Finding Hope in Suffering: A Sermon for the Presentation of the Lord

Photo Credit: Mart Production

O God, take our minds and think through them. Take our lips and speak through them. Take our hearts and set them on fire. Amen.

 

February 2^nd is a holy day called the Presentation of the Lord, or in Catholic circles, the Purification of our Lady. Bringing your attention to Leviticus chapter 12, it says,

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Israelites, saying: ‘If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing or come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed… When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a turtledove for a purification offering. He shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement on her behalf; then she shall be clean from her flow of blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, male or female.’”

 

Under the Mosaic Law, a woman was ritually “unclean” for 40 days after childbirth, when she was to present herself to the priests and offer sacrifice for her “purification.” Contact with anyone who had brushed against mystery, whether that be birth or death, excluded a person from Jewish worship.

 

In today’s gospel reading, we find Mary and Joseph respecting the Mosaic Law by offering the sacrifice prescribed for the poor: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. We also discover a number of people who have been waiting for a very long time for their great hope to arrive. First of all, Simeon, who’s described as waiting for the consolation of Israel. Secondly there’s Anna and the people that she speaks to who are looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. All these people are looking for the same thing. They’re looking forward to the fulfilment of prophecies such as Isaiah’s that told of the restoration of Jerusalem, of the coming of the Messiah to restore the fortunes of Israel, and to establish God’s Kingdom here on earth, bringing salvation to all peoples.

 

All these people were waiting for God to act. Most of them had been waiting for many years. We’re not told how old Simeon was, but the implication is that he’d lived beyond the normal span of years as he waited to greet the coming Messiah. He’s certainly ready to go once he’s seen Jesus. Anna we’re told, is 84, which was a great age for the time. But notice that their time hasn’t been wasted. Rather they’ve spent their time in worship of God. Simeon is described as righteous and devout. That is, his life was exemplary. He was a regular worshipper of God. He was open to God speaking to him and responded when he heard God’s voice. We’re told the Holy Spirit rested on him. Presumably that means that he’s a prophet, like the prophets of old. God, it seemed, had been silent for 400 years. There had been no prophets since Malachi. But now here is Simeon, waiting for the Messiah to be revealed. In fact, Luke tells us that it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he wouldn’t see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

 

Similarly, there was Anna. She too was a prophet. She never left the temple but worshipped there with prayer and fasting night and day. What a great example of a godly woman. And what a great example of a woman who acts as a mouthpiece for God. Anna is a great example of a woman whom God uses to teach his people about who Jesus is.

 

Simeon and Anna had each spent long years at prayer in the temple. In that time, they must have seen countless babies. But, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, some special quality in Jesus aroused in them the conviction that this child was the Messiah. Their long years of faith-filled yearning were over. They recognized him. The Anointed of the Lord had come.

 

This Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a celebration of that extraordinary moment of recognition. It is a moment worth thinking about, because we are all invited to experience it. Each one of us is called upon to recognize Jesus. We won’t have that forty-day old baby to gaze at, but the same Holy Spirit who inspired Simeon and Anna is with us, enabling us to recognize Jesus in the Scriptures, in the hungry, in the stranger, in the prisoner, and in the Eucharist we share.

 

In Luke’s account, Jesus was welcomed in the temple by two elderly people, Simeon and the widow Anna. They embody Israel in their patient expectation, both living in a world of patient hope where suffering has become a way of life. They acknowledge the infant Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, God’s appointed redeemer who will deal with the suffering by sharing it himself. Luke also tells us that to love Jesus is to suffer with him when Simeon tells Mary, “A sword will pierce your own soul, too.”

 

When we look at the world around us, we can see the suffering. People are hurting, hungry, sick, and dying. Violence is rising. Politics are becoming destructive. God’s people are suffering. How do we recognize Jesus in this suffering? Where is God in this suffering? From theologian and author NT Wright,

“Everybody has their own role in God’s plan. For some, it will be active, obvious, working in the public eye, perhaps preaching the gospel or taking the love of God to meet the practical needs of the world. For others, it will be quiet, away from public view, praying faithfully for God to act in fulfilment of [God’s] promises. For many, it will be a mixture of the two, sometimes one, sometimes the other.”

 

Keeping Wright’s words in mind, what is our role in this suffering?

 

In Simeon’s and Anna’s world, suffering was an everyday thing, with no end in sight. But they were able to hold out hope that God’s promises would come true one day. They found that hope in Jesus. When we look around, it feels as if this suffering will go on forever. There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. In fact, it just seems to get worse on the daily. But we can have hope, too. Our hope lies in the knowledge that God is sitting with us through it all, shedding the same tears and feeling the same grief, while also presenting to us, in Jesus, the knowledge that the Kingdom of God is confronting the Kingdom of the World.

