January 10, 2021 - The Epiphany of Christ

First Lutheran Church

January 10, 2020

The Epiphany of Christ

Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ “

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

‘Arise and Shine”

Pastor Greg Ronning

This past Wednesday the Christian Church celebrated “The Epiphany of Christ.”  The feast of the Epiphany concludes the season of Christmas.  The appointed Old Testament lesson for the day reminds us that on this day, light has finally dawned into the darkness of our world.  Our Gospel tells us the story of the Magi, “wise men from the East,” who have been following a star in the heavens.  This star will lead them to the Christ child, to whom they will bow down and pay homage, offering him “gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” 

This past Wednesday we watched in horror as our nation’s capitol was stormed by a mob. We were stunned once again by violence in our streets, even violence in the halls of government.  Meanwhile in Los Angeles people suffering from COVID found themselves stuck in parked ambulances, unable to get into the hospital, unable to get the health care they desperately need to live.  This past Wednesday, on the day of the Epiphany, we found ourselves seemingly being plunged into a deeper darkness.

Today we gather to cling to the simple promise, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.”  Today we are reminded that a single candle cannot be snuffed out by even the darkest of rooms.  Today we are called to be light, for a thousand candles can be lit from just one light, the light that is ours in Christ Jesus, that light we have been given to share.  As we begin the season of Epiphany, a season of revelation, insight, and holy imagination, a season of holy light.  As we begin the season of Epiphany, we are invited to make the same journey that the Magi made in days long ago, we are invited to step out into the present darkness, look up into the heavens, gaze upon the stars, and seek out the heavenly light that is Christ.

Ancient people believed that the stars appeared as the result of the work of the angels.  They believed that the world was covered by a great dome, and that heaven was on the other side.  The day would begin when angels would pull the sun on a chariot across the sky.  And then, as that chariot would reach the other side and disappear, the angels would begin to open small portals in the dome that would allow small pieces of the light of heaven to shine down upon the earth during the darkness.  Each evening as the sky grew darker, the stars would appear as the angels opened up the portals to heaven. The stars were seen as a reminder that they were not alone, even in the darkness.  Ancient people would lift up their eyes and look up, and in the brilliant light of the stars they found peace, hope, and love.

Not too many people believe that the stars are portals to heaven opened up by angels anymore.  Not too many people believe that the sun is carried by angels across the sky in the chariot.  Rockets have blasted off into the sky and people no longer believe that the earth is covered by a great dome and that heaven is just on the other side.  The earth is round and surrounded by a great and vast space.  We’re not sure where heaven is, or what heaven is, and sometimes people are not sure if it even exists.   But people still believe in the darkness that falls every night.  People still believe in the darkness that makes it hard for us to see, the darkness that causes confusion, the darkness that causes us to make bad decisions, the darkness that causes us to stumble and fall in the night.  Sometimes we look up at the stars and it seems that the darkness, some great space hole, an anti star, is swallowing everything up.  We don’t believe that the angels run around at night and open up portals to heaven so that light can shine down on us, but we wish that it were true.

So, what happened to the angels?  I’m sorry to say that I don’t have a well-developed doctrine in regard to angels.  The only thing I know for sure is that the Hebrew word for angel means “messenger.”  And I do believe that God has messages for us - and that they are being delivered.  And that they come in many ways, in ordinary ways and in mysterious heavenly ways.  The scriptures say that sometimes we entertain angels unaware, and that just may be true.  And it just might be true that sometimes “we” are angels unaware, bringing a message of love into the world. 

Regardless of how our world view has changed, the light of heaven still shines brightly - bringing us peace, hope, joy and love.  It shines down in the stars at night, the warmth of candles in the dark, the light at the end of a tunnel, and perhaps most importantly in the caring eyes of you and me, and all the “angels unaware” about us.  As people of faith the light shines upon each of us, and that same light shines out from within each of us.

“Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”  On the day of Epiphany, the light of Christ not only reminds us that we are loved, but that we are called to rise up and follow the light!  We are invited on our own journey, just like the Magi we are compelled to follow that star that leads to Christ, that we too might kneel before him, and share our gifts. 

