Eureka! Sunday, January 9th, 2014

Sermon – Jan. 9, 2014

Peter’s Eureka Moment

Grace and Peace Bethany Lutheran Church!

Today is Baptism of our Lord Sunday, the day we remember Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist.  It’s sort of the Eureka moment for John the Baptist and the rest of the world, because it’s the moment where they discover who Jesus is.  A Dove descends on Jesus as a voice from heaven cries out “This is my son, with him I am well pleased.” 

But there’s actually another Eureka moment that I’m more interested in talking about, and it comes today from our second reading in the book of Acts.  But before I get into that, let me back up a second.

You all know what I mean by Eureka right? A Eureka moment, is simply that flash of inspiration that you get when something suddenly makes sense for the first time. 

Eureka describes that lightning quick instant in time where an idea comes to you in a flash.  You could be working on trying to fix a leaky faucet for months and months, not knowing exactly how to fix it, and then one day you’re on a bus riding to work, and the solution comes to you– duct tape!

(I’m not sure why duct tape keeps cropping up in my sermons…it must be a God thing)…

The word “eureka” actually comes to us from the world of science, but it’s really just the Greek word that means, “I have found it!”  I have found it.  I have found what I have been looking for!  It makes sense now! 

The word was made popular because of a story of a Roman scientist who lived a few centuries before Jesus was born.

According to the story, his name was Archimedes, and he worked for King Hiero II.  Hiero had commissioned a golden crown shaped like leaves to be made in honor of the gods who had helped him achieve victory in battle. 

The goldsmith made a beautiful golden crown, but rumors began to surface that he had cheated the King by mixing in silver with the gold.  Being a fair king, Hiero needed proof, and so he gave Archimedes the task of discovering if the crown was truly made of pure gold like the blacksmith had promised – or if he had actually mixed it with silver.

The problem, was that he wasn’t allowed to damage the crown in any way.  Archimedes agonized over how to find out the truth about the crown for a long time, until one day, when he was getting into the bathtub, he had his Eureka moment!

Water! (Stay with me here as a Pastor tries to explain some science) He could determine the density of the crown by comparing how much water it displaced compared with gold and silver of the same weight.  If any other material had been added to the crown, it would displace more water than if it were made entirely of Gold.

It was a stroke of genius, but remember, Archimedes was about to take a bath, and he was so excited about his breakthrough idea, that he got up out of his bath and ran through the streets – in nothing but his birthday suit – shouting “Eureka! Eureka!” I have found it!  I have found it! 

Which I’m sure, many people took out of context.  Regardless he carries out the experiment and discovers the crown is indeed made with silver.  That’s the story of how Eureka became a word we still use today.

I don’t think Lutherans ever get quite that excited – a fact that I am grateful for. But our story today from Acts is about a Eureka moment as well. It’s about Peter discovering for the first time, something new about God.

But to understand his inspiration, I need to explain the context.

Some of you might already know this, but the book of Acts, is really the second half of the book of Luke.  The same author wrote it and the two stories were meant to be read together. 

At the very end of the book of Luke, the risen Jesus tells his disciples that this message of forgiveness of sins was to be spread to all nations – which I think Peter and the other disciples initially interprets as “Jews in all nations.”

And that’s how the book of Acts begins  – Peter and the disciples travel (mostly) to Jewish temples all around the Mediterranean to tell people about Jesus.

Now, Peter is in a very tricky situation, because Jewish law tells him that he really isn’t supposed to be hanging around all these Greek gentiles who are ritually unclean - they don’t eat kosher food, they aren’t circumcised, they don’t observe the Sabbath, and as we learned from Archimedes, they’re a little too comfortable with themselves, etc. etc.

It’s about this time that God comes to Peter in a dream.  He’s sleeping one night, and he has a vision where all these unclean animals – birds, reptiles, and other creatures Jews were not supposed to eat – were coming down from heaven.  And in his dream, a voice tells Peter to eat them.

