Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] December 26, 2021 “Jesus’ Awkward Teen Years” Luke 2: 45-52 There Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents[l] saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[m] 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years,[n] and in divine and human favor Jesus was born yesterday, or the night before yesterday, and today, bam! He’s 12 years old. Wow! That was fast! I’ve always been curious. What else happened along the way? Like, I wonder, did he go through the terrible twos? I mean, surely, he wasn’t always an “angelic” child. Since the Bible doesn’t say, how old do you think he was when he first joined his dad as a carpenter, when he first learned how to cut wood and hammer nails? And when he hit his thumb with the hammer, what do you think he said? Did he curse his own name? When I was really young, I couldn’t wait to help in the barn and in the fields. Let me help! Let me help! But once I was old enough to help, I hated it. Hate is too big a word. How about, I never grew to appreciate it. Did Jesus ever grow tired of hammers and saws and nails? The Bible says nothing about the life of Jesus between infancy and about 30 years old, except this one time at the temple, when his parents panicked because he was missing – Mary saying to Joseph, “I thought he was with you.” Joseph saying to Mary, “I thought he was with you!” And for three days they looked. Did you ever get lost? What was it like? Or lose your child for a little bit? Did you panic? I remember being in Chicago for the first time at a great big department store – probably Marshall Fields. Well, all of a sudden, I looked up and my whole family was gone. Mom, dad, aunt, uncle, cousins… A nice store clerk noticed and stayed with me until my family realized, I thought he was with you! I was so relieved when my parents found me. How did Jesus respond? Pretty insensitive and quite unsympathetic. Instead of apologizing, he asked, “Where else did you think I’d be?” Essentially, he blamed them instead of recognizing, “I really should have let you know.” Which means, Jesus was not always a super sensitive guy, something he never completely grew out of. Later in life, remember that time when he was really tired? He told a grown woman she was a dog. That she could eat crumbs from under the table like an animal. If Jesus wasn’t perfect as an adult, I doubt he was a perfect child either. It’s fun to speculate what may have happened during the roughly 30 years between infancy and the start of his public ministry. Among other things, I wonder if he struggled with those typical middle school years. Was he a popular kid or a little weird? Well, maybe not weird, but… unique. Did he ever get bullied? Was he always the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting, Prince of Peace? The heir to the throne of David. Or did he have insecurities, acne and body issues and times of existential doubt? Did he go through his own atheist period? If we say he was fully human, why wouldn’t he? What helped him get through such times? Nadia Bolz-Weber is a pastor from Denver but is better known as an author, lecturer, and blogger under the name The Sarcastic Lutheran. A recovering alcoholic covered in tattoos with a colorful vocabulary. One time while on a book tour, a middle school girl raised her hand and asked, ‘Pastor Nadia, what advice do you have for someone my age who might be bullied and not have many friends and is maybe someone who other kids make fun of?’ Nadia said that when she does Q and A’s, she’ll usually speak back to the whole audience. But this time she looked the girl straight in the eye and said, “Look kid, I’m so sorry that’s happening and I totally get it because I’ve been there. But as horrible as it is right now, just do whatever you can to get through it because I promise you one thing: grownups who were bullied in Middle School and survive it, as adults they are like, 10 times cooler and way more interesting than the ones who were doing the bullying. You get through this kid and you’re gonna be amazing. I promise those kids will be nothing but a footnote later on. I mean, come on, who wants to peak in middle school?!” And think of Jesus. Bullied as an adult by the scribes, Pharisees, priests, kings and governors, even Caesar, and all of those people are just footnotes to his story. Maybe that was the advice he got at the temple when he was 12 years old. All those elders told him, “Look kid, it’ll be OK.” Maybe that’s how he survived those awkward teen years. It gets better. As he grew into young adulthood, did he like to race camels and donkeys? Maybe place a wager or two? Or did he, as some have speculated, travel around the world. Maybe backpack through Thailand and Cambodia? More than a few people have suggested he must have travelled to such exotic places as India and Tibet because his style of teaching, his aphorisms and parables, are so similar to Eastern philosophies. Surely, he must have met some Buddhists along the way.