The Gifts We Are Given.

It was already a tough week.

On Wednesday I was at my leadership class and we were talking about criminal justice.

We spent the morning in a court room and the afternoon in jail.

We were told about people doing bad things.

It was a long tough day, because it was a reminder that this world is filled with some very dark places.

And then Friday I heard about the tragedy in Connecticut.

What happened on Friday at the school in Newtown Connecticut was jarring to say the least.

It stopped me in my tracks as I am sure it did all of you.

I had planned on preaching about giving God of our gifts as part of our stewardship series.

At first I thought I should just scrap my sermon all together and preach about what happened.

Then I thought I would just add a special section at the beginning of my sermon to say something about the tragedy.

But then I realized that I don’t know if I have the words today that would answer all of your questions.

All I have is what all of you have grief, anger, and confusion.

But then I thought about it some more.

Today we are talking about giving our gifts to God.

We see in tragedies like this what happens when we fail to see our gifts, when we fail to see others gifts, and when we fail to use our gifts.

We also see what happens when others use their gifts to do what they have been called by God to do.

You see we all know what the ideal is.

We all know that God made each and every one of us, and gave us talents and passions that are used for making the world go.

This is a hard truth to hold onto because it means believing that God made Adam Lanza.

It is hard to believe because it means believing that God had given him gifts.

I read some reports that said that Adam Lanza was a very smart kid.

And now that is wasted.

He might have had gifts that would have cured a disease or helped humankind in ways we have not yet thought of.

And all we are left with is the question, why?

Why would Adam Lanza do such a horrible thing?

I don’t know for sure.

What I do know is that we can’t overlook our gifts, or the gifts of others.

We have to embrace them and celebrate them.

One of my favorite quotes is from Henry Ward Beacher, “God asks no one whether they will accept life. That is not the choice. You must take it. The only question is how.”

How will we use the gifts that God has given us to build up others, and show our love to the world?

We are told in scripture that all these gifts that we have are given by God to build up the body of Christ.

The gifts we have been given are so we can care for our families, and serve our neighbors.

When we waste them or underutilize them we are throwing away the gift.

What if Mozart had refused to write songs?

What if Abraham Lincoln had refused to run for president?

What if MLK would have refused to join the bus boycott in Montgomery Alabama?

What if Ted Williams would have refused to try out for little league baseball?

We all would have been poorer for it.

If we fail to see our gifts, to name them, and then to put them into action, we are robbing each other of blessings that God wants to give.

And it doesn’t even have to be on that grand a stage.

What about the person who fixes our cars, cuts our hair, mows our lawn, protects our streets, fights our fires, bags our groceries, grows our food, teaches our children, makes our clothes, and loans us money.

All of the things that are done in our community are done for the glory of God.

It is when we are all using our gifts for the common good that we live in harmony and peace.

What disrupts that is when someone forgets that they were made by God, and that God loved them enough to give them gifts meant to be shared.

When we feel left out of the process or undervalued that is where the trouble starts.

And it is no different in the Church.

I believe that God has sent us, and provided us all the gifts that we need for this ministry to share the good news, bind up the broken hearted, and help the poor.

I believe there will be new people that God sends us to help us grow.

There is always plenty of work to be done for the kingdom of God.

This morning Luke does something unique with his Gospel.

He has John the Baptists give advice to the crowd about what they should be doing.

John is still the fire brand preacher calling people to account for what they have done.

But Luke, in typical fashion, makes John’s words have even more meaning because he talks in practical terms.

John tells us to use what God has given to help others.

If you have two coats give one away, if you have more food than you need share with your neighbor.

It should be mentioned some of the people John is talking about are despised by most people in his community.

Most people didn’t like tax collectors because most of them stole money from them.

Most people didn’t like Roman soldiers because they carried out the orders of unjust political system.

But what John doesn’t say is stop being a solider or a tax collector.

What he says is be a better one.

Use the gifts God has given to be just and help your neighbor.

I am thinking this morning of the teachers who did what they were trained to do that Friday morning in Connecticut.

The teachers who locked the doors and hid with the children trying to comfort them and let them know it would be alright even though they were not sure.

Principal Dawn Hochsprung and school psychologist Mary Sherlach, both among those killed, were said to have run toward the gunfire as it broke out, with Hochsprung lunging at the gunman, according to town officials.

