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First Congregational Church
December 26, 2021 First Sunday of Christmas Psalm 148 “It’s Amazing We Can Hear Anything” Rev. Dinah Haag, preaching A little girl was fascinated by a nativity scene set up in her church. Asked by her mother, she was able to identify Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the animals in the stable. “And what’s that?” her mother asked, pointing to the manger. “Oh, that’s Baby Jesus’ car seat, Mommy!” the little girl said, proudly. A grandmother took her five-year- old grandson Christmas shopping. They found a nativity set, brought it home, and set it out. “Look at that, grandma!” the little boy said. “Baby Genius in the manger!” Last year an idea began forming about using a theme of the nativity at some point in the future. A conversation about Betty Webb’s nativity collection reinforced the idea “somewhere out there.” After the Worship Committee narrowed the selection to two sets, there was still no clear direction on how this idea would pan out. In a moment of truly divine inspiration, the path to replacing Advent lighting candles with the assembly of nativity characters was born. In one person’s mind, the theme would conclude with the Christmas Eve service when Baby Genius was added. The nativity sticker sets for the children would tie the bow on the package and that would be that. By the time it came to looking at the scripture passage for this morning, it was discovered that the gospel passage was Luke 2, the boy Jesus at the Temple. In just two days, we would have skipped from the beautiful tranquility of Christmas Eve to Jesus’ pre-teen independence when he stayed behind in Jerusalem after the Passover to be in the temple, while his parents were returning home. That passage just didn’t seem to be the right piece. Then there was the epistle, or letter, passage for today, from Colossians 3, the one that sounds quite like Philippians 4, espousing all the good virtues of belonging to Christ. There’s never a lack of material in either of those passages, but for whatever reason, Psalm 148 seemed to need checking, and bazinga, as Shelton from Big Bang Theory would say. Taking a closer look at the stars, angels, swaddling cloths, all of the parts of the nativity story over the weeks of Advent - at least in this heart - has caused those parts to became more energized, personified and maybe even alive in the joy of the birth of the prophesied savior. This psalm would be a great fit in the puzzle of our morning worship. Interesting, this Psalm, number 148 of 150, this song that has no referrence to the mercy, pity or compassion of God, no reference to evil. Beginning and ending with praise, this psalm is the only place in the Bible where it specifically says that the sun, moon and stars exalt in praise to God. And just a little fyi, the horn mentioned near the end here is not like the horn from the Conan the Destroyer movie. It’s a symbol of strength. So without any further ado…. Psalm 148 1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, 6 and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and women, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. 14 And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. The confirmation of using this passage for today came from the phrase in verse 4 - the part about the “waters above the skies.” In 2018, scientists discovered water - a subglacial lake - under the polar ice cap of Mars, about a mile and a half down, roughly 12 miles long. Not a lot of hoopla about that, that I can recall, probably because the media was more interested in politics than science at that moment. But just nine days ago, Ben Turner, from livescience.com, published a story about a giant reservoir of ‘hidden water’ on Mars, likely ice, but still significant as it’s about twice the size of Massachusetts, and even that ice cube is to praise God. I had to smile at Scott Hoezee’s comment about this psalm. The author/pastor/director of Calvin Theological Seminary said, “I suppose one thing we could say is that on the final Sunday of the year, it is fitting to conclude with a psalm that resembles a well-shook bottle of champagne: when the cork flies off this poem, there is some serious praising going on in an effervescent explosion that involves nothing short of the whole creation! Hoezee pointed out that for the most part, this psalm is taken as a metaphor. We don’t really expect the sun and moon and water above the skies to praise God. Except there is no real difference in the description between how the people of the psalm are to praise God and how the non-human elements are to praise God. Hoezee had an interesting idea that he calls “The Ecology of Praise” or “Theology of Delight” which is that when “creatures and things just fulfill their original purpose, God gets a boost. In one last mention of Mr. Hoezee this morning, he said, “Praise is our common vocation. And not just our common human vocation but our shared calling with all the other things and beings and critters with whom we share this universe. Far from a metaphor not to be taken too seriously, Psalm 148’s call for all things and creatures to praise God reveals the deepest core of created reality. We came from a loving and exuberant Creator God, we are made for this Creator God, and we will all together find our truest identity in fulfilling that call. