Rik's Sermons: March 2019

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Finding our Real Identity!

Sermon for Lent 1C – RCL

March 10, 2019 – St. Matthew’s

After his baptism, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered him, "It is written,

'Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.'"

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

'He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you,'

and

'On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Today is the first Sunday in lent. A time we are called to prepare ourselves for Holy Week and Easter. A time the church invites us into a time of self-examination and repentance. Notice that the church invites – not demands – that we prepare during these forty days. For the church to demand would be bordering on being the tempter that Jesus encountered in the wilderness. To demand certain actions would be to assert that we somehow know your relationship with God and your need to change that relationship.

This is also not about equating giving up chocolate, or alcohol, or some other thing with Jesus being tempted by the evil one. The temptations of Jesus are about identity theft. The devil in these temptations does not really question if Jesus is the Son of God. The devil acknowledges Jesus’ special relationship with God and tempts Jesus to exert more power, to claim more. The devil tempts Jesus to take on the kind of power that frankly the world expects of the messiah. The devil temps God to use a different kind of tool to bring about God’s kingdom. A tool of power and might. If only God would turn more power over to the evil then we could get it over with and have God on the throne here on earth.

The devil is trying to change Jesus from the one that Isaiah proclaimed who would come to heal the sick, and open the eyes of the blind and make the pathway level to a powerful emperor to rule the world. To change Jesus form someone who challenges the power structures that corrupt to embracing absolute power that Lord Acton, the 19^th c. British politician famously said corrupts absolutely.

The good news is that Jesus rejects the temptation to change his relationship with the godhead and with humanity. The good news is that Jesus is determined to show that there is a different way that is not the way of absolute power and absolute corruption. A way that recognizes a Love that is, in the eyes of our world, crazy. A love that loves all of God’s creation no matter what.

What does this tell us about our lives? Caroline Lewis from Luther Seminary suggests that “perhaps there is one takeaway from Jesus’ temptation that might make a difference for a life of faith, besides being reminded of the fact that Jesus is Jesus -- and we are not. Perhaps the one parallel between Jesus’ testing in the wilderness and the tests of our own lives is the identity test -- that who you are, who you have chosen to be, who God has called you to be, seems to be a truth that is tested often. In fact, every, single, day.”^{^[1]}

One way we can prepare for Easter, for the day we remember that God’s love will not be killed by anything humankind can do, is to focus on our identity. Not the identity that our society wants to impart on us – the identity as a consumer, as a pawn in our political system, as a democrat or republican. Not the identity that Facebook creates as it serves us ads for anything we happen to look at – or the algorithms think we should be looking at.

Lent is a time to focus on our real identity. Our identity as beloved children of God. A time to remember that we are loved by God so much that God came to earth in human form to show a better way. The reality is that we are tempted to give up that identity – or at least question it on a regular basis.

The advertising industry is always trying to get us to give up that identity. To give it up because we are obviously lacking. Lacking that one thing that will spark joy in our lives. If we would only fork over more cash to buy some “thing”, or go on some vacation, or live in some gated community, then we would be fulfilled. We would be safe. The message is we are not fulfilled because we do not have “it” – whatever it is.

Politicians try to steal our identity too. They try to sell us a vision that we are not safe under the current political regime – or that we won’t be safe if the other side comes into power. We are told that the other – those who do not look like the dominate power structure, which is mostly wealthy white males, are somehow out to steal whatever we value. We are told that if we vote for them, we will somehow be safer. That we will somehow be better. Political campaigns these days are about gaining power and instilling fear. Fear that somehow our power will be taken from us. Politics in many places have devolved into identity politics that equate safety and power as sitting only with those who look like those in power. And those that don’t are demonized.

All of this pulls us away from our true identity. Our identity as beloved children of God. Loved no matter the color of our skin, no matter our national origin, no matter our sexual identity, no matter our wealth – or lack of wealth. Loved because God made us and values us and desires nothing more than we spread that love to all corners of God’s beloved creation.

Lent is a time to prepare. And one way to prepare is to look for the temptations that turn us away from the Love of God. What are the temptations that steal your identity as God’s beloved child? For Jesus the devil was sure that the temptation that would separate Jesus were all based on power – power to change from a message of healing into the evil message of domination.

We are walking in a wilderness time. There are so many messages out there that question our validity, that question our place, that question our worth. Wilderness can be a scary place – but it can also be a place where the Holy Spirit shows up to help us find our identity. Even in this time of wilderness where society tells me that the un-homed are unworthy I find God In surprising places and people.

