January 14, 2018
Epiphany 2
(prayer)
The song of the angels is stilled.
The star in the sky is gone.
The kings and shepherds
have found their way home.
The work of Christmas is begun.
(“I Am the Light of the World” - #87VU)
The star in the sky is gone.
The kings and shepherds
have found their way home.
The work of Christmas is begun.
(“I Am the Light of the World” - #87VU)
The light is in the world.
The work of Christmas is begun.
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The apostle Paul recognized that the community of believers was strengthen by the fact that different people brought different things to the table. In 1st Corinthians, chapter 12, Paul highlighted nine ‘spiritual’ gifts - in particular - that he believed the Corinthian community had in their midst: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, various tongues, interpretation.
I don't presume to assume that Paul meant to express that this was the complete and exhaustive list of all of the ways God has gifted the church. I imagine that Paul mentioned these particular gifts because he knew that the Corinthians would be able to picture specific people in that church who offered these things to the community.
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We are not the initial intended audience for Paul’s letter, but his assertions speak well beyond Greece of the first century.
I am sure you have witnessed the real world truth of some of these gifts in people you have encountered. Others may have seen some of these gifts manifest in you.
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Let’s admit, the more practically skeptical among us wonder how common a couple of those gifts really are (especially by modern standards of understanding). I mean, how often do we experience authentic, literal gifts of healing, miracles, speaking and understanding in unknown languages.
Let’s admit, many of us in 2018 might be more comfortable speaking of the potential gifts of wisdom, knowledge, discernment.
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I am always surprised about one of those gifts on Paul’s list. Paul says that some people are uniquely gifted with “faith".
Am I the only one that finds that odd? Isn't “the church” a community of believers? Aren't they all (by definition) people of faith? Doesn't every believer have faith?
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The more I think about it, I do know that there are some people who are able to see beyond their own experience and knowledge - people who can trust beyond logic - people (who when faced with uncertainty) are still willing to take the next step - people who truly have the gift of faith.
That is not everyone.
I'm not even sure that this is me most days. I do accept that there are limits to what I fully know and understand. I accept that mystery is real. I am not closed to things that can't be proven. I am open to exploring my mystical side.
Yet, the way my mind ‘prefers’ to work (if I am honest), I may be stronger with other gifts. Fortunately… “to another the same Spirit gives faith." (1Cor12:9)
Thanks be to God for a variety of gifts: sprinkled among different people, so that - together - we can serve a wider good.
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The Word of Yahweh was rare; visions were not widespread.
Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
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Skeptical voices.
Skepticism probably founded in experience… at least, rumours of someone else's experience.
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Hannah saw her unexpected pregnancy as a gift and blessing directly from God. She had long lamented her barrenness and has prayed for a child, so when she did give birth, she named her son, Sh’ma-el: ‘god had heard”.
Hannah’s deep faith inspired her to offer Samuel in service of her Lord. I guess she just wanted to have a child, not raise a child. After Hannah’s child was weaned off her breast milk, she sent him live at the temple and work with Eli, the priest.
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Samuel and Eli were alone in the temple. It was night. Other that the ceremonial lamp, it was dark. The day’s oil had not run out, but Eli needed to go to sleep, so (the much younger) Samuel stayed in the sanctuary until the went out. Actually, Samuel probably expected to just sleep there.
The dark, lonely silence was broken when a voice called, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Even though young Samuel knew his mother’s story of strong faith, there was no reason for him not to assume that the voice was coming from Eli’s bedroom.
And there was no reason not to go with the priest's explaination: “I didn't call you, son. You must have imagined it. Go back and lie down.”
When it happened a second time, everyone made the same assumptions again. And… both of them must have begun to question the boy’s hearing.
The third time, Samuel must have begun to think that his master was playing a trick on him. I bet that Samuel even debated whether he would even go to Eli again. But... what if it wasn’t a joke? What if Eli really needed him, this time? Better go, just in case.
“Here I am, for you called me.”
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The old priest’s eyesight might have grown dim, but his insight was still sharp. This time, he moved past the usual explanations and expectations. Eli opened his mind and soul to the mystical.
“Samuel, go lie down and if you are called again, say ‘speak Lord, for your servant is listening’.”
The leap of faith paid off.
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John the Baptist had been teaching his disciples that God’s messiah was coming. One day, John showed two of his followers who this lamb of god was: Jesus. One of these disciples of John was named Andrew. Andrew was so impressed by his experience with Jesus that he brought his brother Simon to meet him. This is the same Simon that Jesus eventually nicknamed Cephas (rock)... the english version of the nickname is Peter.
