Believe in the Good News - Mark 1 - Epiphany 3B

Believe in the Good News

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon Mark 1:14-20, Psalm 62

Opening prayer

Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near, repent, and believe in the good News.”

There is a lot to unpack in this. I submit, there are at least four distinct parts. 

"The time is fulfilled” sounds like someone who just aced a test, decided to retire, or won the game. Yet. it is more than that. This part suggests that scriptures have been fulfilled and that divine presence is upon us, 

Since the divine is with us, that means doors open, the possible can happen, and new horizons can be seen.

Why? The next part of this says exactly that “…the kingdom of God is near…” The scriptures are fulfilled because God is near rather than some aloof idea or far off entity.  

God is here! God is among us!

You can reach out and touch God. You can talk to God. You can even argue with God. Why? Because God is near. That kingdom, that realm of God is here. These are not just mere words, but as we said last time, this says to hear God call to you to follow. God calls to you be a part of that kingdom and to witness that realm.

I can see someone in the back ask, Where is this realm?  That realm is much closer than you can imagine. 

It is right here. It is right now! That realm is in your heart and your neighbors’ hearts. 

Discover God is with you now. That realm of possibilities is calling to you to follow. Are you listening?

Thus, since God is near and that presence calls to you, Jesus exclaims the next part: repent.

We have talked about repentance. That one word carries with it many different connotations. It has often been abused, but remember that repentance not as harsh way or a means to condemn. It is a way for us to seek that which is good in us; to find the love of God in our hearts and minds. 

Repentance is an opportunity to turn towards God and to see God, to hear God and to be with God. Repentance is an opportunity to correct what needs to be corrected, and to find new life and possibility in that divine love that is near.

Question becomes, What in your life takes you away from this presence, this divine love? What in your life blinds you from seeing that love in your heart?

There is need for compassion in this world. There is need for social justice and truth. There is need for extending grace, love and peace. 

Yet, we conveniently ignore it. Not today. I don’t have the time or the money. It’s not my fight, not my neighborhood, not my people, not my cause. It is whatever excuse there is. These just say, “I don’t want to.”

Ouch Really? God’s children are not your responsibility?

Further some would say, they deserve their dilemma and that they caused their pain. That is a broken world speaking, not God.

Our psalm reminds us that God is our refuge, and we ought to place our faith and trust in God. God is the one judge and God calls us to action - to deliver. 

Thus, recognize God in your neighbor, whether you agree with them and no matter how far they are from you or what they look like. They are God’s children, and God wants you to see.

Thus, part of repentance is revealed in the fourth part of this. God wants us to not only to recognize, but God wants us to bring that realm of divine love into our hearts and to share that goodness with others.

That is what Jesus means when he says, “…believe in the Good News”

Believe in your heart that this is true and when you do, you will understand why Jesus says, “Good news.” 

That is, When you let that love be with you, when you let love be with your neighbors, your friends, your family and your enemies, you will find amazing is within you too. You give possibility a chance and God rewards in great ways - well beyond what a broken world can.

When you give love, faith, and hope a chance, you will be met with life that is free from despair, free from want, free from accusation and free of false promise. 

That is because the promise of God is real, and that promise is the Good News. When you believe, you let that work for you. 

Yes, when you believe in the Good News, you will see the promise work for you. 

That promise is always here for you and calling to you - to believe and to follow. When you believe, you let God be with you and guide you.

That Beloved is the Good News. God is with you! Turn your heart towards the divine love. Discover the opportunities with God. 

Yes! Open your heart and believe in the promise. Believe in the Good News. Let God be with you this day and more.

Beloved, this promise, and all that is good is why we say, “God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.”

Believe in the Good News, that is Epiphany and that is …

Thanks Be to God

Called to Follow - John 1 - Epiphany 2B

Called to Follow

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon John 1:43-51, Psalm 139, 1 Samuel 3: 1-10

Opening Prayer

Dont you love how the day after caucus? There is the blissful silence of phones and less garbage for the mail. All kinds of claims that rot our TV screens that negatively attack people go away until next election.  

We hear (especially during the times leading up to elections) politicians tell us they will lead and that we should "follow."  When they say that, most often, it is ego and ambition that is guiding them. They may frame it as some purpose or vision, but ultimately, they are expressing a form of ambition.

Contrastingly, when Jesus calls upon the disciples, ambition and ego are not part of the “call.”

You have heard me talk about “being called,” and some ask, why do you say this? “I don’t want to be a priest or a nun.” 

“To be called” it isn’t necessarily that, but Jesus calls us to follow - like he calls upon the disciples.

What does that mean?

So we read Jesus calling onto Phillip and Nathaniel to “follow me.” God calls to Eli and Samuel.

That following, To follow, is to witness, to hear, to see, to learn, and to encourage others. 

