Presentation of the Lord

Feb 2,The presentation of the Lord in the temple.

Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God...  Hebrews 2:17

The author of the letter to the Hebrews points out that Jesus came down to be one of us so that he might experience what we experience, and understand human nature.  This is the kind of God we have - the one who wants to fully enter into his own creation and know what it means to be human.  Jesus did this so that he might present us to God himself, knowing us from the inside out and loving us anyway.  God above all gods, one who loves and is not afraid to enter into the mess and mire that is our life on earth.  May the name of Jesus Christ be praised, now and forever.

Telling God, "Yes, and..."

The following piece is by Gina Bridgeman.  I find the concept to be very helpful when facing some of the things God asks me to do!

A friend of mine told me about an exercise she learned in an improvisation class. It’s called “Yes . . . and,” and it works something like this: A student calls out an idea for an improv, such as “We’re kittens.” Instead of dismissing the idea as dumb, another student must respond with an additional idea, saying, “Yes . . . and we’re prehistoric!” Each student adds an idea to expand the skit and nobody knows where the whole thing is going. 

I wondered if the same idea might work for me when facing God’s challenges, especially the ones that I might be more inclined to avoid than enthusiastically embrace. So when our pastor announced that our church was planning a health fair for a low-income, inner-city neighborhood, my immediate reaction was I’m not a doctor or nurse. What can I do? But instead I said, “Yes . . . and I’ll work wherever you need help.” I was assigned to the registration table, and not only did I put my organizational skills to good use, I even used a little of my high school Spanish. I also had fun and finished the day knowing that I’d helped people get information and services that they really needed.  Now when God sends a challenge my way, I fight the urge to say “No” and instead say “Yes . . . and.” I think of it as God’s improvisation. His ideas may surprise me, but I can relax and follow His lead because He always knows where things are going. 

Holy Name of Jesus

From today's reading:  When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, . . . so that we might receive adoption as children. . . . God has sent the Spirit . . . into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and . . . an heir, through God.     Galatians 4:4-7 (NRSV)

One of the things that I tie into so strongly is the idea of adoption.  Joseph took Jesus to be his son without hesitation to raise and protect and train up in the ways of Yahweh.  I envision Joseph to be like my adoptive father.  To give you an idea of my father, picture Dan Blocker from Bonanza. Just like Dan Blocker, my dad was a gentle giant, and that is the way I envision Joseph.

He did everything for Jesus that any father would do, receiving him as his own and never looking back, Joseph proudly took him to the temple saying, "This is my son, Jesus." 

This is what God does with us.  He presents each of us at the temple and says, "This is my child."  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are all made acceptable before God.  All we have to do is accept the gift of Jesus and follow him each day as Lord and Savior. 

My brother or sister or mother.

Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”  Matthew 12:48b-50

I know that Jesus was not rejecting his family with this statement.  At the same time, I do believe that he was offering hope to those who are alone.  When family systems break down, regardless of the reason, God provides an alternative for us.  There are people in this world who find their hearts going out to those who have been abandoned.  These are the people that God has called to be family to those around them.

One of the greatest gifts I have learned in this life, is that I don't have to do it all myself.  But I do have to remain open to God's call to reach out at those times when I am the tool God chooses to use in a given situation.  I have to recognize those times when I can be mother, or sister, or friend to the person God places in my presence.  God, who would you have me reach out to today?

** The Rev, Dr, Rhoda Swanner Montgomery, rector of St Thomas in College Station died yesterday. May the Lord bring her into the greater family of his presence as he comforts those left behind.  Rhoda was a year behind me in seminary.

Our churches reflect us, and hopefully, Christ

Jesus said, "How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”  Matthew 12:34b-37

Jesus was talking to the scribes and pharisees who were looking for reasons to denounce him and had accused him of casting out demons by means of Beelzebul. Our churches today are sometimes faced with this same kind of vindictiveness.  I remember the first vestry meeting I ever attended as an ordained person: I sat in wonder at how a person who had listened to the gospel that morning could utter the things that came out of her mouth - totally contrary to the message of our Saviour.  What was she thinking?  She was so into her own agenda that she totally forgot we were a church that claims to follow the teachings of Christ.  Our churches should always reflect, not us, but the Christ we follow.

When problems arise in our churches today, are we part of the solution?  Or do we contribute to the problem?  Some day we will all stand before God and we will have to give an accounting of our actions.  Are mine always good and right?  No. I can get as incensed as any one else at the injustice I see. I often have to remind myself that Jesus is my model.  I try to remember that he is my savior, and not I myself.  And I try to remember that Jesus calls me to try to work with those whom I disagree with so that in the end, His glory will be seen by all.  He calls us all to that kind of examination of conscience: that the things we do reflect His place in our lives.

Adopted by God

All my life, I have felt like I was being judged against some plumb line and found wanting.  And just like Amos, God took me from teaching and set me a task to minister to his people.  Even then I have looked back to that plumb line wondering if I measure up.

But glory of glories, in our Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul says, “He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will.”  And I know what that means!

 

I have been on a journey since Christmas.  A journey of discovery, to find my family of origin.  All my life I have cared nothing about history.  If you mentioned history to me, my mind shut down, didn’t want to go there.  It held nothing for me, didn’t exist for me.  I was adopted when I was 11 days old.  That is the day history began.

