We Are God’s Beloved

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

The lectionary is a very good tool to use for planning worship services. The way it follows the church calendar and offers passages from the bible for the message-giver to open their minds and heart as to what is the massage for that particular week can honestly be both challenging and rewarding – to me at least.

It’s not just what’s in the lectionary passage for the week that can be challenging, but also what is left out of the lectionary choice. Today’s selection is a prime example of how this can be.

Because the verses I want to talk about are not printed in today’s bulletin, I need to ask you to grab a bible from the pews and open it to the Gospel according to Luke. Once you’ve found Luke, turn to chapter 3, and we’ll be reading from verse 15.

Verses 15-17 reads as follows: “As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’”

I believe we talked about this passage during Advent, and how it follows John the Baptizer’s answer to the question about what more those who are gathered need to do besides be baptized in water and proclaim themselves the rightful heirs to Abraham’s promises. In case we forgot; the answer was to share whatever we can with those in need as well as not accumulate or take more than what is needed through deceitful practices and to be happy with what we have.

We also talked about the literary funnel-like construction of these passages and how Luke begins talking about the ancestors, moves into the nation of Israel, then to the crowds gathered where he focuses on a few. He then talks about a more intimate baptism by someone who will come into our very being and clear out the chaff, or the junk we store within us, getting rid of it forever. This action by the one who is coming will leave only the good wheat, cleaning our souls, hearts, minds, and lives.

This is where we pick up the passage, reading what the lectionary has left out. Let’s continue from verse 18: “So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.”

Why is reading these particular passages important to today’s message? Let’s take a closer look to see if we can answer that.

The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and John clearly state that it’s John the Baptizer who baptizes Jesus. Each one of those Gospels have very similar proclamations by John, and each of those Gospels has either a telling of the event which happened after Jesus was baptized or John himself speaking as an eyewitness to that account. Either way it is clear that Jesus is baptized by John in the river, and as he comes out of the water the skies open and a Spirit descends like a dove upon Jesus and a voice from the Heavens proclaims Jesus as God’s beloved.

Not so in the Gospel according to Luke. Let’s read those verses again, focusing on verses 19 and 20: “But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him (John) because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.”

I like the Common English Translation which says, “But Herod the ruler had been criticized harshly by John because of Herodias, Herod’s brother’s wife, and because of all the evil he had done. He added this to the list of his evil deeds: he locked John up in prison.” Herod locked up John in prison. John the Baptizer is in prison, and Jesus has not yet been baptized.

Who, then, did baptize Jesus?

Let’s turn to the first part of verse 21: “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized.” Or as the Common English Translation reads: “When everyone was being baptized, Jesus also was baptized.”

It’s in the following realization that everything I thought I knew was challenged: We aren’t told who baptizes Jesus; we are only told that Jesus was baptized with others. Jesus was part of the crowd, Jesus was one of those gathered, Jesus was just one of the guys. He joined in with everyone else and was baptized as part of the gathered folk. No proclamation at his baptism, no opening of the heavens or voices from above as he comes out of the water; Jesus’ baptism is ordinary.

What happens next, however, is what the message of Luke’s Gospel, as well as the message of his follow up book which records the Acts of the Apostles as the Christian church is born and expanded. Please read with me the 2nd part of verse 21 and verse 22: “Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” Reading that again from the Common English Translation, “While he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove. And there was a voice from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.’”

If you remember the literary construction of the passages we spoke of earlier, you will remember that John speaks of an intimate cleansing of our selves when we are baptized by the one who is coming after him. That person, the one whom Luke is foreshadowing in his Gospel, is the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who will come into us, empty us of all the bad stuff, and leave only the good stuff.

We see here in the intimate setting of prayer what is the message of baptism in Luke’s Gospel. We are baptized as common individuals within a part of a group of people, entering into the church community of fellow followers of Christ. We make an outward gesture with the words we say and the covenants we promise, to do the best we can to be faithful to the church of Jesus Christ and to grow in our faith as best we can. It’s when the Holy Spirit fills us, though, that we hear the voice of God proclaim us as his beloved; as the one who God dearly loves.

I’m not sure if I shared this story with you, a story of when I was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit as I struggled with one of my core beliefs of Christianity. I do know I have said that seminary had a way of shaking my faith, but when that faith was restored, nothing can ever shake it again.

The issue was the virgin birth. There is so much comparison in seminary made to the language of the 1st Century listeners of the Gospel, that the point is made strongly that the stories which tell of the virgin birth of Jesus is similar to the stories told of the virgin birth of all great leaders who are thought to be a direct descendant of a god; especially Caesar. The arguments which were made about these similarities, and the possibility that Jesus’ virgin-birth narratives might just be a way to put the focus on Jesus as the Son of God, not Caesar, made me think, really think about where my faith was.

I had come to terms with all the other core parts of my faith. I know that Jesus is part of a trinity which includes the Spirit as well as God, I know that Jesus performed miracles, I know that Jesus was put to death on the cross and was resurrected on the 3rd day after that death. But, the virgin birth was one core part of my faith I was having a difficult time with.

One day, as I was driving to a meeting about my ordination process, my dilemma began to surface. For the most part whenever I began to struggle with the birth story of Jesus, I was able to distract myself and move on. Not this time; nothing was going to make this difficult struggle go away.

I want to clarify something before I go on. Seminary did not, nor does it in any way teach that the virgin story is not real. Seminary didn’t, and doesn’t, tell people how or what to think or feel, or accept as truth. What seminary did was open my mind and heart to other possibilities which may or may not explain some of the stories in the bible. The “truth”, if we want to call it that, is what my mind, heart, soul, and body came to accept without falter.

To continue my story, there I was, driving on the H-1 through Kalihi, when I just couldn’t take the struggle any more. I was literally obsessed with one single decision: was or was not Jesus born to a virgin mother.

It was just before the breaking point, just before pure frustration took over, that I stopped and prayed. No, not stopped my car on the freeway, but stopped my obsessive behavior. I asked God for guidance, I asked God to take from me the pain I was going through.

That’s when I suddenly felt a presence unlike any I’ve felt before, and heard a voice which said to me, “Randy, does it really matter what others say or think? Search your heart for the truth.”

In that moment I proclaimed, maybe out loud, that the birth of our Christ Jesus was from a virgin. It was in that moment I understood that my faith comes from God’s presence and is given to me through the Holy Spirit. Who God is became clear to me; one who accepts me for who I am and never faults me from swaying in my faith.

I cried deeply in that moment, so much so that I literally had to pull to the side of the freeway. However, while my vision was blurred by tears, I can honestly say that the leaves on the trees seemed greener, the sky above me was bluer, and the presence which filled me could not be contained.

