Seeker Cycle December 2006
1st Sunday in December (Week 49) (Luke 1 and Acts 28:17-31)
Every year the anticipation of Christmas is moved forward a bit further, so by the beginning of December we are already immersed in advertising, shopping, and consumerism. The round of Christmas parties has begun. As a counterpoint to all the “me, me, me” of Christmas, the promotion for charitable giving is also accelerating. World AIDS Day will rightly jar us out of our contentment, and this year that will link to other worries about global pandemics. And we can probably expect an increase in violence. Whether we are motivated by guilt or generosity, we will be hammered by a steady chant: “Do good! Do good! Do good!”.
Is there a third option? Is there something between “me” and “good works”? Is the real essence of Christmas something else altogether? The point of Christmas is about receiving salvation as a free gift. Yet accepting such a gift is one of hardest things we can do. It means acknowledging our unworthiness to receive anything at all … and accepting an obligation to pass the same gift to others.
This is one of the great ironies … and tragedies … about the Gospel. Some receive it. Some refuse it. Some hear the good news. Some do not. Some “get it”. Some never seem to “get it”. Some find it too hard to confront their own unworthiness, and their pride keeps them from accepting the free gift of life. Some find it too hard to accept God’s call to mission, and their selfishness keeps them from sharing life with others. But to those that receive it, hear it, and “get it”, there is a joy ahead beyond imagination.
Team Meditation (Luke 1)
The Gospel anticipates modern, liberal-minded, inclusive, feminist perspective. Sure, Zechariah submits to the Lord … and his dutiful wife Elizabeth accepts the inevitable. But what of Mary? Shouldn’t a woman have a say in her own pregnancy? After all, if God is planning to make a faithful woman seem like a whore, shouldn’t she be consulted? That’s what this story is all about. What you find in Mary is not a good girly, who knows her place, and who will lie on her back while she is impregnated with the glory of God. Mary has questions. Mary has issues. As we track Mary though the lifetime of Jesus, we see a remarkably involved, proactive, person. “I am woman; hear me roar”! That is Mary. From start to finish, she will not be a mere observer to the salvation of God. She will be a participant. She will be involved. Many pagan religions talked about God born of a virgin … and promptly forgot about the virgin. Mary doesn’t let that happen. She is crucial to the story of salvation. She is there at the beginning … and, by God, she will be there at the end.
Worship Theme (Acts 28:17-31)
Acts 28:21-22 21 And they said to him, "We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brethren coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against."
These closing words of the book of Acts … an introduction, so to speak, of Paul’s first tentative steps to mentor the people of Rome (i.e. the center of the known world) … are remarkable. The good news is that nothing terribly bad has been reported about them; the bad news is that no ringing endorsement has been received from the homeland office of political correctness. The Roman or Pagan world is speaking nothing but bad things about Paul and the gentiles. Bad press has followed Paul across the known world. And yet these people in Rome are interested to give Paul a fair hearing.
Why, we wonder? If anyone showed up in your neighborhood with those dubious credentials, you would probably refuse to hear them preach, or at the very lease refer the invitation to an ad hoc committee. One wonders why they seem so darned urgent! Well, first of all, the travels of Paul have been accompanied by miracles. Non-rational and exciting thing are associated with Paul, and while they may seem disturbing, they all seem to be good. Possessed people are healed. Former slaves are forgiven. Despairing citizens are given a good reason not to commit suicide tonight. Yet there has to be more to it than that. Surely the Holy Spirit is at work. It is said that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia to hear the Gospel … maybe that is happening in Rome. It is a preemptive strike by God. Thwarting the instinct to reject, delay, and avoid, God’s Holy Spirit warms the hearts of the Romans to at least listen, think, and pray. Is that happening here?
Worship Design (Acts 28:17-31)
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2nd Sunday in December (Week 50) (John 1; Luke 22:39-46 and 23:26-49)
Ancient people believed that there was a foundational principle behind all things. This principle was the origin of reason, nature, and everything that it means to be human. This principle was Beauty itself, beyond all our best attempts to create it; Goodness itself, beyond all of our feeble attempts for moral living; and Truth itself, beyond all of our dogmatisms and definitions. Philosophers over the centuries have believed this principle to be the source of our stability and the fuel for our future. We can “count on it” as we assume the sun will rise in the east and set in the west; we “rely on it” as the source of our creativity and hope.
