Tag Archives: Advent

The Candle of HOPE

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First Sunday of Advent – The Candle of HOPE

advent-1-candleFaith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This means that hope must precede faith. Our faith in God revealed in Jesus is rooted and grounded on the deepest hopes of our hearts and minds. The dreams of a better world that stir our imagination. These are the dreams of Abraham and Sarah, the dreams of King David, the dreams of the prophets, the dreams of Joseph and Mary and the Shepherds and the Wise Men. These are the dreams of Jesus and the Apostles – the dreams of God’s kingdom manifest on earth as it is in heaven.

You and I, by virtue of our calling and baptism into Christ, are co-creators with God of bringing this dream to reality. This church exists so that we can hear the dreams of old, have our own imaginations stirred, and invite our neighbors to work alongside us for the healing of the nations – the way of God’s shalom.

As you enter into this Advent season, what are your dreams? What is your hope, of which your faith in God will be the assurance?

As a prayer for God’s fulfilling these hopes and dreams, we light the candle of Hope.

(The first purple candle is lit as the hymn is sung.)
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Text (c) Ken G. Crawford 2016
Photo credit – stmatthiaschicago.org

The Gospel weighted toward the poor?

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Continuing the conversation about Mary’s Magnificat here and here.
This begs the question: Is the Gospel good news for everyone?

Perhaps the prepositions need some work here. Good News FOR everyone? Yes, most definitely. Will it sound like good news TO everyone? Not likely. I’m assuming here that we could resolve all of the church’s failures, shortcomings and inconsistencies. This line of questioning has nothing to do with our inability to live up to the Gospel’s call and claim on our lives. For the sake of argument, let’s just say that is all resolved, and all we are left with is the Gospel itself, in its pure and true form.

Hannah and Mary point to what they believe is an essential truth in God’s message of love – that the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Those who have been beaten down and left out will be brought in, healed and restored. Meanwhile, those doing the beating and the leaving – they will lose their positions of power over others. This is nearly impossible for us to hear in western culture so defined by power and prestige, where might makes right, growth and strength are signs of privilege to be preferred by us.

from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops http://www.USCCB.org

If Mary and Hannah are to be believed, then the God made flesh in Jesus of Nazareth shows “a preference toward the poor,” to borrow language from Liberation Theology. Here is how the US Conference of Catholic Bishops introduces the idea:

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable – A  basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society  marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the  story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46)  and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. 

And here is an excerpt from Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns intro:

From the Scriptures we learn that the justice of a society is tested and judged by its treatment of the poor. God’s covenant with Israel was dependant on the way the community treated the poor and unprotected—the widow, the orphan and the stranger (Deut. 16.11-12, Ex. 22.21-27, Isa. 1.16-17). Throughout Israel’s history and in the New Testament, the poor are agents of God’s transforming power. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims that he has been anointed to bring good news to the poor (4.1-22). Similarly, in the Last Judgment, we are told that we will be judged according to how we respond to the hungry, the thirsty, the prisoner and the stranger (Matthew 25.31-46).

I would argue that we must lay these ideas alongside Jesus’ teaching that we must become like little children if we wish to enter the kingdom of God. Children are penniless and powerless. They are humble, weak and poor. And they are our mentors and guides for inheriting the Kingdom to come, which in glimpses and fits and starts is already here.

Follow the weak and the frail?

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Could it be that as soon as the church finds itself on the top side of history we must immediately turn, look around, and go sit with those who are on the bottom side?  What if the only way to enter into the presence of God and remain with God is by following those who are dispossessed? Israel was always closest to God when they were the lost bride in need of redemption. When the people were lifted out of oppression and rose to power, almost immediately did they turn their backs on the one who had saved them.

In the midst of all the talk about race relations, community policing, inequity, poverty, crime, and yes, even outright systemic racism, could it be that Christians are missing the point? All of us, White, Black, Asian, Latin, and more? As we are now 12 days before Christmas, I’m reminded of the ways in which God entered into the underside of history, and everyone seems to have missed the point. Mary and Joseph ended up in a stable, which means they didn’t find hospitality from the rich or the poor. Herod tried to kill Jesus, but the wise men did nothing to protect him. The shepherds came and worshiped, and then returned to their fields, filled with joy, but presumably not to change the course of their lives. Even those who may have had some idea who this child was were left untransformed by his presence.

What needs to change in us so that we can finally be humble before those God sends to us as messengers, “Angelos,” to teach us and leads us to peace?