God was revealed to me that day.

It’s in this time of the Epiphany we are asked to look for the different ways God is revealed to us. Maybe it was as you sat on the beach and watched the most beautiful sunset you’ve ever seen. Maybe it was in the eyes of a newborn grandchild. Maybe God’s revelation is still coming, and you know what, that’s okay. God will reveal God’s self in God’s time, when the moment is right for us.

For Jesus, the revelation came in a time of intimacy as he spoke with God after he was baptized.

With your permission I would like to ask you, if you wish, to come forward one by one to celebrate Jesus’ baptism. This is not a formal act of baptism by you, nor am I asking if you want to be baptized. I only want you to come forward and dip your finger in the bowl of water I will be holding, and as you do so say out loud these words, “I am loved by God.”

We are asked to allow the Spirit to come into us and to share in the journey of the Christian Church. We do this by being in the presence of God with Jesus Christ at our side.

God is with us always.  Amen.

Hiding In The Light

John 1:9-18

To fully understand the Gospel of John’s prologue, in fact its overall message, we must first come to appreciate the 1st Century Israelite’s understanding of what light represents. As our personal theologies have grown to where they are through the doctrines and interpretations of theologians throughout the millennia, the root of who Jesus was for those 1st century Christians ran deeply through Judaism and could not yet be separated from those beliefs.

The language we use today to represent the different things Jesus represents to us – justice, salvation, self-sacrifice, peace – was forged by great Christian thinkers such as Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Boesak, and Wright. However, the Christians of the 1st Century, when the way of Jesus Christ was in its infant stages, had people whose thoughts and writings were still grounded in Judaism as they tried to clear a new path for the followers of Christ to follow. The words they relied on were law, grace, and truth.

While we have great symbols of our faith which provoke images of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus – the manger, a star, the cross, an empty tomb – the people in the 1st century relied on images such as water, darkness, and light. John’s Gospel makes the best use of that last image, that of light,

Genesis 1 gives us these words, “When God began to create the heavens and the earth— the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea, and God’s wind swept over the waters— God said, “Let there be light.” And so light appeared. God saw how good the light was. God separated the light from the darkness. God named the light Day and the darkness Night.” Yet, when we take a closer look at this we note that day and night, light and darkness, were created before the sun and moon and stars. In fact, it took God another 3 days to create that which would mark the day and night.

What, then, is light?

God is represented by a column of fire, a source of light to ancient Hebrews, as they walk through the desert. God is revealed as light to Moses on the mountaintop. The burning of lamps for many of the established festivals of their day is of great importance as well; so much so that there is actually a Jewish code of law which states that the purchasing of oil for the lamps of the Sabbath and other festivals take precedence over the purchase of food.

In the New Testament we are reminded not to hide our lamp under a jar or bed. We are told the story of the bridesmaids of which half had oil for their lamps and half did not, therefore keeping them from entering the banquet. When Jesus is baptized there’s a great light which comes down from the heavens that shines on him. With these examples, and more, we can see the importance of how the word “light” as well as all the symbolism which portrays light is within the stories of the Bible.

The Gospel of John is no different in its use of the language of light. However, its understanding of what the light is differs from that which we may be accustomed to. Today we understand biblical light to be something that shines on our path and shows us the way into God’s never-ending love. We see the light as something which enters us and can be shared with others along our paths. John’s Gospel’s use of light is much, much more than that.

The Old Testament professor at Vancouver School of Theology, the seminary which I attended, is Patricia Dutcher-Walls, a world-renown Old Testament Scholar. During one of our sessions with her the question was asked, “How is it that light and darkness was created before sun, moon, and stars?”

In true Patricia Dutcher-Walls form she answered with a question. “What is necessary before sun and moon can be created?” The room was silent. After a minute or so she asked, “For that matter, what is needed before anything could have been created by God?”

The more seasoned students answered, “The Spirit of God.” “God’s breath.”

“Good, good,” she said in only the way Professor Dutcher-Walls could, “And what exactly did that breath of God do?”

Almost immediately the light went on in the room. Before we could say anything, though, our esteemed professor said, “In biblical Hebrew, light represents understanding, truth, justice, peace, and even life itself and the revelation of these things is expressed in terms of the revelation of light. The creation of light at the beginning of creation is the creation of the life-force and wisdom of all things.”

She continued, “The Hebrews believed that “the light” is what runs through every living thing. It is what connects us and unifies us under the one God. It is understood that when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden that the light was shattered, therefore separating humanity from the rest of creation and God. It is the basis of Jewish theology to reunite the light in order for all of creation to be as God had intended from the very beginning.”

I thought about those words a lot and let them sink into my being. Light is the life-force of all living things as well as the understanding of how that life-force unites all living things. Then, when I began my course on the Gospel of John and re-read this prologue for the first time with a new understanding of how the 1st Century Hebrew people understood the concept of light, I developed a deeper understanding of who Jesus Christ was to the first followers of Christ.

John’s Gospel also does something very interesting with the concept of light. Not only is the light which comes into the world the life-force and understanding of how all of creation was meant to live in unity, it is also the light which brings into focus all things. John’s Gospel not only includes the Hebrew concept of light, but also the Greek way of thinking that the word light represents the ordered entirety of the universe.

John’s Gospel blends the symbolism of Jewish light with the word “light” from the Greek world in which the author lived to give us the one thing which the Light of the world is: all of life in its entirety.

One of the questions asked in our course on John’s Gospel was, “What can you see when the lights are turned on?” Everything seemed to be the unanimous answer. So the follow-up question helped put the professor’s point more into focus. “So, what you’re saying is that when you turn on your kitchen lights you can see what is in your cupboards and in your refrigerator?”

The point he was trying to make was that when the light is turned on we can see everything that is exposed by that light. In order for something to be seen it has to be exposed to the light, which in turn exposes whatever stands in it for that which it is truly. In the Gospel of John, light is a symbol of many things, including the life force of all things, but mostly the light is there to be a light.

However, light is not used often in the Gospel, the actual word only being written about 16 times. So, while the concept, symbols, and word for life is important, that importance is made even more so by the limited use of the word. In fact, the use of the word “light” is limited to only 2 people; the narrator and Jesus.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is called the light of the world, Jesus himself calls him the light of the world. The light shines but people hide from it because they love darkness better; coming into the light would expose their inner-most secrets. And Jesus tells us to walk in the light of day to lessen our chances of stumbling. But, probably the 2 most effective uses of light by John’s Gospel are these: when Nicodemus approaches Jesus during the night and when Mary seeks Jesus at the tomb at the break of dawn.