On Wednesday I participated in Ashes to Go at St. Paul’s. Starting at 7:30 – while the rain was blowing sideways – I opened the J street doors to offer a prayer for a holy lent and a reminder that God loves God’s beloved creation while administering ashes. During this time I also opened up the doors of the church so that our un-homed parishioners could come out of the cold and the rain and find a place of warmth. One of our long term un-homed folk came in for a couple of hours and then left. When he returned, he brought me a breakfast from the nearby 7-11 and said “here – Eat” How did he know that I had not eaten breakfast before leaving the house clutching my coffee cup? In that action I saw God’s work in the world. In that action I saw him not as an un-homed person but as a beloved Child of God helping to bring about God’s dream of love to our world.

The church invites us this lent to find what steals our identity as beloved children of God. To identify the temptations that turn us away from the path of light and love to a path of darkness and doubt. Perhaps that means giving up chocolate. Perhaps that means giving up alcohol. But only if those things are temptations that turn us away from Gods love. Only if they are things that separate us from the ability to see God’s creation as good. Only if they prevent us from journeying with Jesus to Calvary. Only if they prevent us form seeing the empty cross and empty tomb on Easter.

Lent is a gift. A gift that invites us to find time to once again see that the Love that came to us on Christmas is in us and cannot be killed. The love that came down on Christmas cannot be killed - not even on the cross. And that love desires nothing more than that we claim out identity as beloved children of God. We are invited to spend this lent exploring the ways that separate us from our identity and to turn away from them and turn to God and embrace our true identities.

Amen.

^{^[1]} https://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?m=4377&post=5294 Accessed March 9, 2019

Sunday, March 3, 2019

This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!

Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday – March 3, 2019

Year C RCL

Exodus 34:29-35

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Luke 9:28-36

Psalm 99

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Today is the last Sunday before we start the season of Lent. `Wednesday is Ash Wednesday when we enter into a time of preparation for the feast of Easter. It is a time we are called to listen to God in our lives and to prepare our hearts to go with Jesus to Calvary on Good Friday and to witness with the women the empty tomb on Easter. The last Sunday before Easter we always read the story of the Transfiguration. A story that the commentators always talk about being difficult to understand and difficult to preach. I actually love the transfiguration. In part that is due to it being the central theme to one of my practical theology classes in seminary.

Up to this point in our Gospel narrative of Luke Jesus has been traveling through the country and healing the sick and casting out demons. Except in Nazareth where the crowds almost throw Jesus off the cliff! Jesus has sent the disciples out to also proclaim the good news and to heal the sick in the communities that Jesus would be passing through. During his travels – and just before this part of the narrative Jesus asks the disciples who do people say he is, and they reply one of the prophets, perhaps John the Baptist come back to life – which would be strange since John was beheaded after Jesus started his ministry! Then Jesus asks the disciples who do they say he is! At which point Peter proclaims that Jesus is “God’s Messiah!” Peter gets it… for now…

So now we have Jesus with Peter, James, and John up on mount Tabor - what we now call the Mount of the Transfiguration. Jesus is withdrawing with his inner circle to pray – which we see Jesus doing regularly after a lot of healing ministry – Jesus is practicing what we would call today good “self-care”. And something remarkable happens.

Jesus is transfigured – a strange word transfigured – Jesus is changed. Suddenly he is glowing as he encounters the holy. Just like Moses glowed after encountering God on the mountain as Moses received the Law so Jesus glows. It is the same dazzling light emanating from Jesus that the women will encounter when they see the risen Christ on Easter Day. And the disciples – although we are told they are weighed down with sleep – are awake and witness this amazing change. They witness the glory of God shining forth through Jesus. And they witness Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus about the next phase of his ministry. A ministry that will set Jesus’ face toward Jerusalem where he will confront the rulers one too many times and finally be put to death. The word Luke uses for departure is the same in the Greek for Exodus. Moses and Elijah – two prophets that led people through an exodus away from pain and suffering into relationship with God talk about Jesus’ upcoming exodus. An exodus where Jesus will show us the way from pain and suffering to a love that is indescribable.