 

I will end this time of teaching with a prayer for grieving by Cole Arthur Riley,

                        “God who is moved to tears,

Lead us into a kind of solidarity that reminds us that in pausing to bear witness to suffering, we do not center ourselves as the rescuer. We do not become the voice. Free us from the responsibility to understand every tragedy at once. Help us to discern our capacity for solidarity, lament. Help us to learn when to stand and when to rest and allow others to do so, remembering that our activism is shared among a collective. We don’t have to hold it alone.”

 

Amen.

Resources

sermoncentral.com

franciscanmedia.org

"Luke for Everyone" by NT Wright

"New Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testament" edited by Danial Durken

Has Christ Been Divided?: A Sermon for the 3rd Sunday After Epiphany

O God, take our minds and think through them. Take our lips and speak through them. Take our hearts and set them on fire. Amen.

 

Things were not going well in the fledgling Corinthian Christian congregation and matters seemed serious enough to occasion a letter from the Apostle Paul. In-fighting and clique-forming were the norm. Factions were splintering the congregation as people claimed allegiance to one leader over another instead of following God’s way in the central message of the gospel of Christ. Paul is urging the people to cease their divisions and quarrels and to remember that they were all united by their baptism in the name of Christ. Paul argues that the central message of the gospel is the cross of Christ, and it is through the lens of the cross that Christians are called to regard one another and to treat them accordingly.

 

We are called to do the same. We are all one in Christ being connected to each other through our baptism in Christ’s name. Like the religious people so fiercely denounced by the biblical prophets, some Christian believers have been or continue to be complicit in supporting or perpetuating prejudice and oppression and fostering division. History shows that, rather than recognising the dignity of every human being made in the image and likeness of God, Christians have too often involved themselves in structures of sin such as slavery, colonisation, segregation, and discrimination which have stripped others of their dignity on the spurious grounds of race, gender, sexuality, and so forth. So too within the churches.

 

Churches must acknowledge how they have been silent or actively complicit regarding social injustice. Racial prejudice has been one of the many causes of Christian division that has torn the Body of Christ. Toxic ideologies, such as White Supremacy and the doctrine of discovery, have caused much harm, particularly in North America and in lands throughout the world colonized by White European powers over the centuries.

 

Christians throughout history have excluded, persecuted, and killed those they deemed to be different – Jews, Muslims, gays, witches, heretics, and so on. Today, separation and oppression continue to manifest when any single group or class is given privileges above others. The sins of racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia is evident in any beliefs or practices that distinguish or elevate one type of person over another. As Christians we must be willing to disrupt systems of oppression and to advocate for justice. Christians have failed to recognise the dignity of all the baptised and have belittled the dignity of their siblings in Christ on the grounds of “difference”.

 

Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr memorably said, “It is one of the tragedies of our nation, one of the shameful tragedies, that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours, if not the most segregated hour in Christian America”. This statement demonstrates the disunity of Christians. This division runs counter to the unity that God desires for the whole of creation. Tragically this failure to recognise the dignity of all people is part of what has divided Christians from one another, has caused Christians to worship at separate times, and in separate buildings, and in certain cases has led Christian communities to divide.

 

Now, not all Christians distrust, demonize, fear, caricature, and separate themselves from each other. We can also find voices of inclusion, embrace, toleration, and even celebration. How can we live our unity as Christians so as to confront the evils and injustices of our time? How can we engage in dialogue, increase awareness, understanding and insight about one another’s lived experiences?

 

Let us be open to God’s presence in all our encounters with each other as we seek to be transformed, to dismantle the systems of oppression, and to heal the sins of racism. Together, let us engage in the struggle for justice in our society. Oppression is harmful to the entire human race. There can be no unity without justice.

 

We need to confront all instances of oppression and bring forth justice for all. We are all human and we all deserve the dignity of living the truth of our lives, to live as we are, to embrace our differences in the knowledge that we are all children of God deserving of love, peace, and salvation. And, in this unity, we all belong to Christ. It is the gifts and the life experience of the people of the church that gives the most complete picture and witness of the body of Christ and where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are experienced and exercised.

 

It is not an act of charity to reach out to those different from us or our way of being Christ’s person in the world, or who have been taught the faith differently. It is an act of faithfulness, an extension of the faith of Jesus, to seek communion with all those who call upon the name of Jesus. If we belong together to Christ, we must belong to one another.