The big change in Christianity is that we believe this principle to be a person. Jesus Christ is what makes the world stable and our future hopeful. You can “count on him”. You can “rely on him”. He is the source and the fullness of whatever is beautiful and good and true.
Best of all, this person is not just a principle. A principle doesn’t really care about us. A principle dispassionately keeps going, and going, and going, but it does not pause to help the poor, or rescue the lost, or release the captives, or give personal encouragement to you and me (minor parts in a greater drama of history). This person … this Christ … does care about us. Despite being the source behind all things, he is remarkably concerned about the little things and the little people. The Lord of the Universe took time out to come to my little cottage and bring me a cup of water … living water … because I was thirsty and near death. Hear that knock? He is at your door as we speak.
Team Meditation (Luke 22:39-46 and 23:26-49)
Most churchy people are uncomfortable reading Easter texts at Christmas. That’s find. But you are church leaders. You should not find it uncomfortable, but compelling. Easter is the explanation of Christmas, and you are supposed to be more spiritually mature than the average seeker in worship. Jesus came into the world to die … and be raised. The purpose of incarnation is to both identify with, and transform, the human predicament. That predicament is not about a series of bad choices and unlucky coincidences. The predicament is about the habitual addiction of humanity for selfishness or pride. That’s the problem … and it needs a remedy.
Worship Theme (John 1)
How many people really believe that God loves the world? Raise your hands! But before you vote instinctively, consider. Consider the incredible mess the world is in. It is so incredibly messy, that nobody (not even the most credible philanthropists and the shrewdest politicians) can figure out the solutions. Let’s face it. The world (including starving populations, entire endangered species, and the topological boundaries of continents as we know it) are in danger. How many people believe God loves the world?
How will God leverage change? It depends on what you consider to be the root problem of the world. If the root problem is political, then the leverage is political change. If the root cause is economic, then the leverage is economic change. But what if the root cause is spiritual? Then the leverage would be spiritual change. And that is the issue. The root cause is sin. The leverage is grace.
Worship Design (John 1)
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3rd Sunday in December (Week 51) (Luke 21:1-20 and Acts 14)
How do you tell the difference between a god and God? This was a difficult question to answer in the ancient world. People believed in many gods, and different people believed in different gods, and to elevate one God above all the gods was considered not only disrespectful but narrow minded.
The same is true today, and we feel it most at Christmas. A “god” is whatever has an absolute claim on your life. It is that which matters to you ultimately. People today believe in many gods, and different things matter “ultimately” to different people. What is Christmas all about? Listen to the top five answers in the media. Christmas is all about:
ü Family;
ü Children;
ü Good times;
ü Gifts and presents;
ü Memories of loved ones.
Is there any God above these gods? Is there a God that even this list of five excellent things might be sacrificed to know? Any claim that God is actually different from, and more important than, these things would be regarded as disrespectful and narrow minded.
Yet that is the real claim of Christmas. Christmas is really not about anything else except salvation … the victory of God above all the gods. What starts out as a lovely story of a child in a manger soon becomes a scandal, a challenge, and a life or death commitment.
Team Meditation (Acts 14)
The great problem besetting church leaders is that the public wants to acclaim them gods … and we are all too willing to let them get away with it. Sure. Already you are denying it, you hypocrites! You refuse to recognize that people are putting you on a pedestal. Your ego thrives, and proceeds to make all kinds of excuses, but the sorry truth is that you love it. You love the adrenaline rush performing music, preaching sermons, reading liturgy, and having the world listen. As if you were anything more than a worm. As if you were anything more than another arrogant sinner who loves acclamation. Perhaps one day you will really surrender your ego so that you are nothing … repeat nothing, zip, nada, nobody … except a vehicle for the Gospel. Tomorrow, perhaps?
Worship Theme (Luke 21:1-20)
Amid all of the extravagance and expense of Christmas, this story stands out. The poor widow gives a few pennies to the Lord’s mission … and in terms of percentage giving it is all she has. Most churches conceive of stewardship as some form of percentage giving. A tithe is generous. Most accomplish only 1-2% of their income for the Lord. The disgrace of the church is that we are satisfied with a minor percent. We are put to shame by the poor widow’s devotion to the Gospel. Her notion of percentage giving is that she gives it all to the Lord … and is grateful that the Lord gives her 10% or less to live on. The tithe is not to the Lord, but to herself. And that is God’s gift, because his grace is so wonderful that he deserves all we have.
