Sermon Notes, Lent 2 (Year A)

Fullness of life
Genesis – Abram and Sarai promised a nation
BLESSINGS – fullness

Romans – continues the lineage of life!
Fullness, generations,
Through faith.

Gospel – focus on 3.16: comfortable passage –
Truly life-=changing
Salvation!
Eternal Life!
For ALL!

The fullness of faith goes beyond out wildest imaginations.,
(Sounds more Easter than Lent…)


But how do we GET there?
Lent is a journey…
Genesis – starts with a journey – literal and spiritual. Call to believe, to put behind them all that they thought they know.
Romans – Paul describes Abram’s journey as one towards the God “who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
That’s a marathon of faith:
Shift from what was to what IS – an emphasis on what IS, not what IF

Gospel: starts with Nicodemus.
Man with… shortcomings.
Comes to Jesus at night – hidden
Asking questions – good!
But not really able to grapple with the answers.
Because they don’t fit into his worldview – his box – his framework.

But God isn’t limited by our framework…

Nicodemus needs to learn to be born again, he’s told – to be born from above.
He’s being invited into the fullenss of life.
And that means change for him.
Because he is held back by fear.

Nicodemus – is all of us, at timers.
Coming to Jesus – wanting to understand, to learn, to follow!
And wanting to believe.

But the world holds us back.
Our fear
Greed
Selfishness
Need to be right

These things that hold us back from authentic relationship
Very human!

Very Lent.
Because God reminds us that wherever we are on our spiritual journey, we are wanted.
Jesus accompanies us through our shortcomings – and through our times of strong faith

God calls us into the fullness of life
But to go on that journey we need to let go of our earthly trappings.

So let us spend Lent seeking that life
Ready to let go of what is no longer building our faith
Focusing on the one who welcomes us home
Believing that the God who brought us into this life
Extends to us the promise of eternal life:
For God so loved us all.

Sermon Notes, Ash/Lent1 (Year A)

ASHES:
Sign of death
Sign of impermanence
Not meant to be depressing but inspiring:
Life is limited –
How will we listen to God with the time that we have>
How will we serve God’s beloved with the skills that we have?
How will we act with love and mercy for all God’s children? 

LENT:
Some see as time of deprivation
Not meant to make us miserable; but compassionate.
Invite us to go deeper into the mystery

Favourite painting: Van Gogh Starry Night
Many who look at it see a lot of everything and of nothing:
Swirls, colours, stars… looking too much above can miss what’s below.
Small church – in town
Cyprus tree – bridging earthly and heavenly

Lent does this for us:
Invites us deeper
Away from temptation (which the Gospels show us – the tempter makes promises they never intend to keep, with things – food, love, power – that were never theirs to begin with.

Life is full of temptations; but God remains constant.
Just beyond our comprehension
But never beyond connection

May our Lent be holy: as we embrace the mystery of love that surrounds us.
May we engage the world with the time that we have, for every day is a new opportunity. 

Blessing by Henri Amiel:
Life is short,
And we do not have much time
to gladden the hearts of those who
make the journey with us.
So… be swift to love,
and make haste to be kind.
And the blessing of God,
who made us,
who loves us,
and who travels with us
be with you now and forever.

Sermon Notes, Transfiguration

Transfiguration
= change in form or appearance
ALSO an exalting, glorifying, or spiritual change
(First english use – for this feast day)
Always a positive connotation

Transfig is invitation to us.

Jesus: up the mountaintop: suddenly seen as glowing – radiant – amazing
…What if Jesus isn’t the one who changed?
Change comes in how Jesus is seen

Jesus: embodiment of love, grace, mercy – those things remain unchanged.
Peter: has a moment that renders him… stunned? Senseless?
James and John – we don’t know their reaction – but they’re there.
Their worldview has shifted.

Jesus looks at them, and beyond them – to everything visible from the mountaintop (i.e. the world):
And they see Jesus loving it all.
And Peter and James and John realise that is the call in following Jesus: to find ways to love all.
Because in basking in THAT love, radiance happens,
Glow coming from within.
So this opportunity is an invitation for us to look out on the world that way too: as an invitation to love. Fully, at times foolishly, loving.

And the next invitation that we get today:
Suddenly Moses and Elijah are there: speaking with Jesus.
Heroes of the faith: not just amazingly known folks of the scriptures
But teachers of the faith. Inspirations. Encouragers. Role models.
Standing with Jesus – as Peter’s and James’ and John’s faith grows.
They see not just the person of Jesus, but the strength of tradition.
And they’re invited to recognise the continuity of faith – through this.
Invitation then invites us to consider who has been instrumental in our faith journey?
Who are our spiritual heroes?
Who do we see standing by Jesus when we are having our faith strengthened and encouraged and changed?
Whoever they are – they bless us.
And we are touched by the light of their faith – by the radiance of their gist to us.

May the love of God shock us with its brilliance.
May the face of Jesus continue to amaze us as it is revealed each day
May those who have formed us continue to inspire us in the faith
May we too come off of mountaintops ready to love, bless, and minister: always reflecting the light of Christ.

Sermon Notes, EPiphany +5 (Year A)

Once upon a time…
Parish fundraising event: put up signs.
Challenge: all signs up INSIDE the building.
Upset that no one from broader community came to event
Never wondered WHY…

Learning is that when we look inwards, even with the best of intentions, we’re serving ourselves. It’s a closed circle.
Communities of Christ’s followers do not exist for ourselves.

Our identity is not to retreat from the world into our circle; facing inward
But to face outward – taking the Good News into the world.
Our shared identity is to engage in practices that highlight God’s kin-dom - and invite others to join us in this mission.

Today’s scripture: second half of Sermon on Mount – immediately following the beatitudes.

Beatitudes turn world upside down - bring hope, promise, inspiration

YOU ARE SALT.
You – plural.
Of the Earth – rooted, grounded. Belonging.
Salt: exists to affect other elements.
Preserves, flavours, cleanses. Melts ice even! It enhances –
but too much all at once can be too much. – overpowering, dangerous

Jesus then goes on:
YOU ARE LIGHT.
Light: also good! Shows us where things are. Nurtures growth.
FOR the world: Biblical reference of God’s people resisting imperial injustice - light
But again too much all at once can be a problem – prevents sleep (restoring bodies); blinding; heat

Salt and Light: contextual: Meant for other things.
Salt enhances goodness that’s already there.
Light overcomes darkness.

We know the world is full of pockets of darkness:
We know the world is already full of pockets of goodness.

We are called to go to those.
Mission: enhance the goodness; overcome the darkness.
We are already called to do this:
We’re not told you WILL be salt or you’ll PLAN to be light.
These are already here:
Christ Followers.
Going into the world.

Jesus reminds us that as his followers, we live that identity as we are mission-focused.
We are facing out into the world – never alone, but supported, together, existing to bring the Good News of God to the world.
May God bless us as we take God’s good news beyond this space.

sermon Notes, Presentation in the Temple