 

Our church is divided. But it doesn’t have to be. It is up to us to bridge the divides and bring unity as baptized people of Christ. We must find ways to work together as the undivided Body of Christ, not with the goal of all being the same, but to embrace all humanity as they are, in all their differences, and as loved Children of God.

 

Amen.

A Review of the Book "Life of the Beloved" by Henri JM Nouwen

Title: Life of the Beloved

Author: Henri JM Nouwen

Publisher: Crossroad Publishing Company

Year: 1992

149 pages

From the Back: This spiritual classic began as a simple request from one friend to another. Fred Bratman, a secular journalist and writer, asked friend and renowned author Henri Nouwen to write a book explaining the spiritual life in terms that he and his friends could understand, avoiding theology and technical language. Nouwen's answer has become one of the most cherished books of our era.

Personal Thoughts: I don't think I've read anything by Henri Nouwen that I haven't liked. Life of the Beloved is no exception. Coming recommended to me by a friend and colleague, I enjoyed the conversational style writing of the book. It made for easy reading. The challenge made by Nouwen's friend, to talk about spirituality without talking about theology was quite interesting. As it was pointed out to me, the book it laid out almost perfectly for a 6-week book study, so I may end up doing just that one day.

A Review of the Book "The Eye of the World" by Robert Jordan

Title: The Eye of the World

Author: Robert Jordan

Publisher: To Doherty Associates

Year: 1990

782 pages

From the Back: The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

Personal Thoughts: I will be honest. It's not often I reread books but I decided to challenge myself to read through the Wheel of Time series. The Eye of the World was my first foray out of the science fiction genre many years ago. I had only read the first 3 books of the series and then got defeated by the sheer massiveness of the books. Now that I've gotten used to reading longer novels, I'm hoping I will slowly make my way through the series. The story is quite incredible and I love Jordan's writing, but it will definitely take me a long while to read all of the books. Especially as I will still be reading other books along the way. Here we go!

A Review of the Book "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E Frankl

Title: Man's Search for Meaning

Author: Viktor E Frankl

Publisher: Beacon Press

Year: 1959

165 pages

From the Back: Psychiatrist Viktor E Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Man's Search for Meaning has become one of the most influential books in America; it continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living.

Personal Thoughts: I won't say this was an easy book to read, because it certainly wasn't. It's also not one I likely would have picked up, except that it was on my course reading list. However, I don't regret making way through these pages. I have read plenty of books from the WWII era over the last few years, most of them historical fiction, but to read about the events from the perspective of a psychiatrist was quite different. The fact that Frankl could find meaning in the events of his life, and of his time in the death camps, is simply incredible. It was also interesting to read about his theory of logotherapy. We often hear the phrase "the pursuit of happiness" but I agree with Frankl when he theorizes that it is more important to have the "pursuit of meaning". A life without meaning will never have happiness.

The Servant Brings Salvation to All: A Sermon for the 2nd Sunday After Epiphany

O God, take our minds and think through them. Take our lips and speak through them. Take our hearts and set them on fire. Amen.

 

Today we are blessed to read one a text that stands at the very heart of the Bible's central claim. As it says in Isaiah, the servant of God has been chosen, "chosen before I was born" (Is. 49:1), "so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Is. 49:6).

 

For Christians, the servant is Jesus whose epiphany we remember and celebrate and now attempt to illuminate for our time. Why has Jesus come? It is amazing how many answers to that question we can find in Isaiah, a book written well before Jesus’ time. God’s servant has been called and named before birth, having been known even in the mother's womb (Is. 49:1). The first characteristic of the servant is that their "mouth" was made by God to be "a sharp sword" (Is. 49:2). It is important to note that this servant is decidedly not a warrior but an orator, whose words are sharp rather than whose iron sword is honed for battle. The book of Revelation borrows this image in John's description of "one like a son of humanity" from whose mouth comes a "sharp two-edged sword" (Rev. 1:16). Thus, very earliest Christianity focused on the power of Jesus found in his words, not in his prowess as soldier or fighter.

 

The identity of the servant for Isaiah is not Jesus, but the specific identity of the servant is less significant than the work of the servant. The chief task of the servant is to return the exiles to the Promised Land of God. Isaiah himself paints the famous pictures of Israel streaming back to Zion from the various places of their exile (go back and read Isaiah chapter 2 to see what I mean). When the exiles return to Jerusalem, the glory of God will be revealed and all flesh will see it together, as Isaiah chapter 40 describes it.