Peter objects to this because as a Jew, he knows he’s not supposed to eat that food – he knows it’s against the law – But the voice speaks to him again and says “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”  What God has made clean, you must not call unclean.

And Peter doesn’t really know what to make of this weird dream until he gets invited over the house of a devout Roman Christian – a captain of the Roman army named Cornelius.  Cornelius isn’t a Jew.  He doesn’t eat kosher food.  He isn’t circumcised, he doesn’t observe the Sabbath.  And so Cornelius, according to Jewish law, is unclean. 

And right then, as Peter is standing in the doorway of this guy’s house, the light bulb comes on.  He has his Eureka moment – his flash of inspiration – and he realizes for maybe the first time, that being clean didn’t mean following the law, that being clean comes through faith Christ.  Maybe we become clean, when God washes us in the waters of Baptism.

Jesus had come for all nations and all people – for the clean and the unclean. Cornelius, baptized child of God, was indeed clean in the sight of God. Eureka!

And that’s when Peter gives his speech which we heard in the second reading today, which he begins by saying, “I truly understand now, that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” 

I hope you hear how radical a thing it is for a Jew to be saying to a Roman soldier – a member of the army that conquered Jerusalem, “God’s grace and forgiveness isn’t just meant for us (Jews).  It’s meant for you, and it’s meant for all people.” 

The surprise in this story – the eureka moment – is that the Gospel doesn’t belong to whom Peter thought it belonged to.  It belongs to the unclean – the sinners – the people who don’t have it all together. 

And thank God, because as hard as we try – no matter good we think we are, no matter how perfect our worship seems to be, no matter how sparkling our reputations  – we will never be perfect people.  You will never be perfect.  You cannot escape sin, except by the grace of God.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ – truly, our Eureka moment happens when we realize that God’s grace does not come to us through our own achievements.  It’s when we realize that in our own weakness, sinfulness and imperfections, we find the grace of God through Christ on the cross.

And more than that, it is only as we join with Christ, through the waters of baptism – as our newly baptized are soon to find out – that we can ever truly be made clean. 

Eureka!  We have found it.  Thanks be to God. Amen.

2nd Sunday after Epiphany: January 19, 2014

Sermon for Sunday, January 19, 2014 (Second Sunday after Epiphany)

Preacher: Pastor Carrie Smith

John 1:29-42

"The E-Word"

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

On Tuesday night, the Bethany Lutheran Church ministry teams met for the first time in 2014. It was very exciting to see new faces, and to have every table filled with ideas and energy for the New Year! Thanks be to God for all the ways in which you, my sisters and brothers in Christ, serve God and others through the work of this Church. Amen!

There was one ministry team, of course, that could have used a little love, and that was the “E-Team”. Some members have gone south for the winter, and some were sick. But the truth is, even on a good night, this is the ministry table that’s hardest to fill. While the Finance team is overflowing and actually needs to expand to more than one table, sometimes the E-Team could do without a table altogether. This week, they might have been fine with just a chair! We call this group the “E-Team” for short, I suppose to make people feel more comfortable about volunteering, but clearly folks are on to our little scheme. They know that “E” really stands for “Evangelism.”

Ah yes—Evangelism! Every Lutheran’s favorite subject! In case you think I’m picking on our church in particular, be assured that ours is not the only congregation that struggles with lack of excitement about evangelism. It seems to have become part of our culture as mainline, Protestant Christians to be, at best, indirect in our evangelism strategies. The funny thing is, that scary word, “Evangelism”, comes from the word “Euangelion” which simply means “Good News”. That means that we, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, could conceivably call ourselves the “Good News Lutheran Church in America.” So why are we, the Good News Church, so uncomfortable sharing the Good News about Jesus with others?

After all, we love to share our experiences, epiphanies, and revelations about almost everything else:

“Oh my gosh, you HAVE to see that new movie. It was amazing!”

