Bear Good Fruit - Matthew 3 - Advent 2 A

Bear Good Fruit 

Tony E Hansen

Sermon about Matthew 3: 1-12, Psalm 72, Romans, 13: 11-14; 15: 4-13, Isaiah 11: 1-10

Opening prayer

Happy St Nicholas Day! In many parts of the world on December 6th, people celebrate the life and legendary giving ways of St Nicholas - a bishop who truly lived the words of Jesus in his generosity and service to community. May we all follow his example.

This weekend we read a sermon from John the Baptist.  This guy is imitating the words of Isaiah although appearing to be a bit odd. Yet, he is saying things that Jesus says later.

“Repent for the kingdom is near.”

So why do we hear it today ?

Advent is preparation of God breaking forth into our world through Jesus. It is not just a calendar where you open a new chocolate or beverage each day. It is not just a season for buying presents. It is preparation and reflection as we look for Christ coming into our world.  

Yet, God is here and John reminds of this. Isaiah’s words and the words of scripture teach us already what we are to do today.

It is not just checklists of things dos and don’ts like we read in Romans last week for “not reveling or drunkenness, … licentiousness, quarreling and jealousy” as things you don’t do. Great for you if you don’t!  That means you conduct yourself decently.

People may not do these things because it never occurs to them to do them. People can do all the correct things and still be judgy (aka hypocrite or worse.)

Paul teaches more than that; to “throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

What does that mean? How does one do all of what Paul teaches, what John teaches, what Jesus teaches and not be a hypocrite?  

Instead of the clothes we wear today, we could dress like John with camel’s hair and a leather belt, but what purpose would that serve?

Throwing off darkness and putting on the light is more than costumes or clothing and more than living isolated in a desert. It really has nothing to do with clothes or costumes. I think that is the point of John’s outfit.

It is more than simple words too, but what we bring into the world and what we bring to each other. It is a “repentance” that actually forms the way we do things - without judgment. It is a repentance that welcomes and an action that encourages us to live and be like Christ.

That is to bear good fruit.

Bearing fruit is not someone in Fozzi Bear costume with a basket of fruit. Bearing fruit is not just carrying a bag of apples and oranges, but it is bringing God’s love into this world; emulating Christ in all that we do, say and think.

So that we might ”live in harmony with one another” and to recognize the value and worth of each other; Understanding that everyone deserves respect and dignity is the foundation of harmony.

Bearing fruit is not just going to church, reading the good news, and singing beautiful hymns but then leaving the words in the books. How pious is that ? 

It is instead a genuine discernment, an attitude, that brings God’s fruit into me, into my life and shared with each other.  “Bearing fruit” lets God’s love nourish us and our hearts so that we can be the face of love to people - even to those we disagree.

Yes, bearing fruit is more than adhering to piety or even avoiding sins, but living in such a way that when people see you walking, they see Christ. They see the Spirit emanating from you. They witness your kindness, gentleness, generosity and love for people. They witness holy contemplation and consideration in your authentic self. Judgement and sin are nowhere to be found.

When you screw up, and you will, you look to God’s forgiveness and correct as needed. Ask God to help you move beyond failures. If I am doing those things that Paul warns, ask what has caused that path and how do I correct. That is holy contemplation of your authentic self. 

Why? Because you emulate the Spirit that gives life and love. Because God’s love is so great that it is your aura and attitude. Let that love be your contemplation, be your question, and your witness. That is wearing the compassion that is the armor of light.

How wonderful that is! 

When you do that, it grows and heals those around you. It spreads because they witness the wonderful, the warmth and the being of Christ. Then, people have an example of Christ in their lives.

Beloved, “may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Beloved, be the hope, the peace, the joy, the love. Let people see St Nicholas through your gifts and service. Let them witness God’s love through you and let us have…

Thanks be to God

Staying Awake - Matthew 24 - Advent 1 A

Staying awake

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 24:367-43; Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122

Opening Prayer

Happy Advent! First Sunday of Advent is typically associated with hope. (Then peace love and joy).  We also enter the lectionary calendar year for Matthew.

