Light of the World - John 6 - Lent 4A

Light of the World

Tony E Dillon-Hansen

Sermon based upon John 9, Psalm 23, Ephesians 5:8-14

Opening prayer

How often do we have a situation in life when we have something in our hands, walk into another room set it down, and then the phone rings, a doorbell chimes, and so on?? Life happens and keeps happening. As time goes by, we forget about what was in our hands and even may forget where we laid the item. We might think, “where did I lay that?” We could walk in that same room a dozen times and not see it sitting right where we left it - because we don’t actually “see it.” So it continues to be “lost” for some period of time.

What does that have to do with our story today?

A person who was blind their entire life suddenly gets a spit mud pie, and suddenly, there is sight.

There is much to unpack in the story, but a question rises, “What does healing mean for the blind man?” Jesus says, “I’m the light of the world” and gives light to darkened eyes of this person. This is something more than just giving sight to someone who has never had it. 

When sight is given, the person receives all sorts of questions. Why is it that people witnessing something remarkable need explanations? 

Yet this person has been given a lifeline that no one could have predicted or understood. This person suddenly is no longer the fringe of society, the well-known beggar or the outcast. This person heard Jesus, reached out and was healed. 

What would we say to the person that finally gets off the street, finds employment and an apartment? For us in UBFM, we would celebrate this person. 

Yet, there would be people that would question the how and why. Isn’t bad enough that people and governments want to squander welfare money away from the people it is meant to help that we have to ridicule those who somehow find a way out?

What Jesus does here is not just healing but brings this person into something more than the self. People on the fringes are often left there (and forgotten) unless someone does something remarkable. A someone could do something like reach out and give a little of God’s realm to those who need it the most. What Jesus does most is to bring those (and us) to be a part of something more than ourselves and what limits us individually.

When we read more in John, Jesus finds people – a good shepherd finding lost sheep. – the gate to life – the light of the world especially to those who have no light or sight. The person has been isolated by many, including family, but now is given a chance to belong. Now is the time for the community to also feel that belonging. There is righting with God and there is relationship with community -with each other, something long forgotten.  

Why does it take something remarkable for the community to see this person before? What does the community need now to welcome the same today? That is a question for those in the story and for us today. 

The most powerful thing we can do for people in our world is to recognize them -> to see them. 

Jesus sees and calls upon us to see others. Too often, we get caught up with life that we forget things & details. We leave them in the other room. We roll up windows to avoid interactions. 

This remarkable action is not just sight given, but radical change for all to witness what has happened to remind us that people, even those we forget, are deserving of full love and grace.  That is why this person becomes the follower.

Some will change, and still, some will refuse to see or to witness. Which one is you? (Certainly, this was a magic trick.)

We are reminded of our own broken relationships with God and with each other – Jesus gives not just sight but relationships. These people forgot each other and now found each other.

Today, we forget there are people dying due to a brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We forget there are people living on the streets without blankets or a simple meal. We forget there are people in nursing homes who haven’t seen their families in years. 

We forget people over time because life happens and life demands of us so much.

I mean, why should we care about violence in another country when the price of groceries and gas is high? Why should we care if someone couldn’t pay rent and has to live in some cubbyhole? Why do I need to feed them ? 

Astoundingly, those questions are: Why do/should I care about someone else ?

That is also why Jesus does something so spectacular to “see” this person and to give sight. Jesus does the opposite of what people with busy lives do – Jesus sees, Jesus reaches out -> and thank you, Jesus, for seeing me. 

That is why this person follows Jesus who has never “seen” Jesus before. When the world forgets us, when we forget to see people ourselves, there is Jesus seeing us.

Jesus sees all, even they who cannot (or won’t). In fact, some look for brokenness and scandal.

Jesus bring us to community, and this person responds with “I want to learn more.” The blind man hears and follows the voice of Jesus – becomes part of the sheep by recognizing God at work. 

What would your response be? Would you recognize or just explain it as a farce or other excuse? What does the shepherd look or sound like to you? What do you need to see God? Better yet, what part do you play in this?

We hear plenty of voices instead of the good shepherd – maybe we should question what’s so compelling in those voices that we turn away from God -maybe we be the voice of God to people who need it. Again, the blind man follows someone who gave attention and light. Jesus found they who lost when so many couldn’t or wouldn’t see. 

We don’t need to have crowds follow us because we can show them where the true light is - the true light to follow.

That is our challenge from Jesus: to live as the light of the world. “Live as children of light” with God. 

Beloved, Jesus is calling to you, “sleeper awake – rise” and let Christ shine through you!