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” I get that it can be tough to give God praise sometimes. Our attention diverts with the elements of regular life: remembering the list for the grocery store before leaving the house, worrying about the call-back from the last medical test, who will win the Super Bowl, important things like that. In all seriousness, it seems rather human to be angry with God in some circumstances, which is a tough way to give God praise. But I think doing just that helps us get through those tough moments. And giving God praise shapes the way we see the world. A young boy approached his slightly older sister with a question about God. "Susie, can anybody ever really see God?" "Of course not, silly," came the response. "God is so far up in heaven that no one can see God." Some time later the boy approached his mother with the same nagging question, "Mom, can anybody really see God?" More gently his mother answered, "No, not really. God is a spirit and dwells in our hearts, but we can never really see God." His mother's answer was somewhat more satisfying, but still the boy wondered. Not long afterwards, the boy's grandfather took him on a fishing trip, and the two had a great day together. As the day was winding down, the sun began to set with unusual splendor. The grandfather was enrapt by the beauty, and the grandson was aware of a deep peace and contentment etched upon his grandpa's face. "Granddad," the boy began, a bit hesitatingly. "I wasn't going to ask anyone else, but I wonder if you can tell me the answer to something I've been wondering about a long time. Can anybody ever really see God?" The grandfather sat in thought for a few moments, then said simply, "Grandson, it's getting so I can't see anything else.” That story got me to thinking that if most of creation - the non-human parts of creation - are praising God in doing that which they were intended to do, it’s quite amazing that we can hear anything else. We got our own real life version of that just a couple weeks ago, when the wind was roaring across the big lake. We can also catch the praise of things that go creepy crawly on the ground in the early spring or later fall, when the weather is just right and the ground is still covered with leaves, whether it be worms or mice or other sorts of varmints. Even the snow gives God praise if your hearing is good. And how appropriate, this last Sunday of the year, to direct our attention to praising God. Equally so as we stand on the threshold of a new year and the call is a good one as a New Year’s resolution - to be more aware of the praise of God - yours, mine, our’s, everthing’s. If you think about it, if you are praising God, you are more apt to turn off the sound of defeat, discouragement and distain. If we glory in God, even when we feel crappy or sick and tired, we are more likely to receive the benefit of increased dopamine and seratonin, allowing us to make better decisions, including some behaviors and vulnerability to addictive disorders. Such praise can also allow us to make the important distinction in worshipping the Creator and not the creation. We are called to many things - caring for ourselves, family and others, being stewards of the earth, being wise and learning all that is beneficial. If plants and animals and the whole of creation is called to praise God, then our calling to do that very same thing may not seem like such a big deal. Except that it is. Doing what we were meant to do, praising the God of our creation, is a holy and sacred calling that deserves our best attention. Let su pay that attention to the One who created us as we pray to that same One. Holy God of all creation, we praise you being you, creating a mind-boggling and gargantuan world, and through all that creation, exalting love above all of it. We know that not every moment of our lives can be completely present in thoughts of you and praise of you. But we ask that you make us more cognizant of those times when we might be able to do more in praise of you, more in prayer with you, more in living fully as the people you have always seen us to be. Enable us to do what you created us to be, that our living is not merely praise of you but inspiration for others to join such living. With more than our usual Amen, all your people energetically say, Amen First Congregational Church
December 26, 2021 First Sunday of Christmas Psalm 148 “It’s Amazing We Can Hear Anything” Rev. Dinah Haag, preaching A little girl was fascinated by a nativity scene set up in her church. Asked by her mother, she was able to identify Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the animals in the stable. “And what’s that?” her mother asked, pointing to the manger. “Oh, that’s Baby Jesus’ car seat, Mommy!” the little girl said, proudly. A grandmother took her five-year- old grandson Christmas shopping. They found a nativity set, brought it home, and set it out. “Look at that, grandma!” the little boy said. “Baby Genius in the manger!” Last year an idea began forming about using a theme of the nativity at some point in the future. A conversation about Betty Webb’s nativity collection reinforced the idea “somewhere out there.” After the Worship Committee narrowed the selection to two sets, there was still no clear direction on how this idea would pan out. In a moment of truly divine