I am still under the weather.  I am also trying a new format for this posting, to include the songs and centering prayers I would normally do on line.  They are included as Youtube url’s.  Just open them to enjoy.  God Bless

 

WELCOME

 

“No matter who you are,

or where you are on life’s journey,

you are welcome here.”

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PARDON AND ASSURANCE:

 

“As God so loved the world”…is a very inclusive statement.  It is compassion in totality, a complete love for all life, in all its diversity.  So, who are we to judge what God does not judge?  Who are we to condemn what God loves?  Who are we to discriminate against whom God includes?  Forgive as God forgives, completely, both for those who may have hurt you, but also yourself for the pain you have caused others.  After all, God has already done so.

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CENTERING PRAYER:

 

Since the theme for this Sunday of Advent is one of Joy, this particular youtube seems to say it all.  It starts with the simple act of a child, and one musical voice, and from that comes a groundswell of Joy.  We should all remember that.  It doesn’t take much to generate hope, joy and love.  It just takes the determination to try.

 

“Ode to Joy” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qT5BOl2XU)

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SCRIPTURE:  John 1:6-8, 19-28

 

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. John came for testimony,

to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.  John was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

John confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

“And they asked, “What then? Are you Elijah?”

John said, “I am not.”

“Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

They said then, “Who are you?  Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

John said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Sovereign, as the prophet Isaiah said.”

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked John, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”

John answered them, “I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, even the one who comes after me,  the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

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ANTHEM:  “Where are you Christmas?” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGSHZYZ74c)

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SERMON:   Joy

 

Much is made at this time about Christmas.  You see it everywhere, especially right after Halloween, and in some cases, if the stores’ profits have been low, right after Labor Day.  Up go the decoration, out go the products, and suddenly the television is packed with all sorts of commercials to buy this and buy that.  The latest “must have” gismos and products hitting the market fills the shelves and the advertising goes crazy to draw people into the stores to part with their hard earned money.  Why?

 

What is all this about?  And even more so, is this what Christmas is really all about? After all, what is Christmas?  Makes me think of poor Charlie Brown asking his own questions.

 

It would seem that to the commercial sector, it’s all about profit.  They call the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday because this is when stores finally start to see a profit after operating in the Red all year.  But is this Christmas?  Personally, I think it’s greed, especially when you see the behavior of people as they rush into stores to buy that newest and on sale cheapest gift, trampling over people, pushing, shoving, clawing, pepper-spraying others…and for what?  And now, stores don’t even wait for Black Friday.  They want you to give up Thanksgiving and show up then also.

 

Is it the obligation that just because somebody bought you a present last year, one you might even have re-gifted, you need to buy them something this year, which they might even re-gift also?  Or the presents for the children that we deprive them of all year, only to go broke buying it all at Christmas?

 

Is Christmas just about commercialism and buying and selling?  Or is there something more we are missing?  What is Christmas really about?

 

When I was a child, Christmas was about the presents, but it was something much more.

It was about family, and it was about giving from the heart, often gifts that money can’t buy.  It was about the goodness of giving ourselves.  As I got older, the gifts no longer seemed to matter as much.  It was about family, and the spirit of love, and peace and hope.  But even this was taken away from me when I was 30, when my ex and I broke up.

This was when my “family” came to the fearful realization that I might start showing up at family gatherings as a woman.  They never asked me not to, or expressed their personal reservations.  They just assumed the worst for them, and ended up shutting me out of Christmas.  It wasn’t the presents.  It was no longer even about family.

 

I know how hard this season can be to those of us who are transgendered.  Many of us have lost families because of who and what we are.  We feel alone at this time of year, wondering “where is Christmas” for us.  We miss the family gatherings, the feasts and presents.  We miss the laughter and joy, the singing and the decorations.  We miss the love, and feel it has been taken away from us.  But as a community, we are not alone, for there are others like us, also searching for Christmas again, for the real meaning of Christmas in our hearts.

 

That is when I realized what Christmas Really was about.  When you have love, or what you thought was love, taken away from you, especially at Christmas, you realize that LOVE IS what Christmas is all about.  Love, and Joy.

 

It took time, but that love and hope returned in my life.  Christmas has returned in my life.  Getting presents still means little to me though.  What matters the most is the love and joy in and from others I love.  It is also about giving of my own spirit and soul for others, and receiving those same gifts in return.

 

Christmas lies in the close friendships and fellowship, love and support that we can all bring to each other.  Christmas lies in the spirit of Christ in others who love us, whether it is our families, or friends, or church, or our social groups.