That Beloved is…

Thanks be to God

 

At the Watering Hole - John 4 - Lent 3A

At the Watering Hole

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon John 4: 5-42, Psalm 95, Romans 5: 1-11

Opening Prayer

For a long time, when I would be in the office with other colleagues, the most interesting conversations were where? Next to the coffee or water. 

Whether you were Republican or Democrat, whether you had children or not, whether you had a Ford, Chevy, or Toyota, even across race and ethnicity, conversations could be had. 

The conversations would range from someone bucking for “coffee room attendant” to things happening in the family, to questions about the latest management revelations. So yes, we could giggle sometimes, and sometimes, the conversations were serious, concerned, or just venting in some cases. Of all of my professional conversations (if we call them that), these would be the most frank, honest and learning. 

During the pandemic, some of my favorite conversations would be on Fridays when the conversations included “what’s going on” in our lives. Each of us would grab a beverage and discuss things in the family as well as work challenges. I would learn how people from India would celebrate Holi. People would talk about being coaches for kids’ athletics or who was spending time at the house or plans for the weekend. Some of these might result in an invitation to have dinner as well. 

I think there is a bit of that frank, honest and open conversation happening here at the watering well.

We come upon this conversation between Jesus and this woman from Samaria (different cultures) at the well. Here, we don’t have an argument, but there are questions (like with Nicodemus last week.) There is an honest and frank exchange of truth. What is missing is judgment and accusations. 

We find out more about Jesus. We get the first of John’s “I am” that usually follows with a metaphor. (This harkens to when Moses first meets Yahweh at the bush, when Moses asks who are you, the response is “I am.”) This time, Jesus states “I am he.”

This whole scene is great for theater because there is something being exchanged in the conversation besides just words. Yet it is not just show because there are truths and again an invitation to belong - not just to one community but the community of God’s children. “The time is coming.. when worshippers will worship in Spirit and in truth.” 

God is calling to us with all of our questions and even with our disbelief.

Church, culture and faith are not about having all the answers but believing that what we don’t know, God will reveal to us in necessary ways. Faith is then realizing that our work is unfinished, and there are fields needing harvest. There are many around us that have “done the hard work.” Those who let their faith work for them, and let God work in that faith. Those from whom we can learn.

Don’t be just a consumer but someone who plants, does the tending, and someone who shares the fruits of God. For God tells us, all can enjoy the fruits of harvest even with our questions. 

Remember, this is what our faith is: belief in mystery, hope in the possible of God: water that gives true life, bread that nourishes beyond a meal. Believe the shepherd guides you through the gates to life with God.

Still, we all find frustration and paths that try us and people -especially some people along the way. We could walk through a meadow with peace and quiet but put people there and the questions rise - maybe tensions even. 

With God, we can navigate that course and find community that helps us realize we don’t have to do this alone. Through this community and with God, there is the possible. There is space for our questions, so ask them. Jesus wants to hear your questions and concerns - and theirs.

You may ask why the questions are so important. Whether we are talking about Nicodemus, this woman, or our own selves, the question really is: who is willing to hear that revelation and who is ready to understand the truth? Those who think they know it ? Those who tell you how they know it? 

Of those with questions… From my doctoral research to normal conversations, the person who confesses questions generally yields honest and genuine conversations. These would be part of honest and genuine faith or questions about faith that does not lord over others how they should but how they struggle with the actual questions and unknown.

Chances are those questions and concerns reflect our very own. When we realize this, then, together, we can grow in listening and learning about God.

Thus, God wants us to be with each other and work together through invitations and inclusion. Let God connect to each in unique ways. 

That is why the Psalm gives praise. When God connects and fulfills, we find all that we need in our faith. This woman’s faith is so overwhelmed with Jesus that she forgets her bucket of water - leaves it behind. Maybe, we might ask what, in our lives, needs to be left behind. What prevents us from believing and belonging?

Still there may be some that say “so what.” What does this do for me and why haven’t I felt it. Those are good questions, and there is a community like you full of questions.

Go ahead ask: What has God done for you? For us? Think about it, and I submit, the answer is right before you.

Go to the watering hole. Have courage to ask honest questions and courage to witness the answer. Have courage to be the answer. 

When you do and you let people be with you on that journey, I submit that you too will find together being the “noise of praises” rather than complaints. You will be the song of sharing rather than exclusions.

That Beloved is… 

Thanks Be to God

Curious Questions - John 3 - Lent 2A

Curious questions

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon John 3:1-17: Psalm 121

Opening prayer

There are texts that people love so much that people frame, put on walls, or stick to car bumpers. Today’s text gives us one of these beloved texts, but instead of just the verse that people have come to know and love, we get the context of the words.