inspiration, the path to replacing Advent lighting candles with the assembly of nativity characters was born. In one person’s mind, the theme would conclude with the Christmas Eve service when Baby Genius was added. The nativity sticker sets for the children would tie the bow on the package and that would be that. By the time it came to looking at the scripture passage for this morning, it was discovered that the gospel passage was Luke 2, the boy Jesus at the Temple. In just two days, we would have skipped from the beautiful tranquility of Christmas Eve to Jesus’ pre-teen independence when he stayed behind in Jerusalem after the Passover to be in the temple, while his parents were returning home. That passage just didn’t seem to be the right piece. Then there was the epistle, or letter, passage for today, from Colossians 3, the one that sounds quite like Philippians 4, espousing all the good virtues of belonging to Christ. There’s never a lack of material in either of those passages, but for whatever reason, Psalm 148 seemed to need checking, and bazinga, as Shelton from Big Bang Theory would say. Taking a closer look at the stars, angels, swaddling cloths, all of the parts of the nativity story over the weeks of Advent - at least in this heart - has caused those parts to became more energized, personified and maybe even alive in the joy of the birth of the prophesied savior. This psalm would be a great fit in the puzzle of our morning worship. Interesting, this Psalm, number 148 of 150, this song that has no referrence to the mercy, pity or compassion of God, no reference to evil. Beginning and ending with praise, this psalm is the only place in the Bible where it specifically says that the sun, moon and stars exalt in praise to God. And just a little fyi, the horn mentioned near the end here is not like the horn from the Conan the Destroyer movie. It’s a symbol of strength. So without any further ado…. Psalm 148 1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, 6 and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and women, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. 14 And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. The confirmation of using this passage for today came from the phrase in verse 4 - the part about the “waters above the skies.” In 2018, scientists discovered water - a subglacial lake - under the polar ice cap of Mars, about a mile and a half down, roughly 12 miles long. Not a lot of hoopla about that, that I can recall, probably because the media was more interested in politics than science at that moment. But just nine days ago, Ben Turner, from livescience.com, published a story about a giant reservoir of ‘hidden water’ on Mars, likely ice, but still significant as it’s about twice the size of Massachusetts, and even that ice cube is to praise God. I had to smile at Scott Hoezee’s comment about this psalm. The author/pastor/director of Calvin Theological Seminary said, “I suppose one thing we could say is that on the final Sunday of the year, it is fitting to conclude with a psalm that resembles a well-shook bottle of champagne: when the cork flies off this poem, there is some serious praising going on in an effervescent explosion that involves nothing short of the whole creation! Hoezee pointed out that for the most part, this psalm is taken as a metaphor. We don’t really expect the sun and moon and water above the skies to praise God. Except there is no real difference in the description between how the people of the psalm are to praise God and how the non-human elements are to praise God. Hoezee had an interesting idea that he calls “The Ecology of Praise” or “Theology of Delight” which is that when “creatures and things just fulfill their original purpose, God gets a boost. In one last mention of Mr. Hoezee this morning, he said, “Praise is our common vocation. And not just our common human vocation but our shared calling with all the other things and beings and critters with whom we share this universe. Far from a metaphor not to be taken too seriously, Psalm 148’s call for all things and creatures to praise God reveals the deepest core of created reality. We came from a loving and exuberant Creator God, we are made for this Creator God, and we will all together find our truest identity in fulfilling that call. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” I get that it can be tough to give God praise sometimes. Our attention diverts with the elements of regular life: remembering the list for the grocery store before leaving the house, worrying about the call-back from the last medical test, who will win the Super Bowl, important things like that. In all seriousness, it seems rather human to be angry with God in some circumstances, which is a tough way to give God praise. But I think doing just that helps us get through those tough moments. And giving God praise shapes the way we see the world. A young boy approached his slightly older sister with a question about God. "Susie, can anybody ever really see God?" "Of course not, silly," came the response. "God is so far up in heaven that no one can see God." Some time later the boy approached his mother with the same nagging question, "Mom, can anybody really see God?" More gently his mother answered, "No, not really. God is a spirit and dwells in our hearts, but we can never really see God." His mother's answer