 

I am mindful, when the morning air was filled with singing and joyful noise, how the Grinch began to realizes that in spite of his efforts, he didn’t stop Christmas, and he saw;

“It came without ribbons,

It came without tags,

It came without packages, boxes or bags.

Maybe Christmas does not come from a store.

Maybe Christmas – perhaps – means a little bit more.”

 

And then even the Grinch knew that Christmas came from the heart as even his own heart  grew three sizes that morning.  Christmas is a feeling, not a commodity.  Christmas is that miracle of wonders when we are infused with that special glow of joy over simple things, like a snowflake, or a child’s laugh, or a carol sung  It is the feeling in our hearts knowing this time of year brings a sense of renewal, of rebirth, of hope in the world.  It is Peace on Earth, and goodwill to all Humanity, a noble goal we would like to strive for, but still seem to fall short of.

 

But we strive for it nevertheless.  It is that moment in time when the soldiers in the trenches of World War I stopped fighting and joined in singing Christmas Carols together, in English and German, sharing a drink together in No-Man’s Land.  It is the same when a Yank offers up some coffee in exchange for some Reb’s tobacco along a frozen creek or river in the Virginia countryside, while sharing news of home far away.

 

These are not gifts you can wrap.  These are gifts that you cannot buy.  These are gifts of Love and Joy.

 

I look at this church when Christmas comes.  I see beauty, even more so than the rest of the year.  In that beauty is love.  I see it along the sidewalks of small town city centers on the fringes of Los Angeles, or at places like “The Grove” or “Americana on Brand”.  I see it in the decorations and the lights.  I see it in faces of people in relaxed contentment and peace.  I see it in the parties where everybody brings something to eat, and there is sharing and laugher and fun among good friends.

 

All of this is intangible and at the same time so very real.  Still, I do not say “don’t give gifts”.  What I do say is this; if you give something at this time of year, give it from the heart, not out of obligation.  Give warmly and simply, in appreciation for the friendships and love others bring to your life, and to honor that feeling.

 

When the Magi brought their gifts to Jesus, as the story goes, they brought gifts to honor, in love and hope, for something better.  That is the meaning of Christmas.  That is what keeps this season alive.  You give a gift you want to give, not what somebody else wants and could easily get themselves.  You give the gift that brings you joy and happiness in the giving, without expecting anything in return.

 

But at this time of year, as at all times of the year, the greatest gift you can give is the gift of Love and Joy, and of the Spirit.  Give that gift in a very real and tangle form to somebody who has nothing, to the child with little joy or hope in their life, or the adult who has lost everything.  Give where that gift really makes a difference in a life.

 

What is one more toy to the child who has hundreds, compared to giving that one doll to the little girl who has none?  What is another new tie to Uncle Harry compared to the new shoes to somebody who has no shoes at all?  What is a new food processor to a housewife who already has a dozen kitchen appliances compared to a job to somebody trying to feed a family?

 

What gift did Scrooge bring his nephew Fred on Christmas day?  He brought himself.

We often discount greatly just how powerful the gifts of joy and love can be in somebody’s life?  We often devalue what we might see as something simple when in fact, that gift’s impact can be great.

 

So we speak of the coming of Jesus at this time.  Last week’s readings actually spoke more on John the Baptist, as does this readying today.  But it is John who heralds the coming of Jesus.  He speaks several times of “one who comes after me”, or “make straight the way of the Sovereign”, or of one who comes who is mightier than I.  At each turn, John is announcing this, while he is also humbling himself.  But by the time John is preaching along the banks of the Jordan, baptizing people with water only, Jesus is already maturing in adulthood.  After all, Jesus is only a few months younger than John, his cousin.

 

But whether the readings at this stage of Advent, or the readings at Christmas, which then speak of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, it is the same theme; the proclamation of the coming of the Beloved One of God, the WORD, the Christ.  It is the proclamation of the coming of the Good News, of hope and salvation, of liberation from sin and sorrow, and of new life in the world.  It is about Joy.

 

As we then celebrate this season of Advent and Christmas, how often do we really remember these qualities of the time, these gifts to humanity?  How quick are we to show that love and compassion and hope while searching for a parking spot at the mall, or that “perfect” present for your “secret Santa” co-worker for the annual Christmas Party?  How often do we stop and just “FEEL” the season about us and enjoy it with out the pressures of the commercialism?  Even more, what would Jesus think of all this today when people rob, steal, cheap and even kill, often just in the act of “shopping” or obtaining something for themselves while depriving somebody else?

