(prayer)
I think that I have
mentioned this before, so forgive my redundancy if you've heard this already...
When my
buddy, Drew, was in college he had an interesting
residence roommate - kind of eccentric: Drew was never quite sure what was
going on between his roommate's ears.
But every once and a while... wisdom came out of his mouth.
One night,
Drew was awaken in the dark by a loud banging sound. The roommate had stubbed his foot against a
chair on the way to the bathroom. But
instead of screaming or swearing, he simply and profoundly said: "You know what, Andy? Toes are God's invention for finding furniture
in the dark."
//
There is something
wonderful in this wisdom - humourous, optimistic.
//
Human beings are hard-wired
to be discoverers. We look around
corners. We open boxes. We click on Facebook links when one of our friends writes "you gotta see
this!".
Although Kinsley [the child we baptized this morning] is only seven
weeks old, she had already begun her life as an explorer... at this point, she
does it mostly through her eyes, ears and finger tips. Kristy and Hannah [parents],
you know that, as Kinsley's body strengthens and grows, so will her
curiosity. As new neurons fire in her
excited brain, she will be motivated to discover her ability to move. She will engage her inner drive to want to
learn more about the world in which she lives.
You are probably okay with ornaments on the Christmas Tree this
year. Next year? You'll like find out.
//
Parents worry about the
extent of their children's drive to discover.
Because, not every corner we round has a positive surprise waiting. Those of us with a few years of exploring
experience have a few regrets to accompany our discoveries.
We try to share the wisdom
of our experience with others we care about (particularly children). And sometimes, they are able to take our
advice to heart and avoid our pitfalls.
But, they, like most of us (intentionally or unintentionally), need to
learn a lot things on our own... even if it means discovering some of the
lessons others have warned them about.
//
In university, I worked as
a waiter in a restaurant that served food on plates that came straight out of
the oven. Even though, I always used a
thick cloth to handle the plates as I put them on the table and told every diner to 'watch out - the plates
are hot', every... single... shift that I worked, someone had to test the truth
of my words with their own fingers.
//
//
Zechariah lived in the
Judean highlands between Jerusalem and the Jordan River Valley. He was a priest at the Temple. The gospel of Luke begins (as part of its
Christmas narrative) with an unexpected birth, but it is not Jesus'.
Zechariah and Elizabeth
were an elderly couple (by first century standards). Although, they had prayerfully wanted a
family, they had never had any children and everyone (including Elizabeth and
her husband) believed that that ship had sailed. "They were getting on in years" is
how the Gospel of Luke phrases it.
The story goes that one
day, while fulfilling his normal duties alone in the temple sanctuary, an angel
(named Gabriel) visits Zechariah and proclaims that his "prayers have been
answered: [he] and Elizabeth will have a son - to be named Johannan".
The angel went on to
describe what a joy this will be for everyone and that this child was destined
to be a great person who will live in strong faith and righteousness.
Zechariah challenged the
logical lack of practicality concerning this proclamation.
Whether Gabriel was miffed
at Zechariah's logical doubt or had some other reasoning, the angel told the
priest that he will have to watch all of this take place... in silence.
When Zechariah left the
sanctuary to address the assembled congregation, he found himself mute: unable
to speak. When his duties were done,
Zechariah returned home to be with
his wife.
No immaculate conception
followed; Elizabeth got pregnant the old fashioned way.
//
For the better part of the
next year, as the baby grew in Elizabeth's womb, as they hosted her young
cousin who was also pregnant, Zechariah was restricted to hand signals, body
language and scribbled notes.
He was given the gift of plenty of time to think about what he
might say if (and when) he regained his voice.
//
//
It was not until eight days
after the baby was born, and he was formally named John, that Zechariah could
speak again. The reading from Luke this
morning was what he had to say to his new born son... in what must have been in
a scratchy, labored tone.
//
In the context of an
historically faithful God who continues to bless the world, Zechariah found
words for his best hopes for his son, John, and the life that laid before him: my child, you will be a guiding light to
those in darkness - who leads people to know forgiveness as they walk the way
of peace.
Hopeful.
Ambitious.
Faithful.
//
We heard similar words from
the Colossians letter: we are rescued
from the power of darkness, redeemed and forgiven.
//
//
Drew's roommate knew that
navigating through the dark, unaided, can result in a bruised toe or two.
//
Our scriptures today both
talk about darkness, but also about guiding
light.
//
John, the child of
Elizabeth and Zechariah, grew to be a guiding light on the Way of Jesus. Gospel writers would quote old words from
Isaiah, that John was preparing a path for/to the Lord... a highway in the
desert, so to speak (the desert, like the
dark is an inhospitable environment).
The highway (like light) is the guide through the wilderness.
(We'll read more about that
in two weeks.)
//
//
Today is the culmination of the church
year. Next week, we will be only four
Sundays away from Christmas, which means that we will move from the Season after Pentecost into the Season of Advent: a new
year in the cycle of the church year.
As I showed with a video a
few weeks ago, we may think that because we have completed another orbit of the
sun, we have returned to where we once were (again). The truth of our universe is that our sun has
been flying through space over the past year in it's orbit around the centre of
the Milky Way Galaxy... our galaxy has been on its own journey in an expanding
universe.
Although, we have ended the
season of pentecost before, we are in a new time and place, occupying fresh
territory in our flight among the stars.
With new times, come new
opportunities to discover.
//
//
Imagine for a moment what
is about to come into your midst that will add to your life in some way.
// pause //
Does that prospect excite
you or worry you? Both? Wait and see?
//
I know we are all wondering
what we will discover as the politics of our continent take shape over the
coming months. Excited. Worried?
Both? Wait and see?
//
//
//
As much as I trust in the
truth that new discoveries await us, I am also confident that we continue to
carry much that we have accumulated from our past and intentionally hold in
this new time.
//
Yesterday, while members of
Yellowhead Presbytery met in this room, I spoke about the Prophet Jeremiah's
hopeful promise that although many of the Judean people were being forced into
exile, that the scattered would be re-gathered, the lost would be found.
The prophet wanted the
exiles to remember that they carried a faith in God's everpresence even by the
Rivers of Babylon. Like the psalm-writer
from that time (cf. Psalm 137), they might find it hard to sing songs of home. They might want to just put their instruments
away as long as they were in a foreign land.
Jeremiah invited them to remember the legacy that they carry. It will be valuable to them as they discover
how they were going to have to live in the new time.
//
We are in a new time, but
it does feel familiar.
God is still our God.
Christ is still our teacher
and guide.
The Spirit continues to
fill us and enliven us.
//
And the people of your
faith community continue to embrace you in Jesus' love and care.
As we proclaimed together
earlier: we are not alone, we live in God's world, called to love and serve
others, trusting that God works in us and others by the Spirit.
//
//
As Zechariah proclaimed to
his eight day old baby: in the tenderness of God, new days will continue to
dawn for us.
This new light will guide
us in ways of peaceful living.
May their be some calm and
kindness around the corners for us.
May we know that God is
with us now and always: in life, in death, in life beyond death.
//
//
Let us pray:
O God, we pray that we will see the
hope of your justice becoming real around us.
And we pray that we will play an integral part of this hope. Amen.
#145MV “Draw The Circle Wide”
No comments:
Post a Comment