Each of the next couple weeks in Lent, as we travel through John, we come upon conversations.  In these, conversations raise questions, considerations, resolutions and revelations. We encounter religious elder, a woman at the well, a blind man and then Martha.  

Each of these share preconceived notions of who God is and why God does things. This particular text shines on Nicodemus, a high priest elder (Pharisee) questioning Jesus’s teachings about God and the spirit.

This conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus compels because it is revolutionary nature. Nicodemus is a teacher of Rabbinical law and traditions and asking Jesus some of these questions go to the root of faith. 

Despite some assertions, not all elders despised Jesus but in fact rather embraced what Jesus says.  Nicodemus honestly questions Jesus and the nature of God.  He is curious about teachings, curious about Jesus, and curious about God. Jesus does not shy away from the questions. 

“How can this be??” Jesus answers with a question, asking Nicodemus, what does your faith, your belief, say to you about God and the Spirit? Funny thing, in this exchange, something else remarkable doesn’t happen.

Jesus does not berate the person, the question or any hinting lack of belief. Jesus instead invites.  Jesus invites Nicodemus (us) to believe: to bring Spirit and faith with him (with us). With Zen-like consideration, the wind blows but we know not the beginning or end. This is evidence that to “see” we must see with the Spirit and to be born of the Spirit. Most importantly, we must believe. 

That, my friends, is the nature of baptism. For we are all born into flesh from flesh. Let your Spirit connect with God (be born again). Water is a mere symbol, but the real work is done by the Spirit and our beliefs.

Without belief in these good things, 

we remain imprisoned in a world without hope of something more than we are. 

Without belief, 

we never get beyond who we are this day, and we never reach for all that God has for us. 

Without belief, 

we are left in shadows, and we forget the love that is poured out for us.

The broken world threatens from all sides consuming our attention. It can be easy for us to forget why 3:16 is so compelling. Starting with, “For God so loved the world…” Because God is still speaking, we say, “God loves.” God ain’t done - not by a long shot. 

That God loves us ought to be comforting to us who are struggling here on this earth. When we screw up, when we give into that Lenten temptation, or when we say things we probably shouldnt, God is there and loves us so much while forgiving and helping us find the correct path. 

Our identity as children of God can open paths for us through the threatening and thick wildernesses of our broken world because of our belief in that promise given to us. When we believe and let the belief flourish within us, the light of Christ reveals to us.

That belief can feel daunting at times when we are struggling and when the light at the end of the tunnel is blurred by events, people, more shootings, more war, and hostile political winds that are contrary to Jesus’s teachings of peace, love and forgiveness. We, like Nicodemus, can be (perhaps should be) curious to ask questions. Why does that happen? Why do people have to be so…. Not friendly and hostile? Ask God and let God reveal the answer. 

Perhaps, those people weren’t properly shown the proper way of Christ that you and I can. We can only do so much -but we can contribute. For our part, we can be that demonstration of this belief: that God is for us as children of God in many different ways. 

Through our belief, even though we are curious and have questions, we can have more than this life, and Beloved, we are saved because God loves us.

Our identity as children of God opens paths for us through the thick and ominous wildernesses of our broken world because of our belief in that promise given to us. When let the belief flourish within us and lead us, the light of Christ reveals to us.

Thus, God loves even though we struggle and screw up. God loves us, God forgives, and God helps find the correct path.

For God loves us that we are gifted…

We have free will. We can turn away and walk from God, but we always have a home in God.

We have life. Each day, no matter what pain we have, we are breathing and have chances to live Jesus’s peaceful way. The alternative is that we are just dust, and then, there is no more life we can share.

Through this life with Spirit - living with the Spirit of God in us, together we are community and church. We are more than ourselves because we have each other as gifts instead of shameful blaming. Together, we can ask our curious questions, and together, we learn what God reveals for us. 

That Beloved is…

Thanks Be to God

Temptation and Loyalty- Matthew 4 - Lent 1A

Temptation and Loyalty

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 4: 1-11, Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7, Psalm 32

Opening prayer

When we go about our daily lives, it is a rare bird that intentionally wakes up and says, “I want to be a bad person.”

Our familiar lesson at the outset of Lent looks at temptations. I think it is more than giving up something or fasting (especially since Jesus in Matthew 6 reminds us to put our heart in our practice.)

What is temptation? What causes us to go off the good way or walk away from God.

This is more than sugar fixes that some give up for Lent, but it’s about the feeling - an inclination to do something. In those moments, there are questions - should I?