 

We are so quick to buy for everybody else that we forget whose birthday we really should be celebrating, and the real purpose behind that celebration.  We forget what real gifts are given at this time, and often who gave those gifts.  We even forget Jesus.

 

Slow down and remember the reasons we are really all here.  Slow down and share the gifts of love and hope, of peace and justice with everybody you meet.  Smile.  Laugh. Live.  Share.  Give.  Peace on Earth and goodwill to all of humankind starts with you, and me, and all of us.  Let us spread those gifts everywhere this season, and all year long.

 

As the song in the centering prayer says “The joy of  Christmas is here inside you.” Never let that go away.

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BENEDICTION:

 

Let the spirit of Christmas remind us all what this season is truly about.  It is about giving, but not just what you can wrap in paper, but what comes from your heart.  Show kindness and compassion, be thoughtful and gracious, and treat others with the same respect you wish to also be treated.  In the many names of our Universal God, through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus for our redemption, and the Holy Spirit which fills us with God’s light.  Go with love.  Amen.

 

I appologize to all who watch my weekly services, but I was out sick this and am unable to even talk, let alone preach.  Therefore, I am posting the reading for this First Sunday of Advent, as well as my sermon.  I hope it touches hearts, and I hope I am much better by December 7th, especially since I am giving the mail service in church that day. <grin>

November 30 2014 Sermon  Advent 1  Mark 13:32-37

The disciples are told they are to be on the watch, for they do not know when the Sovereign will come.

 But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Child, but only God. Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like some one going on a journey, who, upon leaving home, puts the servants in charge, each with a particular task, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Watch therefore—for you do not know when the sovereign will come, in the evening or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning—lest the sovereign come suddenly and find you asleep.  And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.

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How ready are you?

How often to we go to great pains and lengths to plan carefully ahead, for a vacation, or a critical job interview, or buying a house.  In fact, such planning can go into any number of activities.  Even in the military, great care goes into the planning of an attack or major offensive.  But even the greatest of generals or admirals will tell you, once the battle starts, all planning goes out the window and events as they unfold are not always in their  command.

Oh, sure, we can do everything we can to mitigate problems.  On a vacation, we can make sure we have plenty of money at hand, the RV is mechanically sound and checked out, a first aid kit is packed, plenty of clothes and food are stored.  But there is always the unforeseen, that mishap along the road that nobody could plan for.  You have a spare tire, but what if you get two flats?  A child gets sick on something he or she ate and you have nothing handy to help, so it is off to a nearby hospital.  It rains or snows when it was supposed to be sunny weather.  Your tropical getaway gets hit with a hurricane.

But that is life.  It is filled with unknowns, things we can never fully prepare for, but we still try out best.  But when it comes to our souls, do we really try hard enough?  How many of us truly feel in our hearts, that if God called us home NOW, TODAY, we would be prepared?  Is our earthy house in order?  Have we lived the kind of life that God expects of us on a daily basis, in how we treat others in compassionate love?

Last week’s sermon, on the warning to all nations, sets the tone for today.  Being fully prepared to meet God is not something you can cram for like a final exam in school.  This is not a last minute action after a life lived away from Christ.  Being prepared, always vigilant, is to live as Christ Jesus taught us on a daily basis, to the best of our human abilities.  Like the bridesmaids who brought enough oil for their lamps, not knowing when the bridegroom would come, they were prepared for that event at any hour.

Very few of us can plan for the moment of our deaths, unless you are dying of a terminal illness.  In that case, you know the end is near, and you have some time to put your house in order, shall we say.  You make sure all will documents are done, you have said your goodbyes to loved ones, and you pray to God  you have lived a good life.  You forgive those you need to forgive, and ask forgiveness of them.

I went through this with my own brother in 2008.  Even though he hoped he would survive the serious medical ordeal he faced, deep down I believe he was also prepared for the worst.  He summoned the courage of character to forgive in a manner I had never known him to do before.  He openly accepted me in the end as well, something his son still can’t do, even though his father did.  He also asked for forgiveness for the wrongs he had done, which I had never known him to do before either.  In short, he was prepared.  I know, that when he finally passed, his heart was ready.

What made this so important though was his life lived to that point.  My brother was not a very easy person to deal with.  He distrusted many people, and was often cruel and mean to those he should have showed greater love and compassion to, including our parents.  His own domination of his children was a significant contribution to the early death of his eldest son.

So this transformation when he was facing death was important.  He watched, and he prepared.  But life is not always this accommodating at the end.  In times of war, you never know when death comes, or even with violence in the streets, even in America, where people are killed in random acts of violence daily.  From shootings to vehicular accidents, death comes quickly and without warning.  It was in this manner that I lost my daughter.