was somewhat more satisfying, but still the boy wondered. Not long afterwards, the boy's grandfather took him on a fishing trip, and the two had a great day together. As the day was winding down, the sun began to set with unusual splendor. The grandfather was enrapt by the beauty, and the grandson was aware of a deep peace and contentment etched upon his grandpa's face. "Granddad," the boy began, a bit hesitatingly. "I wasn't going to ask anyone else, but I wonder if you can tell me the answer to something I've been wondering about a long time. Can anybody ever really see God?" The grandfather sat in thought for a few moments, then said simply, "Grandson, it's getting so I can't see anything else.” That story got me to thinking that if most of creation - the non-human parts of creation - are praising God in doing that which they were intended to do, it’s quite amazing that we can hear anything else. We got our own real life version of that just a couple weeks ago, when the wind was roaring across the big lake. We can also catch the praise of things that go creepy crawly on the ground in the early spring or later fall, when the weather is just right and the ground is still covered with leaves, whether it be worms or mice or other sorts of varmints. Even the snow gives God praise if your hearing is good. And how appropriate, this last Sunday of the year, to direct our attention to praising God. Equally so as we stand on the threshold of a new year and the call is a good one as a New Year’s resolution - to be more aware of the praise of God - yours, mine, our’s, everthing’s. If you think about it, if you are praising God, you are more apt to turn off the sound of defeat, discouragement and distain. If we glory in God, even when we feel crappy or sick and tired, we are more likely to receive the benefit of increased dopamine and seratonin, allowing us to make better decisions, including some behaviors and vulnerability to addictive disorders. Such praise can also allow us to make the important distinction in worshipping the Creator and not the creation. We are called to many things - caring for ourselves, family and others, being stewards of the earth, being wise and learning all that is beneficial. If plants and animals and the whole of creation is called to praise God, then our calling to do that very same thing may not seem like such a big deal. Except that it is. Doing what we were meant to do, praising the God of our creation, is a holy and sacred calling that deserves our best attention. Let su pay that attention to the One who created us as we pray to that same One. Holy God of all creation, we praise you being you, creating a mind-boggling and gargantuan world, and through all that creation, exalting love above all of it. We know that not every moment of our lives can be completely present in thoughts of you and praise of you. But we ask that you make us more cognizant of those times when we might be able to do more in praise of you, more in prayer with you, more in living fully as the people you have always seen us to be. Enable us to do what you created us to be, that our living is not merely praise of you but inspiration for others to join such living. With more than our usual Amen, all your people energetically say, Amen. First Congregational Church
December 12, 2021 Third Sunday in Advent Luke 2:1-20 “Signs, Signs, and More Signs” Rev. Dinah Haag, preaching A particular church congregation was holding their usual Christmas pageant; the children from Sunday School playing the parts. Mary and Joseph were in bathrobes . . . the Shepherds were carrying canes borrowed from grandparents, and Angels were under tinsel halos and white sheets. One particular mother was trying to get an angel costume onto her squirming son, as his sister stood by watching. "Boy!" she said. "Talk about miscasting!” Charlie Brown, Linus, and Lucy are on their way to school. Lucy asks Linus if he has remembered to bring anything for show-and-tell that day. "Yes," Linus answers, "I have a couple of things here to show the class." He then unfolds some papers. "These are copies I've been making of some of the Dead Sea scrolls," he says. Holding them up for Charlie Brown and Lucy to inspect, he continues. "This is a duplicate of the scroll of Isaiah, chapters 38-40. The original was made from 17 pieces of sheep skin and was found in a cave by a Bedouin shepherd.” Pulling out another piece of paper he says, "Here I have made a copy of the earliest known scripture fragment ever found. It's a portion of 1 Samuel 23:9-16. I'll try to explain to the class how these manuscripts have influenced modern scholarship.” Lucy responds, "Very interesting, Linus," and she turns to Charlie Brown, who has a frustrated expression on his face, and asks, "Are you bringing something for show-and-tell, Charlie Brown?” "Well," says a dejected Charlie Brown, "I had a little red fire engine here but I think I'll just forget it." This morning’s scripture passage is a little like that little red fire engine. It’s a rather common section in our day and age, in that Linus has made part of it famous in the Charlie Brown Christmas movie. According to the author of Luke, the shepherds get a moment of fame, the angels less so. Even so, regardless of its familiarity, it is an important passage that we probably underestimate. Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.