German Advent Welcome

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This is the welcome that I wrote and delivered at St. Paul’s UCC. It was an interesting experience. I’d not attempted to speak German in public since High School, and it showed. My accent never was very good, but as several folks commented afterward, “You made the effort, and that matters.” I’ve always found this to be true – humbly and genuinely attempting to speak another person’s language so as to communicate and connect with them is greatly appreciated, even if the language is butchered in the process. It helps to keep a good sense of humor, because folks will undoubtedly laugh at the gaffs, even while smiling appreciatively. And the service itself was a delight. I find it interesting to worship in another language, listening for where I can understand what is being said by the context, and where I’m lost simply trusting the Pentecost Spirit to bridge the gap. Never fails. I also was glad to meet folks from The Goethe Center of Dallas, The German School of Dallas, and of course The Dallas Frohsinn Singing Society and The Alpenhorns who helped lead the service. Kudos to the choir and people of St. Paul’s for a wonderful event under the direction of Will Kanute, Choirmaster.

Welcome delivered at St. Paul’s German Advent Service Deutscher Weinachtsgottesdienst ~ Dez 7, 2014
Welcome to St. Paul’s Church. Willkommen bei der St. Paul’s Kirche !
Whether old friends or new, Ob alte Freunde oder Neue,
whether devout followers or curious seekers, you are welcome here. Ob fromme Folger oder neugierige Sucher, Alle sind hier willkommen.
The Christian Heritage of Germany has many gifts for the contemporary church and world.  Die christliche Erbschaft Deutschlands hat viel den zeitgenossenen Kirchen und der Welt zu Schenken.
This service is but one.  Dieser Gottesdienst ist nur ein Beispiel.
Some of our greatest theologians and composers hail from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  Manche unserer grossartigsten Theologen und Komponisten stammen aus Deutschland, Oestereich und der Schweiz.
Tonight we gather to honor and celebrate that heritage as we prepare to welcome and celebrate once again God’s gift of the Christ child to the world. Heute Abend sind wir zusammen um diese Erbschaft zu ehren und feiern, waehrend wir uns vorbereiten Gottes Geschenk, “das Christuskind fuer die Welt”, wieder willkommen zu heissen.
May the spirit of Christ dwell in us and lead us into the world proclaiming Peace on Earth, Good News to all. Moege der Geist Christi in uns weilen, und uns in die Welt fuehren, um Friede auf Erden und gute Nachricht in Alle zu erklaeren.
Welcome. Herzlich Willkommen .

* Thanks to Baerbel W. for the translation.

7 things to learn from preppers

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A lot of what preppers do was fairly common in earlier generations, if not to the same extreme degree: save for a rainy day; have the ability to take care of yourself; have some basic skills with hand tools. The Boy Scouts simply say “Be Prepared.” Even people who appear extreme (and may actually be so) have things to teach us, if we will watch and listen.

  1. Bad stuff happens. It does not help to be naïve or Pollyannaish about this.
  2. People who are not prepared will want to get help from those who are. This is only natural, whether someone is caught by surprise, or expected the worst and just did nothing to prepare. The story of the 10 bridesmades in Matthew 25 illustrates this point perfectly. Think of all the folks who participate in high risk behaviors – poor health habits, addictive behaviors, dangerous recreation. Think of the folks who enter wilderness areas for a day hike without adequate preparation – then need the forest service Search and Rescue to come bail them out because their iphone gps doesn’t work there.
  3. We don’t know what will happen, or when. Y2K was a great example of this – all kinds of dire predictions, none of which came to fruition. Mayan calendar predicted cataclysmic events in 2012, which did not happen. Various religious prophets will warn of impending crisis, often including specific dates and times.
  4. It helps to have a plan. At school our kids learn to come home and ask, “What is our family emergency plan in case of a fire/tornado/hurricane/earthquake/snowstorm?”
  5. Communication is key. Having a plan is less helpful if no one knows what it is or how to communicate when the bad thing does happen.
  6. During a crisis, being part of a community is preferable to going it alone.
  7. No matter the topic, some people will always take it to ridiculous extremes. Even so, these folks are our neighbors and fellow humans. Whether or not we comprehend their point of view, we do well to respect their humanity.

Whether it is TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It), in some way the #SHTF ($#!7 Hits The Fan), or something less dramatic, change is inevitable. Our earlier ways of functioning will no longer be adequate to the needs of the new day. We honor the past and present best by understanding and adapting to the changes. The changes may not be desirable long term (I’m not saying simply accept and move on).

Preppers do not seem to be spending much time looking for lasting and widely applicable solutions. “I’m gonna be ok, but you, not so much,” seems to be the prevailing attitude. I’m not sure that fits with a good long term strategy for anyone. It feels more defeatist than anything else, and driven by fear. I may be wrong, but this is the impression I get.

From what I could tell, Preppers also do not spend much time talking about the spiritual implications of their anticipated cataclysms – grief, loss, anxiety, fear, hope, despair, faith. Their religious beliefs may lead them to believe the world will end soon. Maybe they see themselves as modern day Noahs, preparing to survive the flood, in which case their concrete material actions are a response to religious beliefs. Not much of this language appears on their websites or other public faces. And I didn’t find any discussion of how they prepare for the religious, spiritual or faith experiences that will happen at TEOTWAWKI. That would be an interesting conversation.