The Magi do not find Christ in Jerusalem, in the temple or the palace, but rather, miles away from the center of power in the humble home of Mary and Joseph.  Where might the star of Epiphany take you on your journey?  What unexpected destination awaits you?  And when you finally arrive, what gifts will you be compelled to share? 

Chasing after stars is risky business.  Putting faith into action is risky business.  My favorite part of the story of the Magi is the way it ends.  The last sentence of today’s gospel tells us, “And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.”  They go home a different way!  They do not return to Herod, they do not continue in old ways, they are no longer bound by fear, for they have been transformed.  Those who seek the star that leads to Jesus are changed forever, the old things pass away and all things become new.

After the sun sets tonight, after the angels have carried the sun across the dome and into its resting place, I invite you to step outside and into the darkness.  And then look up and watch as the angels open up the portals of heaven.  As that light travels through all the darkness and touches down upon you; believe that you are not alone in the universe, let peace settle in your soul, and know that you are loved.  And in that love, set free from fear, let the stars begin to lead you on that journey of faith, to that place where Christ has called you to shine bright.  “Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”  “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.”  Amen.

Christmas 2020

December 20, 2020

First Lutheran Church

December 20, 2020

Luke 1:26-38; 46-55

“Mary, Anything but Meek and Mild”

This year, on this last Sunday in Advent, the liturgical calendar turns to the incredible Advent story of Mary.   Mary, young and insignificant from lowly Nazareth, is God’s choice to give birth to Christmas. Despite having no credentials, no wealth or power, and no social status status; she is the chosen one.  She is the one who is able to hear the word of God and discern the advent of the kingdom. She boldly and courageously responds in faith, "Let it be to me according to your word."  And just as the prophets promised, she gives birth to the Christ child.  It is - in with and through – Mary, as unlikely as it might seem, that God comes into the world.

We don’t really know too much about Mary.  We know that she was young, scholars guess that she was maybe 13-15 years old, and that she was engaged to be married to Joseph.  They were of the lineage of David, connected to the city of Bethlehem, but they lived in the oft maligned and disparaged town of Nazareth.  (In the Gospel of John, Nathaniel will remark upon first hearing of Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”)  We also know that Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.

Tradition tells us that Mary was “meek and mild;” in art and music she is often portrayed as gentle, sweet, and demure, a sensitive princess, someone who quietly and reverently ponders life.  In every picture, statue, or stain-glass window she embodies all these “saintly” qualities.  Yet I can’t help but wonder if “that” was the real Mary?  Once you begin to unpack her story, once you get a sense of what it must have been like for Mary, I can’t help but believe that she was anything but “meek and mild?”  In fact, I suspect she was probably the exact opposite!  Mary must have been incredibly strong, unusually confident, perhaps sassy, even street-wise.  And most likely someone you probably didn’t want to mess with!  Theologian Kathleen Norris exclaims, “Mary is almost always presented as a teenage beauty queen, forever eighteen years old, and perfectly manicured - when in fact she was more likely an olive-skinned, muscular Judean Hill Country woman with calloused hands and feet.”  Mary was anything but meek and mild! 

Mary’s Advent Story begins with the incredible news that she is somehow - pregnant!  And that Joseph, her fiancé, is not the father.  This is not a circumstance that any young woman wants to be in, especially 2,000 years ago, when and where, “adultery” was a capital offense.  And all Mary has to defend herself in this situation is an implausible “story” about an angel and a wispy “promise” from God.  She has no tangible proof regarding her condition, no credible witnesses, nothing to be back up her story; and undoubtedly, she must know that nobody is going to believe her.  Yet somehow, she “hears” the angel say, “Do not be afraid,” and from a deep and faithful, strong and confident place, she is able to set fear aside and respond, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”  With great courage Mary opens up herself and boldly steps into the story of God’s advent into the world.  She will endure the perceived shame of her situation, she will remain faithful amidst certain accusations of infidelity, and with nothing but the dream of God’s Kingdom she will hold fast to the promises of Advent.  And let us not forget, Mary will make the journey from the manger - all the way to the cross.  Mary was anything but meek and mild! 

