What is Christian - John 18 - Reign of Christ (Year B)

What is Christian

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon Mark 13:1-8, Psalm 93, Daniel 7:9-14, John 18:33-37

Opening Prayer

Happy Reign of Christ Sunday! This is the end of the liturgical year for the wider church. Next week, we begin our journey into Advent and the Christmas tide.  

Last week, Jesus gave ominous tones in Mark 13 in talking about the destruction of the temple and warning us of people who might try to lead us astray from the light and the Word. 

Deception during hard times is something for us to be wary because we want to hear the good story, the one that promises. 

In desperation, we look for those that promise everything we want and need, and people will allow them to put curtains over eyes - numb our senses. (This could also be the work of substances like drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc.)

No one wants to be deceived and no one wants to realize that they have been deceived. Many will even defend their own egos against the deception. And when we do this, when the time comes that we can no longer avert our eyes, we see the damage that has to be reckoned and path that has to be corrected.

Yes In hard times, we look for answers, and there will be people that give them, whether those answers hold actual truth or not is for us to consider.

Remember that easy answers are just that - easy. Rarely does life offer us easy but rather complex with a need for us to think and to check those answers.

This weekend, we celebrate the reign of Christ (or Christ the King) remembering that Jesus’s last name is not, in fact, Christ. For “Christ” is a title and designation that means anointed or Messiah.

Then to be Christian is to be followers of Christ - followers of the anointed one. That is also how we define and interchange the words disciple of Christ - follower of Christ (the anointed one). 

So “Christ” is not some military or political title (nor does Jesus seek violence or division as a means to accomplish goals.)

We, also in this time and place, recognize what the reign of Christs means and what it truly is for us and for all people. 

This reign is a power, a kingdom, beyond this world, politics and titles.  This being is beyond anything military or social. So what is the reign of Christ?

Good question.

Because we, as followers of the Christ, to be Christian , we must understand what the reign of the anointed one is. For in order to be a truly dedicated follower, we must know the mission and purpose set for us.

This mission, this purpose of this reign, is also a way of living and a way of being that has been given to us and for us.

We can see that way of living, that way of being, expressed in the Word- in the Gospels - as the stories of Jesus and the Words of Jesus. That “way” is in what Jesus preached, what (and how) Jesus did, and how (and why) Jesus sacrificed for us.

Question then is upon us to answer how that is lived in our ways, our paths and thus, how we live.

Are we welcoming? Are we sharing? Are we giving? 

Are following the words that tell us to give without expecting rewards? 

Are we showing mercy without exception? 

Are we the peacemakers who loves not just our neighbors, but also our enemies and those who persecute us?

Are we heeding the words that warn of false prophets who twist and turn these beatitudes and precepts into money changers and scorn?

With the Gospels, there is no need for guns, no need for violence, no need for hate or fear because we have all that we need in this reign of Christ.

We can read and talk about these passages all day long, but until they are exhibited in what we do, we miss the point. 

Until they are rooted in what we do and how we think, those words, those Gospels are merely words.  Until we root ourselves in the Words of Jesus building our lives and attitudes around the Way of Jesus, one cannot call themselves Christian. 

None of this is just “simple” because it forces us into areas of discomfort. Yet, loving God and loving our neighbors and enemies is what we are called to do. 

Yes this can cause discomfort (at first), but when we let this be our life - to truly follow the words and build that life - we let God take control. 

Then, the impossible becomes very tangible and very possible even in the face of dark times, persecution or threats. There is possible because you let your hope, your faith, and your love be you and guide you.

Then, the rewards are boundless and immeasurable.

Turn your hearts from false words, words that hate and hurt. 

Turn your hearts, your thoughts, and your actions to love, to the reign of the living Christ and be filled with unimaginable joy.

That Beloved, is to be Christian - a follower of the anointed One.

Thanks Be to God.