This week the Christian calendar will be celebrating the Epiphany, the day when Jesus Christ first appears to the Gentiles as told of in Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. The Magi are said to have traveled from a place far east of Bethlehem, having only one thing to guide them; a great light in the sky. It was this great light which shone brightly in the desert as the Magi and their caravan rode to find the newborn Christ. It was this great light that shone into the cave as the Christ-child lay in a manger, his father and mother to one side, unsure of what to make of these men of great wealth as they lay gifts at their child’s feet.

The light of Christ never goes out nor does it ever dim. It is a light that shines for us, with us, unto us, and beyond us. The light with which all of creation looks towards to unite us and to help us understand what that unity is shines in this sanctuary, in our bodies, and in our hearts. Let this light shine, my friends, and gather together with everyone else’s light in order for the words of John’s prologue to come true.

Here now the Gospel according to John;

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light. 

A man named John was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. He himself wasn’t the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light. 

The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world. The light was in the world, and the world came into being through the light, but the world didn’t recognize the light. The light came to his own people, and his own people didn’t welcome him. But those who did welcome him, those who believed in his name, he authorized to become God’s children, born not from blood nor from human desire or passion, but born from God. 

The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John testified about him, crying out, “This is the one of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than me because he existed before me.’” From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace; as the Law was given through Moses, so grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made God known.

The Light shines forever.

God is always with us.  Amen.

Lost and Found

Luke 2:41-52


Today’s passage is a story that has been told many times, and in many ways. The Christ-family fulfill their annual obligation as people of the Jewish faith by journeying to the temple in Jerusalem for their Passover Festival. Most scholars believe that by this time in Jesus’ life he has at least a few siblings, maybe 2 or 3, maybe more. But Jesus is the oldest child of the family, and is at the age where his Bar Mitzvah would be coming up, so to him more responsibility, as well as more freedoms, are given.

Jesus would also be at the age where a Jewish young boy’s family would have to make a decision. As it would have been with all boys of his age, Jesus would have been taught the histories, laws, writings, and words of the Prophets in the Tanak; the Hebrew Bible. However, if the family wanted his education to continue, to grow deeper in knowledge of the Jewish faith’s doctrine of his time, 2 things would have had to happen. First, they would need enough money to pay for a Rabbi to teach Jesus. Then a Rabbi would actually have to choose Jesus to follow him and learn that Rabbi’s doctrinal interpretations and traditions, which would have been passed down to him by his Rabbi, and so on.

The one other path which Joseph and Mary could choose for Jesus is that Jesus would learn his father’s trade in order to best provide for his future, or the future of his family if anything happened to his father. This is the setting in which we find ourselves in today’s passage. It’s also a setting in which Luke gives us an insight into what kind of an upbringing Jesus would have in his young adult years; the ages between 13 and 30.

That upbringing, which was most likely chosen by Joseph and Mary, would be one where Jesus would learn to become a wood-worker, as his father, and by doing so would live a safe, sheltered life. The role of Jesus’ parents in this passage honestly tells us what family life was like for him and what Mary and Joseph saw as their role in the care-taking of the Christ-child.

I read a commentary by Bishop Craig Satterlee which asked the question, “Why did it take them three days to figure out that Jesus must be in his Father’s house and about his Father’s business?” He precedes this question with what his reaction to his lost child would be after finding him; he would have exploded at the child. But Mary only says “Child, why have you treated us like this? Listen! Your father and I have been worried. We’ve been looking for you!”

This, after searching for him in the city for 3 days. They didn’t pull him by his arm, they didn’t threaten to punish him, they didn’t blame him for any of the anxieties they just went through. They only said that he worried them.

This statement made Bishop Satterlee wonder about 2 things. Why were they not angrier, and why did it take them 3 days to look in the temple for the son of God? After all, they of all people knew where Jesus came from, and to whom Jesus truly belonged, didn’t they?

The answer to the Bishop’s questions are simple, and ring true as to why sometimes the world can’t find the Christ-child even as Christmastide goes on.

A lot of time has passed between the glorious birth of Jesus with angels making appearances and shepherds adoring the child, and Magi giving expensive gifts. So much time that family life for Mary, Joseph, Jesus and anyone else in the family would have become ordinary and routine. Isn’t that the way we sometimes feel right after Christmas Day. The lights seem to fade away, the shiny ribbons get tossed out, and the pretty wrappers are torn and thrown away. The Christmas shows on TV have all finished and the songs we sang along with on the radio have all stopped.

It’s as though Christmas ended on December 25th, instead of it just beginning.

Also, while Mary and Joseph knew what Jesus was destined for, they thought that time was still far off, certainly not while Jesus was still a child. But, Jesus wasn’t a child anymore. He was about to enter into adulthood, and Mary and Joseph had failed to notice that their child, their Jesus, had grown up. Jesus was showing more independence, showing more of an interest to things other than life with his family, as do most 12-year-olds.

Perhaps, then, Mary and Joseph had been simply going through daily life and hadn’t really noticed that Jesus was grown up. Sometimes that’s one of the things Christians are guilty of as well. There’s a tendency to celebrate Jesus’ birth, then moving on as quickly as we can to his death, forgetting to take a look at the man Jesus has grown up to become – a man filled with a passion for justice, a yearning to unite people of all walks of life as one, and someone who told everyone he met about the love of God that never ends and never fails.

So, when Jesus is finally found, after having been lost, he is no longer the same Jesus which Mary and Joseph thought they knew. Maybe that’s why when he heard his mother’s voice call out to him, he only asked, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?”

Jesus points out what Mary and Joseph had always known, but had somehow forgotten; that Jesus had a purpose.

About a week before school ended for the semester, our Academy held mock interviews for our students. We invited professionals from the business community who would ask the 16 and 17 year olds a pre-selected group of questions. The young men and women were expected to dress in business attire suitable for Hawaii and had to prepare their own resumes as well as gather 3 business references. It’s the first of 2 mock interviews we do with them, the second of which will be with actual people in the hospitality business who may be looking to hire a few of them.

The students were nervous, as one might expect. More so the Juniors, as the Seniors had already been through these interviews last year. It’s always a blast to watch these men and women as they try to look their honest best, make sure their resumes and references don’t get wrinkled or dirty, and fidget as they wait for their turn to interview.

During one of the breaks we walked around and spoke to the interviewers who were varied in their professions. There was a psychiatrist, a social worker, a retired naval officer, and an actual human resources person who did interviews for a hospital.

They all had praises for our students, and we all felt a sense of pride for our Academy. They told us of how some of the students came across as extremely nervous, but for the most part they were well prepared and confident. The human resources person then told us a story that just about summed up what would be our hopes for today’s teenager generation.