[c] The Shepherds and the Angels 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[d] 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Thank you, Cooper. In my research for this message, thanks to Lori Wenger of sermons.com, I discovered the great injustice of long forgotten details of the nativity story through the centuries. We don’t know if they were literate, but when the shepherds had the opportunities, they probably went to the Temple to listen to the rabbis. And since neither radio nor tv were a big part of their lives, they probably spent a little time talking about those teachings with each other and other shepherds. They were probably quite familiar with a passage from the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles that states, “Don’t you know that the Lord the God of Israel has given the kingship of Israel to David – and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?” This covenant of salt thing is an entire other layer to the coming of Christ as Savior and Messiah. Swaddling a baby was a more significant thing back before Jesus’ time. Swaddling indicated a special status, loving protection and affection, and a kind of purity that signaled a very special birth. Whether salt was mixed with olive oil or water, the mixture would be rubbed on a baby before it was swaddled with strips of cloth, 2-3 inches wide from head to foot in such a way that it held the joints straight. And here I have thought for well over 50 years that the strips of cloth spoken of in connection with Jesus were about Mary and Joseph’s economic status - or lack thereof. Under the Law of Moses, every sacrificial offering was made with salt as a covenant of peace. If salt wasn’t available, camel urine was used because of the salt content in it. The child wasn’t kept long in the wrapping, but it signified that he or she would be raised to be upright before the Lord, never crooked or wayward. The shepherds would have known that this salt covenant was an everlasting one. They knew that ingesting salt made a legal agreement forever binding. Salt swaddled was code for “God wrapped in flesh,” the sign of the Shepherd King of Israel. As Bethlehem was so small, most folks would have known that both Mary and Joseph were of King David’s ancestry. They just had to figure out where and when this Messiah would be revealed, putting two and two together. And then there’s the sign of the manger. The back story to the word manger is that in Hebrew, it indicates either a tent or a tabernacle - a holy tent - which is also code for “God with us.” Being so far removed, we tend not to realize that the “manger” had “God with us” written all over it, along with a little leftover hay maybe. Oh, yeah, then there was that huge sign in the heavens that was called an angel host, singing and praising God when the birth happened, after the one-on-one with the single angel. I tried to find an actual number for host, and the only one I could find was 30,000-50,000 - from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books. Maybe the host praise was a different sort of praise and song, like that of northern lights. But there was something that happened that caught the attention of the lowly shepherds and would have caused fear in any normal person, regardless of era. It is quite a message: the odiferous shepherds, loyal and faithful of heart, considered to be on the lowest rungs of society, just above lepers, chosen to be the first human, messenger evangelists - bearers of Good News at a time that was dark with political unrest and uncertainty. Shepherds announcing the birth, women announcing Christ’s resurrection - interesting choices of messsengers. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, probably bathed in the most common element of salt, wrapped in swaddling cloths, laid in a manger, announced by a multitude of heavenly beings. And just in case all that wasn’t enough, those angels and light - they are connected to God’s holy presence referred to as shekinah - the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning dwelling or settling of the divine presence of God. Whether the angelic message was “on earth peace, good will toward people” or “peace toward people of good will,” there is a correlation between sheep and peace found in Hebrews 13:20 - “the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep.” Maybe we haven’t given the shepherds all their due over the years, nor the signs that God incorporated into the Good News that was sent to us. But we can surely include that layer of richness into our present worship and adoration of God with God’s gift of Emmanuel, God with us, as we pray. Holy, Holy, Holy God, Lord of Heaven and Earth, we are a rich people simply because we are yours. And then you gave us your Son, with layers of signs and wonders and meaning greater than we often times realize. Thank you for imbuing so much of what know know with your nuances of meaning, importance and intent. Enable us to be even more aware of the signs that point to you, to your love and our blessing in that love. May that love rise up inside us as never before, that it would spill over in ways that are helpful and blessing to your kingdom. For all that you give us, all your people say, Amen. First Congregational Church