The day after Jesus met Simon Peter, the growing band of followers went to Galilee where Jesus met Philip of Bethesda.
[Remember that old shampoo commercial?
You tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on…
Well, that seems to be Jesus’ recruitment policy according to the gospel of John.]
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Philip was so impressed by his experience with Jesus that he wanted his friend Nathaniel to meet him too. “Nate, we have found the [The Messiah] written about in the law and the prophets: Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth. Come and see.”
But Nathaniel couldn't share his friend’s enthusiasm about Jesus... because of a previously held opinion about Nazareth.
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
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The gospel text doesn't give us any hint as to why Nathaniel felt this way. We can assume that some experience (or rumours of someone else's experience) helped him form this opinion of Nazareth and nazarenes.
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I must admit that this kind of blanket prejudice does not sit well with me (whether it comes from someone like Nathaniel or someone like the president of the United States).
I don't care if you have had a legitimate bad experience with one or two people - or while visiting a certain place - or if have been taught to believe some historical bad experience or prejudice - my ethics and morals don't allow me to accept (or even tolerate) your extrapolating of those opinions to include others... just because they share some innocuous characteristics with those maligned people.
I regret that (too often) I have chosen to offer polite silence in the face of words founded in racism, sexism, homophobia, and other nasty expressions of exclusivist-superiority.
But, as I mature, I am trying to reclaim a confident voice that - more often - will speak up and challenge the bigots of the world - even when that bigotry is based on ignorance or once acceptable attitudes.
I will still strive to be polite, but... I want to be more openly honest about what I think is universally right.
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It is not okay to blanketly claim that a continent is filled with “[poop]hole countries” - a continent which, by the way, is home to almost one-sixth of the world’s population.
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And… it was not okay to blanketly bemoan Nazareth of being unworthy of anything good.
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“Nathaniel, come and see Jesus: the messiah!”
“Ok... but if he is from Nazareth, there is no way he can be the messiah.”
Nathaniel had never met Jesus, but he thinks he knows enough to disparage him.
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Look what happens next in the story.
Jesus (who had never met Nathaniel) greets him with “[You are] truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” The Living Bible translates it this way: “an honest man—a true son of Israel”; the Message version says: “a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.”
Nathaniel is moved by this flattery: “Why Jesus, how do you know much about me?”
“Well, I saw you over by the tree.”
My question for Jesus would be: How exactly does seeing someone by a tree dictate how honest they are?
As absurd as Jesus’ answer was, Nathaniel obviously had his ego stroked enough to accept that this Nazarene was okay: “You are the son of god - the King of Israel!”
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Now, I don't know if Jesus was just messing around or if he was just as prejudiced as Nathaniel, but the next line moves us past that anyway: “The truth is", Jesus says, “you ain't seen nothing yet.”
In other words… pay attention; you will have new experiences that will convince you of what is really true.
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Both Nathaniel’s and Eli’s quick skepticism clouded their ability to see that there was a sacred holiness in their midst. They both formed fast opinions based on what they thought they knew.
But not so quick…
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As their experience broadened, they were opened to a new view.
Even though ‘the word of the Lord was rare and visions were not widespread’, God might be reaching out to Samuel.
Even though ‘nothing good comes out of Nazareth’, Jesus might be God’s Anointed One.
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It took a small leap of faith (based on no real tangible evidence) for Eli to be open to the possibility that God was present.
It took a small leap of faith (based on nothing more than some hollow flattery) for Nathanial to be open to the possibility that God was present.
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I see something very hopeful in these scripture readings this morning... you don't necessarily have to blessed with the full gift of faith to be able to make meaningful little leaps of faith.
Even without the gift of faith,
we can still be changed by
little leaps of faith.
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Growing our faith can happen through big, profound, mystical, spiritual experiences, but it does seem to be the case (for most of us, at least) that it is the little leaps of faith that bring us closer to our God.
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And so…
- let us appreciate the hint of holiness pointed to by the very breaths we breath - this life is a miracle;
- let us grab a tiny bit of faith when we see kindness being lived out - not for personal gain, but simply because it is right;
- let us look for the eyes of Jesus in a stranger;
- let us see a spark of the spirit within even the most hateful person - for they are a child of God too - even when it is not obvious;
- let us trust in the good creation that we are - let us tell ourselves “God you have searched me and know me, and (like all of your creation) I am made in your image and I am good”;
- and... when we find ourselves in a very familiar circumstance - when we think we know everything we need to know - let us (remind ouselves) not so quick, the Spirit might be doing something new in our midst.
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Let us pray:
Holy One, as we continue on this path of light, may we see you all around us. Amen.
#567VU “Will You Come and Follow Me”
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