 

But now comes the more expansive work that God has for the servant. God says that it is too small a task to speak the word of truth and power only to those you have known and loved and whom you recognize as people like yourself in order that you might create again the community you had before the calamity of exile. No, says God! That is simply too trivial in the grand scheme of my desire for the world. "I offer you as a light to the nations in order that my saving work may reach to the very ends of the earth" (Is. 49:6b). The full task of the servant of God is nothing less than a beacon of light for the whole world in order that all may see and experience the saving of God. This servant was initially summoned to reconstitute the remnant of the Israelite exiles, but Isaiah realizes that such a task is too small, too trivial. No, this servant will now be sent as a "light to the nations," in order that God's "salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."

 

In fact, Isaiah echoes famous words from the book of Genesis 12:3 where Abram, God's chosen one, is called from his homeland to be one who "will bless all the families of the earth." In effect, Isaiah's great servant is a new Abram, fulfilling that call given so long ago. Little wonder that the early Christians read this marvelous passage and thought of the one they called Christ. That baby in the manger, so small, so unknown, so mysteriously hidden, for them became public in power and healing, finally despised and dying on a Roman cross. Why? To fulfill the role of the servant, they believed, to offer the light of God to the ends of the earth. The servant Jesus called his followers to attend to all, not just to some, not just to those they knew and loved and recognized as "one of them."

 

And so, he calls us to embrace the world, all of it, in order that all may have the salvation, the "making whole" of God, for them as for us. The call of the servant is to extend the saving work of God to the nations, to the whole earth. How are we light to that vast company? On Isaiah 49:6 rests the Bible's central claim that no one may be excluded from the salvation of our God. And our task is to continue to make that inclusion real in every place and time. We are in good company in the attempt to make inclusion real, aren’t we?

 

Consider the central person in the reading from John’s Gospel. Peter is considered to be one of Jesus’ first disciples, the rock upon which the church has its foundation. But really, he was just a regular guy, a fisherman minding his own business when he was called to be a servant of Christ. We are all aware of his loyalty to Jesus, as well as his cowardice and denial during Jesus’ trip to the cross. He was scared of experiencing the same fate as Jesus. Wouldn’t we all have done what we could to save our hides?

 

But Peter’s failures did not overshadow his faith or his passion. Peter ran to the tomb when he was told of Jesus’ resurrection. Peter was with Jesus during the time after his resurrection and before his ascension. Spurred by accusations of drunkenness during the time following Pentecost, it was Peter who stood up to the crowds, telling them about the events of Pentecost, and demanding they repent. It was his declaration of faith in Jesus that converted about 3,000 people to follow Christ that day. And it was Peter who fought and won the battle to accept Gentiles into the church. Because he knew that God’s salvation was for everyone. So, I ask again, how are we a light to the world? How can we be like Peter and spread the Gospel to all, not just the elite few?

 

Jesus was sent by God to show us how and Peter was his main example. Be an orator, not a warrior. Evangelize through loving action and be nothing less than a beacon of light for the whole world.

 

Amen.

A Review of the Book "Pageboy" by Elliot Page

Title: Pageboy

Author: Elliot Page

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Year: 2023

265 pages

From the Back: The Oscar-nominated star who captivated the world with his performance in Juno finally shares his story in this groundbreaking and inspiring memoir about love, family, fame - and stepping into who we truly are with strength, joy, and connection. Full of intimate stories, from chasing down secret love affairs to battling body image and struggling with familial strife, Pageboy is a love letter to the power of being seen. With this evocative and lyrical memoir, Elliot Page captures the universal human experience of searching for ourselves and our place in this complicated world.

Personal Thoughts: We often forget that Hollywood stars are just regular humans who happen to have a different skill set than you or me. Reading about the struggles that Elliott has gone through in just trying to exist really hit home. Page's book is raw and ho-holds-barred, bringing us into the deep recesses of his life that he has kept hidden for years. You can tell that he left nothing behind while writing this memoir, and it feels like it must have been truly therapeutic. I am glad that he acknowledges his privilege in having access to his medical transition so quickly as that is one of the major hurdles that the transgender community must go through.

Baptism is Just the Beginning: A Sermon for the Baptism of the Lord

O God, take our minds and think through them. Take our lips and speak through them. Take our hearts and set them on fire. Amen.

With a show of hands, who here has been baptized? Who was baptized as a baby? As a young person? As an adult? Do you know why you were baptized? Do you remember it?

In our prayer books, Holy Baptism is defined as “the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children, and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.” It also tells us that the inward and spiritual grace we receive in Baptism is “union with Christ in his death and resurrection, birth into God’s family the Church, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit.” In all of that definition, the one point that gets brought up the most when talking about the reason for baptizing is the forgiveness of sins. But if that’s the main reason for baptism, then why do we baptize babies? What sin could they have possibly committed? And why, then, would Jesus need to be baptized, if he is considered to be sinless? Is there perhaps another way of looking at baptism?