She had an appointment with a recent college graduate who was applying to be a lab assistant in the oncology department. The position called for someone with unparalleled organizational skills, extremely effective communication skills in both speaking and writing, and a willingness to work under extremely pressured situations and circumstances. In other words the perfect super employee.

The person being interviewed, otherwise known as the candidate, had done everything right in the application process. He had called to ask if the position was still available and to whom the application, resume, and references should be sent. He had emailed the human resources department to thank them for the opportunity to interview and when he got his appointment he sent another email and made another phone call to verify the date and time as well as thank them once again for the opportunity.

The day before the interview, the candidate called to confirm the appointment and on the day of the appointment he called to let them know he was on his way, and if he was late it might be because of unforeseen traffic situations. Which is why when the candidate was more than 30 minutes late the interviewer began to worry.

She called the candidate to make sure he was still on his way, and when he answered his voice was less enthusiastic than she would have imagined. He told her he was lost. She asked him where he was, maybe she could help him find the right street to turn on so he could find his way. He replied to her that he wasn’t lost on the roads, he was lost in the hospital. She didn’t know how to respond except to tell him to stay where he was and they would find him.

Find him they did, and she showed him to the human resources office where they held their interview. During the interview she noticed that the young man had a social awareness disorder, similar to Asperger’s, but in a high functioning way. She didn’t ask him about it, doing so would go against policies, but she was sure he had something similar as it became more obvious during the interview.

The interview was over, and she thanked him for his time. He apologized for getting lost and being late, and for any discomfort she may have felt because of his mannerisms. She told him everything was all right and they would be in touch within the week.

She told us that there was something there she couldn’t quite understand. It was as though this young man was absolutely perfect for the job on paper, but when they met in person she had her doubts. Not enough doubts, however, and she hired him, mostly because of a gut instinct.

He grew into his job, learning quickly what was expected from him and finding ways to go beyond those expectations. About 6 months into his new job he was assisting one of the lab doctors with a patient’s blood sample. The doctor was tired, having been in the lab for almost 12 hours. So, when the young man pointed out that the doctor was about to label the patient’s results wrongly, in affect saying that the patient had cancer when he didn’t, the doctor was very happy to have had him in the lab.

The interviewer told us that she and this young man became close, and that he did indeed have a social awareness disorder, one that at one point in his life made him feel lost and alone. But because he had great parents, great teachers, and a community of support through his life he found a way to overcome any obstacles in his life, where now he was one of that hospitals best employees.

Christ is that same way for us. He is born in our lives with high expectations. We praise him, follow him, do the best we can to understand him, but somewhere along the way he gets lost. Whether it’s because the glitz that is usually associated with the birth of the Christ within us has faded and we’ve allowed our lives to become too routine, or whether it’s because we’ve forgotten that the Christ that was born within us is growing up, has grown up, and we hadn’t noticed, somehow we’ve lost touch with who that Christ is within us and how we’re to share that Christ with the world.

Jesus had a purpose, even at the age of 12. His parents didn’t see it, neither did the rest of the world even as he grew into a man and walked this earth, trying his best to fulfill that purpose. So, instead of arguing with his parents he did what every 12-year-old boy would do, he went home with them and did as he was told. But, he never stopped growing up, he never stopped learning, he never stopped understanding what his purpose in life was: to bring about justice and to unite people under the one love of God.

The question for us in this Christmastime is this: as the Christ-child is once again born in us, how will we grow with him to fully understand what our purpose in this life is?

God is with us all.  Amen.

On This Night - Christmas Eve 2015

Luke 2:8-20

6 years ago, while I was between ministries, I held a full-time job selling language-learning software out of a kiosk in Ala Moana Shopping Center. It was a decent job that helped pay the bills and let me be outdoors a lot. I met many interesting people who were trying to learn a language to improve their lives in one way or another, as well as many other interesting people who were passers-by and was simply in need of conversation more than learning conversational Japanese.

There was one thing missing from my life at that time, though –  my relationship with God felt like it was put on hold. I don’t blame any one particular thing, certainly not the job itself. Nor do I blame the people I worked with or the people I met every day. I was just in a place where my life felt empty and without purpose.

One day, as I was opening the kiosk, I noticed a young man sitting on a wall close by. The mall wasn’t open yet, so I figured he was just waiting for one of the stores to open. I smiled over at him and said good morning and he replied with a good morning. As I slid open the sidings which covered the kiosk and turned on all the equipment, I couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were fixed on me.

I’ll admit it started to get a little creepy, but he seemed friendly enough, and there were people around so I felt reasonably safe. Just in case, I paused in opening the cash drawer to count the day’s starting cash.

The kiosk was open, but the mall still had another 20 minutes or so before they opened, and the mall management didn’t allow for the kiosks to begin any kind of selling process before the actual starting time. So I did what any good employee would do; I pretended to clean.

As I was fidgeting with our display boxes, I once again caught the eye of that young man who was still sitting on the wall by our kiosk, and who still had his eyes fixed on me. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Then, a real serious look came over his face as he asked me, in what seemed to be a voice that took every ounce of courage he had, “Do you know Jesus?”

I smiled, not so much because of the question he asked, but because of how this young man was seemingly building up the bravery to start an evangelistic conversation. I told him I did in fact know of Jesus and he let out a breath of relief. He asked me, “Do you mind if we talk for a while?”

I knew I had at least 20 minutes to spare, so I told him I would be more than happy to talk with him; it beat fidgeting with display boxes.
He told me about how he came to Hawaii from the west coast in the hopes of finding a new life. His life back home was one of making wrong choices which always led him into a lot of trouble. He wasn’t sure why he chose Hawaii, but it seemed like as good a place as any to start a new life, but soon after he got here he realized it would be a lot more difficult than he thought to get a life started.

He stayed at the YMCA at first, but because he couldn’t find a job he ended up living on the beach and in the parks when his money ran out. He told me how appreciative he was of the many programs and organizations that tried to help the homeless in Honolulu; especially those who fed them and showed them places they could do their laundry and get a day’s rest off the streets.

It seemed like he needed someone to talk with, so I sat next to him and listened.

He asked about my life and how it was going, which surprised me. I told him how I had just finished serving a church in youth and young adult ministry, and was going to seminary to become a pastor. He wanted to know more about my church and what the youth ministry was like there. I found myself opening up to this young man in a way I hadn’t opened up to a stranger in a long time.

I checked the time and it was almost time for the mall to open. I stood up to excuse myself when he asked if we could talk for just 5 more minutes. It really seemed like he had something to say, so I sat back down and listened more.