Love - Mark 12 - Proper 26 Year B

Love

Tony E Hansen

Reflection based upon Mark 12:28-34, Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Psalm 119 and 1 Corinthians 13

Opening prayer

Happy All Saints Day and All Souls Day ! For all the saints, lets us give our love for their remembrance.

Love - that is today’s theme. Its a simple theme, and it is more than simple.

Throughout all of the faiths in the world, there is a universal tenet, precept and command the prevails in each.

That is this thing called love. That is not just a song we sing ,cute words for Hallmark cards or a car brand (e.g. Subaru). 

Love is simple, unbranded and unaltered.

Yet, this is genuine humanity with the sacred intertwined at its finest. Some might say heaven on earth.

The scribe asks what is the greatest commandment. Then, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy to love God and to love neighbor are the greatest of all the commandments we are given.

Saint Paul tells us that love is kindness and the greatest of the sacred gifts we receive. 

Yes Love is more than all gifts and words because as Paul says, “love always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres” while rejoicing in the truth without boasting. 

"Love never fails.”

That is why Jesus gives such a direct answer to the question of what is the greatest. That is because it is so clear.

Still, the scribe continues to offer a paraphrasing as well to suggest that love is more than all the “burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Love is more than rules, more than sacrifices, and more than oneself. Love requires us to be in and of the community, family and friends. That is because love requires us to be empathetic and compassionate towards all people around us - no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey.

Thus, Jesus says understanding this about love will help us realize that the kingdom is “not far.” 

Why because we put love into reality, into our lives, and into practice on this earth. That is something sacred and that love is the incarnation of the work of our Creator. 

How do you reveal that love in your life? How do you reveal that in your interactions with others around you? How do you reveal that in your work and what you do?

How do you embody the love of God and love of neighbor?

Election is coming and some have already voted. For those who have not voted and perhaps are still deciding, (really?) Ask which of the candidates reveals this love (embodies the love) in their campaigns and the way they conduct themselves - not just as word salads - but observe their attitudes, their perception of people, and how they lead. Which candidates personify love so that we, as the people who follow, might also learn from that?

When our leaders show this, when our neighbors show this, and when we (I ) live this love, the world will be less violent, less anxious, and less broken. 

That is because for all that I can do, say and give, if I do not have love, I have nothing.

Like Paul says, it does not envy, boast or seek to dishonor but “rejoices with the truth.” Rejoices, folks.

Love celebrates you and I. Love celebrates life itself and the world as full of possibilities and wonder. Love offers us a feast that sustains and nourishes beyond a meal - beyond physical substance.

So belly up to the table, for all are welcome, and with God, as Mark often reminds us, there is abundance. There is plenty to go around. 

Grab a seat, grab a plate and bring friends, bring family. Share some with your neighbors. Drink from the cup of forgiveness! Taste the delicious fruits of this love, and be comforted with the spirit that binds us and sustains us. 

Be free of your worry! Be free of what ails you today and live in the possible that God has given us. Gosh I needed that - even for just a moment! Didn’t you too?? 

Yes we all need that love and that moment to be free in the divine grace.

To be free in a moment - in the love that surrounds us and comforts us - that something. is beyond comparison and beyond hunger or thirsts because that sacred love heals, quenches and nourishes like no other. 

Even more, to be the love in a moment can be an eternity gifted to you and to those around you. Sacred love is something you can take with you when you need it the most. It doesn’t take up space in your pockets or book bag, but it can fill your heart with so much joy - rejoicing. It can put a little pep in your step!

That, my beloved friends, is not a bad way to be - even for a moment. 

So remember to take love with you so you can share it and spread love in the world in any moment. Then, those moments will happen more and more. Can you imagine if everyone felt this way. 

I can only think it would be like watching history happen (e.g. like moon landing, Berlin Wall coming down, or something like watching parents reunited with kids after deployment. Friends finding each other after years apart.) Moments when borders don’t matter, and there is no judgment, there is nothing dividing people. These are glimpses of the sacred - the heaven on earth.

