Advent: "A Season of Transformation"

The liturgical colors of the advent season are purple and or “advent blue.” Purple is a royal color, a color that in ancient times could only be afforded by the wealthiest people. It is also the color of penitence denoting that Advent is a season, like Lent, of individual and communal self-examination and reflection. Blue is the color of the glory of God. During the season of Advent we ponder the significance of the words Hope, Peace, Love, Joy and Grace. We ponder: God’s Hope for the world and for each of us, and the same with God’s Peace, God’s Love, God’s Joy, and God’s Grace. When God considered the need to connect anew with the world that was distancing and disconnecting itself with distractions, God, as God always does, got creative. God turned our attention to consider the hazardous and harried birth of an infant the midwives for whose birth were cows, donkeys and doves. Emmanuel was promised and was born, our hope, our joy and our peace, to love us and be loved by us, God with us. No lush purple blankets were provided to warm him only his mother’s arms and faded blue mantle; he started life no worse or better than the rest of us.
When you take time during this season of penitent self-examination take time to ponder your own spiritual re-birth; look into your heart and give some thought to where your heart is. Mark tells us that in the last days of his life Jesus urged his disciples to have courageous and ready hearts, hearts of transformation; what heart do you have?

The Baptized Heart: This is our heart at the very beginning of our discipleship journey. It is a heart cleansed and ready to hear and receive the good news of God’s grace.
The Confirmed Heart: This heart is ready to speak up and claim the faith, professing publicly a conscientious commitment to be a disciple of Jesus and follow the commandment of love.
The Burning Heart: This is the heart that has connected at once with the presence of the Holy Spirit and burns with a fire of love. John Wesley describes this moment of clarity and connection as the moment when an individual feels quite literally the presence of God within.
The Connecting Heart: This is the heart that understands the importance of gathering together in community, that the commandment to love and to work for the transformation of the world is best accomplished by many hearts working together not just one alone.
The Committed Heart: This is the heart of the disciple who knows that the world around us is constantly changing, that our community of faith changes, we change, our relationships change as people move in and out of our lives. This heart remains steadfast working, serving, through all change, expected or unexpected, committed to Jesus Christ and the church’s mission to make disciples of Jesus.
The Courageous Heart: This is the heart of the transformer. This heart is a mature heart a contemplative, thoughtful heart, a heart that sees the world through compassionate eyes, sacrifices for the greater good, and keeps Christ at the center even in the midst of change. It is a heart that is able to face fear and difficulty praying its way through it. This heart strives not to be driven by ego or selfish aims. This heart is the heart Jesus called his disciples to cultivate; theirs must be hearts that can see the Big picture understanding the past, envisioning the future, trying diligently not to be daunted by the turmoil of the present or fear of what is to come. They must stay focused on the Commandment to love one another even as God loves them….us.
God has blessed us with much and continues to bless us. We don’t hesitate to give thanks, but honest discipleship calls us to give of ourselves, our wealth, the work of our hands, the prayers of our hearts, the presence of our bodies, and the witness of our words. Let us strive to accomplish our mission together, to live, work, walk and talk as mature Christians, people of courageous hearts; we have work to do as a community of disciples. It’s a big job, transforming the world, and we need all the help we can get!
Amen.

Prayer for the Sermon on December 6, 2009 "The Hidden Gift of Giving"

Wondrous and Loving God, our desire is to understand the steps we must take to accomplish peace in our world, in our time, in our lives and in our relationships. We confess that most often when we meditate on the word peace, our thoughts gravitate to visions of a world without conflict, a world in which people can readily let go of their prejudices and misunderstandings, and work as one for the well-being of all. When we think about inner peace our thoughts move in the direction of tranquil states or quietude. In truth dear Lord we spend a lifetime searching for that peace that passes all understanding, even the peace that is found not in a tranquil soul, but that which is found in the vital and energized human spirit ever connected to yours. Make us leaders in service to your Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.

Prayer for the Sermon on Thanksgiving November 22, 2009 "Giving Good Measure"

Sovereign God, our creator and redeemer we offer our deepest thanks for all that you have bestowed upon us. We confess that there are times when we take our comparative good fortune for granted and for that, and more, we humbly beg your pardon. Help us, Lord; inspire us, Lord to love and serve you so to heal broken hearts, give purpose to flagging spirits, and encouragement to those who are building their connection with you everyday. Thank you for walking among us in the person of Jesus Christ and showing us by his example how you want us to live and love in this world. Let us be those who discover that every time we give you thanks the light of Christ within glows ever brighter. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

Prayer for the Sermon Nov. 15, 2009 "When The Birthpangs Begin"

Gracious God, you are the wellspring of all life and to you we offer our thanks and praise. We lift our voices this morning remembering the men and women who have pledged their loyalty and their lives to keep freedom alive in this frantic world. We pray for the safety of those who stand vigilant watching through the long days and nights, who travel the treacherous routes and roads in distant lands so far from home. Be ever near for they stand in our stead placing themselves in harms way and their lives on a line they can never clearly see. We honor those soldiers who have sacrificed and are sacrificing themselves, as they remain true to their word, faithful in their duty, daily prepared to give all to liberate the oppressed, rescue the weak and disarm the oppressor. As they have served us, help us Lord, to love and serve them in return. Empower us by giving us the stamina and courage to help heal the visible and invisible wounds they have sustained amid the violence of war. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

Excerpt from Sermon "Blessed Are The Salty Lamps"

For many years now I have thought of the Beatitudes as steps in discipleship. As we walk the path to holiness the road doesn't get easier it gets tougher.

