January 28, 2007
Preached at Bethany United Church by Reverend S. Matthews

Some funnies I read that were announcements from church bulletins:

1. This Sunday being Easter we will ask Mrs. Lewis to lease come and lay an egg on the altar.

2. Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions.  She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.      

3. Thursday at 5:00 pm there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club.  All ladies wishing to be "Little Mothers" will meet with the Pastor in his study.                                            

4. Church note in The New Forest Magazine, England: "In the future the preacher for next Sunday will be found hanging on the notice board." 

You know, I found those so funny when I was reading them ... so funny.  And then, I started to think about that last one - "In the future the preacher for next Sunday will be found hanging on the notice board."  It made me think about how when a preacher or a prophet says something that is true and maybe spoken in love and that calls the people of the church to account, the people instead of hearing the word and struggling with the Word - well, they prefer to shoot the messenger.  I have heard other clergy feel that they can’t speak and call the people of the church to account - the people whom they dearly love and want to help make the church better.  Many people might say ‘well, if the cap fits, wear it ... meaning, speak the truth - in love, but speak the truth.  However, often what they mean to speak the truth in love, it is to speak it to others, I do not want to know the truth - I do not want to be moved.  And when clergy or prophets feel called and endowed to preach the Word that might help save the life of his or her people, preach and help the church, they are criticized instead. 

If we look at the Gospel of Luke and the reading shared by Gladys, we hear how the people of Nazareth welcome Jesus home.  Jesus is one of them and he knows them so well.  Jesus knows their hearts and knows their struggles - he knows what biases and even prejudices that they have.  When Jesus stands up to speak - they say “he is one of us - his words are so eloquent” and all speak well of him.  Then Jesus launches into the sermon which names their prejudice. The people of Nazareth had thought that God’s favour was only for them.  But Jesus bursts their bubble.  He reminds them how when there was a time of famine and many widows lived in Israel, the prophet Elijah went not to an Israelite, but to a woman who was a Gentile.  Later, when there were many who suffered leprosy, the prophet Elisha did not go to the people of Israel, but to Naaman who was a Syrian.  And when the people heard Jesus’ words, they were furious and attempted to throw him off a hill - basically to stone him to death.  The people of Nazareth had thought themselves so mighty and high that they thought themselves God’s chosen and only chosen people.  In many ways, they were showing themselves as not wanting to be part of God’s people at all, if it meant sharing God - unless it meant having God only if it was on their terms, then they did not want to hear about God at all.

Oh, how I fear we are very much like Nazareth, asa community here in Carbonear.  We don’t mind talking about God and Jesus and we take comfort in much of the stuff.  But the faith and the Word calls us to be moved - if it calls us to change, then many a back is turned on following Jesus.  If giving of our self means a cost, we prefer to look the other way and hope for a good excuse to share instead of serving our Lord. If we hear the possibility that following Jesus means really loving our neighbour - means really trying to work out our differences - whether those differences be longed held with one group against another or differences between individuals, what is our response: many times, we prefer to turn our backs and say we can’t go to church -can’t help out a neighbour because of something ‘they did’ and in the neighbour, we diminish Jesus’ call - we take Jesus out on some hill and try to shove him off rather than look in to our own hearts and seek redemption and a true change of heart.  

A four year old girl was at the doctor’s office for a check-up.  As the doctor looked into her ears, he asked: Do you think I’ll find Big Bird here?  The little girl smiled and did not say a word. The doctor then looked into her mouth and asked “do you think I will find the Cookie Monster here” and she shrugged her shoulders and grinned.  Then the doctor put a stethoscope to her chest and as he listened to her heart, he asked “ Do you think I'll hear Barney in here?”  At that point, the little girl shook her head ‘no’ and replied: Barney’s on my undershirt: Jesus is in my heart!”  Oh, friends, dear friends, Oh that Jesus would dwell within us all - in our hearts - in our souls - being the guide for all our decisions, but I fear I must agree with many of my predecessors who declared that many hearts and minds in our community and church and sanctuary needed to changed for Christ!

One writer declared “Not to be out‑and‑out for Christ is to be down‑and‑out.”  Being moved for Christ is a scary thing and a wonderful thing.  Counting on Christ is counting on life and following Christ is the greatest call.  It does mean a change in priorities and it does mean a sacrifice in how we live our lives, but it also means having the greatest of hopes and the greatest of things to do - serving Jesus - extending his ministry - bearing his love and life to others and in so doing, seeing Jesus’ strength and life in ourselves.  Helping people see Jesus in how we live out his ministry - that is an awesome thing. And as a clergy, I believe that is the Good News and Greatest of News - that Jesus came to bear new life - for you and for you to be part of new life for your community - for your neighbour.  When Jesus saw people, he saw them with love and he yearned for them to follow.  Many turned away and it was loss.  But many also dared to look inward at their hearts and see how they had limited God’s call in their lives...and they dared to follow.  They sought a new direction and it was with Jesus. A New Heart for loving. 

My son, when it is time for him to have his diaper changed, will almost always run away when he hears talk about being cleansed.  But when he is cleansed, he feel so much better and he runs and jumps.  My friends, let us now turn away from any and all malice and selfishness and be cleansed, ...let us run right to Jesus, right to our Lord, right to the one who extends new life to us and right to the one who calls us to be loved and to love.  When you see that neighbour who you have fought, turn to make amends - when you see that opportunity to share your gifts for God’s service, do not make an excuse, make a commitment and be an example of Jesus in our world.

It is about Jesus in our hearts and Jesus in our footsteps - it is about being cleansed and making a commitment and when it comes to what direction we choose for us to do such things; there is no greater way than Christ.  I want you to listen to the words of a song that Bev and I will sing and I pray that they are words that you pray - to pray to bring you closer to God and to be open to seeking God’s  purposes for your life. 

                                                   Luke 4: 20-30

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹ Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” ²³ He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ ” ²⁴ And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. ²⁵ But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; ²⁶ yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. ²⁷ There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” ²⁸ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. ²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. ³⁰ But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.