December 5, 2021 2nd Sunday in Advent Luke 1:26-38 & Matthew 1:18-25 “The Lesser-Knowns of the Nativity” Rev. Dinah Haag, preaching So there was the time when God was doing all the creation stuff of life, specifically designing cats, and God finally delegated some of the work, telling an angel to make the most fluffy, cute thing the angel could think of. When the angel asked if there was anything else, with a glimmer in God’s eye, God said, “Yes! Put razor blades on its feet!” As we listen to the scripture passages this morning, I invite you to enter into them as a by-stander, or if you are into it, an elf on a shelf. In the first passage, it says that the angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth, and a few words later, it says that the angel went to Mary. So I got to wondering if Gabriel was walking down the street until he got to Mary’s house. If so, what was he wearing - white, orange, tunic, toga, street clothes? And what was Mary doing when he interrupts her - making lunch, making soap, hanging the laundry to dry? The second passage has an angel of the Lord appearing to Joseph in a dream. Same angel, Gabriel? What was that angel wearing? What was Joseph doing in his dream - working in his woodshed, sitting on the roof in the cool of an evening? Was the dream of a dream of Joseph dreaming? After spying on the scenes, imagine that you are Mary, you are Joseph. If an angel came to you, what might your first reaction be? Luke 1:26-38 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Matthew 1:18-25 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Thank you, Cathy and Myra. Some time back I tucked away a quote by Rabbi Abraham Heschel. A generation ago, he said, “Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me.” If you’re looking for a subject to wonder about, let me suggest angels. In fact, the term for that study is Angelology, but gosh is it a little crazy. The bible uses the term angel or angels nearly 400 times, and then there’s a huge store of information from writers outside the Biblical accounts. Perhaps to pique at least one person’s interest, angels are organized into orders, or choirs. The highest order, so sorted by one of the great Paul’s students Dionysius, contains the seraphim, cherubim and thrones. Thrones are described as creatures usually depicted by wheels with many eyes, functioning as the actual chariots of God driven by cherubs. The middle order of angels is made up of Dominions, Virtues and Powers. Dominions regulate the duties of the lower angels, Virtues control the elements and Powers are angels with power over evil forces. The lowest order of angels is Principalities, Archangels and Angels. Principalities or Rulers are the angels that guide and protect nations, or groups of peoples, and institutions such as the Church. Archangels are head messengers, and although Gabriel is the only named one in the Protestant version of the Bible, others sometimes considered as such are Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Jewish writers attest to seven archangels. Angels are just plain messengers, concerned with the affairs of humans, although I think that as humans, we tend to lump them all under this name. The thing is is that having been created before earth was created, they’ve been around far longer and more intimately than we may give them credit. Although there are no specific instances of it, there is a thought that angels perhaps sang and shouted at God’s creation of the earth. Who knows what they did when the other planets and galaxies were created, but back to the point. Angels were a part of the nativity story long before there was any real baby, and angels continued to minister to Jesus through out his life, even when he was in the desert. There are some who believe that each of us has our own personal angel, but that’s topic for another time. The point for this morning is that one of the lesser appreciated surrounding the nativity is the angel of the Lord and the great company of the heavenly host appearing with that angel when Emmanuel was born. What did they look like? What were they wearing? What did their voices sound like? If angels are one of the main lesser-knowns of the nativity, I think wonder would be the second. As we have come together this day, near and far, we have this holy sacrament that we will share momentarily, also filled with great wonder. Fruit and grain, crushed and remade into life giving and life affirming blessings that would be considered a big deal by some with nothing to eat this day. A meal of minuscule proportions, huge in connection - using the same elements Jesus used with the disciples at his last meal, wide in connection with brothers and sister throughout time and breadth of earth. From before time, through Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer to baby, man and Savior, to each of us. We brush past the Spirit of Christmas when we hear of Scrooge and A Christmas Carol, or the 2015 movie called The Spirit of Christmas with a cast of no one I recognized. We are busy getting things done - from shopping to baking to becoming engrossed in phone apps - mostly good things that are needful and even necessary. But we also need to wonder and to better attune ourselves to the Holy Spirit - which was also there at the hallowed birth of Christ - as well as be reminded that there is so much more to this life than we can fathom. Thomas Aquinas said, “An angel can illumine the thought and mind of man by strengthening the power of vision and by bringing within his reach some truth which the angel himself contemplates.” As we prepare our hearts and minds for this service of bread and cup, let us allow ourselves the moments to see and wonder of the cosmic and personal attention of this moment in time with all that surrounds us, even richer than what surrounded the stable so long ago. First Congregational Church