Phillip expresses this fully with “Come and see.” I have been following this Jesus. He could have went on and added, “I have learned, I have grown, and my eyes have opened wide.”

That is what happens with Jesus. When we let Jesus be in our midst and when we follow Jesus, instead of ego or ambition. We learn, we grow; eyes and hearts open. 

Why?

We let the love be with us and lessons of love tell us and encourage us to open our hearts. 

An epiphany for us then is to let Jesus be with us even when we don’t think we are worthy, when we are struggling, when we don’t think we have enough time, or even when we might curse God. Then is when we ought to find the love and the divine presence with us, talking to us and teaching us. 

You are called to follow, to see - to “come and see” what Jesus brings to you and how that is unique to each of us. 

So the question is what do you see ?  Open your eyes, open your hearts to the word made flesh. 

I submit to you that when we see, when we truly see, we discover- we find. What do you find when you see?

Phillip fiinds Nathaniel . Jesus finds both of them. Jesus sees both of them. 

A call is not a once and done but a way of being and ongoing journey that to follow Jesus is more than just a few words or a one time decision. 

To follow Jesus to be called  then is a daily, hourly thing because we all know that being a good Christian can be difficult as much as it can be graceful.

Jesus calls upon us to believe and to enter into relationship - not only with Jesus  but each other. Jesus sees these people and Jesus sees you, finds you. Jesus is our Shepard and our Shepard looks for us even when we feel lost and thank God for that. Jesus calls upon us to find each other as well - to see each other. 

Yes see the homeless, the mental patient, the drug addict, the prostitute, the prisoner, the migrant and those who are asking questions, those who are trying to understand, as well as those who have made it. Yes God is for you and for us to share love. 

Yes the language of the psalm begins with a thankful prayer, “Lord you have searched me and known me” because God wants you and God knows you. God calls upon you to be more than your own thoughts. God walks with you on your journey - when you let him.

God want wants to reveal the holy presence in our lives when we eat, when we go to bed, when we talk with our friends, when we talk enemies (yes when talk with enemies) and to become more than our thoughts.

That doesn’t require theology degrees or fancy robes. It does require of us to let God be with us - to follow God - instead our ego or ambition. 

Thus the politician that claims all the vision in the world is flawed just like we are but the politician that asks us to find the better angels within, the love and compassion within, that one is guiding us a little closer to the love of Christ.  That one deserves a second look.

Loving Jesus and being called by Jesus is thus a call to follow the good way, the God way through the good times and the bad and with our neighbors and those we disagree.

That Beloved is …

Thanks Be to God.

Who Am I - Matthew 16 - Proper 16 A

Who am I

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 16: 13=20, Psalm 138

Opening prayer

Who am I ? The most fundamental question of anyone and everyone. 

"Who am I" is a question of identity and with that belonging, purpose, and direction.

Why does Jesus ask this ?

What did the disciples need to hear in the response and what were the many responses to the question other than what we read?

“Who do you say I am” is different from the fundamental "Who am I"  because now we speak about how people perceive. What legends or rumors are festering? What is lurking around the corner that needs to be negated by truth? What rumors need to be dispelled because we all know how rumors can fester into fantasies and fiction?

If we are looking for growth, then the question of identity is critical. Without identity, we don’t have purpose, we don’t have belonging, we are aimless in direction. So understanding our identity is critical.

Even more who is your God and why is that important? Is Jesus your God or just the idea and how do live that? That is part of your identity.

That is why so many people are realizing the power of this. To be black, Latino, queer, Native or a German on American soil. God is "god" over all people. Why so many are interested in shutting differing voices down is a question we should be asking at the same time. 

Why are so many different voices scary to hear? Unless you are in an institution for care, those voices can help us to see the better parts of humanity in many different ways - instead of resorting to gun barrels and negative innuendo.

We are all God’s children and yet we enjoy labeling and segregating. Yes, There are some that would use that as an excuse not to acknowledge the different uniqueness that people have. Yet in claiming identity, we claim something of the self. We claim something more than a label or tag. 

We claim who we are. There, there is where we can find much growth and find much to hang on because we don’t let others define who we are, what we need or how we need to be. We only need to look at the magnificence that God has given us - that God has made us exactly who we need to be. 

If you are then questioning the need for therapists, we stray and our minds like to play games with ourselves. Therapists can help us navigate the waters that is us. I would submit to include God in that as well. 

When we come to terms with our identity, however is one of the single most powerful things that can happen to a person. Ask anyone who has “come out” how liberating that is and how scary at the same time. 

There, I submit, in you will find God. There, in you, is the Spirit working and making you beautiful and magnificent. When we believe that, then magic and growth happens. You found yourself, you found the spirit within you and you listened. Be yourself. Be with God.