He told me that the reason he was so interested in my ministry is that 2 weeks before he had met a church group who was serving meals in the park. While he was eating, the pastor of that church came around and introduced himself, taking a little time to meet as many people as he could. But he hasn’t seen that church or that minister since, and wondered if I knew of anywhere close by he could go to church. He said that pastor and his brief conversation touched him in such a way that he finally understood what was missing in his life.

He then looked me in the eyes and said these words which I will never forget. “I used to have a lot of things – money, women, toys, friends – and for me that was enough. But all of that got taken away, and I didn’t know why until a few days ago. I now believe that God had emptied my life of everything materialistic so that I would have room for God in my life.”

When he was done saying those words he asked if he could pray with me and after that prayer was done we hugged and he walked away, never to be seen by me again.

I thought about his words all day. I thought about how he faced his new life with an openness of heart and a willingness of spirit. I also thought about where my life was currently. The more his words filled me, the more I realized what was missing in my life. I truly, deeply missed the ministry. I enjoyed sales, but what I wanted more than anything was to be back in the church, doing God’s work.

My encounter with that young man happened almost 6 years ago to the day, during the build up to Christmas in a secular world. That conversation helped put into priority the things, or one thing, that was important in my life: living in a world centered on God.

To this day I believe I was visited by an angel who spoke to me the words I needed to hear in the way I needed to hear them. To this day I believe that the young man who crossed my path for a brief moment shone a light so bright that I could once again find the path God had put me on.

It was an unexpected but very welcomed Christmas gift indeed. That visit by a messenger of God revived my hope in a life in ministry, filled me with the joy and peace of making the decision to finish my studies and pursue ordination, and brought back into my life the knowledge that I have always lived and will forever live within the love of God.

In many ways the Christmas story we heard tonight is the same. There are visits from angels who tell those they visit not to be afraid. There are visits by family members who reassure loved ones that everything will be okay. There is even a proclamation that God will surely work through a specially chosen person who will bring to life a son, a son whose own life will change the world.

Through these visits we hear words of hope as we wait for the Christ-child to be born; a child who will fulfill the promises of God. These are promises that were told of by ancient prophets for which generations of the people of Israel waited. Imagine the things you are waiting for to come true in your lives, then imagine that through the simple birth of a child all those things can come true.

Promises of a life lived free of emotional pain and free of living in an oppressive situation can all come true if, and when, we allow the Christ-child to be born within us. But, the Christ-child isn’t promised only to us. No, the Christ-child yearns to be born in all of humanity. And the way that happens is through us, through those of us who are sitting here tonight.

The child of which the angel promised wasn’t promised only to Mary and Joseph, nor was he promised only to the shepherds in the fields. God’s promise of being present in human form is made for all people, through all time. Just as Mary and Joseph were chosen to care for the child until he was ready to be shared with the world, so are we asked to be the same caretakers of that promise; the same caretakers of the light of Christ which shows the path into God’s never-ending, all-encompassing love.

Earlier this week, Ann and I went to the Post Office to mail a box to my family in Oregon. I fully expected the experience to be less than enjoyable, but what I actually experienced was nothing short of enlightening as to how humanity can be if we really allow the light within us to shine.

As you might imagine the lines were long and the building was filled with a lot of people and a lot of boxes. I stood at the back of line, watching as those in line ahead of me patiently waited for their turn to move forward. If you’ve ever been in the Post Office when people are trying to mail multiple boxes, you would know how the line-shuffle works; people place their boxes on the ground and as they move forward they use their feet, legs, and hips to slide their boxes on the floor ahead of them.

Except that on this day the shuffle wasn’t happening as much. There was a security guard standing in the room and she suggested that those who had multiple boxes could move their boxes to the front of the line where she would watch them. Almost immediately 2 or 3 younger people volunteered to move boxes for the elder folks, for which the elders were thankful.

That was just the beginning of niceties. A woman had a large stack of boxes on a hand truck she was trying to take out of the Post Office, but it didn’t fit through the door. Another woman noticed she was having a difficult time and took the top box from the pile, the one that was keeping the rest of the stack from going through the door, and carried it to the woman’s car. A young man was trying to open the door while at the same time balancing a stack of no less than 5 boxes. An older gentleman saw his struggle and not only opened the door, but carried half his stack to the front of the line.

People began to look for opportunities to help one another, actually going out of their way to open doors, hold places in line, carry heavier boxes, and so on. The people in that room began to spread the joy of Christmas one person at a time. That, my friends, is how the light of Christ is spread throughout our world. The example of love being shared on an afternoon in the Post Office almost seemed out of place in a time when most people would be too busy to care. But, you know, that’s what sharing the light of hope which the Christ-child brings can be like – out of place in a world that is desperately seeking peace, joy, and love.

On that day, people found ways to be angels of love.
Soon we will be honoring 2 traditions of Christmas Eve at Ewa Community Church. The placing of the Stars of Remembrance is a way for us to share our personal journeys into God’s love. We will be writing the names of those we want to remember at this time of year. Perhaps there is a loved one who is alone on this night, or who has no reason to celebrate in the joys Christmas brings. Perhaps it’s a family member who is having a difficult time with their finances or battling illness. Perhaps it’s someone you don’t even know, such as people living in or trying to flee from war-torn countries. Either way, you will be asked to write their names on a star and place them on the tree.

The second tradition will be the sharing of the light of Christ with one another. Both traditions are meant for us to not only share the Christ-child as he is reborn within us on this night, but to remind us that when tomorrow comes, when the morning finally brings Christmas, we will once again commit to letting Christ fill us so completely and to overflowing, that we cannot help but to share that light with everyone we meet.

The world is waiting for the promises of God to come, the promises which we can bring to them as angels of love. And as those angels we will bring the message of God’s love to all.

God is always with us.  Amen.

Prepare The Way Of Peace

Luke 3:1-6

(Singing) Prepare ye the way of the Lord.

That song has been in my head all week. So has the scene from the movie; the opening scene to Godspell. I’m not sure how many of you have seen that movie, but if you did then you’ll remember the scene. John the Baptizer’s voice can be heard echoing through the streets of New York City, calling to everyday people as they go through their everyday lives.

One by one we watch as a waitress, student, dancer, and others listen to that call and merge at the fountain for one of the best baptism scenes I’ve ever watched in a movie. As the new-found friends splash and dance with pure joy in that fountain, I can honestly see how their escape from the everyday doldrums of their previous lives bring a renewed meaning, a renewed purpose. They are born anew with a sense of peace which can only come from being in the presence of Jesus Christ – which they are after he enters the fountain to be baptized by John.

That opening scene from Godspell does a really good job at showing how hearts and lives are changed because it was important enough for one person, the Baptizer John, to truly want God to forgive people’s sins; to reconcile people with one another as well as with God.