Matthew’s Gospel offers us a fairly chilling warning, but the theme is clearly one that invokes staying awake. Why? 

We don’t know the hour or the day “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 

Are we supposed to stay up all day and night drinking every bit of caffeine to not fall asleep?

I challenge you to understand that is not what is in mind here. 

For a long time, we have heard people talk about this word and idea of being “woke.”

That idea gets tossed around and bludgeoned by careless folks who don’t want to be “politically correct.”  I can understand how use of different language to avoid being insensitive to people can be quite taxing. In some ways politically correct goes almost too far, but being sensitive to people should not be considered a crime or ridiculous. 

George Carlin would call it euphemism, or euphemistic language, where people would change the words they used to describe something. By doing this, according to Carlin, people would be taking out the human aspects or some of the emotion that surround some terms like “shellshock” that over time turns into “post traumatic stress disorder.”

This very real condition of soldiers that changes a person due to their experiences in or near combat also applies to people who were never involved with a war but have experienced something traumatic.

The type of words can change how we feel about the condition and how someone might interpret what is happening to themselves even. 

“When I see you time stands still” vs “your face could stop a clock.” The sentiment of these phrases is quite different.

Being woke has been given a bad rap and heavily politicized. Yet it is core to what Jesus says here - when hear “stay awake.”

What is it anyway?

Is it just changing the way we say things or being highly sensitive to what others say or avoiding people entirely? 

No it is something entirely different than just language, although language is part of it.

There is something about what we say, the words we use, that say something about us as people and us as Christians. 

If we are using hateful language, why? If you don’t want to respect someone, why? Rules don’t apply to you? How convenient. How do you want to earn respect from others? Respect and dignity are earned however easily lost when abused.

Then people will wear disrespect like a badge of honor; the so-called war on woke. 

Where is the honor in belittling people and not caring for people? 

Where is the justice when we let rights be ignored? Or whole swaths of the society get terrorized because they look different, speak differently, or dress differently? Where is honor in someone participating in that terrorism? 

Jesus was executed because he spoke truth to power and sat with sinners from all walks of life because it isn’t just the 99 but 1 that needs to be found. 

Jesus has a place for you - regardless of ethnicity or belief system.

Yes I submit this so-called war on woke is against what Jesus says here. Thus, are we against Jesus too? How Christian is that?

Being woke is not a crime and it is not weak or wrong. It is in fact what Christ calls us to be. Christ calls us to be the face of God to someone who might desperately need it - perhaps some suffering from PTSD or shellshock.

Like we read in Isaiah, Christ calls us to help the orphan, the widow - to care for people - with humility and generosity and without exception.

Christ wants us to go to worship, but do not leave the words in the books and pews. Let those lessons be manifested in our work, our words and our thoughts too. 

Being woke - staying awake - then is doing what Christ teaches. Beating swords into plowshares - being the cause for peace - instead of endless and unnecessary violence. 

We are not to be so concerned with piety that we forget to have humility and grace. We are generous not to expect rewards, but to give because God gives to us. 

When someone is following the words of Isaiah , the words of Jesus, they are doing what Jesus teaches. They are being “woke” - they are “staying awake.” How awful is that?

If that is a crime to you, then I ask you to reread these texts a little more carefully.

Some might argue that woke causes people to pay too much to history and how people have been treated historically.  Even there, recognizing that history has not always been kind helps us to conduct ourselves today.  We know the price of ignorance is the cornerstone of injustice and stereotyping. It breeds fear and hate and makes grossly false claims.

Jesus wants you to believe in truth, have faith, have hope, and to love unconditionally. 

You and I cannot do anything about the past, but we can be the source of love and grace today. We can be that today in our whole being and in our actions.

When we do that …when we “stay awake”

We can pray the words of Psalm 122. May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls and security within your towers and for the sake my relatives and friends, I say to you, Beloved, “Peace be within you.”