"A lot of children are alive today because of actions the teachers took," School Superintendent Janet Robinson told NBC's TODAY show on Saturday.

Teachers who were doing what God put them here to do protect and care about the well being of children even before their own well being.

I know a lot of us hug our children a little more tightly these past couple of days.

I know for me this once again put my life in proper perspective about what truly matters.

And if anything good can come from this perhaps it is that we can all see our lives as more important than we thought.

Perhaps we will think of ways to use our God given gifts to be better, and do better.

We will think of ways to make our world more just, and peaceful.

There is no doubt that we can’t stop bad things from happening.

We can’t stop people with bad intentions from doing what they will do.

What we can do is hold on to each other a little tighter.

We can have faith that God is closer to us than we think or know.

This is what Christmas is about that God dwells among us.

God comes into the sinful world of human beings.

God experiences firsthand our pain.

Jesus weeps over death.

Jesus gets angry over violence that kills.

In mercy reaches out to those who feel betrayed and left out.

Because of Jesus we know that we never suffer alone.

God is always drawing near to our pain.

Most importantly today we need to hear again Jesus tell us that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it

Advent is a reminder that God is here, God is coming, and that the light breaks into the darkness of our lives.

And it is a reminder to us that we still grown for God to make it stop.

What is the gift that you have been given?

How do you use them for the building up of your neighbor?

Today that is a question is closer to our lips than ever.

Because when things like the tragedy in Connecticut happen we pray a little more, hug our loved ones tighter, and desire God to stop our pain.

Even with this tragedy Christmas is still coming, Jesus is still here.

God doesn’t ask us if we want the gift, that is not the choice, the only choice is how we will use it.

How will you?

Amen

Worship Is A Gift!

Today’s sermon is going to be about worship.

But what it is not going to be about me wishing that more people would come to worship.

This is not going to be a sermon about how worship is marginalized in our society.

It is not going to be about stores being open on Sunday, or sports programs that overtake the importance of God.

Mainly because I am tired of the culture wars (I am sure most of you are too!), and I feel that would be a wasted sermon.

Today I want to declare peace.

Instead what I want to talk about is why worship is a gift to us.

In this season of giving, I want us to remember that God gave us worship not as a punishment, not to bore us with old fashioned hymns, and long winded sermons, but as a gift.

In the midst of our busy over productive lives God has given you and me permission to stop and take a break.

God has set aside time for us that is holy and special.

It is time that we have to simply be.

That is the great gift of worship.

This morning’s Gospel from Luke we are told the historical circumstances of Jesus time.

We are told the year and the rulers, and the religious leaders.

And then we are told that in the midst of this there will come a messiah who will make things straight.

We are told that there are powers in this world.

And we know from the story that those powers are corrupt, they are unjust, and they are bent on making lives difficult.

All those powers expect something from us.

The political powers expect us to produce to pay taxes.

The religious powers expect us to be holy and keep the cultic practices alive.

What are we to do in such a world?

Where can we go?

This morning the crowd is ready to follow John into the wilderness.

They are ready to escape and get away.

They need John’s message of repentance.

More than this they need to know that something greater lies ahead.

They are filled with hope and expectation.

This morning I am suggesting that our worship is a gift because it allows us to flee into the wilderness into the secluded places where we can clear our heads and see the greater picture.

This week on Facebook I asked people to tell me what worship meant to them and why it was important.

Here are some of the responses:

“Worship is where I'm given the vision of God, so I can see with that vision everywhere else.”

“I remember that I am a small part of a big world and it puts things in perspective for me....”

“Worship for me is giving my body, soul, heart and mind to God.”

“It is a time when I have a chance to think, listen and reflect. I feel at peace.”

“A chance to reflect, gain perspective and prioritize what's important in my life.”

“For me it’s fellowship and strong renewal of faith, spirit, and love.”

“It helps to center me and to realize what is truly important in life and what I can let go.”

“Feeling of community. Singing praise. Forgiveness.”

“Communion that enfolds, forgives, challenges, and connects me with Jesus.”

“Phones off. Tv off. Radio off. No baseball talk. It's all about God and only God.”

“During worship I feel like it is my time to learn grow and to be reminded of what is important.”

“Gives me comfort, strength, and guidance.”