Consider, where you lean for guidance. From where do we find understanding and perhaps “epiphany” what what we should do?

We enter Lent, but when facing difficult or tough questions, where do you lean, where is your loyalty?

This story isn’t really about those sugar craves as much as when someone introduces “false values to achieve outcomes.”

For us, consider what we substitute for what we need, or our community, or what God wants.

On most accounts, most people won’t know the difference and won’t even lift an eyebrow at the mostly quiet personal exchanges, but there is something more sinister here at play.

This isn’t just a “white lie” (like somehow painting lies white makes them less trickery.) This isn’t dripping lips over chocolate. Besides, we all know that one lie leads to another and to another until all falls down.

This is sinister - something shiny but underneath, it’s “decaying and empty.”

We pause. Is this really what you want?

Do I want that which corrupts - that which is not about community, justice and not about God, but instead about ego, injustice and selfish wants. (I get whatever I want - you fend for yourself.)

How did we not notice the pig with lipstick is just that (who made that a good idea?)

The temptation is to find comfort in something or being that says all the right things, but something is missing. We feel off when an offer seems “too good to be true.” It probably is.

Think how often decisions have absolute clarity or we get going along and something shows up that makes us take pause - examine whether current path is correct.

And if all we do is consume without consideration and do not give back, what legacy is our path but gluttony.

This is especially when we wrestle with it and with God, like Jacob did (Genesis 32). What did God do for Jacob, they wrestled. Ultimately, God shows up, works it out with us, and God blesses.

When we are at wits-end and not sure what to do, where do we turn attention? How do we react? Do we turn to seductive temptations or do we lean into our faith, into the way of Jesus?

Do we turn our heads away from the right thing to do because that’s too involved, or be someone’s desperately needed face of God here on this Earth?

Some people see others’ misfortune thinking “shadenfruede” (German for relishing in someone’s misfortune) and do nothing more.

Remember “crap” happens to all alike. Then, we realize someday in the garden of God and notice that we are naked too. God’s justice is naked truth because humans do mistakes - or just don’t do the right things.

Of that, there is this other character in the story. When we screw up and fail, people have tendency to look around for someone one or something to blame. Why do we need to do this and why invent a sneaky character lurking to spoil our deeds?

Consider football, I am sure the players heard some sneaky character say, just before the play starts, “hey could you, maybe, just drop the ball for me. That would be swell and I will make your name last forever.” The player responds in that instance - great idea! Can you imagine the conversation in the huddle afterwards?

No. When mistakes happen (and they do), it is for us to fess up, own it, learn from it (hopefully not to do it again.) 

Unlike football coaches or otherwise, God gives us multiple chances, and thankfully so. We have a forgiving God, and “happy are those whose transgressions are forgiven.” (Psalm 32)

—-

Is Jesus questioning - trying to put things into context. (What is to come, the potentials - both good and ugly)?

This is us - you and me - at our finest.

Decisions before us, choices we have, appear to be long, questionable endurance, and the path to the promise is through that undefined field.

But wait! There is another seductive way. We could quit saying, “I don’t have faith in the promise. I don’t have faith that doing the correct thing will be rewarding.”

I want simple assurances “yes I will be happy.” Consider, simple answers to complex questions: really? Life is complex, and justice - the realm of God (on Earth) needs our help. We want simple answers, but God doesn’t work that way, the way of Jesus doesn’t work like that.

The path to eternal life, the way of Jesus, the way of God is long and requires sacrifice and endurance. It requires us to do church and to be justice, especially when there is a vacuum. This way, this path, does not mean we live vanquished of nice things or in total poverty, but that we recognize that we fall short.

This way of Jesus calls us to pay attention to the Spirit, to the community around us as well to be face and comfort of God to all God’s people.

That aint easy at 5:00pm (when after a full day of work), when I need to prep for tomorrow’s exam, or when I want to go fishing with the buddies. When our child needs help, what do we say? When our neighbor needs food or asks for justice, what do we do? When political figures want to disregard neighbors (don’t listen to them, don’t even associate - in fact, let’s put them in prisons or “special camps”), that is when we have to dig into our faith and decide our loyalty with God is stronger.

When we listen to God speaking, then the true, good path will be revealed. It may not come with instant satisfaction, but reward you will have when you let faith in God work.

The question is really: where does your loyalty lay? Perhaps easy answer when things are good or when we want to say the right thing. When things are getting difficult, when we have questions, when we thought we have done all that we needed to do, even though justice in our world still needs help, then we have to dig into faith, faith in the promise (way of Jesus), and turn our loyalty to God.