That, Beloved, is love for you to take hold, to feast, to enjoy, to share, and to rejoice.  That, Beloved, is 

Thanks be to God

To Be First - Mark 10 - Proper 24B

To be first…

Tony E Hansen

Reflection based upon Mark 10:35-45, Psalm 91, Hebrews 5:1-10

Opening prayer

This weekend is the anniversary for my parents (October 20). Happy anniversary to my mother as well as to Dad (who is in heaven today).

This week, one of my favorite bands released a new single that is just pure ear candy called “Night Terror” with their original drummer. Not that the replacement was bad as he was good in his own right, but the return of Mike Portnoy to the line up is clearly felt in the song. The song has been on repeat for me.

I have also been doing a lot of paint therapy- someone should tell the painter at my house to stay in the lines. There is plenty of tape to take down and plenty of touch up remaining.

This week, we observe the argument among the disciples over who should sit at right and left hands of Jesus. 

Like Jesus has said before, this is something that should not concern them because this question of being in places of honor is not about service but instead all about vanity and unearned honor.

Thus, with this challenge to the disciples - to us -, Jesus wants us to understand that ministry and true purposeful life is about service rather than honors and rewards. 

What does greatness look like ?  What do we do with power and influence?

What does it mean to deny oneself and take up a cross?

We have ample opportunities in this broken world to buy our way to so-called happiness. We have ample opportunities to get what we want, when we want it and how we want it, like the Burger King menu - with burgers your way. 

It feels nice to have those kinds of choices, but instead, we are diluting ourselves with distractions and personal pampering.

Thus, when we get to this place that commercials and materialism have defined as “happy”, people ultimately find it lacking in purpose, in meaning, and in fullness. 

So, to deny oneself is not to fulfill all the urges we have, but to recognize there are some other things that can bring true meaning and purpose to our lives. That is in this service - this ministry.

When we devote ourselves to service, those urges and those materials become shallow and empty - as they really are. 

Then for us, we must consider what greatness looks like is to be one that serves - not just for the accolades or honors, but to serve family, friends, and the community for the sake of service for our neighbors and for our Creator. As well, we are not to serve just as token bits, but to serve with our whole hearts and souls.

What we need in this world, is more of this service that does not first look for “what’s in it for me.” Rather, we need to see service that lifts up people and brings people together, not just as political stunts or Snapchat clips for likes.  

There are plenty of ways we can realize this service in our lives, and we should hold our leaders to this as well. Volunteering with organizations like UBFM, Dream Team, Wounded Warriors, at church, hospice care or even ARL can be mechanisms for us to achieve this, but it is even more than that still. 

Ask the questions:  Are we including, instead of excluding? Are we bringing people together instead of tearing them down? Are we reaching out with a helping hand to those who have been knocked down or left out? Are we lending an ear to those who need to be heard?

In those moments, it is not about “what’s in it for me” but what can I do to make this world better today for others. Incidentally, when we do this, it works its way back to us in many meaningful , positive, and powerful ways. 

Thus, we observe one of the central themes of Mark - that we must be willing to “be slave of all” in order to be first. To be first, one must be willing to be last.  That our focus is on service rather than glories or rewards.

This theme is followed by reminding us of the ultimate example found in Christ, who came to serve and to give life for us - along with forgiveness and that sacred promise poured out for all.

The ultimate example provides us a path to true greatness, true purpose, and true grace in our lives that are intangible benefits of the sacred service that is revealed in our lives. 

Beloved, let go of the lies and materials this broken world has distracted of us and instead, live in the truth and the love that has been poured out for us. 

Let go of the privileges - the statuses, and the “likes.” Let your life be one of heart-full and soul-full service. When you do, “no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near…” God will answer and rescue when you call and sometimes through paint therapy. God can quiet the night terrors in our lives.

“Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest,” but showed us the way - the path to salvation through service to all.  

For that, we say, 

Thanks Be to God.

Grief of Divorce - Mark 10 - Proper 22 Year B

Grief of Divorce

Tony E Hansen

Reflection based upon Mark 10:2-16, Psalm 8, Genesis 2:18-24

Opening prayer

The scriptures talk about how a couple is made to be with each other - a woman is made from the bones of a man. Thus, couple becomes “one flesh.”  

