Sermon Notes, EASTER 5 (Year C)

GLORY: 5 times in first 2 verses of Gospel passage
In John’s gospel, GLORY means REVEAL – reveal Jesus as Christ
Emphasis on Glory is intended both for present and future

New commandment to love one another: not new…
But this time it becomes a means of responding to the love that is received, revealed.
Not transactional, but fluid
Always moving forward, always rooted in Jesus

Love demonstrated in action: context of this passage is Lord’s supper – starts with departure of Judas – who Jesus had loved so fully that no one else knew what he was going to do in betrayal.

So: glory to God: Love revealed.
Love let loose on the world – even a world that rejects it, or doesn’t recognise it.
Even when we are doing it imperfectly, or we don’t want to. Called to Love.
We choose to love.
Thereby giving glory to God.
And thus: a new world is possible.
This love isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.
God has set up this new world:
What are we doing to share the revealed kingdom of God?

Book of the Revelation to John:
Known as a scary, divisive book – who’s in and who’s out – until the last chapter – where we hear today
Promise of Divine Union.
Unity in heaven across any earthly divisions.
Human imagery: is the present earth, and our limited thoughts of heaven.
God’s imagery: New heaven, new earth!

What would it look like for us to put our hope in this?
How would our hearts, minds, actions, be changed?
God has done this: and waits – to dry our tears, to console our griefs…
With the new promise.
This is what love looks like. This is what Glorifying God looks like – as love is revealed to all.

So let’s share it. May the world know that we are Christ’s disciples by the way that we reveal the undeniable love of God.

 

Sermon Notes, Easter 4 (Year C)

We love miracles
Acts of the apostles today speaks of a miraculous resurrection.
Not a sermon about Peter – for even Peter knew miracle wasn’t HIS work, but God working THROUGH him.
Miracles are signs.
Demonstrate power of God,
and of God’s relationship with the person Doing the miracle
Miracles lead people to God
Miracles strengthen our faith

Miracle: ordinary people witnessing extraordinary circumstance.
Tabitha: Get Up: same normal everyday invitation to rise
Spoken with association of belief and of action
Result of ressurection changes Tabitha
Also changes all who witness it and then all who hear of it.

Thus miracles Continue – and we are invited to believe and to act.
The faith-fuelled actions of others influence our actions.

TABITHA. Dorcas (Gazelle).
2 names: Tabitha meaning benefactor is her reputational nickname.
2 names may reflect her connection in multiple communities.

Why? Why was she resurrected?
“Filled her days with acts of kindness and charity”
Charity = love
Fed hungry, made clothes for those in need, engaged fully with love and kindness
Did not allow societal divisions to prevent her good works
Nothing she did was ground-breaking – but it was consistent
Constantly demonstrating her faith (named disciple!)

So… how can we do likewise?
Invitation to do good works as result of our faith echoed in other scriptures:
Revelations: imagery of people worshipping, seeking purity, knowing care (enough)
Gospel: Jesus reiterates call to believe, inspires US to holy acts, reminds us of the comfort of being within the faith community

So: What will WE do? How will we spend OUR days? How will we be named and remembered?
May God speak to our hearts in such a way that we respond to the invitation of God to love one another fully.

Sermon Notes, EASTER 3 (Year C)

Friends – go fishing – community
no catch. Then huge catch – one small change – HUGE catch.
Fish were already there – humans had to adjust their way of doing things

Jesus – Peter leaps – ignore nakedness.
Charcoal fire on the beach: same Greek word as charcoal fire where Peter warmed himself on day of crucifixion.
Breakfast already cooking – fish already on fire before boat gets to shore
Jesus asks for more.
- Where enough is there, abundance invites us to share
Feed others with what we have.

Dialogue:
    Agape me? Phileos you. FEED LAMBS
    Agape me? Phileos you. TEND SHEEP
    Philos me? Phileos you. FEED SHEEP.
Sheep – feed whatever age and stage, no questions
Change in “love” verb – God meets us where we are.
Encourages us to more, does not chastise us for what we have.
At times feels like asking more than we can give – yet reminds us is with us in the giving

Following Jesus:
Consolation. Never alone – even Peter, in and out of the boat – “We will go with you”
Whether in service – BoA
- Liberation of Netherlands
- Current situation of new government
Great divisions exist: meaning we’ve been given great opportunity to overcome divides
ANY other offering – what we can choose to do is make the world a better, holier, more just place.

Following Jesus means
Being together
Serving each other
Recognising the gifts we all have to offer
Knowing God is with us
Both as sheep, and as those who tend them – caring for, and being cared for
That in itself is a gift.