[1] For example, Jesus said, “What good is it to gain the whole world but lose your life?” Sounds a lot like self-emptying. It’s even been suggested that he was a student of the original Buddha, or at least friends, but they were 500 years apart, so that’s pretty unlikely. Yet, there’s no denying the similarities in their style of teaching, and even some of their content. OK. So, what is the good news in the scripture today? Maybe it’s what Jesus demonstrated at the Temple. Questions are just as important as answers. In fact, maybe more important. You know how sometimes our Christian creeds, whether the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed or the “fill in the blank” Creed demand that you simply accept their answers? Sometimes people who claim to have all the answers are the worst bullies of all. Stay open and listen for the Word of God to come from unusual places, like a maybe awkward, pimpled teenage Jesus struggling with bullies. The good news is that 12-year olds have a lot of wisdom, if we, like the elders at the temple, are willing to listen. Keep the faith by asking questions and your life will be 10 times cooler and way more interesting than those who claim they have all the answers. Somehow, they can be the meanest Christians of all. Studies have even proven it. Finally, the good news of Jesus is to remember that Mary and Joseph just kept looking until they found him. When you’ve lost someone, keep looking. And if you ever get lost, you’ll be found. [1] http://www.reversespins.com/teenageJesus.html
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Sermons from Mission Hills United Church of Christ San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr Christmas Eve 2021 “One Candle” I have a story to tell tonight. A true story that doesn’t take place at Christmas or even among Christians, but during the holy season of Ramadan among Muslims in the Sudan.[1] At the time of this story, the Sudan was so dangerous you needed a permit to leave the capital city of Khartoum. Even so, there was a teacher who would regularly load 20 students at a time onto the back of a flatbed truck to take his classes on multi-day trips into the desert. Travel outside the city was not only dangerous because of violence. Constantly shifting sands in the desert made it nearly impossible to maintain roads. And whenever sand covered up the road, sometimes for miles at a time, they had to trust their instincts. They didn’t have GPS or cell phone service. Long after they had last driven on an actual section of road, rumors began to spread among the students that they were lost, and when dusk came, sure enough, the driver admitted it. Don’t ask me why, but he insisted they had to keep moving on. Why not wait for daylight, I don’t know. During the holy month of Ramadan, observant Muslims don’t eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset, including water. When the sun had completely set, it was time for the students to break their fast. Except, it wasn’t supposed to take so long to get to their destination so no one thought to bring anything with them to eat or drink. It would be at their destination. As they kept moving forward, their headlights stretched out for miles into an empty desert. And just then, just when they were feeling most desperate, most hopeless… they hit a rock. Some wires were torn and now the headlights didn’t work. There was a thick layer of clouds that night, so there were no stars or moon in the sky. They were traveling in total darkness. One person walked ahead of the truck, leading the way, and another stood in the back scanning over the cab as far as they could see. Wandering in the dark hour after hour, they started to lose hope. They knew what happens to people lost in the desert. It wasn’t good. And then one of the students in the back of the truck said “Hey! Isn’t that a light?” Everyone was excited. But no one else saw anything. They all squinted until someone said, “It’s just your imagination.” But this student insisted – “There! On the horizon. I think. Well, maybe…” With no better option, the guide directed the man in front of the truck toward the only light at least one person saw. She kept saying, “It’s over there. No over there.” But it was clear that it really was only her imagination. If the light had been real, it would have gotten larger as they got closer. It was just a mirage. But they had no better option, so they kept moving the only direction someone thought there might be something. After a long while someone else said they thought maybe they saw something too. And after a while, another person, until everyone saw it. You know what it was? A candle. One candle. It was a Bedouin camp, nomads who live in tents in the desert. One of the Bedouins couldn’t sleep. She came out of her tent, propped a crate on its side and dripped some wax on it to hold a candle upright. That was it. It was impossible that anyone could have seen the light of only one candle from miles away. But still, one student saw it. And dared to say something. That’s all they had to go on. One candle from miles away. It’s absurd. Until you realize, absurd or not, this is a true story. And it saved them. A stranger who couldn’t sleep and a student who dared to speak up. Oh, and by the way, they arrived just before dawn. The awakened Bedouins emerged from their tents with food and water. Just in time. If they arrived any later, they would have had to wait a whole other day to eat or drink. It may not be a Christmas story or a Christian story, but it still teaches that in the darkest part of the night, the light of one candle makes a difference. In fact, did you realize that it’s in the deepest night that light shines brightest. That’s true in our personal