My daughter died in a single car rollover car accident.  There was no warning, no time to prepare to meet God, no period of planning.  It just happened.  But I also know that in her life, and in her heart, she lived the kind of life on a regular basis that was filled with grace and love.  She cared about people, and she put that compassion into daily practice.  She might have had no warning at the end, but she was already prepared in her heart, and through her life.

And how many other people in this world face such a tragic and swift end, who are unprepared.  How many people are there out there who are not watching, not prepared, but living day to day in a selfish and hedonistic manner, taking only for themselves and caring nothing for others?  We do see it daily, on the news and on social media.  Angry people who are determined to take from others, whether it is a mob in the streets following a verdict they object to, or the avarice and greed that plays out on Wall Street, that rage is there.

They care not for anybody but themselves.  They ignore what the Bible teaching us to forgive and to love, to turn the other cheek, to share our bounty with the less fortunate, and they instead deny the least of God’s children in their own rush to take for themselves.  It is even more tragic when they take from others who already have so little, and they themselves already have way too much.

Do we prepare for God, or act like Christians, when we loot and burn and destroy what belongs to another?  Do we prepare for God, or act like Christians when we commit acts of violence upon other people, letting our hate and anger override all common sense and reason?  What is most tragic is that this also happens from the same people who claim to be Christians, and at the same time, reject any call for peace.

As the reading today states, God has given us this planet to live, left us in charge if you will, but also expects much of us in return.  We are to take care of this world, and all that lives upon it, each to their abilities and skills.  But we also do not know when God will return for an accounting of how we did.  We have no clue of the time and date.  God will come when God will come.

Oh, there have been any number of people who claim to know the secret of Christ’s return, and they are all wrong.  Even starting with the Apostle Paul, who believed Jesus would again come back in his own lifetime, at first preached a theology based on that notion, but in time he came to realize there was no way to plan ahead for that, other than live a good and righteous life.

But that has not stopped fakes and frauds from twisting scripture to find their own secret code to set the date of the return, of the rapture, of Armageddon.  Personally, I laughed and made light of the latest of these, with Harold Camping, who picked his date to happen back in 2011, so firm in his number crunching, and yet, like all the rest, wrong.  He failed in a very basic and fundamental point, even mentioned in scripture, by Jesus himself, when he told his followers that not even Jesus knew the day and hour.  And if Jesus does not know, nobody knows, or could know.

Even the Mayans seem to have been wrong, and I wonder just how many were all set and prepared for the great cataclysm that was expected, and never came on December 21, 2012.  Personally, I think the Mayan calendar makers just ran out of the right kind of stones and decided to drive future cultures crazy, wondering if there was anything coming up next.

But small minds through the centuries have gone to such extremes as to sell all they own, even kill their own children to spare them the trauma, and wait for the end that does not come about.  We just don’t know.  For this reason, you don’t cram for that final exam at the end, but you study and prepare and live each day as it if will be the last, but also live each day as if it is the first.

You live a life build on love.  You treat everybody the way you want to be treated.  You forgive those who wrong you, and hope they do the same, even if you have no control over that.  You share what you can, give where you should, comfort those who need it, and seek peace at every turn.

The Beatitudes are a wonderful guide to how we should live in harmony with God through Christ, and with all humanity.  When we live as best as we can by these loving principles, we are always watchful, always prepared, always ready to once again meet God.

Is this easy?  No.  At least it is not for most of us.  I have known some where all this does come with ease, but they also seem to possess a loving innocence that fills their lives and the lives around them.  For the rest of us, it is a daily challenge, to overcome our baser nature and to strive to be better than we are.  But while it is a challenge, any worthwhile accomplishment always is.  As we live such a life though, it becomes easier as we go, finding it is easier to smile than it is to frown, easier to laugh with joy than cry in anguish, and easier to love than it is to hate.

When we adopt such a lifestyle, even the differences between people becomes a mute point, because you stop being fearful of what is strange, and you embrace it with wonder and enthusiasm.  We seek to learn, rather than close our minds to change.  Race, color, language, lifestyles and religious differences cease to matter.  We do not become blind to it, but rather we embrace it and learn from it.  We accept such differences in people and understand that we are all diverse and unique in our own ways.

This is how we watch, and prepare, on a daily basis, hour by hour, minutes by minute, so when that end comes, expected or unexpected, we are ready.  We are also unafraid of that ultimate unknown, because we have made it a known in our soul, and we welcome it freely and with loving grace.

Amen.

May the grace of God always filled your hearts with loving light, and make no room for hate.