Sermon Notes, EASTER 2 (Year C)

Power of belief on a day with reputation of “Doubting” Thomas
Context: On THAT day of the week – day of resurrection. Disciples are overwhelmed, considering implications – for Jesus, for the, for world…
Asking BIG questions – meaning of life, possibility, hope, belief

Jesus: arrives wounded.
Proof of identity
Also acknowledging human woundedness: his – theirs – ours

Next week – slightly calmer, still overwhelmed
Thomas brings his questions to the wounds.
Wounds tell a story beyond words
We all have wounds – mind, body, spirit
Wounds HEAL. Long imperfect process, takes time, dynamic
Healed wounds are scars: no longer a wound
Scars are stronger – different –
Scars are visible. Undeniable.
Scars are product of healing – healing is sign of LIFE.
Thomas wants to see.
Jesus shows – invites reopening of wound – despite pain, this is the extent of his love.
Scripture doesn’t say Thomas inserts hand – he has seen the sign of life.
    My Lord and my God!

All of us are invited to see this healing – hence life
Assurance of healing and wholeness
Signs of effort, intention, intervention, time, faith
    Do Not Doubt but Believe!
Not a rebuke, but a reminder
Blessed – contented, happy, - so are we when we too can see and celebrate the healing and life that God shows us.

Sermon Notes – EASTER SUNDAY (Year C)

Mary stood weeping

Disciples are running – frantically
Angles are questioning – fervently
Mary stood weeping
Tomb was empty

    All who have grieved know the feeling of emptiness
    The hole in our hearts
The tears we cry deplete us;
Leave us with emotions we don’t want, because we don’t now how to fill that space.
Tomblike space
The space we want to fill

But this time – the emptiness was different
Not vacancy but Capacity
    The emptiness of the tomb and of cried tears made new space:
Space for love to take root
        For new ministry to grow
Resurrection gave new life to Jesus
        New energy to disciples
        New hope to us all
Resurrection means WE are on precipice of something new
Of being open to where God ill call us – wherever and however that may be

Empty tomb reminds us of the living Christ
    Unquenchable light
    Indomitable grace
    Unstoppable love
    Unimaginable hope

The tomb is empty because the joy of the Lord cannot be contained

Let us recognise the gift of that tomb;
Of the potential for increased holiness in our lives;
Of the realised promise that we celebrate today – and everytday –
Proclaiming like Mary that we too have seen the Lord.
Alleluia!

Sermon Notes, Easter Vigil (Year C)

 Weirdness of the service –

Liturgies developed over thousands of years that we aim to delve into again – renewing each year – tapping deep into how they affect our spirits – regardless of how the world changes
Liturgy to meld earthly and heavenly – break down barriers

Darkness: 3 days of dark (divine) and diminish daylight (earthly)
Light: candle not enough to prevent dark but to remind us of hope

Light: not what we see, but that by which we see everything else (Richard Rohr)
Light of Christ: illuminating all
Means nothing is unseen / unworthy / unreachable / unlovable
As we rest in stillness, we rest in light
    We rest in hope
    We rest in peace
For we are touched by the light of Christ – TBTG!

Sermon Notes, Maundy Thursday (Year C)

UNCOMFORTABLE:

Washing feet
Service
Eucharist
Betrayal foretold
Loving – unconditionally
Liturgy: stripping altar – silence
Called to love Through the discomfort
Societal ills
Getting involved
Speaking up for what’s right
Feeding hungry, clothing naked, naming wrongs, advocating justice
Love can look awkward
But better to have that love than be comfortable in something that’s not genuine
May we be blessed by loving service
May we be a blessing in our loving service.

Sermon Notes, Palm SUnday (Year C)

 Dichotomy of the week: a bit of liturgical whirlwind

Begin with palms – hosannas, joy, expectation, exuberance!

Move so quickly – too quickly – to the Passion.
The challenge – the fear – the disappointment

We move with the crowd: the people then who were caught up in crowds of the parade – and the crowds of the cruelty

We move because we don’t know what else to do.
Emotions: shared – amplified – expanded

Beyond our logic –
Into uncertainty.

With palms: Hope – yes – but without clarity.
With fear: don’t rock the boat; don’t notice me and turn your anger toward me.

Emotions amplify our reaction to the world.

Return to the emotion that God calls us to this week – Holy Week – from the Palms to the Passion:
The emotion is LOVE.

That’s a hard one – love is hard: unpredictable, often asking for more than we expect, more than we planned for, more than we think we can do, more than we think we can handle.

What makes love different from the other emotions: it stays.
Fear dissipates; anger fizzles,
Love remains.
It may shock us, unsettle us, rearrange our lives – but it remains.

It shows up, it sinks in, it stays: whether we get the outcome we want, or don’t, or do and don’t yet recognise it:
Love is there.
Permeating, Prevailing, Predominant.
Love is there – it’s here – and always will be
What a ministry for us all to continue THAT parade: of carrying love into the world:
The places where it’s expected and wanted, or unrealised and unrecognised.
Love Is there:
We see it. We believe it. We proclaim it.
For love wins.
May your Holy Week be a time of Holy Love.