 

So I have a basis for understanding what Paul is talking about when he talks about “adoption as children of God.”  I was adopted into a new family and loved and cared for as if I was their own.  It wasn’t until after Mom died, that God plainly told me that He was my father and called me into his household.  He also told me if I wanted to know about my family to read the Bible.  It was only then that history began to be important to me – and then only Biblical history.

 

Over the last 30 years, I have grieved the loss of the mother who gave birth and who gave me away.  I went through various stages of grief: anger, guilt, depression and finally acceptance as I acknowledged the calling God had placed on my life.  It is only recently that God has placed a longing in my heart to find closure, and I began my search not knowing if my birth mother was alive or dead. 

 

Over the past two months, as I petitioned the court to unseal my records and as I searched through the DNA matches, my thirst for history – my history – came alive.  Knowing my mother’s name was Lillie, and finding a positive DNA match for an uncle, I was able to identify my mother and track my family history back several generations.

 

Using the information gathered through Ancestry.com and internet searches, Sam and I left Thursday to search for my mother.  We came up dry on Thursday – no luck at all.  So we went to Palestine and spent the night with some old friends.  We visited and laughed and prayed and enjoyed the fellowship and support and encouragement we found there.

 

We went back on Friday to begin our search anew.  This is when all my skills learned through teaching math and being a police officer and pastoral care all came together.

 

I had already decided that my mother must be in a nursing home somewhere.  The first place we visited gave me a clue – we went to a nursing home in a different town and that is where we found her.  I was trembling as the nurse took me back to where “Miss Lillie” was having lunch with a friend.  The moment I saw her, I had no doubt that she was my mother.  I visited with her for about 10 minutes.  I doubt that she would remember it the next day, but it was monumental for me.  To be able to gaze at her and say, “This is my mother” was simply amazing.  This was a gift from God

 

As adult beings, we are formed by more than our DNA and our environment.  We are also formed by the love God pours out on us and our response to that love.  Here in this letter to the Ephesians we are reminded that we have been adopted into the family of God.  We are reminded that Jesus Christ died to redeem our sins.  Wisdom and insight are given that we might know the depths of his love.

Sometimes we are fighting issues involving physical, emotional or spiritual pain, or disabilities, or inadequacies. Sometimes it is hard to remember that God has a plan, and that plan includes us.  Sometimes it is hard to wait for the fullness of time in God’s plan.  We want to bull right ahead and force issues instead of waiting for God’s timing and God’s plan. Just like this search for my mother…  I had considered doing a DNA test, but just never seemed to get around to ordering the kit – the time wasn’t right, or maybe I didn’t want to open up that Pandora’s box – but then I was given a DNA test kit as a Christmas present from my son and daughter-in-law – and it was God’s timing.

Our lesson says, “when you have heard the word of truth. . .”  The word of truth as I visited with my mother was that this woman had given me birth, and then unselfishly given me up, so that I might be adopted into a particular family to grow up in the knowledge and love of God as demonstrated through that adoptive family.  The environment I grew up in and the church family I called home were instrumental in bringing me to where I am today.  

Our Psalm today begins, “I will listen to what the Lord God is saying, for he is speaking peace to his faithful people and to those who turn their hearts to him. . .  Mercy and truth have met together.”  After the turmoil that has resided in my heart at times through the years, when truth was found, there was mercy also.  In the fullness of time, God has brought it together for me and I have seen his glory in the face of one who had the courage to bear a child and give her over to the Lord’s loving care.

I have believed in Jesus Christ and been sealed by the Holy Spirit and that’s all it takes.  God has a plan and a path for each of us to travel.  This is the pledge God gives us – we are redeemed by his blood, forgiven our sins, and adopted as full members of Christ’s body, co-heirs with Christ of the kingdom of heaven.

How compelling a message for a whole generation of children who have been "cut loose" by parents through adoption or divorce or misfortune, or simply those who have sprouted their wings and flown away! How amazing to remind ourselves that no matter what our family system may be, we are not alone – never alone, but have been adopted as precious children of the Creator of the universe, our gracious heavenly Father!   Amen

 

Lifted Up

From today's reading:  And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”  John 3:15

I'm sure the disciples were asking, "What is he talking about?"  All the way through - He gave his disciples hints about what was going to happen.  But things were going so well and they didn't want to think about any unpleasantness.  

On top of Mount Nebo in Jordan, is a cross made of a serpent on a pole remembering what Moses did in the desert:   "So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live."  Numbers 21:9

In the case of Moses - looking at the serpent on the pole was the cure for those bitten by serpents - they would look upon it and be saved.  In the same way, Jesus is the cure for our sinfulness - anyone looking upon the image of Jesus lifted up on the cross and believing in him will be saved.  As Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise."  Jesus says that to each of us -  
 

Like Nicodemus, many of us initially come to Jesus at night - when the world seems darkest, Jesus is the one who can shine light into our darkness - and Jesus is the one who can see us through that darkness and bring us out into the light.  He bids each of us to come - see him and trust him and know that he watches over us.