And then there’s the song that Mary sings, “The Magnificat,” a powerful song about the coming of God’s kingdom, the coming of peace and justice, and the power of God’s love.  And no matter how much we might want to domesticate this song, no matter how much we might want to make God’s advent into our world - just a spiritual thing with no social political consequences, no matter how uncomfortable we are with her song; it can only be understood as revolutionary!  It is song that calls for the world to be turned upside down!  Mary was anything but meek and mild! 

In 1976 a military junta took power in Argentina.  Thousands of men, husbands and sons, who opposed the coup were kidnapped and never seen again.   In non-violent protest, the spouses and mothers of these missing men would gather every day in the Plaza de Mayo to march and to dance with portraits of the missing men- and to sing Mary’s song.  So powerful was their protest, so powerful was their dance and song, that the military generals imposed a “ban” on the words of “The Magnificat.”  They made the words spoken by a young first century peasant woman - illegal!  A military junta, powerful enough to overthrow a nation and cause thousands of dissidents to disappear, was shaken to the core by the Song of Mary – the promise of a compassionate and just God breaking into human history and leveling the playing field for the poor and disenfranchised of the world.  Mary was anything but meek and mild! 

Lutheran Theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who would eventually be executed by the Nazis in World War II, also recognized the revolutionary nature of Mary’s song.  In an Advent sermon he wrote, “The song of Mary is the oldest Advent hymn. It is at once the most passionate, the wildest, one might even say the most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. This is not the gentle, tender, dreamy Mary whom we sometimes see in paintings.…This song has none of the sweet, nostalgic, or even playful tones of some of our Christmas carols. It is instead a hard, strong, inexorable song about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind.” 

Once again, Mary was anything but meek and mild!  She was indeed, “revolutionary!”  Her strength, confidence, and sure and certain hope in God was sung aloud for all to hear, emancipating all who felt crushed, defeated, and powerless.  Mary was anything but meek and mild! 

So where might your Advent story connect or intersect with Mary’s Advent story?  Where do you feel compelled by God to sing out about injustice?  Where do you feel called to align yourself with those who suffer, those who are hungry, those who are marginalized; those who dance when they hear Mary’s song?  Where do you find yourself walking in the shoes of Mary, hoping to lift up the lowly, sharing your gifts, talents, and resources with those in need?  How might your story be a reflection of Mary’s story, calling for and causing a disruption in “the way things are,” “preparing a way” for a kingdom in which all things might become new, - a kingdom of hope, peace, joy, and love?

What if we had just a little portion of the faith and courage of Mary?  What might we give birth to if we were able to set aside our fears?  How might God come into the world in, with, and through us, if we could only begin to believe and trust in God’s great dream for the world, the Kingdom of God.

Hear this good news, I see Mary’s Advent Story unfolding almost every day here at First Lutheran.  Every time we open our doors to live out our mission statement, “Called to be the Heart of Christ feeding our neighbors with Grace, Mercy, Justice and Love,” the song of Mary is heard, and hearts dance with hope and joy.  The kingdom comes in unexpected and humble ways, and so it is that comes through you and me, and our work together here in this place. 

The scriptures tell us that Mary “pondered all these things in her heart,” that she had a dream for the way her life would intersect with the Kingdom of God, that she had a passion that literally wanted to come out and make a difference.  What do you dream about?  In the words of Frederick Buechner, “Where does your deep gladness meet the world’s deep need?”  Where does your joy and passion, your unique gifts and talents, come together in a way that makes a difference in the world around you? 

What’s that “something” that you’ve always wanted to do, wanted to try, wanted to give birth to; that one special thing you feel like God is calling you to do?  No matter how old, or how young you are, what is it that you want to do with your one precious life?  God is the one that planted that seed within you, God has nourished that seed in love, and God is the one calling out to you – now is the time!  It’s the season of Advent!  Now is not the time to be “meek and mild” but rather “wild and free!”

As this Advent season continues, as we await the coming of Christ at Christmas, let us hear the words spoken by the Angel Gabriel, “Do not be afraid,” and let us remember Mary, anything but “meek and mild,” a woman of great faith and even greater courage.  And in doing so, may we be able to humbly and confidently join in her response, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Amen.