Our identity is not just me myself and I. Identity is what we do (in English we say she is an electrician for a reason). In as much as we talk about skin color and and orientations, what defines us is work. Additionally, It is also who we associate, how we communicate and more. 

Legends are born from people that help others. People just doing the right thing or speaking up. 

What are you doing to help others?

So Jesus asking this question has at least a few objectives. 1) to maybe quiet curiosities and minds of the people around Jesus. 2) to give voice to what some are thinking internally. And I pose 3 as a human, give assurances to Jesus - Jesus is expressing some vulnerability. In vulnerability we can also find identity because we learn about ourselves 

There are a host of things we can raise with these. Think of why Jesus instructs them not to share this but we read this in the Gospel.

This conversation among Jesus and the disciples is about grappling with truth and different perspectives of that truth. Grappling with vulnerability because we know too well how the world can be cruel to even the best hearts.

We want to know why we are doing this work and what it means to people. Jesus gives us permission to live in our vulnerability. Even when the world is circling around us, we have the spirit to guide us and that our vulnerability is God talking to us and teaching us.

Yes there is God. What claim are you questioning? What is hurting about your identity? What assurance do you need today to know that God has made you who you need to be? 

Think and pray, the answer is already given. 

Thanks Be to God.

Beginnings - Genesis 1, Mark 1 - Epiphany 1B

Beginnings

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon Genesis 1:1-5, Mark 1: 4-11, Psalm 29

Opening Prayer

There once was a goofy young kid that walked into the UI Fieldhouse looking for something and stepped into a carpeted room with a mirror along the one side. That kid was looking to learn karate or whatever it was called. I stepped into that room and was greeted by Mr Keller and was invited to join class. I asked him later that day how long does It take to become a black belt. He suggested to me about 3 to 4 years.

I made up my mind to get there as quick as I could. Four years later, I get my 1st degree decided. Two decades later and couple torn knees, I am a master instructor; I have studied multiple martial arts; and I have competed at national events.

The thing is that belt meant quite a bit to me because it meant I could achieve. I am reminded that belt, that journey, required a beginning. It needed the decision to start, to find the class and to decide that is what I wanted to do. 

Yes I got hurt, and I struggled at times, but the resolve was there and I made it! There were many people along the way that helped mold me into a better person even when I didn’t think I was worthy. I have many friends, many students, mentors and a whole network of fellow martial artists. But Yes I made it!

Our scriptures today bring us to Genesis 1 and to Mark 1. What is in the story of Genesis that speaks to us is that there was a beginning. None of us were alive when it happened, but a decision was made by our Creator and boom we are here. God said, “Let there be light…,” and just like that we are here.

In Mark’s Gospel, we are reminded of John baptizing Jesus even though he did not think himself worthy to touch the sandals. 

Of my own baptism, I don’t remember as I was only a couple weeks old, but I can imagine that I was a handful for my parents and the priest. 

I have participated and witnessed the baptism of others and how the light of God will many times peer into the sanctuary. It is amazing how God recognizes the sentimental and offers divine presence in these moments - whether we recognize them or not.

This is a beginning: a beginning of many things to come - whether we think we are worthy or not.  

Yet here at the Jordan, Jesus is baptized by John by submersion, and out of the water, Jesus looks up and hears God call out, “…Beloved with you I am well pleased.”

This is just a beginning, a doorway, a start, a journey of a thousand steps (or more) begins. 

No matter when our baptism happened, it was a beginning. Much like that goofy awkward kid taking first steps of taekwondo, our baptisms are beginnings and doorways for us into a much larger life, a much larger presence than the goofy presence we were before. That is because God brings so much to us - for without God, we don’t exist.

God calls to us in baptism and brings holy presence into our lives. It is truly a first step into the life with Christ. The journey begins and we all know it is a journey. That journey however requires us and our faith. For then we have to learn to live with Christ in our lives, which some days is easier than others.

We have to be compassionate, empathetic and seeking justice for all our neighbors instead of hoisting ego and wants. We have to lean into our faith, our hope, and our love   even, and especially, when the world is being cruel to us. That is when and where we can find strength. That is when and where we can find comfort in the living presence of Jesus.

Yes, to live with Christ in our lives brings so much more than just old scriptures, festive Christmases, or a place to be on Sunday. It is a way of life that lifts people up and a way that shares the gifts of this beginning and this journey with others. 

This baptism is a beginning of journey. Then, this journey is a series of beginnings because each day is another beginning, another opportunity, for us to see how we can live with the love of Christ in our lives. 

Then years later you can look back with nostalgia and say “I made it!” - no belt required. But you can say that with a smile and grace in your heart. You can say that because Jesus is with you.

Thus, when we renew our baptismal vows, remember that doorway opened for you and listen… hear God call to you as among the Beloved. 

Yes you too are Beloved with whom God is well pleased.

That Beloved is…

Thanks be to God