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 Advent 3: December 15, 2013

Sermon for Advent 3: December 15, 2013

Matthew 11:2-11

PREACHER: Pastor Carrie Smith

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

Sisters and brothers of Bethany, I’m sorry to have to stand here and say this, especially on such a festive, snowy December morning and on the day of our Children’s Christmas Pageant, but here it is: I think we’re going to have to cancel Christmas this year.

The thing is, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the Gospel lesson for this week from Matthew, chapter 11. And while at first I felt very judgmental about John the Baptist and his doubts about Jesus (after all, he was the one who leapt in his mother Elizabeth’s womb when Mary walked in the door—how could he, of all people, doubt Jesus is the Messiah?), at some point it started to make sense to me. John, the prophet who was supposed to be out announcing the coming of the Messiah, was instead sitting in prison. And Jesus, the guy he thought was “the one”, wasn’t doing anything but preaching and healing and eating with sinners. “Prepare the way of the Lord”, preached John. And frankly, I think he expected that if we prepared the royal highway, Jesus would make better use of it. John, and most everybody else, expected that when the Messiah came down that highway there would be a great and dreadful day, a day when evil and sickness and death and violence would be swallowed up and annihilated from the earth. But now John, messenger of the Lord, found himself sitting in prison. And outside, things seemed to be going along as usual.

It’s no wonder John had doubts! In fact, it’s a wonder any of us are sitting here at all, still following this guy Jesus. Because I’ve got to tell you, 2,000 years later, things outside these walls seem to be going as usual, Messiah or not.

Have you read the prayers on our prayer wall? Cancer. Death. Grief. Unemployment. So many people are still waiting for answers.

And have you watched the news? It’s been one year since Newtown; eight months since Boston; seven months since the tornados in Oklahoma; one month since the typhoon in the Philippines; and just 2 days since the last school shooting. So much pain! The whole world is still waiting for answers.

And this is why, dear people, I think we should cancel Christmas. Because, considering the evidence at hand, maybe Jesus really isn’t “the one”. Could this really the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace” we’ve been waiting for, when he has clearly failed to eliminate evil from the world?

Listen, I know this comes as a shock, but never fear: I’ve sent a letter to Jesus (apparently he doesn’t do email) asking him to positively identify himself before we go to all the expense of throwing him a birthday party this year. After all, if he’s not really the one, then we need to save our resources to celebrate the guy (or girl) who is. If he’s not really the one, then we can stop fighting the “War on Christmas” everyone keeps talking about. And if Jesus is not the one we’ve been waiting for—and I’ve got to tell you, things aren’t looking good at this point—then I really need to start looking at new job opportunities.

Now I was hoping to get a reply before this morning’s sermon, but either the mail was held up, or Jesus was just too busy (or maybe had nothing to say for himself) because I haven’t received any kind of answer yet. So, until further notice, I think we’ll just have to put Christmas on hold.

PAUL: “Oh, sorry, Carrie, I forgot to tell you something. We did actually get a letter from Jesus the other day.” (pulls it out of his pocket from under his robes).

CARRIE: “Really? Paul, why didn’t you tell me?!”

PAUL: “Well, you know, it’s been a little busy around here this time of year.”

CARRIE: “OK, well, don’t keep us in suspense! What does he say?”

PAUL: “He says:

“Dear Carrie: Don’t cancel Christmas! Tell the people what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me. Also, next time, use Twitter. Signed, Jesus.” (Paul sits down)

CARRIE:

Is that it? That’s all it says? Well that’s perfect, Jesus. Just great. Tell the people what you hear and see. That’s your proof? Nice try.

Tell them what you hear and see.

OK, tell them the blind receive their sight: Well, this is easy to disprove, because we have a member right here at Bethany who is blind. In fact she was born that way. Her name is Hannah, and last I checked Hannah still had not received her sight. But then again…something miraculous did happen this week. Many of you generously contributed cash and even mileage points so Hannah and her brothers could go to Disneyworld this Christmas! Of course, Hannah won’t be able to see Mickey, but she’ll hear him, and she’ll feel the rides, and her parents and brothers will receive the gift of memories with her in the Magic Kingdom. “The blind receive their sight.” Do you suppose this is what Jesus means? Do you see what I see? If so, give me an Amen, sisters and brothers!