In Matthew’s version of Jesus’ baptism, even John is confused as to why Jesus wants to be baptized. He says, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” John knows that Jesus is the Messiah, the one he’s been making way for, the one sent by God. So, he is utterly flabbergasted that Jesus asks John to baptize him in the same river everyone else has been baptized in. All Matthew tells us is that John consented. He trusted that Jesus knew what he was doing when he said, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”

What came next sure was exciting! In scripture, the only reference to the trinity appearing as a trinity is in the story of the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan River. We hear of Jesus (the Incarnate Word) coming up from the water and a dove (the Spirit) descending, while a voice from heaven (the Creator) speaks those words of affirmation: "You are my beloved One, with you I am well pleased." And this wasn’t a private event. John would have seen and heard this happen. The people gathered at the river would have seen and heard this happen. This event was a very public manifestation of the Spirit of God, as well as a direct announcement of Jesus as the Son of God to John and to all the bystanders.

Our prayer books also tell us that “Baptism is the sign of new life in Christ. Baptism unites Christ with his people. That union is both individual and corporate.” And also “Christians are not just baptized individuals; they are a new humanity.” Jesus’ baptism was less about forgiveness of sins, more about a complete transformation, and it was water that initiated this transformation. Just as with Isreal going through the parted Red Sea and given a new law, Jesus was baptized with water in order to receive God’s spirit, God’s wind, God’s breath. The water is a symbol of rebirth, of the coming of a new way.

You see, the baptism of Jesus is not the ending of his ministry, it is just the beginning. It is through his baptism that he is commissioned to begin the public ministry for which he was created and to which he was called. Just as Jesus’s baptism signified the beginning of his participation in a new mission in the world, so too does ours. When we are baptized, we are told that we now share in Christ’s priesthood, even if we are a helpless infant. At our baptism, we are told to “confess the faith of Christ crucified” and “proclaim his resurrection,” even before we are able to speak!

Many times, I’ve had families approach me to baptize their baby and then they’re never to be seen again. It’s as if people think that the baptism of the infant of the young person or the adult is the culminating activity of faith. Get baptized and then you’re done. Right? But there is so much more to do afterwards! By being baptized, we are called to share in Jesus’ ministry, in his priesthood. If we are anxious about the daunting prospect of sharing in Christ’s priesthood, the Gospel can remind us that baptism is a sacrament of joyful connection. In the Incarnation, Jesus shares in our humanity. And in Baptism, we share in Christ’s Body. We are connected not only to God, but to one another, as members of the household of God.

By being baptized, we are called to follow the Way of Jesus, to enact Jesus’ teachings, and to be present in the community. Just as with Jesus, our Baptism is just the beginning of our ministry in the world. And so, this morning, I’m going to walk us through some pieces of the baptismal services, some of the promises we made when we were baptized, promises that perhaps we’ve forgotten. Please pull out the green prayer books you’ll find in the pews. You may have to share with your neighbour. We’re going to start on page 154 and as we go through this process, I want you to really think about the words you are saying. Here we go…

Go through questions on page 154.

Now let’s turn to page 159 and answer these questions.

Go through questions on page 159.

Thank you for indulging me. I hope that you were able to truly take to heart the words that were being declared. For some people, baptism has lost its importance, becoming just sprinkling of water on a baby’s head, just hell insurance that protects you from the fiery wrath of God, just joining the Jesus Club.

But what happened in Jesus’ baptism? The Spirit of God came upon him. He was declared to be the Son of God in whom God delighted. He was called to be the Suffering Servant who carried the whole sins of the world. In our baptism, similar things happen to us as happened to Jesus when he was baptized: The Spirit of God comes into us and remains in us. We are declared to be a child of God. We hear that God is well pleased with us. And so, on this Baptism of Our Lord Sunday, remember your Baptism and live into your calling.

Let us pray.

Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit, so that those who are here baptized may be given new life. Wash away the sin of all those who are cleansed by water and bring them forth as inheritors of your glorious kingdom. To you be given praise and honour and worship through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Amen.

Resources:

putlpitfiction.com

episcopalchurch.org

"Matthew for Everyone" by NT Wright

"New Collegeville Commentary" edited by Daniel Durken

"Feasting on the Word" edited by David L Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor

Book of Alternative Services

Book of Common Prayer

Pastor Tyler Gingrich, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Winnipeg