lives too. Light shines brightest during our loneliest and most frightened times. But sometimes we can’t see it. We have to trust the person who points to what we can’t yet see. Tonight, it makes me think of the impossibly dark night of our country. Our hopes of finally emerging from this pandemic keep getting extinguished. It’s even more important that we light a candle for hope. It makes a difference. And in the midst of a country consumed with anger toward each other, that feels like we’re on the brink of war, we light a candle for peace. It makes a difference. And though for many the holidays are painful reminders of loss, we light a candle for joy. It makes a difference. And because even one candle makes a difference for people who feel excluded or told, “you don’t belong,” we light a candle for love. It’s not silly or ridiculous or absurd. It’s the one thing that saved those students lost in the desert. And it’s one way you can change the world for someone. Just light one candle for them. Or yourself. Light always shines brightest in the darkest part of night. We can be that light of Christ for someone. In fact, you are that light of Christ. Believe it. And then, are you willing to share it? [1] Story adapted from “A Great Light” by Rev. Angela C. Menke Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] December 19, 2021 Instant Christmas Pageant As they enter, each worshiper will be handed a slip of paper with these words on them. Practice: Joseph: Stand, raise right hand, and say, “I’m here!” Mary: Stand, pretend to hold a baby, and say, “Ohhh.” Child: Stand, place hand over heart “Ahhh.” Angels: Stand with both hands – “Ta Da!” Shepherds: “Baaa” like sheep King Herod: “Boo!” Magi: Point up and say “The star!” During the opening part of the worship service anyone, adult or child, who wishes to dress in costume will leave the sanctuary to dress. There may be six Marys and only one wise person, but that’s what you get with an instant pageant. They will enter the first time you hear their name. When the magi first enter, they will carry a large star. The script is simply the words of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, with a few minor modifications. Listen to the Word of God from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 1-20: In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph (pause) also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary (pause) to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child (pause). While they were there, the time came for her to deliver. And 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. SING – Away in a Manger In that region, there were shepherds (pause) keeping watch over their flocks by night. Then an angel (pause) of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel (pause) said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. To you, this day is born in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a child (pause) wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel (pause) a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God in the highest heaven, and saying, “On earth peace among those whom God favors!” SING – Angels We Have Heard on High When the angels (pause) had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds (pause) said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary (pause) and Joseph (pause), and the child (pause) lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what they were told and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds (pause) told them, but Mary (pause) treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. SING - What Child is This Now we shift to the birth story in Matthew. Matthew had no angels or shepherds or journey to Bethlehem to find no room in the inn. The magi only appeared in the Gospel of Matthew. But we all love the story of the magi so like many pageants, we add them today. So now listen for the Word of God from the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 2: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, magi (pause) came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” When King Herod (pause) heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea. Then King Herod (pause) secretly called for the magi (pause) and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. (pause) When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard this, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child (pause) with his mother Mary (pause) and Joseph (pause). Falling to their knees, the magi (pause) honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they were warned in a dream not to return to King Herod (pause), they went back to their own country by another route. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God! SING – Joy to the World Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] December 12, 2021 “A Home for All” Zephaniah 3:14-20 Common English Bible, with inclusive adaptations Rejoice, Daughter Zion! Shout, Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem. The Holy One of Israel has removed your judgment; and has turned away your enemy. God, the Sovereign of Israel, is in your midst; you will no longer fear evil. On that day, it will be said to Jerusalem: Don’t fear, Zion. Don’t let your hands fall. The Mighty One is in your midst— a warrior bringing victory. God will create calm with love; God will rejoice over you with singing. I will remove from you those worried about the appointed feasts. They have been a burden, a reproach. Watch what I am about to do to all your oppressors at that time. I will deliver the lame; I will gather the outcast. I will change their shame into praise and fame throughout the earth. At that time, I will bring all of you back. At the time when I gather you. I will give you fame and praise among all the neighboring peoples when I restore your possessions and you can see them— says She Who is Peace. Luke 3:10-16 - Common English Bible 10 The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 John answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He replied, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.” 14 Soldiers asked, “What about us? What should we do?” He answered, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.” 15 The people were filled with expectation, and everyone wondered whether John might be the Christ. 16 John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. The prophecy of Zephaniah ends with such beautiful words: Rejoice and exult. You will no longer fear evil God will create calm with God’s love God will rejoice over you singing I will deliver the lame, I will deliver the outcast, I will change their shame into praise and fame. Beautiful. Touching. The rest of Zephaniah? Not so much. From it’s first words at the beginning until these last six verses, the central message of Zephaniah is that the wrath of God will result in the total destruction of the entire earth. But at least the wrath of God that results in the total destruction of the entire earth will be worth it because it’s followed by the establishment of a new world order that guarantees safety, security, and prosperity. Nice! But only for the faithful people of God. The fate of all other nations remains total destruction. South African scholar Dr. Dora Mbuwayesango (mm-boo-way-eh-songo) is an expert on Zephaniah and wrote the commentary for The Africana Bible.[1] She said very clearly, “Zephaniah presents a view of God that is dangerously exclusive and nationalistic. The lack of interest for the well-being of foreign peoples is striking.” Zephaniah is the stereotypical, classic, vengeful God of the Old Testament. To make Zephaniah palatable enough to read in church, outside of those who love the image of a vengeful God, we have to rely on the happily-ever-after ending, which after you have put it into context isn’t so happy for everyone. Does that mean we should just ignore it? Maybe, but let’s try to unpack and understand it first. According to Dr. Judith Sanderson who wrote about Zephaniah in The Women’s Bible Commentary,[2] many of the prophets like Micah, Amos, and Jeremiah expressed solidarity with people who were humble and lowly, the poor and oppressed. They weren’t widows but they knew widows. These prophets spoke to and of the poor because they shared a similar social standing. In contrast, scholarship suggests Zephaniah was a member of the upper class and may have been speaking to and of the people with whom he shared his social standing. And if so, if he’s talking to his fellow upper class neighbors, his words might have indeed been appropriate to his audience. Throughout his prophecy, Zephaniah strongly emphasizes the sin of arrogance. And throughout the Bible, God’s wrath is often in response to arrogance. Dr. Sanderson therefore suggests that God’s response, not necessarily the wrath, but God’s intolerance of arrogance is fitting to his audience. When we interpret it however, sadly, arrogance is often misunderstood or translated as pride. Pride and arrogance are two different things. She said, many people in a dominant position in society need to hear a call from God to give up their arrogance. They need to give up their illusion of [so-called] self-sufficiency. They need to learn the kind of humility that values others as much as self and that will rely on God rather than self for guidance and help. However, that kind of language is often inappropriate to the experiences of women and people of color, people with physical disabilities, people with mental health challenges, LGBTQ people, the list goes on… Rather than a denunciation of pride, some people need to hear a call from God encouraging pride that will value the self as much as others and that will rely on God for empowerment. Got that? Some people need more pride while some people’s pride is really arrogance. And God is intolerant of arrogance. When Mary sang the Magnificat, that was her message too. With the impending birth of her child, she praised God for toppling the powerful from their thrones and lifting the humble high. Dr. Mbuwayesango (mm-boo-way-eh-songo) says something similar, relating that the Bible in Southern Africa has been used both as a book of oppression and a book of liberation. Both themes, she said, run through Zephaniah. As a book of oppression, for example, the Bible was used as a justification by Europeans to colonize Africa. As a book of liberation, the Bible serves as a guide in the search for an ethnically diverse, post-colonial Southern Africa. The same dynamic was and is still true in the US as well. Remember, Zechariah’s message is dangerously exclusive and nationalistic. It plays right into the hands of Christian nationalists in our country who ultimately want a