Sunday, November 28, 2021 First Sunday in Advent Luke 21:25-36 “Time after Time” Rev. Dinah Haag, preaching In the Peanuts comic strip, Linus and Lucy are standing at the window looking out at the falling rain. Lucy says to Linus, "Boy, look at it rain...What if it floods the earth?" Linus, the resident biblical scholar for Peanuts, answers, "It will never do that...in the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of the promise is the rainbow." With a smile on her face, Lucy replies, "Linus, you've taken a great load off my mind." To which Linus responds, "Sound theology has a way of doing that.” This is such an interesting Sunday. For those who haven’t been able to keep up, we begin a new church new year, which is so out of step for the rest of life - in terms of calendars. It’s also a new season, being the first Sunday in Advent, during which we prepare for our Savior’s birth - once again. Of those four Sundays in Advent, the first one is so much more obtuse, dark, and just plain strange - especially as it sits against the white backdrop of the northern Michigan landscape that makes us think more about Christmas than Advent. I hadn’t really looked at it before, but wanting to see if there were better options than today’s scripture passage, I looked at the others - in other years - prescribed for this first Sunday of Advent - and they’re all dark and gloomy. Not wanting to be out of step from where God really wanted us to go, it seemed that maybe the message was through this passage, so the shoulder got put to the yoke. Just so it doesn’t seem to come out of nowhere, today’s passage comes not from the very end of Luke, but near the end - three chapters from the end - when Jesus was in Jerusalem during his last week, most probably on his last Tuesday morning while he and the disciples were leaving the temple. He’d been on the topic of “the future,” using parables, interacting with nearby leaders and answering questions. Outside the temple, while they were listening, the disciples were probably looking at the great temple and all its grandeur when Jesus told them that all of it would one day be destroyed. Luke 21:25-36 25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Thank you, Jim. On the threshold between Thanksgiving and Christmas, now you know why I was hedging away from this passage. But like every mature person knows, just because something is hard or dark doesn’t mean that it should be avoided. In fact, sometimes those are the places we need to explore in order to move forward. For those who may be wondering, the sermon title this morning is not a reference to the famous Cyndi Lauper song, “Time after Time,” but a subtitle to a comment from Audrey West of workingpreacher.org. And it’s a great comment. “The season of Advent is a sticky-note reminder to the church: God is doing a new thing. Again.” Being human, it’s so easy to think that within this current world and realm, it’s all about me - or you - or us - as the case may be. Except that the Jews needed that reminder in 586 BCE when Solomon’s first temple was destroyed by Babylonians. And they needed to be reminded in 70 CE - AD - when the second temple was destroyed by the Romans. Maybe the people of Constantinople needed to be reminded that God was doing a new thing again in 1453 when their city fell to the Turks. Same for the people of Europe and Russian in the 1800’s after a guy named Napoleon had them thinking about God’s kingdom coming near - sooner rather than later. Those events, along with all the other events of our world history don’t negate the fact that God has been in place far longer than any mere human event, and will continue to be there far longer than we can get our heads around. And maybe a fair number of us can agree that this idea of God being around, the backdrop of human history, is all well and fine, but what good is it? What difference does it make? We’ve heard it time and time again. And why should we get up the gumption to get all excited about a baby - who was born in history - coming again in just a few weeks? And don’t forget that almost dorky little parable - maybe the world’s shortest parable - about the natural course of life and agriculture. The seed goes in, the roots go down and the plant goes up, and as Robert Fulghum tells us, nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. That’s got to have a piece of this morning’s sermon pie. It was Neill Hamilton, instructor at Drew University, who made the foundational crust of the theological pie. He once observed how people in our time lose hope for the future. He said, “It happens whenever we let our culture call the shots on how the world is going to end. And with a new covid variant on the horizon, it’s really easy to slip into a doomsday state of mind. At this stage of technological advancement, maybe the only way the culture can make sense of the future is through the picture of everything blowing up in a nuclear holocaust. But the culture doesn’t take into consideration what we know what we know, that everything has changed in the death and resurrection of Jesus, that the same Christ is coming to give birth to a new creation. And so, people lose hope. As Haag put a little twist on how Hamilton put it: This substitution of an image of nuclear holocaust for the coming of Christ is a parable of what happens to Christians when they cease to believe in their own end time heritage. The culture supplies its own images for the end when we default by ceasing to believe in biblical images of God's reign at the end. The good news of the gospel is this: when all is said and done, God will still be standing.” During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives: On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought." Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we're to be lights as we watch and wait. Virginia Owens in her book, And The Trees Clap Their Hands, suggests that we lose the wonder of life, because along the way everything becomes "merely." Things are "merely" stars, sunset, rain, flowers, and mountains. Their connection with God's creation is lost. During this Advent season many things are just "merely." It becomes "merely" Bethlehem, a stable, a birth -- we have no feeling of wonder or mystery. That is what familiarity can do to us over the years. Owens goes on to say that it is this "merely" quality of things that leads to crime. It is "merely" a thing - I'll take it. It is "merely" an object - I'll destroy it. It is this "merely" quality of things and life that leads to war. We shall lose "merely" a few thousand men, but it will be worth it. Within the Advent narrative nothing is "merely." Things are not "merely" things, but are part of God's grand design. Common things, such as motherhood, a birth, a child, now have new meaning. This is not "merely" the world, but a world that is charged with the beauty and grandeur of God's design. It is a world so loved by God that God gave God’s only Son. What is so great about the Advent season is that everything appears charged with the beauty and grandeur of God. Theologian Leonard Sweet was bemoaning this time of year as we close out one season and open another. “Our sentimental — yet always cynical — culture likes to start singing Christmas carols the moment Thanksgiving turkeys come out of the oven. But listen carefully: You’re hearing a lot more choruses of “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” than carols like “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” or “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The world wants, the world needs, to celebrate Christmas. But the world does its best to keep Jesus out of it. Perhaps the first “Christmas carol” Christians should sing, in keeping with the theme of “Advent,” is the Willie Nelson special “On the Road Again.” As stores keep having cut-rate sales and on-line deals; and as holiday partying, parades, and posturing swamp every level of our lives: it is good to stand back and look at the bigger picture. What is the purpose for which Jesus came into this world in the first place? Mr. Sweet also tells a story of standing in front of Harrod’s, the great London department store. Outside the store, apparently there is a statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed (whose father owns Harrods). As Mr. Sweet and his twelve-year-old daughter stood in front of it, the girl innocently asked, “Who is Princess Diana?” As lights in the dark, we have the privilege to retell the story of Christ coming to earth, becoming like us, to save us to eternal life The story is told of English Anglican priest, John Henry Newman, who went on a religious pilgrimage in the 1800’s. He eventually wound up as a Cardinal in the Catholic church, the most well-known priest at the time. While serving as Cardinal, he received a message from an English priest from the tiny village of Brennan, a dirty little mill town north of Birmingham. It seems that an epidemic of cholera had decimated the village and the priest was asking for help, for another priest to assist him in the giving of the sacrament, administering the Last Rites, and to do funerals, so many people were dying. Newman read the letter in his office, an office that is still there today - unchanged since the day he left it. After an hour of prayer, Newman determined that he had to go himself. If Christ didn’t send an substitute, how could Newman send one? And the message we carry with us is so simple, we don’t even really need to write it down. For God so loved the world, that God gave God’s one and only son, that those who would believe in him would not perish, but have eternal life. So let us get back on the road and shine as we pray. Light and Love of the World, thank you for loving us as if we were your one and only. And thank you for giving us a cause, work to give us value, of spreading the promise of new life that confronts us so vividly this time of year. Forgive us when we get off track in our modeling and message, and impassion us to even greater work in your kingdom. In this world that can seem overwhelming and oppressive, give all your people the ability to lift up our heads with your coming life. For all your moments of redemption, all your light and forgiveness and purposes, all your people say, Amen. |
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