What would happen if there were no presents under the Christmas tree. What would happen of Santa Clause left you a note: “Here are a few dollars to buy a small chicken for your Christmas feast. The rest you were supposed to receive has been diverted to Somalia to give to the poor. Thanks. Santa. “
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4th Sunday in December (Week 52) (Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 9:18-36)
Luke 9:35 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"
Christmas day is perhaps the quietest day of the entire year. Everything seems to stop. The world seems to shift to minimum emergency services only, but most people seem to be sleeping, praying, pondering, or playing with their families and friends. Televisions and radios are often turned off; traffic slows down; and people find it remarkable to stand outside their front door and hear … nothing! No cacophony of noises. And in that quiet time, for the first time, and perhaps for the only time in the entire year, they might just hear God’s voice.
And God says: “This is my Son. Listen to him!” Christmas is only the beginning of a dramatic story of salvation. And it should also be just the beginning of an entire year of focusing the Gospel message; discerning Jesus in the crowd; and listening to Jesus in the midst of the cacophony of life. Listening is a hard thing to do, and listening to Christ is the hardest thing of all.
Team Meditation (Luke 9:18-36)
Luke 9:35-36 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
If Jesus were transfigured before your eyes, would you keep silent? I doubt it. I suspect that you would tell the story over and over and over again … and I suspect that most hearers would think you daft. I don’t think that Peter, James and John kept silence because they thought nobody would believe the. I think they kept silence because they had no answer for the inevitable question from the faithful few. Most would scoff. But a few would wonder: “What does it mean?” And at that time, Peter and James and John didn’t know. So they kept silent.
Now we know. Once the resurrection happened, we understood. Jesus ain’t normal. He isn’t perfectly normal. He is perfectly abnormal. He ranks with mythical figures and prophets and leaders who are beyond normal. He is a class unto himself.
Worship Theme: (Matthew 1:18-2:23)
Sure, the New Testament was written for a patriarchal society. And yes, men were considered more important and valuable than women. But it is time to get beyond that. The rest of the Gospel restores to women both their human rights … and their divine rights. Matthew is mainly concerned with describing Joseph’s angst. He’s a man … conditioned by his culture … struggling to overcome his life script. Poor Joseph. He is a blind, male-bigoted idiot. Fortunately, God does not leave him alone. Somehow, he gets it. Trust Mary. She knows what she is doing. You don’t. Trust Mary. It took an angel to give him a kick in the rear, but Joseph is, after all, a real human being. He loves God. He loves Mary. He gets it. And he is willing to stake everything for his love. He is willing to look ridiculous, endure scoffing and petty jokes in the local pub. He’s a man.
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5th Sunday in December (53rd Sunday of 2006): John 1:17-51; Hebrews 1-3, 5, and 12
It is unusual for a 53rd Sunday to appear in the calendar. The scriptures for the Seeker and Disciple Cycles are the same in anticipation of a joint service
You have to ask. Nazareth is on a par with Peoria, Cleveland, Adelaide, and Birmingham. We expect great things of New York, Sydney, London, and Los Angeles. But these other cities are nowhere. These are places for whom there is no particular boast. Not much distinguishes them. It’s sort of like your zip code or your neighborhood (wherever that is). Not many movie stars, political giants, financiers, or spiritual leaders come from there … and if they do, they don’t boast about it. Yet it is from such a neighborhood that the savior of the world emerges.
Team Meditation: Hebrews 1-3, 5, and 12
Hebrews 12:1-4 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
The greatest temptation of postmodern church leaders is that they should be fainthearted. Face it. Post-moderns are not strong on endurance. We thrive on instant gratification. The notion of waiting … a long time .. . through thick and thin … is repugnant. Yet the waiting and perseverance is part of the test. Do you want it? I mean really, really, really want it? The glory of God? The justice of God? Then wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it …
Worship Theme: John 1:17-51
John 1:48-49 48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
One wonders how Jesus knew. One wonders more what Jesus knew. Somehow or other, he “nailed” the yearning of Nathaniel. Nathaniel realized the he knew his inmost heart … and that this could only be divine. The writer of the Gospel is not really interested in what, exactly, Jesus knew about Nathaniel’s heart. That’s irrelevant. The Gospel writer’s interest is that Jesus will know the heart … the real, inmost heart, of the Christian. You can’t hide from God. Period.