return to whites-only power with a different name. Women without power over their bodies. LGBTQ people locked in closets. Christian nationalists today want the Bible taught in school but not the teachings of Jesus. The Ten Commandments but not the Beatitudes. We cannot allow them to claim the Bible as their property. It has been used for oppression, certain texts have been used to terrorize, but it is indeed a story of liberation that guides us to free one another. One small step is to ensure that we accurately translate biblical denunciations of pride as really God’s intolerance for arrogance, thereby leaving room for a pride that men often take for granted but which many others, especially women, were not taught as children. And so, for people who have been empowered by God: Rejoice and exult. You will no longer fear evil God will create calm with God’s love God will rejoice over you singing I will deliver the lame, I will deliver the outcast, I will change their shame into praise and fame. Beautiful, but alas, yes, the problem still remains. That whole promise of the total destruction of the entire earth by the wrath of God except for the privileged few… is not happily ever after. Nothing is or ever will be until everyone born has a place at the table, not until everyone born has clean water and bread, a shelter, a safe place for growing, for everyone born a star overhead. And so, what shall we do with Zephaniah? Just ignore it? Our search for understanding continues. Let’s look at our other text today. You may recall from last week that Zechariah was the name of John the Baptist’s father, not to be confused with today’s Zephaniah. But if you listen to John, he sounds very much in the tradition of prophetic wrath too. In the verses before our reading today, he called the people who came to be baptized by him “children of snakes” or “broods of vipers.” He asked, “Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon?” He told people “whoever doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down with an ax and thrown into the fire.” So much for JOY Sunday! And yet people still flooded to him, coming from the cities into the wilderness – and maybe it was for the entertainment or maybe they sincerely wanted to change their lives. Note, in our reading today, when people had been baptized, afterward they asked, “What should we do now?” They didn’t say, “WOO HOO! I’ve got my golden ticket to heaven.” They didn’t say, “See ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya!” They asked sincerely, OK, now what? They expected baptism to change their lives. And what joy there is in knowing we are not trapped by past mistakes or choices that ended in failure. We can turn our lives around. Amen? When the crowds asked, What should we do now? John gave an answer. A concrete, “I can do that!” answer. To everyone he said, ‘If you have two coats, give one to someone in need.” I can do that! And what joy for the one who gives. What absolute exultation for the one who receives. How sad for anyone who won’t. Ah, but they too can change their lives. The soldiers then stepped up and asked, “What should we do?” John answered, very concretely, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone and be satisfied with your pay.” Now, this isn’t a slogan for low wage workers. This isn’t the proclamation of a CEO making a hundred or a thousand times minimum wage, the Bible says, “Be satisfied with your pay.” No, John was specifically addressing soldiers from the occupying force stationed on their homeland: Be satisfied with your pay means don’t take what isn’t yours. But you know, the soldiers didn’t really have a lot of choices. I doubt Rome had a recruiting strategy other than rounding people up and forcing them to serve the Empire. In fact, they often used other conquered people to conquer and subdue more. John had a simple specific message to soldiers who wished to change their lives: don’t exploit the citizens. Then the tax collectors stepped up, “What should we do!?” John said, take what’s legitimately yours and no more. Many were raping the poor. Others were just trying to make a living too. They were as subject to the whims and brutality of Rome as anyone. But they didn’t have to make it worse by overcharging people trying to survive. Interestingly, all three of John’s answers are economic messages. It seems that the baptism of John leading to repentance of sin is to simply treat each other right. It’s not a golden ticket to heaven or a get out of hell card. John the Baptist’s message starts out very harshly but it’s simple. It’s ultimately a message that repairs the breach of arrogance with equity. To the tax collectors and soldiers, treat others fairly and with dignity even if you work for the empire. To everyone, bear fruit worthy of your baptism: if you have it, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give voice to the silenced and silence the powerful, give pride to the oppressed and remove the control of the arrogant. On that one point Zephaniah is right. He calls out the arrogant, though I’m not certain they deserve the wrath of God resulting in the total destruction of the entire earth. Although, they too deserve the opportunity to make it right by changing their lives. But, as for the rest of Zephaniah’s message, don’t just ignore it. Reject it. Reject it and all the false religion today of Christian nationalists and their xenophobic white-power immigrant-hating masquerade of “Christianity.” What a sad, sad vision they have. Reject it and rather hold up the vision of joy and exultation of a home for everyone born, wherever they have been born. True joy in heaven for the earth. Today, step up and say, “Hey John, what should we do?!” Whatever he says to each of us individually, I'm sure we can answer, "I can do that!" [1] Dora Mbuwayesango, The Africana Bible: Reading Israel’s Scriptures from Africa and the African Diaspora, Fortress Press, 2010 [2] Judith Sanderson, The Women’s Bible Commentary, Westminster/John Knox, 1992 Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] December 5, 2021 “Laying the Foundation” Luke 1: 57-66 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. 