In a way it can be said that the everyday people who heeded the call of John found a way to make straight the paths of their lives. Paths which were crooked, and filled with deep valleys and high mountain passes. The paths these people traveled separated them from one another as well as from God; so John did what all Christians are called to do: help people overcome the obstacles in their lives which make it difficult to live out Jesus’ great commandment to love one another as we love ourselves and to love God above all else.

These paths, which in today’s society really seem to be crooked and filled with high mountain passes and deep valleys, are once again upon us, don’t you think? It seems that all we hear about or see on the news is talk about the negative things in our world. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that the path which leads to God is getting more crooked and difficult to travel every day.

But, I do know better. Not a day goes by when I can’t see, hear, or feel God at work in the world today. Especially through the heroes of this world. I’m not so much talking about the first responders to an act of public violence or about those who fight for our freedoms around the world or here at home, just everyday people who do and say extraordinary things which help humanity see an easier path into God’s peace.

One such hero is Mattie Stepanek.

Mattie just so happens to be among my top 2 or 3 heroes of all time. The things this young man did to promote peace around the world amazes me to this day.

Matthew Stepanek was born in 1990 and suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy called dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy. It’s a disease which shuts down the muscles at the cellular level. He shared this disease with his 3 older siblings and his mom

At the age of 3, Mattie began writing poems as a way to cope with the passing of one of older brothers. Most of his poems had to do with finding peace within one’s self and those around them. By the time Mattie was age 13 he had written 6 volumes of poems, known as “Heart Songs”, all of which became national best sellers. A book called “Just Peace”, a collection of essays on the topic of peace was also published and made the national best sellers list as well. That book also included a collection of email correspondences Mattie had with President Jimmy Carter, who said of Mattie that he was “the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known.”

Mattie was a very spiritual person. He was baptized a Catholic and at the age of 9 began serving as a Minister of the Word, reading from the Bible during weekday and Sunday Masses. At the age of 10 he began teaching Sunday school to 6 year-olds and at the age of 11 he began teaching Sunday school to 6th graders.

Many of Mattie’s poems and essays reflect his friendship with God.  While he embraced Catholicism, he also respected and studied the diverse faiths of people around the world, believing that God creates and loves all people, and that a message of hope and peace is a gift to be offered to everyone.

Mattie believed that we are each born with a “Heartsong” — or a reason for being and a purpose in life. He shared and celebrated that “Hope is real, peace is possible, and life is worthy!” — if we each choose to embrace such truths in attitude and action, for ourselves and for our world.

Mattie envisioned a world at peace, and saw humanity as a “mosaic of gifts, to nurture, to offer, to accept.” He said “peace is possible” and that while ending war matters, “peace begins within each person when we have our basic needs met.” He said that when we have access to what we need to survive — food, water, shelter, healthcare… — and also access to what we need to thrive — education, trust in others, hope for some next moment… — then we are able to choose to be “okay with who and how we are as a person.” When we are able to be okay with who and how we are, we can then choose gratitude, and turn our thoughts and attention and resources outward, and tend to the needs of others – “our neighbors around the block and around the world” — so that despite differences, they, too, can be okay with who and how they are as people.
Such wisdom, such an amazing insight, and all from a boy who is barely an adolescent.

Mattie died in 2004, a few weeks before his 14th birthday, but not before his message of peace for our selves and peace for the world could be shared. Mattie called out from his wilderness, which was a wheelchair, hooked up to tubes that basically kept him alive, and did his best to straighten the paths of those who would listen to his message, a path which in his heart led directly to the peace God intended for all of humanity.

My absolute favorite poem by Mattie was written by him at the age of 11, on September 11, 2001. It’s a poem which cries out for our world to find the calm, peace, acceptance, and understanding we will all need during such a difficult and trying time. His words ring just as true today as they did then.

For Our World
By Mattie Stepanek 

We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment...
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment...
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment...
Before the future slips away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and notice...
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer, to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment...
Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting
Like children and lambs,
Never judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no life,
No chance for peace.

The prophet Isaiah says there will be a voice crying out in the wilderness, calling people to prepare the way for Jesus Christ; a voice that will plead for all of humanity to make our paths straight and to flatten the deep valleys and high mountain passes that divide us. In this Advent season that voice, my friends, belongs to us. Let us be the voice which shows the way that leads to the Christ child; a voice that cries out for peace within humanity.

(Singing) Prepare ye the way of the Lord.

God is always with us.  Amen.

Hope Sprouts Eternal

Luke 21:25-36

Happy New Year!

Yes, that’s right. I said Happy New Year!

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, a time when we prepare ourselves for the birth of the Christ child; and it is also the first day of the Christian Calendar. So, while the rest of the world begins their countdown towards Christmas and the end of the calendar year, we begin to count up towards Christmas and the rebirth of all things.

I’ll admit, it can get a little confusing, but what isn’t these days. We have Black Friday deals that start on Thanksgiving Thursday. We walk into stores before Halloween and see Christmas decorations lining the halls and Christmas toys lining the shelves of our favorite stores and malls. Then there’s that whole “Do we call it Christmas or do we call it the holidays so as not to offend anyone” thing. I say Christmas, others might wish me a Happy Hanukkah or a Merry Kwanza; either way I understand that we’re all celebrating one thing at this time of year – The hope that all the world will find the peace, joy and love that all of humanity is desperately seeking.

It also doesn’t help that today’s Advent reading comes from a Jesus who is facing the end of his days here on earth. As United Church of Christ Theologian Kathryn Matthews puts it, “While we set up Nativity scenes with a sweet baby Jesus lying in a manger, we hear from the grown-up, just-about-to-die Jesus, standing in the Temple, teaching about the coming catastrophe – the destruction of [the] Temple by the Romans” She goes on to add, “But Jesus seems to be talking about even more than that: the end of all things, the End of Time itself.”

It is in this place we find ourselves this morning; at the beginning, yet contemplating the end. In a place where Jesus speaks of all things coming to an end, and the Christian calendar reminding us that we are at the beginning of all things yet to come.

The intent of The Gospel of Luke in today’s passage is not meant to confuse us, rather it is to remind us that before there can be a beginning, there must be an end. Luke’s purpose, as well as that of the Christian calendar, is to remind us that with new beginnings come change. We are also shown through the words of Jesus that with change comes the message of hope.

As we heard earlier with the lighting of our wreath, Advent means “coming.” It’s more than that, however. Advent is the coming of a special event or the visit of a high dignitary or person of importance. To Christians, Advent is the time when we look towards the coming of the Christ child.