Interesting that in the 22 responses I received on facebook no one said, “I worship because I have to…”

All of the responses I received about worship have something in common.

All of them have a sense that worship is a gift.

They all talked about worship as a special time that allows them to receive something important.

Peace, perspective, comfort, love, strength, guidance, renewal, all of things that are important in our lives.

For the rest of the time we spend here we are running around, getting things done, working, paying taxes, shopping, fixing things, being productive.

Here in this place, for this time, there is nothing to do, nowhere to go.

At the end of worship there are no report cards, no performance reviews, no bills to pay.

There is only space to be ourselves and to allow God’s grace to be sung, spoken, tasted, given unto us.

Before every worship service I take out my calendar, my wallet, and my phone and I stick them in a drawer in my office.

I do this partly because it reminds me that this is time when I don’t have to worry about anything except being present with all of you and with God.

This is not the time to worry about those other things; they will be there when I get done.

But this separate time is God’s time.

I am thankful for the gift.

I am thankful for that space in my life to reconnect, to recharge, and as many people said on Facebook to gain perspective about what is really important in my life.

During advent that is what we do.

We gain perspective.

We go out into the wilderness to hear that God is at work even among the busyness of life, even among the turbulent historical moment; even now we are called to be in this special sacred space, in this sacred time.

Sure things look bad, but God is filling in all the rough spaces, God is making the crooked straight.

It is important in our lives to have that perspective and we gain that in worship.

Worship is not about earning points with God.

But it is about a choice we make each and every week.

I bet that all of you are busy.

There are a million things that need to be taken care of or tended too.

But here you are, because it is important to you.

You have carved out this time to be here because you need the time to sit and reflect, to sing with joy, to hear the good news that God is here.

And every week in worship we are given the advent that God is here with us, among us, in us.

Of course worship is partly about our participation, but this morning I want you all to see that is more about how God acts on us.

In this time that we set apart to be with God, God does something to us.

God tells us yet again that we are forgiven.

God tells us in songs of praise that we are loved.

God calls us out in the world filled with corrupt leaders to act for justice and truth.

God reminds us that every hill shall be made low, every valley filled, and every path made straight.

In other words we don’t have to climb a mountain to get to God, because God is right here in our midst.

We don’t have to worry when life brings us into valleys of despair because God is right there with us.

When our lives get blown of course, when we stray down crooked paths God is on that path with us.

In worship we are reminded of that and brought back to equal footing.

What a great gift we unwrap together every week.

God knows we need it.

God knows that we need saving, and God has sent his son for us.

This sacred time and space is our reminder that God is with us.

It gives us strength to go back out and in the world, it gives us perspective to remember what really matters, it gives us forgiveness to love ourselves and others, it gives us comfort when things go wrong, it gives us God’s vision to see that vision everywhere else.

Thanks be to God for the gift of worship!

Amen

Being Proactive

The next four weeks we are going to be talking about stewardship.

We are going to be talking about giving a portion of our lives over to God.

But I want to start this morning with a word of clarification.

Stewardship is not just about how we give 10% of our time, talent, and treasure over to God it is about how we give 100% of our whole life to God.

Stewardship is about how we use all of ourselves in all of our life to serve God.

Having said that we also acknowledge that there are certain times and places that we give of ourselves over to God in a very focused and intentional way.

We do it not because it is ordered of us, not because we think we should, but because it is better for us spiritually to give a specific portion of our time, talent, and treasure to God.

Today we are going to be talking about giving a portion of our day to God in prayer.

And I want to start that discussion by confessing to you that this is part of my spiritual life that suffers the most.

I of course pray.

I pray all the time.

I pray when I hear that someone in our congregation is struggling with illness or some other hardship.

I pray before I have to have a difficult conversation with someone.

I pray before an important meeting, or during an important meeting.

But what I don’t do enough is have a disciplined time in my day that is devoted to spending time with God in prayer.

I don’t take five or ten minutes every morning to pray for the day.

I know lots of people that do this.
And I am always in awe of them.

But why does it even matter?

Who cares if I have some kind of prayer routine?

Isn’t prayer best when it is spontaneous and heartfelt?

Isn’t prayer most authentic when it is done in the heat of battle?

Doesn’t scripture tell us to, “Pray without ceasing”?