60 But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” 61 They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” 62 Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him. For this story to make sense, we have to go back and put it into context. It’s actually the first story Luke told in his gospel. After explaining why he wrote it, Luke said, During the reign of King Herod (kind of like a “once upon a time”), there was a priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. She was descended from the daughters of Aaron, part of the priestly class too. With two parents like that, can you imagine the pressure on John to become a priest as well? In many ways, John was a typical PK – preachers’ kid. Instead of going into a more traditionally respectable form of the family business, John was like one of those wild-eyed preachers on street corners yelling for people to repent. A kind of rebellious 1960s love child with wild hair, a cloak made of rough camel hair, who ate a simple diet of locusts and honey. But I’ve gotten way ahead of myself. Here’s how the story goes. One day Zechariah was inside the sanctuary of the temple, the holiest of holies where only priests could enter. When we hear the word sanctuary, we think of a place like this. But this room was so holy, only a priest could enter. And it was thought that if a priest wasn’t pure enough, he could be struck dead. In fact, there is a legend that on Yom Kippur they tied a bell around the ankle and a rope around the waist of the assigned priest so that if he was struck dead by his impurity in the face of the holiness of God, those outside the sanctuary would hear the bell ring and know the priest had dropped dead and then use the rope to pull the body out. Might be true. Might not. Anyway, as Luke tells the story, while Zechariah was in the sanctuary to carry out his duties, an angel appeared next to the incense table. Zechariah was terrified. No one else was allowed in there. But the angel, named Gabriel, said, “Do not fear,” and then proceeded to tell him that Elizabeth would bear a child who shall be named John. Zechariah replied, “Do you expect me to believe this? I’m an old man and my wife is an old woman.” And because Zechariah didn’t believe, he became mute. It has echoes of Abraham and Sarah, who laughed at the idea she would become pregnant at age 90. When Zechariah emerged from the sanctuary, people could tell by looking at him that he had seen a vision, not to mention, he couldn’t speak. I might add, it doesn’t say that anyone bothered to tell Elizabeth… But sure enough, she conceived shortly after and went off to be by herself for 5 months. I’d love to know why and what was going through her mind. In the 6th month of her pregnancy, the same angel Gabriel visited a young girl in Nazareth named Mary and told her she would, improbably, become pregnant too. You’ve heard this part of the story many, many times. Mary went to stay with her cousin Elizabeth for 3 months. As Mary approached, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb jumped for joy. Elizabeth sang to Mary: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” And Mary responded with the words we call the Magnificat. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because God has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.” And then the time came for Elizabeth to give birth. That’s where our story began today. Eight days after his birth, it was time to name the baby. Instead of calling him Zechariah, she said he was to be named John. The neighbors stood around looking at each other. What kind of funny business is this? There’s no John in Zechariah’s family history. So, they went to Zechariah and asked him. Because he couldn’t speak, he wrote on a tablet – the name John. Suddenly he could speak again and everyone was amazed. And a little frightened. Who is this child? Like the songs of Elizabeth and Mary to one another, Zechariah then broke into song, which ends with these beautiful words: “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in the night and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” The story ends, “The child grew and became strong in spirit.” This provides the foundation upon which the rest of the story of Jesus is built. At our Lunch and Lectionary on Thursday, I asked the architect in our group, Al Mazur, about the importance of foundations. And he said, of course, that without a proper foundation the whole thing will collapse. And it made me think. Zechariah and Elizabeth provided the foundation for John. Who laid the foundation for our practice