Jesus said, “Tell them the lame walk”:

Now this one’s tough. I’ve noticed lots of folks walking around with limps lately (me included!) In fact, last Monday our Bible study group gathered, and there was Dick hobbling around with his new titanium toe, and Beth came in on crutches after breaking her foot, and I had just come from yet another visit with the podiatrist. We were a pretty sorry bunch. But you know what? During that meeting, we shared our prayers and concerns, not only about our aching feet, but about the recent death of a parent, the hope of a job interview after long-term unemployment, and the joys of grandchildren about to be born. We laughed and cried and even did a bit of Bible study. We prayed for each other. And when we left, all of us were walking with renewed strength and hope. “The lame walk.” Do you hear what I hear?

Jesus said, “Tell them the lepers are cleansed”:

I have to admit, I don’t know any lepers personally. But I do know that lepers in Jesus’ time were not just sick. They were outcasts, shoved to the edge of town where no one would have to look at them or be infected by them. So I can tell you something I have seen and heard – I’ve received a number of emails from folks who have felt estranged from God for a number of reasons: Some have a gay son or daughter. Some have been divorced and remarried. Some had questions and doubts they never felt safe to ask, so they stayed away instead. But because they’ve experienced Jesus’ wide, extravagant welcome offered not only by Bethany but by the ELCA, they are no longer lepers and outcasts, kept outside the city gates. Now they’re coming back, sitting in these pews, eating at this table, and offering their gifts and talents in the service of God. Jesus cleansed the lepers. Sisters and brothers, do you hear what I hear?

The deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have Good News brought to them:

You know, I thought this would be hard, but I think we’re on a roll! I know some whose ears had never heard a word of grace and forgiveness in their lives, who have heard Good News for the first time right here, in the name of Christ. Because of Jesus, I’ve seen people raised to new life from the darkness of grief, depression, or addiction. I’ve seen how the poor and the homeless have experienced Good News through the ministries of PADS, the Food Pantry, and the Diaper Bank. And thanks to our sponsored missionaries (Danae and Steve Hudson and the Stubbs family) and our own ELCA mission personnel, Rafael and Robert, I have heard how the Good News has been shared all over the world.

Jesus said to tell the people what I’ve seen and heard. Sisters and brothers, do you hear what I hear? Do you see what I see?

So maybe we shouldn’t cancel Christmas after all! After all, even John the Baptist shared doubts at times. And it’s true: the world is not perfect. Bad stuff still happens. Jesus has brought the kingdom, and yet it’s also still on its way. Love has come, a light in the darkness, but we still need to share it. Christmas, then, is not about celebrating one magic day when everything was made perfect. It is about celebrating one night in Bethlehem, when God came near and ushered in a new age--an age of possibility and wonder. An age when it has been revealed to the world, through the birth of a baby, that God is not seated on a throne, far away, but is on the loose in the world, working within and through God’s people. This is our hope. This is our joy. This is who we’ve been waiting for: the child, the child, sleeping in the night. And he will bring us goodness and light. Amen. 

2nd Sunday of Advent: Instant Christmas?

2nd Sunday of Advent: December 4, 2011

Mark 1:1-8
Preacher: Pastor Carrie B. Smith

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

One day earlier this week, the first week in Advent, I saw a television commercial that caught my attention. As I remember it, it features a family finishing up Thanksgiving dinner. As Grandma and Grandpa are being walked to the door, they comment on the perfection of the turkey and the quality of the stuffing and pie. “Wonderful, as always!” they say, “Happy Thanksgiving!” As the front door shuts behind them, a visibly tired wife turns and leans on the door, no doubt thinking about the work of cleaning up that delicious Thanksgiving feast. But then, she notices that her house has been magically transformed from a Thanksgiving feast into a Christmas paradise! The tree is up and lit, the rooms are decorated, and the husband (in a red and green holiday sweater, of course) sits in front of the roaring fire with two glasses of wine—one for him, one for her. Instant Christmas! And the tagline of the commercial is: “Santa has elves; you have Target.”

On a similar note, just yesterday a Texas friend commented on Facebook that she had received an email coupon from Hallmark, to be used on the “5th and 6th days of Christmas”. According to Hallmark, the 5th and 6th days of Christmas are tomorrow and the day after. Now I know we call this entire time between Halloween and New Year’s the holiday season, but I wasn’t aware that this year we were skipping all the weeks of December! This year, it seems, we’ve already arrived at Christmas—instant Christmas!

Lest you think I am an Advent Grinch, out to steal your Christmas joy, let me assure you: my Christmas tree is up at my house, too. I have lights on my house and holiday CDs playing in my car. What’s more, I’ve already worked my way through a goodly portion of a bottle of my favorite holiday drink (Bailey’s Irish Cream) as well as several packages of Christmas-colored Oreo cookies and an embarrassing number of Starbucks Peppermint Mochas. I love Christmas!