When we do, If we leave it all out on the table and let God help us, we can grow along the long, winding, and endurance way. “Bread” that nourishes us will be there, and there will be good people to help us along the way. 

Most of all, Beloved, God will help us find that purpose and meaning along that journey.

That Beloved is …

Thanks Be to God.

From the Heart - Matthew 6 (Ash Wednesday)

From the Heart

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Reflection based upon Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, Psalm 51

Opening Prayer

Epiphany is over. We witnessed the light of Christ revealed before us through the Word made flesh for us.

Now, Lent is upon us, and this is a time for reflection and looking inward at what we do as well as what we don’t. The common misconception about Lent is that people have to “give up something.” That may be well and good, but maybe we need something more in our lives.

What in our lives that needs attention and what maybe could use a little less of it? Personally, this is matter of time who gets it how they get it and why they get it. Maybe this is also the case for you. 

For todays, lesson, we experienced a prelude in the latter weeks of Epiphany because Jesus was tell us how blessings will be bestowed upon people and why. Jesus says to be the light on the stand for all to see and the good salt of the Earth.

Now, Jesus tells us to beware of “practicing piety before others” & giving alms with musical proclamations. When we pray, this does not need to be done publicly. In fact, go into your room, close the door and pray in secret.

What a change – shine for all or pray in secret. (Someone in back is asking which is it Tony?)

I can see how some might, at first read, see a contrast that is drawn here, but I suggest for us to look into this deeper than a first read. Then, you will see how this aligns rather than contrasts.

Jesus says the practice of prayer, of giving, of fasting ought not be measures for us to boast but rather measures of something else.

If we look further into Matthew 6, we see Jesus teaching people how to pray with examples (the Lord’s prayer). We see Jesus telling us not to store up treasures but instead look for treasure where??  in your heart!

This is a direct point especially to the leaders in the crowd. The people with money and status in the community. Life is not about the clothes we wear, the food we eat or how well we sing a hymn. 

For Jesus follows this with “do not worry about life” for one cannot add any more hours to it. With almost Zen-like approach, Jesus reminds us how the flowers in the fields just grow, and birds just are. That is for us to model – parts of God’s realm on Earth. Thus, what part of God’s realm is in you and with you?

For us seeking money, fame and consumption, all we are doing is causing our own worry, worry of thieves, of having enough, of saying the right things. Yet if we look into our hearts, if we look at how poor our own worry is making our soul, and how we should be hungry for God’s peace – to be the peacemakers and comfort of God on Earth. Then – then our worries go away. For God gives us so much more than we can try to fill with threads, foods, coins and worries.

Thus, we begin Lent each time with this reminder from Jesus for those well-to-do and for us barely scraping by – one paycheck at a time or even those who have even less than that.

Piety, prayer, fasting, and worship are meaningless if our heart is in the wrong place and if our mind is always filled with hypocritical ideas – instead of God’s pure love and grace. 

We start Lent with this reminder that “tomorrow will worry about itself.” And we know the “each day has enough trouble of its own.” Thus maybe this Lent, we might add more of God’s love instead of material worries.

Beloved, that then helps us to put our practices, practice of Lent and our reflection into perspective of God’s love, welcome and forgiveness. 

When we look at the things we do and why we do them, 

when we truly do this (not ignoring nor trying to soften the sting) 

when we look to do what Jesus says from our hearts, 

when we pray with pure love and 

when we act mercifully, 

when we value the people around us and make them parts of our lives rather than objects of competing interests to our own, 

when we do this, 

then we make space for faith and for God. 

When we pray from our hearts, 

when we give from hearts, 

when do the work of God with God’s love as our guideposts and peace in our hearts, 

then we have no worry about saying the right things, or doing the correct things. 

Because we have God as our guide rather than materials and worries. 

That is when we show the light of Christ from our hearts and be the salt of the Earth because we let our faith in God work… We let God’s heart work with us, be with us, and help us.

Therefore, Beloved, look at your Lent, one-day-at-a-time. 

What can you do to improve your life and the life around you? 

What do you need less of that you might reduce? 

What can you do to bring the light of Christ into your hearts, into church, into home, and our community?

Perhaps, restoration and reconciliation are in order then confess before God with Psalm 51. Or do we need to return and open our hearts to God and remember God’s love for us?

Thanks be to God.

For those ideas that you want to reflect this season, write them on one of the pieces of paper and place them in one of the bowls of water. 

Let your wish be comforted with divine and love. 

Let your worries be cleansed and washed away, 

Let your heart find your path this Lent. 

Grow with God. Learn with God. Be with God