“Have you been to that new restaurant? The food is just great!”

“Oh, you have the new iPhone? I prefer Android. Now let me tell you why you should definitely switch.”

“Have you tried Weight Watchers? It totally changed my life! You should come with me next week.”

“Did you hear that story on NPR this morning? The one about why bananas are radioactive? Let me tell you about it, even though I can’t remember all the facts and will probably just make parts of it up.”

“I am reading the MOST AMAZING book. Let me tell you the entire plot while you’re trying to get into your car with that bag of groceries.”

We love to share our thoughts, experiences, and revelations about nearly everything in our lives. So what is it about our faith in Jesus that makes us want to keep the news to ourselves?

I suspect one reason has something to do with our common stereotypes of evangelists, Bible thumpers, door-to-door salesmen, and missionaries on bicycles. No one likes to be convinced or debated or interrogated on her doorstep, and therefore no one wants to be seen as the convincer, the debater, or the interrogator. So, instead of talking about Jesus to our friends, or inviting someone to church, we work on making the inside of the church welcoming, comfortable, and attractive, on the off chance that someone stumbles in here by accident.

Another reason we might be uncomfortable sharing the Good News is we worry we won’t know what to say. What if someone asks a question about the Bible or about Jesus that I can’t answer? What if I offend them? What if I sound silly? Didn’t someone say it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open our mouths and remove all doubt?

I can relate very well to this feeling of not knowing what to say. When I was in seminary (the first time around, in Minnesota), Robert and I worked as telefundraisers for the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. We did this for a whole summer, attending intensive Biblical Greek classes during the day and making fundraising calls in the evenings. I remember being so nervous to make those calls. What if they hung up on me? What if I offended them when I asked for money? What if they asked me something I didn’t know? We had a script we were supposed to stick to, of course, but that didn’t help to take away the feeling that I was selling something I knew nothing about, to people I knew nothing about.

And then a wonderful thing happened: the Guthrie Theater people gave us all free tickets to attend a production of “The Importance of Being Earnest,” with a champagne reception beforehand. So Robert and I emerged from our call center cubicles with the rest of the telefundraising crew, all dressed, and hobnobbed for one night with the theater crowd. And it was amazing! The actors were great. The show was hilarious. The theater itself was (and is) a gem in the middle of the city. We had a great time.

And the next day, when I got on the phone, things were very different.

“Hello, Mrs. Anderson? This is Carrie, calling on behalf of the Guthrie Theater. I just saw the new production of The Importance Being Earnest last night. Have you seen it yet? Let me tell you, it is just great. The acting, the sets, the theater itself, are just a treasure for our city. Don’t you agree?”

And this, I believe, is the secret of evangelism: Stick to what you know. Share only what you have experienced. Don’t worry about the script—speak from the heart.

 This is what John did in the Gospel lesson for today. The text says John declared, testified, and then exclaimed to anyone who would listen: “Here is the Lamb of God! That guy over there, he’s the one I’ve been talking about! Let me tell you how I baptized him, and how I saw the Spirit come down like a dove, and how even though I didn’t know who he was before, now I do know him! This Jesus is the One we’ve been waiting for!” Amen!

John had experienced something at Jesus’ baptism that changed him, and he just had to share it. But notice what he didn’t do: he didn’t write a dissertation or outline a systematic theology or debate anyone about what exactly it meant when the Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. He didn’t have a script, and he didn’t try to sell anything to anyone. He simply pointed others in the direction of Jesus and shared what he knew to be true: “This Jesus is special. And my life is different now that I know him.”

And then it was Jesus who took over from there. The next part of today’s Gospel lesson tells how two disciples who heard John’s testimony started following Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he invited them into conversation, asking: “What are you looking for?” They in turn asked: “Teacher, where are you staying?” And Jesus said: “Come and see.”

