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RECOGNIZING THE MESSIAH - from Sunday, December 28, 2014

12/30/2014

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The Messiah has come! Let all rejoice! The good news is sung in jubilant celebration!

Not long after, does anyone recognize the Messiah? Recognizing not only the Messiah, but also what this means for us, can be neglected with stunning results. Some seem to recognize Jesus in a very distorted way, like the guy in the fun house mirror to the left.

In the scriptures for Sunday, Third Isaiah describes the new identity for God's people so that they will be recognized among all peoples as God's prized possession, like the groom with his bride. This would be a reversal from the perception that identified Israel as "Forsaken" and "Desolate," abandoned by their God.

In Luke, the story has the holy family traveling to Jerusalem for the presentation and formal naming of Jesus. At the temple, they meet Simeon first. He recognizes the Lord's Messiah, fulfilling a vision he had received that he would not die before seeing the Promised One. Second comes Anna, a widow who resides in the temple, who also bears witness to others that this is the One who has come for the blessing of God's people.

Our task as disciples remains a simple one - recognize the Messiah. Yet it is not so simple. Christians seem to develop an amazing blindness. In my sermon, I cited a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll which showed that the segment of the population most favorably disposed to torture is white, evangelical Christians. This isn't new really; it confirmed a 2009 Pew Research poll which revealed the same kind of overwhelmingly affirmative numbers from the same groups. (Click the respective links for the actual articles and poll results.)

I'm dumbfounded to find Christians of any stripe viewing torture favorably.  Weren't these the same people who saw Mel Gibson's blood and gore movie The Passion of the Christ who came away horrified that Jesus was so savagely tortured? Do they not know that our Lord was tortured? Is their Christianity limited to the four walls of their church for about an hour on Sunday mornings? It would seem that recognizing the Messiah remains problematic.

If there's any doubt about recognizing Christ, re-read Matthew 25:31-40 - click here for the text. 

May we be as perceptive as some ancients who recognize the Messiah and the powerful good news he brings.

Sorry there is no sermon video. Someone (me) forgot to charge the batteries apparently. Feel free to download the sermon text and the Fairfielder answers below. We'll do better next week.

12-28-14-ff-answers.pdf
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12-28-14-recognizing_the_messiah.pdf
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LOVE FOR THE UNLOVELY - from Sunday, December 21, 2014

12/22/2014

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Traditional representations of Mary, the mother of Jesus, show a white European, demure, innocent, attractive young princess, hands clasped in prayer and looking heavenward. There is no reason for this view except cultural bias. She was apparently a Middle Eastern young woman who lived in the gritty, tough, unfriendly hill country of Galilee. The unlovely image would certainly fit the pattern of whom God calls to serve in unique roles. (The painting on the left is by Tony Albert entitled "Virgin Mary;" not too lovely, eh?)

Indeed, God commits his love for the ugly, sinful, despicably unfaithful people. Those are God's people - yes, that's you and me, too. The prophet Isaiah in ch. 54 voices God's struggle between getting angry with this people, and God's utter loving devotion to them.

Mary should be seen as a tough, gritty woman, not necessarily a beauty, not even necessarily a particularly devout person. Again, we think God must have picked her for her exceptional spirituality and pureness of faith. That may be a worthy assumption, except for the glaring fact that there is little precedent. God's choices are often ridiculous. Saul, the persecutor of Christians, called as Christian evangelist. Moses, hiding fugitive from Egypt, called to face down Pharaoh. David, a pre-pubescent not even worth considering, called to be king. Peter, a fisherman and typically abysmal disciple, called to lead the expanding church. Still think Mary was somehow qualified on human terms?

The bottom line is God's love for the unlovely, whether it's Mary or the people of Judah and Israel or us. Check out the rest in the sermon video below, and see the downloads beneath the video panel.

12-21-14-ff-answers.pdf
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12-21-14-love_for_the_unlovely.pdf
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AWAITING THE SACRED SURPRISE - from Sunday, December 14, 2014

12/15/2014

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Not what you expected? That's typical of what God provides his people. God seems to love surprises. Advent is all about the big surprise, the sacred one from God.

Third Isaiah has the prophet announcing the good news that God intends to transform their predictable drudgery, their oppressive circumstances, and return the promise to the people of the Promised Land. A complete reversal of fortunes is prophesied as God comes to bring justice and righteousness, the twin pillars of the kingdom.

In John's gospel, we encounter John the Baptist again. This passage near the end of chapter 1 has agents from Jerusalem coming to find out who this wacky fellow is. What ensues is like a segment from the old TV show, To Tell the Truth. The agents ask questions while John plays coy or gives cryptic answers. I'm not whatever you think. By the way, there is a big surprise coming, he advises. They don't like surprises.

Are you ready for God's sacred surprise? Check out the sermon video below, and you'll locate the downloads of the Fairfielder answers and the sermon text below the video panel.

12-14-14-ff-answers.pdf
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12-14-14-awaiting_the_sacred_surprise.pdf
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PREPARE THE WAY - from Sunday, December 7, 2014

12/8/2014

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Preparing? We're doing it! The Christmas tree is up and decorated. The lights were hung outside. The gift shopping has started. Cards are in the mail. You know, we're doing it!

Yet the second Sunday of Advent's readings declare, "Prepare the way of the Lord," the herald's announcement to God's people. The severe desert landscape is transformed, a metaphor for the spiritual change that God can bring. The age of trial is over; good news is coming.

Isaiah's words are repeated in the opening of Mark's gospel, using the prophet's words to point to John the Baptizer. He, too, is out in the lonely wilderness precincts, deliberately far from the religious establishment. His mission is to minister to God's people, to help them "get right" - reconciled with the Lord who is coming to bring the reign of the Kingdom.

So, are we preparing for the right thing? Will our spirits be ready for the good news, or just thankful the hubbub of this season is over? Check out more of this with the sermon video below, and help yourself to the downloads below the video panel.


12-07-14-ff-answers.pdf
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12-07-14-prepare_the_way.pdf
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