Sometimes it seems that as the years go by it gets more and more difficult to look towards Christmas as the celebration of when the Christ child is born. Our lives become busier, our jobs become more challenging, there seems to be more and more demands placed on our time. Not to mention how overly-commercialized that day has become. The stores and television commercials remind us that Christmas is a time to celebrate by making sure we get that perfect gift for that special person, and it is right after Thanksgiving when that message goes into high gear.

How are we supposed to find time to focus on our own well-being, let alone focus on the coming of the one who changes and renews our lives?

World events are also taking a toll on the message of the coming of the Christ child. Terrorist bombings, escalating violence around the world, and politics that seem out of touch with the basic needs of our country all compete for our worries about the world in which we live.

How are we supposed to find the time to focus on the peaceful joys of this world, let alone focus on the promises of God the Christ child fulfills?

By not being a part of that world, that’s how.

I want to focus on 2 parts of today’s passage. Verse 26 says that “The planets and other heavenly bodies will be shaken, causing people to faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world.” The word used for “world” in this passage is oikoumenē, not the usual word, kosmos which literally means the world, the entire earth. Oikoumenē, by contrast, is speaking of the political and economic world of the Roman Empire.

Jesus is telling those who are listening that the world which will be falling apart, the world which will be coming to the end of its time, is that of those who live in a world consumed by power and money. Jesus is warning the people of his time that everything they hold dear to them, which unfortunately has become not the things of God, will be destroyed.

Yet, Jesus tells those who are gathered that when those things begin to happen, they should stand up straight and raise their heads, because their redemption, their liberation, is near.

We also look towards our redemption, our deliverance, our liberation from the things which cause us to lose focus on what the birth of the Christ within us is supposed to be. All we need to do is stop and look for the signs of hope which surround us every day. Just as Jesus reminds us in verses 29-31.

Jesus says, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that God’s kingdom is near.” Jesus points out that the things which show us a glimmer of hope may be as small as new buds on a tree, but if we know to look for them and we allow the bud of new life to sprout within us, surely the hope that Christ brought into this world will fill us to overflowing – so much so that the light of hope from our Savior will overcome all that tries to extinguish it.

About 2001 I took part in a Youth mission trip to Washington, DC. It was during the spring break, sometime in March when the weather is still cold, at least for us Hawaiians. The purpose of the mission trip was to work closely with the homeless people in DC, while at the same time do some self-discovery on where we were in our relationship with God through Christ.

We walked the streets to meet homeless people and learn their stories. We worked in a soup kitchen and met a few homeless people in more intimate settings so we could ask questions about how they became homeless and what being homeless was about to them. It was a view into lives we’ve never experienced before that trip.

We also saw some of the great sights DC has to offer. The museums, the Library of Congress, the National Mall, the really cool post office and all of its carved stone columns were some of the places we got to visit. We also visited the National Cathedral and got to hear their grand organ, an experience I’ll never forget, and were treated to a contemplative walk along a path through the woods.

It was on this walk we experienced what a reborn relationship with God could be like.

Before we walked along the path, most of us noticed that the trees and bushes were very bare and asked why. Being from Hawaii we hadn’t experienced how plant-life faded away during the winter, so to see empty branches of trees that were still alive intrigued us. Instead of telling us of the bleak winter conditions, our guide told us to focus on the blossoming of new life and the budding of new leaves along the path as that is what spring is about.

Halfway through the walk one of our young men began to cry, which quickly became a sob. Because our main instruction for the walk was that nobody talk to or touch or in any way communicate with our fellow walkers, we could do nothing but watch and listen as this man bared his soul.

When we reached the end of the walk, and were able to speak and touch and interact with our fellow travelers, the young man was surrounded with so much love. Hugs and whispers of how things are okay filled the space we were in. It was enough to bring everyone to tears.

When asked why he cried so hard, his response brought the Spirit of God into our group with a message that still carries to this day. He said to us, “I realized that our world is like this path. It’s filled with so much death, so little beauty. But then, out of nowhere, I could feel God say to me that there is more to this path than I was letting myself see.” He paused to cry for a moment then continued, “I looked closer at the plants along the path and I noticed one tree in particular, a tree that had a very small green leaf coming through its dead, brown branch. It was then I realized that God’s presence is like that leaf – It’s there if we just look for it.”

Amid the turmoil of simply being a teenager and witnessing for the first time the hardships of others, this young man realized that the hope of God can sometimes be as small as the new leaf of spring, but is always present nonetheless.

That, my friends, is what the promised hope of the Christ child brings; new life amid the turmoil of that which surrounds our lives in other ways. Such is the redemption of the Christ child; that we are freed from that which holds us captive to the love of power and money. Such is what Advent and its promise of hope brings; a life reborn within us where instead of being consumed with the politics and economics of this world we are consumed with the never-ending, all-encompassing, all-inclusive love of God.

Humanity’s history is filled with people who have peered into God’s promise of a better future. From Moses to Martin Luther King, Jr. we have been told that the challenges of present-day troubles are not only endurable, but also filled with hope. It’s in the Christ child we can keep a watchful eye amidst the setbacks, disappointments, or worries of this world to look for the signs of hope our God shows to us every day. It is then, when hope is all we see, that we know with certainty that our redemption is near.

God is always with us.  Amen.

Thankful Giving

Mark 12:38-44

“Has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.”

I’ve been thinking about this phrase all week. What does it mean to give everything we have? More so, what does it mean to give the things we need to live on?

Today, we come to the final installment of our journey through the Gospel of Mark. It’s been a great 3 months, or so, in which we learned about discipleship, walking with Christ as our guide, and remembering that we never travel alone as not only is God always with us but so are fellow travelers which God has put on our paths. We heard stories about not hindering other’s approach into God’s love and to be as welcoming to the outcasts and the unwanted in our communities as we are to Jesus himself.

Mostly, though, we heard story after story of how Jesus calls his followers to do what is right in the eyes of God: to love one another with the same unconditional love God has for us and to love ourselves in the same way and above all to love God with all we are. I think it’s that same unconditional love we here at Ewa Community Church have for one another and for those who live within, as well as beyond, our community; one look at this chancel speaks louder about that than any words I can say.

As I watched you bring your gifts forward, I thought to myself, “This really is a great church. We are mission-oriented and do what we can to provide for the well-being of others. We might not be a big church, but we most certainly give all that we have.”

We don’t do so to show others how great we are, or to bring attention to ourselves in any way; instead we give from a place within ourselves that speaks as loud as silence, the same kind of silence with which the poor widow in today’s story spoke.