Why would we need to take time out of our busy schedules to stop for prayer?

This is usually my excuse for not having a more disciplined prayer life.

I am too busy.

I pray all the time anyway.

I pray before Bible study every Tuesday morning with my colleagues, I pray every Wednesday night with some of you before Bible study, I pray before every meeting, I pray whenever I visit someone, I pray the Lord’s prayer at the end of any meeting of the congregation, I pray before many meetings in the community, I pray every Sunday here with all of you.

Why would I add another time of prayer?

I have noticed something about my prayer life.

It is mostly reactionary.

I pray as a reaction to things.

Someone gets cancer and I turn to God in prayer.

Someone dies and I ask God for strength.

I lost my patience with my kids and I pray for forgiveness.

I am walking down the street on a beautiful day I give thanks to God for God’s creation.

I am always praying in reaction to things around me.

This morning Jesus suggests that our prayers are more than reactions to the world falling apart.

They are also preparation for when the world will fall apart.

“Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place.”

Prayer is not only our supposed to be reactionary they are also meant to be proactive.

Prayer is meant to build us up and give us strength for the things that we will face in life.

What would it mean to your life to pray when you first woke up in the morning?

Instead of merely reacting to the events of the day you could have a few moments with God to ask for strength before having to deal with something difficult at work?

You could take a few minutes to ask for God to give you patience with your kids.

Perhaps you might not get so mad.

Perhaps, instead of just reacting to what is going on around you, you are actively seeking to live in a different way.

You can be proactive as you anticipate the hard things you will face that day and ask God for the strength to handle those things with power, love, and grace.

Jesus knows that his followers are going to face some difficult times.

He knows that you and I are going to have to deal with all sorts of crazy events in our life and in the world.

And Jesus also knows that there is no way we will get through those things without God.

We need to have that relationship with God that gives us strength that keeps our faith alive.

And one way to do that is to have some time each day that we designate for having a conversation with God.

Just like any relationship in our life needs to be nurtured through spending time on it, so does our relationship with God.

Prayer is the way that we talk to God.

It is the way we let God know about our fears, our struggles, our failures, and it is how we gain strength.

Advent is about waiting for the time when Jesus will come in the manager, it is also waiting in anticipation for when Jesus will come again, and finally it is a call for us today to wait and be on watch for the signs of the fruit, and to watch for the coming of summer, of new life.

Even in the midst of winter’s first snow fall, we wait even now for new life.

Even now as the days are darker we wait for the sun to return.

As we sing this morning, “In darkest night his coming shall be, when all the world is despairing.”

Jesus uses as his example a fig tree.

Perhaps it is a good example of our prayer life.

In the midst of our own dying, of the dying of the world around us we urgently seek new life.

In prayer that promise of new life is gently whispered again and again into our ears.

Look at the fig tree which today is dying and dry, but tomorrow bears leaves and fruit to eat.

This we know is the very circle of God.

Dying never leads to death, only the miraculous birth of new things.

This is what daily prayer gives to us a proactive way to look for the signs of the fig tree.

Setting aside time to pray gives us a proactive way to wait for God’s promises to be realized in our lives and in the world around us.

Over the Thanksgiving I saw the movie Lincoln.

In it Lincoln tells a story about a man whose parrot every morning announces, “Today the world will end”.

The man finally shoots the bird, and, Lincoln says, the prophecy came true that day for the parrot.

The end of the world can be any day for any of us.

It can come in the devastation we feel in any one of number of life events.

But are we ready.

What I suspect is that my life would benefit from regular disciplined everyday set aside time to pray, because it would prepare me for those times better.

It would make me more proactive towards being ready for the end.

In this way Jesus is doing us a favor by giving us spiritual advice that is meant to strength our faith and our relationship with God.

What I am going to add this advent is that structured time with God.

I hope you will hold me accountable.

Ask me next time you see me if I had taken my five minutes to pray.

I hope that all of you will also prepare yourself this advent for the coming of Jesus by giving a portion of your day to pray.

(If you already do this I am in awe of you already.)

In so doing may we all become proactive in seeing the ways that God is birthing new things into our lives.

Through prayer we see that God is actively at work in our daily dying and rising to new life.

And through prayer we see the promise of God’s love, power, and grace.

Amen