can take with this story--this parable--this fable to teach us a lesson that is important for us to learn. These statements about not living cautiously are what really jumped out at me this week. To follow Jesus means not living cautiously--Christianity is risky business.

The three servants were given talents from the master. Then the master left. A talent in those days was an amount of money. One talent was equal to the money a day laborer would earn after working 15-20 years. ONE TALENT took 15-20 years to earn--that's a huge amount of money--about a half million dollars or more in today's terms. And it's interesting that our contemporary word talent as a gift or ability comes from this parable. As I looked at this story over, I kept wondering what was the difference in the master's reaction to the first two servants and the third servant. In order for the two servants to double their money, they must have done something where that money was used and thus its value doubled. This gain could not have come without risk. The servants likely doubled their money with wise investments, not foolish wagering.

Steve and I were watching TV the other evening when the silly game show "Cash Cab" came on the Discovery Channel. The contestants answered trivia questions while riding in a cab through New York City, and at the end of their trip they had a video bonus question where they risked their whole winnings in order to have a chance to answer the final question. IF they got it right, their money doubled. If they got it wrong, they lost everything. I'm not sure how Jesus would feel about comparing the parable to a TV game show, but the contestants did remind me of the servants. Two of the groups risked everything and ended up doubling their money. One group decided that what they had won was enough and did not risk what they had been given. Double or nothing is high stakes, but the winners felt that risky business was worth it. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether you think game show investing is really a good risk or not.

This Parable of the Talents is sometimes referred to as a "kingdom parable" because it is dealing with the way we are to live in this world in order to help bring about God's kingdom here on earth. Christians, I believe, are called to be kingdom-workers in our world. We are to be agents of change to make our world a better place for everyone--"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done." Jesus empowers his disciples in the church to do his work here, and His work often involves risk. I might even venture to say it always involves risk. How many of you thought it was risky to show up here this morning? Who thinks it is risky to be a Christian or walk through the doors of the church? In some parts of the world, showing up for church and being Christian is more risky, literally, than it is here today because of persecutions of Christians, burning of church buildings, or having to worship underground to survive.

But there is risk here too. We are called to be in relationship with one another. Relationships are tough sometimes--friendships are tough sometimes--families sometimes DO NOT make life easier. When we open ourselves up to be vulnerable with one another in community, there is always the risk of being hurt or rejected. We are called to care, share, and love... befriend the friend-less, lift-up the hope-less, and love the unlovable. None of these activities is easy, and none comes without risk: risking ourselves, our talents, our gifts, and our money to make the world more like a little piece of heaven here on earth.

Even from our earliest days, we must risk to survive. We watch children striving to walk, knowing that they will learn some day, and watch them risk one step then the next, finally letting go of our hands and seeing their risk pay off. Risks are part of life, and are certainly part of life in the church. Ralph Winter, a researcher, said, "Risks are not to be evaluated by the probability of success, but by the value of the goal." ["Risk" in McHenry's Quips, Quotes, & Other Notes, compiled by Raymond McHenry (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishing, 1998) 215.] Our goal, as I see it, is to create a culture of stewardship where everyone is willing to risk whatever it takes to accomplish the mission and ministry that God has called Raleigh Moravian to do.

It may be very hard to hear about risks right now for most of us. Having just come through a fierce election season with much fear-based advertising, many of us are probably still weary. Turning on the news is almost sure to cause some anxiety. With the state of the economy where it is right now and knowing that so many have lost so much in the stock market, or wherever else, risk might be the farthest thing on your mind. You would rather play it safe, because risk seems too risky. We know from the parable that the fear of failure or loss was the thing that caused the third servant to bury his money in the ground. He was paralyzed with fear. The risk was too great, he thought, and wasn't worth it. Sometimes the risk isn't worth it. I believe many of us would agree that there are good risks and not-so-good risks and our lists might differ. It is important in any situation like we are in today to evaluate what is worth the risk while looking at the greater picture of God's kingdom.

What is worth taking a risk? What is the goal? Why do we put ourselves out on a limb? Is it because Jesus promises that the reward is great--to hear "Well done, Good and trustworthy servant." To know that there will be reward thought we might not see it in this life--to risk is tough, but it is the only thing we can do. The call of Jesus to risk it all was followed by his example of his own life. He suffered death on the cross for the risks he took, and he knew that going in. His reward was eternal, and our reward is the same.

As a child on Thursday evenings I was allowed to watch The Cosby Show. Cliff Huxtable, aka Bill Cosby, was notorious for sneaking frosting, slices of cake, potato chips, or whatever he could while the family wasn't watching. I almost felt like Cliff this past week with all the sugar cakes sitting on the counters. In a very small way, Cliff Huxtable risked when he took a piece of cake from whatever goodie was on the counter. The Cosby show was good and won numerous awards over the 8 seasons it ran from 1984-1992. Looking back on the successful show today, I doubt any of us would understand the risk that was involved in NBC deciding to air the show back in 1984. The network ABC rejected The Cosby Show before NBC finally decided to air it. In a bigger way, NBC took a risk and reaped much benefit from airing the show that had been previously rejected. They went out on a limb, so to speak, and were glad they did. How can we go out on a limb for God?

It is my hope that we can all support one another to be risk-takers. It is not always the easy road. There can be difficulties along the way. But I believe we can start small and take the baby steps together to learn to walk without holding on to the furniture.
So what are you willing to do?
Which type of servant are you?
Are we willing to be risk-takers together?
What might that look like here at Raleigh Moravian?

The risks differ for everyone, just as our comfort zones differ. They can involve our time, talents, and treasures.

For some people, risk might mean joining the band or choir or singing a solo of Morning Star for Christmas Eve lovefeast.

Risk might be joining the youth at the homeless shelter one Sunday morning to hand out clothing and sing with them.

Or risk might mean going on a mission trip for the first time this spring or summer. For those who have gone to Mississippi or Laurel Ridge, risk might mean taking another trip this year to serve in a different capacity.

For others risk might mean inviting a visitor to lunch after church or a church member you barely know over to dinner one evening.

Risk might include inviting a friend from school to come to MYF one week or asking that neighbor you see across the fence to the Candle Tea on December 6th or congregational lovefeast on December 21st as an introduction to Raleigh Moravian.

Still others might see a risk as increasing their pledge to the church this year despite the looming economy, or pledging for the first time to help out the ministry and mission of the church in the world.

And still others might think about risk in terms of participating in a small bible study or prayer group as we look to forming those in the near future.

As one of my favorite authors, Shane Claiborne, writes in The Irresistible Revolution, quoting his college professor, "'Being a Christian is about choosing Jesus and deciding to do something incredibly daring with your life.' [Shane says,] I decided to take him up on that challenge." (The Irresistible Revolution, page 18) Are you up to the challenge? After all, it's Risky Business. Let's go do something daring together! Amen.

Please pray with me:
Lord, help us to daily choose You and risk wisely to help bring about your kingdom here on earth. Amen. So be it.