Today we find Jesus in one of the in-between places Mark is known for. The presentation of the child to his disciples in Capernaum and the stroll through the villages by Caesarea Philippi are recent examples we have seen of those same kind of in-between places; places where Jesus’ more intimate teachings take place.

Today’s passage takes place between the grueling interrogation by the temple elite and Jesus’ moment on the hill across the temple. If we recall last week’s message, Jesus had just finished a debate with some of Jerusalem’s smartest religious and legal counsels. He then stepped out of the city and away from the temple where he warns that bad things have to happen before the people fully understand what he is trying to teach.

Before they leave the city, though, Jesus sits down right outside the temple, in full view of the collection box to watch how people give their money. After all, he did just say something about people who long for places of honor in the synagogues and who like to show off by saying long prayers. Jesus just thought it would be interesting to see if any of his words were getting through.

My guess is it didn’t. Jesus watched as person after person came to the collection box, haphazardly tossing in money, throwing it in without a thought as to what their contributions meant to the building of God’s Kingdom. However, in contrast to those who give without a thought, the poor widow approaches the collection box with pride and dignity, willing to give everything she has.

The widow gave to the temple not out of duty, nor does she give with the hopes God will somehow rescue her from her dire situation. The widow gives because of her faithfulness to God, and God’s faithfulness to her. She is devoted to the fact that God is in her life, regardless of where she is on life’s journey and for that she is thankful – so much so that she comes into the temple during one of their people’s largest festivals in order to give what she can, which is all she had, to thank God for everything God has done in her life.

The widow is being a good steward of the gifts which God has given her and as such is retuning that gift to God so that God’s Kingdom will be stronger.

In a recent article, author Benjamin Corey said a few things about the Kingdom of God. He said that the Kingdom of God is not concerned with building walls, but tearing them down and that the Kingdom of God is not concerned with having more, but giving more. Those are interesting words to ponder in the place Mark’s Gospel has us today.

It seems as though we’re living in a time when some people would rather put up barriers, or as Mark’s Gospel describes them, stumbling blocks, instead of making the path to God’s all-encompassing love easier. It seems that we’re living in a time when most people are more concerned with their self-interests than they are about the lives of those who are seeking a chance at life, literally. It seems as though the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees of which Jesus warned us are once again cheating widows out of their homes.

But, it only seems that way if we let it be such. There was also one more thing Mr. Corey said in his article: The Kingdom of God exists to help those in need. It’s in helping those in need we are reminded about today.

Stewardship is defined as an ethic that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. It is the blending of 2 words; stig which means house or hall, and weard which means guardian or keeper. Stewardship, then, is a set of moral principles with which one manages and plans how to utilize that with which they are entrusted.  

Biblical stewardship is doing the same with the gifts God has entrusted to us. Oftentimes when stewardship is mentioned in the church we think of money. Yes, helping to finance the work of the church is important, but that’s not the whole thing. Financially, I’m sure we all do what we can. It’s with the other gifts God has entrusted to us that we should truly be considering.

Some of us are gifted with great organizational skills and could help with planning events for our church and the Ewa community in which we live. Some of us are gifted with being able to moderate a group discussion and could lead a church study group. Some of us are gifted with making crafts or baking cakes and cookies and could make things to sell at our mission fairs. Some of us have good leadership skills and could help facilitate one of our committees. Some of us are good at being a caring presence for others and could visit our members who, for whatever reasons, cannot attend church on a regular basis.

We each have something we’re gifted with and it doesn’t matter if the gift you have is small or big. What does matter is how you give that gift to better the Kingdom of God and to do so with the same outlook our widow in today’s story has: thankfulness. A thankfulness that God is in our lives and a thankfulness that we are able to do what we can in order to help others realize that God is in their lives as well.

Her gift to the temple also highlights one more thing that needs to be mentioned. We are told by Jesus to beware of the legal experts who do things only to make themselves look better, the same people Jesus says do so at the expense of the widows of the world. Yet the widow gave anyway. Jesus tells his followers that the poor woman is a direct recipient of all the things the religious figures of his day had created – division between different classes of people, the inability for the unclean to re-enter God’s presence, and the separation of the church from the people who needed it the most; but none of that mattered to this woman, she gave anyway.

Her faith in God and how God would use whatever gifts she brought to the temple to better the lives of those around her was more than enough for her to give all that she had, everything she needed to live on. Perhaps she also gave out of a sense of hope. In ancient Israel, the “poor” were not required to give; they simply did so because they believed in the goodness of the institution, the goodness of its leaders, and the need for the religious institution to remain. Her hope was that her gift would be used to better the lives of others, even if she herself had nothing left after giving.

I want to tell you a quick story which was posted in Facebook by a childhood friend of mine.

It was this time of the year 4 years ago, I was sitting at a stop light next to Honolulu Hale, when I witnessed a homeless couple crossing the street. They wore torn dirty clothes, Their hair uncombed, skin unwashed. They held each other’s hand as they used the cross walk to make their way to the other side as the traffic waited for the light to change.
Then. . . unexpectedly, in the middle of the street the man turns to the woman and ever so lovingly and gently kissed her, and in full view of the waiting traffic gave her the most incredible embrace as if to say " My Love, let others watch. I will use this moment to bear witness to the world that although I have nothing to offer you, from now until breath leaves my body for the last time, I am yours and shall always love you with all my heart".
For a few seconds, I couldn't see a homeless couple, but instead I saw a man and woman deeply in love with each other.
For those in love, a blessing that your love grows and endures.
For those looking for love, a prayer and a blessing that the Heavenly Father will grant you the love you are looking for. . .
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends!

What an amazing gift for my friend to be given. That couple had nothing of which to call their own except for the love they shared with one another; a love so strong they didn’t mind sharing it with the rest of the world. Such, my friends, is the love of Christ.

When we read on from today’s passage we will find Jesus entering his final days here on earth. He is going to be betrayed by those closest to him, lied about and made to endure a trial of mistruths and falsehoods. In the end, all Jesus will have to offer as a gift is his life – which he does without so much as a complaint because it’s in that gift he hopes we begin to understand the depth of his love for us.

Thanksgiving is this week. It’s that special day we set aside as a people to be thankful for all that with which we have been entrusted. It’s also a day we can reflect on all we can give back to God with that same gratitude. It’s only when we are able to give of ourselves as freely as did Christ, that those around us will be able to understand the love we have to share. A love which comes from God and flows through us and into the world.

A world where God is ever-present and where God’s ever-present love lives. A world where Ewa Community Church can remain to be a beacon of hope and a path towards rebuilding relationships within our community. All of which is possible because of the gifts you have been entrusted with and are now able to give back to God to help make God’s Kingdom a better place for all.

God is with us all, and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you!  Amen.