But I also love Advent, and here’s why: Advent prepares me for the joy Christmas brings. The decorating, the planning, the shopping, the baking, the candles on the wreath, the chocolates in the calendar, the singing, the wrapping…and the waiting—are all important parts of being ready. If elves did arrive after our Thanksgiving meal to magically deliver “instant Christmas” to our house, it just wouldn’t be the same! Time for preparation is a gift. Advent is a gift.

What’s more, Advent is a gift we receive nowhere else, except for in church. That’s why, today, things might look a little barren behind the altar. Gone is the vibrant greenery of the Epiphany season. We don’t yet see the baby Jesus or the shepherds or the angel announcing the good news. Red and green light bulbs and placemats and sweaters and Oreos may be populating our homes, but here in Sunday worship, we are welcomed by blue, the color of hope and expectation. The “Instant Christmas” outside is about having it all, and having it now—no waiting period required. Advent, on the other hand, is about expectation and anticipation. And so for these few weeks we sing “Prepare the royal highway, the king of kings is near” rather than “Noel, noel, born is the king of Israel.”

Advent is about expecting Jesus, and that’s why when you leave worship today, you will also see a new image of Mary hanging on Bethany’s art wall. This new painting, part of a series called “The Nativity Project”, is surprising in that it doesn’t show a traditional nativity scene at all. Instead, it portrays Mary cradling a very pregnant belly. It’s not “Away in a manger”, but rather “Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free.” It is hope and expectation. It is Advent, not instant Christmas.

It’s also true that “instant Christmas” isn’t to be found in the Gospel according to Mark. Today’s gospel reading starts off this way: “The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” We might expect the next verse to be: “Then the baby Jesus was born in a manger.” But instead, we hear that the beginning of the Good News came long before the stable and the manger. The beginning was even before John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching repentance. The beginning, according to Mark’s Gospel, is just as it was written in the prophet Isaiah, who said: “See, I am sending a messenger ahead of you, to prepare the way. A voice crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight!” In other words, the Good News of Jesus Christ began long ago, when God began preparing the world for the birth of the Messiah.

The incarnation was not instant! God has been preparing the world for Jesus—through the prophets, through the Word, and through the saints of all times and places. Today we especially remember John the baptizer and his important role in preaching repentance. His was the voice crying out in the wilderness that the people could not ignore.

But there were others, too. There was Abraham, and Sarah. There was Noah and Jacob, Rachel and Miriam. God didn’t start working in history on that holy night in Bethlehem. God has been at work throughout history, in all times and places, from creation to Bethlehem to Jerusalem and Golgotha and, ultimately, to the New Jerusalem. Christmas is not the beginning of the story, but it’s also good to remember that it’s not the end of the story, either! Amen!

Just as God has been at work in the world from the beginning of time, and has prepared us for the birth of the Messiah, so also God is always at work in our lives, preparing us for Christ to be born again in our hearts. God prepares us for new things, and this preparation time can be difficult. Darkness before there is light, and there is time in the wilderness before we hear a voice calling us out. When the rest of the world is celebrating Christmas, the Advent journey can be lonely, even when we trust that God is indeed preparing us for a new thing. Advent is a gift—but sometimes it’s a gift we’d rather not receive!

In preparing the world for Jesus, God sent John to preach the need for repentance, and I’m certain that was a gift not all were happy to receive. Indeed, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, it seems a bit of a downer to think of the need to repent, to confess sins, and to straighten out our lives. Where is the Christmas joy in that? Where is the magic and the glitter in that message?

And yet repentance and confession are important parts of being prepared to receive Christ. I wonder if you’ve ever noticed that one of our favorite Christmas hymns, “Joy to the World”, actually resides in the Advent section of our hymnal. I suspect it finds its home there largely because of this phrase: “Let every heart prepare him room…”. And indeed, this is a wonderful Advent message, because this could be the call of John the baptizer! Let every heart prepare him room—let every sinner turn back to God—let every person be honest about her shortcomings—let all who are filled with hate make room for love—let all who are empty be filled with God’s grace and forgiveness.

God prepares us for Jesus, making room in our hearts for the Good News, and for the new possibilities that Good News brings. This Advent, consider the ways in which God is at work in your life. How is God preparing you for new things? Where are there paths in your life that need to be straightened out for Jesus to arrive? How can you make room for Christ in your heart or in your home? Above all, what gifts can this Advent season bring, that will prepare you to more fully experience the joy of Christmas?

Let us pray:
We praise and thank you, Creator God, for you have not left us alone. Each year you come to us, Emmanuel, God with us in a manger. Each time you come to us in the broken bread and the cup we share. In time or out of time, you will be revealed, and we shall see you face to face. Prepare our hearts to receive you. Amen.