ORIGINAL BEATITUDES REWORDED (from Sermon based on Matthew 5:1-15)

1. If you are dispirited, impoverished of the spirit, disconnected, feeling left and bereft of the presence of God, God awaits you.
2. If you are filled with sorrow, if you are sad, grieving, mournful, even bitter, God waits to comfort you.
3. If you are meek, timid, even weak and afraid of your own shadow, God waits to empower you.
4. If you hunger for justice, to see good triumph over evil, for right to triumph over wrong, for equality and fairness to reign, God will satisfy your hunger.
Notice the change that happens as these blessings evolve, from what one feels to what one does. These are steps taken on the path of discipleship toward holiness.5. If you are one who chooses to forgive, to show mercy to those who disagree with you, or who hurt you, God will be merciful to you.
6. If your heart is pure, if you do all with a loving heart, say all from a loving heart, and live in the world as one who embraces God’s love, God will be delighted to see you.The challenge is ever greater and the path is rougher, steeper the steps more difficult and demanding.
7. If you have the courage to stand in the midst of turmoil and work for peace, to take it on the chin to accomplish peace, indeed you are born of God.
8. If you find yourself being criticized, ostracized, rejected for standing up and doing what is right, God awaits you.
9. If you find yourself being ostracized, rejected, reviled by friends or enemies who speak all kinds of evil against you because you are a disciple of mine, be ecstatic, sing and rejoice and be glad; God has something wonderful to give you in heaven.
If Jesus had preached this same Sermon on the Mount again after three years of recruiting disciples, spending time debating with recalcitrant Pharisees, suffering Pompous politicians, and contentious priests, or trying to help those who cannot and will not help themselves, I dare say these beatitudes might very well have reflected his experiences. I have written some new beatitudes that Jesus might have added to the list had he been out there in the trenches for 20 years instead of 3. I put the word “Blessed” back into the list. You haven’t heard the new ones before, but remember even these new beatitudes are invitations and an opportunity to praise God.

NEW BEATITUDES

1. Blessed are the cranky, the unpleasant, the disappointed and dissatisfied; God has an attitude adjustment for you.
2. Blessed are the victims of substance abuse; God waits to release you.
3. Blessed are those who are wronged; God sees to it that what goes around comes around.
4. Blessed are the obsessed, who seek to control every aspect of their life, the lives of people around them and the world in which they live; God will liberate you.
5. Blessed are those who work, who are diligent everyday, whose ethic is to offer the best of themselves no matter what, who never cheat or seek to get something for nothing, who will not resent the system or those who have more than they do; they are the pillars of the earth and the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
6. Blessed are the set-in-their-ways-resistant-to-change-we-have-always-done-it-this-way folks. God has a surprise for you.
7. Blessed are the speaker-uppers, the movers and shakers, the squeaky wheelers; God has a job for you.
8. Blessed are the care-givers who soothe fevered and frightened brows, who pray, who whisper gently, who touch the untouchable, and comfort the uncomfortable. God will comfort you.

Offertory Thought November 8, 2009

When you join a private country or urban club you sign a membership contract agreeing to buy your place in that club for somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-60 thousand dollars plus pay the required monthly dues. Some of these clubs restrict their membership in order to guarantee a homogeneity to the social structure of the club. There are people who are critical of the Church and churches accusing them of being like country clubs. I might agree if the colorful mix of people who came to be a part of the Church were buying their memberships for 40-60 thousand dollars.

Prayer for the Sermon November 8, 2009 "Blessed are The Salty Lamps"

Dearest Lord, we give you thanks for all of the ways that you inspire us, challenge us, renew us and revive us. Thank you for the opportunities you give us to welcome folks in search of a church home. Embolden our spirits to get to know the folks we don’t know and embrace the new hearts and minds desiring to find communion with you here. Remind us, Gracious God, that new eyes help us to see what we have ceased to notice. New ideas energize and refresh stale practices and stodgy traditions. New needs challenge us to discover how to minister more effectively in the world today. You are present in all our efforts and we are assured that the different perspectives, different backgrounds and different experiences of new members when mixed and stirred into our Christian stew will certainly enrich the flavor of everything we do in Jesus’ name. Amen.