Thanks be to God

Among Thieves - Luke 23 - Reign of Christ

Among Thieves

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon Luke 23:33-43; Jeremiah 1:1-6

Opening Prayer

Happy Advent! First Sunday of Advent is typically associated with hope. (Then peace love and joy).  We also enter the lectionary calendar year for Matthew.

Matthew’s Gospel offers us a fairly chilling warning, but the theme is clearly one that invokes staying awake. Why? 

We don’t know the hour or the day “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 

Are we supposed to stay up all day and night drinking every bit of caffeine to not fall asleep?

I challenge you to understand that is not what is in mind here. 

For a long time, we have heard people talk about this idea of being “woke.”

That idea gets tossed around and bludgeoned by careless folks who don’t want to be “politically correct.”  I can understand how use of different language to avoid being insensitive to people can be quite taxing. In some ways politically correct goes almost too far, but being sensitive to people should not be considered a crime or ridiculous. 

George Carlin would call it euphemism, or euphemistic language, where people change the words they use to describe something. By doing this, according to Carlin, people would be taking out the human aspects or some of the emotion that surround some terms like “shellshock” that over time turns into “post traumatic stress disorder.”

This very real condition of soldiers that changes a person due to their experiences in or near combat also applies to people who were never involved with a war but have experienced something traumatic.

The type of words can change how we feel about the condition and how someone might interpret what is happening to themselves even. 

“When I see you, time stands still” vs “your face could stop a clock.” The sentiment of these phrases is quite different.

Being woke has been given a bad rap and heavily politicized. Yet it is core to what Jesus says here - “stay awake.”

What is it anyway?

Is it just changing the way we say things or being highly sensitive to what others say or avoiding people entirely? 

No it is something entirely different than just language, although language is part of it.

There is something about what we say, the words we use, that say something about us as people and us as Christians. 

If we are using hateful language, why? If you don’t want to respect someone, why? Rules don’t apply to you? How convenient. How do you want to earn respect from others? Respect and dignity are earned however easily lost when abused.

Then people will wear disrespect like a badge of honor; the so-called war on woke. 

Where is the honor in belittling people and not caring for people? 

Where is the justice when we let rights be ignored? Or whole swaths of the society get terrorized because they look different, speak differently, or dress differently? Where is honor in someone participating in that terrorism? 

Jesus was executed because he spoke truth to power and sat with sinners from all walks of life because it isn’t just the 99 but 1 that needs to be found. 

Jesus has a place for you - regardless of ethnicity or belief system.

Yes I submit this so-called war on woke is against what Jesus says here. Thus, are we against Jesus too? How Christian is that?

Being woke is not a crime and it is not weak or wrong. It is in fact what Christ calls us to be. Christ calls us to be the face of God to someone who might desperately need it - perhaps some suffering from PTSD or shellshock.

Like we read in Isaiah, Christ calls us to help the orphan, the widow - to care for people - with humility and generosity and without exception.

Christ wants us to go to worship, but do not leave the words in the books and pews. Let those lessons be manifested in our work, our words and our thoughts too. 

Being woke - staying awake - then is doing what Christ teaches. Beating swords into plowshares - being the cause for peace - instead of endless and unnecessary violence. 

We are not to be so concerned with piety that we forget to have humility and grace. We are generous not to expect rewards, but to give because God gives to us. 

When someone is following the words of Isaiah , the words of Jesus, they are doing what Jesus teaches. They are being “woke” - they are “staying awake.” How awful is that?

If that is a crime to you, then I ask you to reread these texts a little more carefully.

Some might argue that woke causes people to pay too much to history and how people have been treated historically.  Even there, recognizing that history has not always been kind helps us to conduct ourselves today.  We know the price of ignorance is the cornerstone of injustice and stereotyping. It breeds fear and hate and makes grossly false claims.

Jesus wants you to believe in truth, have faith, have hope, and to love unconditionally. 

You and I cannot do anything about the past, but we can be the source of love and grace today. We can be that today in our whole being and in our actions.

When we do that …when we “stay awake”

We can pray the words of Psalm 122. May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls and security within your towers and for the sake my relatives and friends, I say to you, Beloved, “Peace be within you.”

Thanks be to God