“Come and see.” It was John who got their attention, but it was Jesus who invited people to experience the Good News for themselves. It is Jesus, crucified and risen, who does the real work of evangelism, sisters and brothers. It’s Jesus who calls to us from Scripture, saying “Come and see the path I have walked.” It’s Jesus who calls to us from the bread and the wine, saying “Come and see the healing and forgiveness I have to offer.” It’s Jesus who calls to us from the waters of baptism, saying “Come and see how much God loves you!”

Perhaps Evangelism isn’t so scary when we remember that we don’t have to be Jesus – but we do get to be John!

We get to be John, sharing our love for God and pointing others to Jesus, who has made all the difference for us. We get to be John, singing out loud and proud, what we know to be true: that Jesus Christ, through his teachings, his death, and his resurrection, has brought us light and life, purpose and joy, healing and forgiveness like no one else could. Amen!

And so, sisters and brothers in Christ, it is our right, our duty and our joy, to tell the story, to share the Good News, to sing songs and write poems and make art and sew quilts and serve the homeless and participate in international peace talks and balance the church budget and give hugs and advocate for the poor and forgive one another and maybe (just maybe) – serve on the Evangelism Team—not so we can change the minds of others, but because Jesus has changed us. And that is very Good News, indeed. Amen. 

The Lord is My Light and My Salvation

Sermon for Epiphany 2014

Epiphany Worship: Sunday, January 5, 2014

Matthew 2:1-12

PREACHER: Pastor Carrie Smith

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

On December 25^th, I didn’t get out of my pajamas all day. I also didn’t answer email, do dishes, or go outside even once. It. Was. Glorious. Every day should be Christmas! Amen!

Early on December 26, dressed more respectably, I ventured out to run some errands. I was stopped short, however, by the sight of a neighbor’s Christmas tree, already stripped bare and leaning against the curb. I couldn’t believe it! Now, I realize my perspective may be slightly different (pastors and church musicians experience the weeks of Advent all the way through Christmas Eve as a kind of marathon) but in my view, on December 26, Christmas had just started. I was in no way ready to kick Christmas to the curb. 

One of the problems, of course, is the corporate Christmas machine, which starts pumping holiday cheer into us around Halloween and makes us more than eager to move along to the next holiday by December 26^th. Maybe that’s what my neighbor was feeling. Or maybe they were going on vacation, or their tree was dropping needles, or they needed to get the boxes of ornaments into the basement while the grandkids were around to help. In other words—this isn’t really about my neighbors, is it? If they look past the weeds in my yard, surely I can look past the tree on their curb. Note to self: a great New Year’s Resolution might be to “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” 

OK, but still, the Christmas tree thrown to the curb on December 26^th brings up an important issue for me. I’ve been thinking about how the understanding Christmas as being just one day reinforces the notion that the Christian faith is about honoring, remembering, and reenacting a one-time historical event. Here today, gone tomorrow; a few hours set aside from our busy lives, to tell a story we’ve already heard and to keep traditions we hardly understand.

Truth be told, that is probably the Christmas (and the Christianity) most of our neighbors are celebrating. It’s certainly the Christmas honored at Starbucks, the mall, and Toys R Us! As the church, however, we are always in conflict with this understanding of Christmas, beginning with the four weeks of Advent preparation right through today, the 11^th day of Christmas and the celebration of the Epiphany. Just look around! We’re still singing Christmas carols. The trees are still up. Baby Jesus is still in the manger. And the wise men and camels are just arriving!  

So from the perspective of the church, Christmas isn’t over just because the Christmas sales have started or the Valentine’s candy is on the shelves. For us, as people of faith, Christmas isn’t a one day commemoration of something that happened a long time ago. Christmas, and Christianity, is about an ongoing, cosmic, “happening”: God’s revelation to us through the birth of Jesus, which continues to bring life and light to the world. God did not come once into the world and then leave! And Jesus wasn’t just born once in Bethlehem. Today, and every day, Jesus is born again in us, the community of the faithful. The light still shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Amen! Merry Christmas!