of faith? For me, the witness of my parents played a huge role. So, on Friday I asked that question during my Daily Connection. On Facebook I asked, who provided the foundation for your faith and how. The responses were immediate and overwhelming – more than 50 long and thoughtful posts. And lots of similarities, especially parents. But in some cases, for example, it was a neighbor who brought them to church. Or grandparents, aunts, uncles, or just walking in on your own initiative. One of my dearest friends from my days in Washington, DC said, “While my parents and grandparents were influential in getting me to church, it was the myriad of adults I encountered there that tended the spark and nurtured my growth - Sunday School teachers, youth directors, camp counselors, choir directors, and retreat leaders, folks in the pews. In particular, the Director of Christian Education at my home church opened so much up for me. She laid the groundwork for my faith practice to this day. Through her I learned that creation and creativity, laughter and joy are integral to seeking justice.” One of my cousins from my home church agreed. He said his parents brought him to church but once my parents got me there, if there had been nothing, I would not have had a strong foundation. It was all those other adults who took over, adding that my Mother was one of them! But his example pointed to this: while his parents may have brought him to church, it was all the people of the church that brought him to faith. That is such an important insight. His parents brought him to church, but it was all the people of the church that brought him to faith. And faith, not the church, is the point. Which makes we wonder: Do we realize what an impression we have on the children and youth of our congregation? And more significantly, is this a role we embrace? The most impactful change we can bring upon the world is by shaping and forming the faith lives of children, introducing them and practicing the love of God, compassion of Jesus, and justice of the prophets. I want to raise again an expanded vision of ministry with children, youth, and families, at church, at home, and for our community. We are finishing a job description, and still welcoming input, and hope to begin advertising soon for a Director of Ministry with Children and Families, in addition to our Director of Youth Ministry. But if we expect this to be the duty of one part time employee, then our foundation would be so small, it could tip over almost immediately. Who is supporting this person? But more importantly, what system do we currently have in place to lift up and hold this ministry together? We don’t really have one focused on children. And even if we did, just one ministry would be a pretty narrow foundation too. How can all of our ministry groups ask questions of themselves about supporting children, youth, and families? The Faith Formation Ministry has one role, among many other responsibilities for adults. But, in addition, for example, what specifically can the Fellowship Ministry do, such as events that bring generations together? How is our worship service designed with children, youth, and families in mind? What can Personnel, Property, Membership, the Diaconate, or Mission and Outreach do? Mission and Outreach just gave the youth group $1,000 to support a project they wanted to do for Just in Time for Foster Youth. That’s a great collaboration and the youth felt supported. Friday night they made Christmas ornaments people can buy after worship today for a donation the youth group will give to San Diego 350, a local environmental group. I encourage each ministry group to ask the question: What are we doing, within our area of responsibility, to lift up children, youth, and families. Remembering, of course, that the definition of families and vision of our church is much broader and inclusive – single parents, LGBTQ families, grandparents, foster families, families of choice when families of origin fail us. My own household: An uncle raising his nephew as his own child along with his male husband of a different race. Focus on the Family would say our family is going to hell. These are exactly the families welcomed here. I also invite our Church Council to think of children, youth, and families as an ongoing priority at our meetings. What is the impact of one decision or another? That in no way diminishes the importance of other groups or people who are older. In fact, I think it honors the legacy of decades of faithful service and financial generosity. Certainly more than anyone, a church elder wants a vibrant congregation for the next generation. But in this church, our hope is not just a vibrant congregation. We seek a world that is more open, inclusive, just, and compassionate than the one we have today. Again, faith is the larger point, not the church. Whoever may bring someone with them to worship, adult or child, are the people of the church ready to bring them to a faith that might actually change the world? Who did that for you? Who is looking to you? It is finally said of the child John, he grew and became strong in spirit. May the children of our church and of our community also grow and become strong in spirit – because of the witness of your faith. |
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March 2024
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