Jesus exodus is not just about a journey of forgiveness. David Lose, a preacher nary that I follow said “Yet it’s easy to forget that the cross is not simply, or perhaps even primarily, about making forgiveness possible (Jesus has already been doing a lot of forgiving up to this point), much less paying God off for our sin, but rather is about freedom, release from captivity, and establishing an open future.”^{^[1]}

Jesus is taking us on an exodus to turn our world right side up. An exodus that challenges us to act at all times out of a place of love. An exodus that leads us to operate out of an instinct that recognizes that our call is to provide healing to the sick, and to feed the hungry, as a primary motivation. Jesus is leading us during lent on an Exodus away from the greed of the world to a place where all of God’s beloved creation is seen as good. A journey that seems impossible to take at times – especially when we see the huge polarization that is happening in our society. How are we to love those that refuse to love the immigrant, those who refuse to feed and clothe the naked?

It is not easy, but Jesus is calling us to love all of God’s beloved creation. Even to the point that we love our enemy and those we feel are doing wrong. And we love them by modeling and showing that there is a better way. A way that God calls us to model just as Jesus showed us a way of Love. A love that will lead to the cross. A love that will stretch out God’s arms of love and call God’s beloved children to God’s embrace – even on the cross. And that is not easy, but God is there to help us and to remind us that we are God’s children and we are called to continue to bring about God’s dream of love to our communities and to the world.

[pause]

One of the parts of the transfiguration story that I love is the disciple’s reaction to seeing the Devine shine through Jesus and witnessing Moses and Elijah. Peter wants to build three dwelling on the mountain so that they can preserve this moment. Peter who just before this confessed Jesus as the Messiah – the one who is to bring about the work of God’s salvation – now wants to create a shrine to God. Peter wants to freeze this amazing moment. I can imagine Peter creating this place for Jesus, Moses and Elijah and putting up road side signs to come and see the spectacular transformation. A little like driving up the coast of California and seeing the signs to see the mighty wonders in the redwoods. And I always chuckle that now on the mount of the transfiguration, where tradition tells us that this event took place, there is a church building. And in the church building there is a large Jesus chapel and two side chapels – one for Moses and one for Elijah. The current church only daters from the 1920’s but it is built on the site of churches that go back to around the 4^th century. So it only took 400 years or so for Peter to get his dwellings on the mountain!

When we encounter the Holy we too want to preserve the moment. We want to capture it so that we can find in again when our lives are difficult. I have experienced some amazing breakthrough s of God’s love. I have experienced them in some unlikely places with some unlikely people. I experienced God’s love breakthrough when I was a hospice chaplain and had people who had for most purposes lost their voices to Alzheimer’s or dementia suddenly speak coherently just before they passed away. I have experienced the joy of God’s love when a homeless member of this congregation brought me a sandwich when I was studying for finals in the clergy office while I was in seminary. And I certainly experienced it when I was ordained here in this space. All moments that I would love to encase in amber so that I can return to them over and over again.

The last thing that happens during the transfiguration is that the heavens open and the voice of God is heard. It should sound familiar this time as it echoes the voice we heard at the time of Jesus baptism in the River Jordan by John. This time God says to us "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" God’s voice was not for the benefit of Jesus. It was for Peter, James, John… and us. Because like Peter we sometimes listen to God, we sometimes get why Jesus walked among us in human form and sometimes we don’t.

Just like Peter who at one moment declares that Jesus is “God’s Messiah” and in almost the next breath cannot believe that Jesus will go to Jerusalem and will be crucified. Like Peter we cannot understand how Jesus willingly set his face to Jerusalem. We cannot understand how the love that was born in human flesh on Christmas Day would be hung on a cross and seemingly die. We cannot see those outstretched arms on the cross for what they are – the arms of love outstretched and desiring nothing more than to draw us into the love that would not die. Calling us to turn around. Metanoia – to repent – to turn around. Calling us to work to change our world into one that operated from an economy of love instead of from an economy of greed.

This lent we are called to listen to Jesus. We are called to set some time aside so that we will be able to hear God calling us into love.

One way is to join a Lenten study group. Loreen Kleinschmidt and Anne Slakey will be leading a Lenten Study Group that will meet on Saturday March 9, 10-noon in the church. Next Saturday’s topic will be Sacramental Rites. The book they have been using is Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices by Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe, which is available at the Cathedral bookstore or online.

This is the second half of our 2 part study. If you weren’t part of the first half but would like to participate, now is the time to join.

On this transfiguration Sunday and during lent I invite you to find ways to listen to Jesus. Find some time to listen to his call to love. To listen to Jesus’ call to us to be partners in bringing about a love that is indescribable. A love that refuses to die – even on the cross.

Amen.

^{^[1]} http://www.davidlose.net/2019/03/transfiguration-c-listen-to-him/ accessed March 2, 2019