For us, the church, the miracle of Christmas isn’t over on December 25, and that’s why today, although many of us have by now packed up the trappings of Christmas in our homes, we are celebrating another part of the Christmas story—the Epiphany. Raise your hand if you set up the camels and the wise men in your nativity set right next to the shepherds and the baby Jesus when you took the boxes out... Me too! But

Scripture tells us that the magi, the visitors from a faraway country, arrived about two years after Jesus was born. Not only were they not there on that “silent night”, they also likely never even saw the manger. Mary and Joseph were still in Bethlehem, but Jesus probably had graduated to more standard sleeping arrangements in those two years. Joseph might even have been doing some carpentry work until they could return home. By the time all the characters in our nativity sets were together in the same place, Jesus was a toddler, Mary and Joseph had moved out of the stable, and the foreigners had been traveling for a very long time. It couldn’t have been an easy journey—and their run-in with Herod in Jerusalem certainly didn’t help.

But we all know the part about how when they arrived, exhausted from their journey, they were overwhelmed with great joy. They had an Epiphany, recognizing Jesus for who he was. The magi fell to their knees and worshipped the baby Jesus, offering the gifts from the treasure chests they had been carrying for two whole years.

The celebration of Christmas simply could not be complete without these visitors from afar, whose eyes were opened and whose lives were changed when they encountered Jesus. Today, as we celebrate the end of the Christmas season and the Day of Epiphany, I ask you to consider: Are you here to remember how some wise foreigners got to see Jesus one time, an historic event that we had some fun re-enacting this morning? Or are you here, at the end of Christmas break and on the eve of some bitterly cold weather, because you believe that the miracle of Christmas is ongoing—and that we, too, can see Jesus?

What if, as we take down the trees and put away the nativity sets, kicking Christmas to the curb for one more year, we invite the joy of Epiphany to stick around for a while? What if our New Year’s Resolution is to practice watching for stars, and to be on the lookout for where Christ is born among us, in new and unexpected places?

One beautiful tradition we could borrow from our Christian brothers and sisters in England for just this purpose is called the “Chalking of the Door”. There, on January 6, Christians will gather on the doorstep of their homes with their families to pray and read Scripture. Then, someone takes a piece of chalk and writes above the door “20 + C + M + B + 14” while praying:

“The three Wise Men, C Caspar, M Melchior, and B Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human 20 two thousand 14 and fourteen years ago. ++ May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is your incarnate Word, now and forever. Amen.”

(Now, I had thought I would present each of you with a piece of chalk and a printout of these prayers to take home today—but then I had a vision of you on your doorsteps tomorrow in the -50 wind-chill and I thought better of it! Therefore, this liturgy will be posted on the Sermon Blog and in Facebook, and I would encourage you to chalk your doors somewhere around next Friday, when it’s supposed to be above freezing!)

What I love about this “Chalking of the Door” tradition is not just the way it blesses and makes holy our homes for the year, but even more how that simple chalked message – c + m + b – calls to mind the three wise men every time a person goes in or out the door. Every day, many times per day, that simple chalk message reminds the homeowner to be on the lookout for stars pointing to the way to Christ. It serves as a reminder that we can expect to see him in unexpected places—maybe even on our doorstep! And it’s one simple way to keep the “overwhelming joy” of Epiphany alive all year long.

Dear people, while every day may not be Christmas, every day certainly can be Epiphany. Every day when we look up and choose to follow the Christ’s light in the darkness is Epiphany. Every day when we recognize Jesus in our neighbor is Epiphany. Every day when we kneel in the presence of Jesus, God-with-us, offering our treasures in his service, is Epiphany.

And so, as we bring the Christmas season to a close, let us bow our heads and pray an Epiphany blessing on this, our church home:

“The three Wise Men, C Caspar, M Melchior, and B Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human 20 two thousand 14 and fourteen years ago. ++ May all who come to our church home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is your incarnate Word, now and forever. Amen.”