The disciples ask Jesus about this thing we call marriage and divorce.

I think I know a thing or two about these having been married and now divorced. (The dust is still settling from that.)

Marriage is about commitment, love, trust and communication, but what happens when that commitment, that trust, that love, that one flesh, devolves and separates?

I don’t think people get into a marriage with the prospect of quitting. I certainly did not, but it happened no less. I didn’t honestly believe in divorce before this. Even though, I have friends and family that have went through it, divorce wasn’t something for me - that is until it became for me.

I think of myself publicly failing for having to go through it. The loss is more than money and material. It is a loss of ideas, prospects , a relationship, a family, a community, and yes the “one flesh.” 

Divorce destroys trust (if it was even there to begin with), it destroys the bonds (that could have been), it destroys a community that surrounds the marriage, and it certainly destroys a future. The stress, pain, and anxiety in me from all of this is through the roof. The stress and anxiety radiates throughout our friends and families as they cope with the change as well. I pray for them as I try not to drag them down too.

Yet, it was a necessary thing to do - for both of us. 

It destroys a future but also creates. My future is not certain - not that it was before this, but the path is way different that what I thought it was going to be. I even looked for ways to maybe ignore what was transpiring, but I could not and ignoring was only going to make it worse. 

So, How do we cope? 

There are mechanisms that people can employ when going through a life transition such as this because we have to understand there is pain, tears and grief in the moment. Loss (whether a friend, a life or a relationship) loss breeds - along with it - grief.

We have to learn how to cope with the loss and find healthy ways to do that.  For it is too easy to slip into damaging ways ( I know that too well.) 

I know others may have found other negative ways to cope such as violence, drugs, unsafe sex, or alcohol. I have to be careful and mindful of triggers. Personally, I have to lower my alcohol intake, and instead, I should lean into things that are healthy like workouts, visiting with family and friends, painting with pastels, or working in the garden. I should do that even though the anxiety is high and the pain is real. 

I have met some good people since all this has transpired (and is continuing), but I have to remember to take care of myself - because no one else will. I believe that I will rebuild and I will find a new path even though that path is not clear to me today. (Not sure it really ever was clear if I think about it.) Yet, I have to believe that.

I will turn to my painting, drawing, writing, music, and work to fill the holes that have been painfully ripped open. I certainly don’t want to fill the holes with negativity and more anxiety. 

Now, I look at the words of Jesus from Mark and find myself in a paradox of any future relationship. I cannot really even think about that right now with the abundance of grief that I am experiencing. Yet the paradox is there.

There is a reason why Jesus says these, and it is because divorce is so damaging. As I stated, it not only impacts the couple, but those around them as they also try to cope.  I am thankful for those that have reached out to me, those that have invited me into their world, and those that have helped me during this awful time. You have been very much appreciated.

That also tells me the path forward is not one that has to be done alone. Nothing that we do has to be done alone. 

Although we ultimately have to take the steps and the next steps, there are people around us that we can lean and find support - even if those people are ones we haven’t engaged in a while. we (I) have to remember there is God as well. So yeah, I have been reaching out to folks I haven’t spoke to in a while and I plan to reach out to more.

I think maybe that is part of the healing process (and is definitely a positive activity.)  Reaching out instead of turning inward and isolating - Finding out or remembering who is in our support system.  For Lord knows that someday, we become their support in turn.  

Hopefully, the result of the healing process, I think of what it is like to be a child in the kingdom and that there is the ultimate support in the Spirit that guides us all. Remember that God created us as works of divine fingers: along with the majesty of the moon and stars. Hope is what I have to hold onto and faith in the One that sustains us.

the grief of divorce - may you never have to witness this in your lives and may peace be with you all, especially if you have had to endure this.

And for all the blessings, friends, family and gifts bestowed upon me, I am reminded still…

Thanks be to God