Introduction: One of the most public actions I engage in is the act of proclamation of the Word. It is my privilege and honor to be allowed to serve at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church as a lay preacher. Since the summer of this year Fr. Paul Price has given me a regular place in the preaching rota, once every six weeks.
Sermon preparation is one of the great joys, and challenges in my ministry. Each set of lessons brings new opportunity to learn more about the WORD alive in the text and at work in my life. The reward of preaching comes from the comments that follow. It amazes me that the messages which I am led to preach regularly draw confirming responses from the hearers. NOT EVERYONE every day, but enough each time I preach to confirm that God has been in the product. Even comments from people who feel afflicted by the message, disturbed or irritated with the direction the message took provide confirm of the rightness of my ministry.
Straight out of seminary I employed a strict pattern of manuscript preaching . I found over time, thanks to frank feedback from my most beloved and favorite pew sitter, my husband, that I needed to loosen up. Breaking away from the pulpit came first. But still, I found that the task of crafting a sermon, putting it into manuscript form, left me feeling so invested in the text itself that I wasn't allowing the Holy Spirit freedom to infuse the message of the day. Reading a book, The Jazz of Preaching helped me gain both self-confidence and faith in the work of the Holy Spirit as I engage in the ministry of preaching, from preparation to delivery. Since leaving my first full time pastoral call/appointment, I have increasingly moved away from intensive written preparation.
This week was an exception. Although I prepared the sermon word for word, I then took the sermon and reduced it down to outline points, and trusted the delivery to the the Holy Spirit. Following preaching, I've made minor adjustments to the manuscript to reflect how the Holy Spirit worked in the moment.
Parousia
Here is one of those 25 thousand dollar words
Parousia
The common mans language in much of the early church was Greek. The educated men of the Roman Empire learned to read and write Greek. The Hebrew Bible was translated and used in Greek. The Apostle Paul most likely also had access to the Septuagint, and most certainly wrote to the Church in Corinth in Greek. It is for this reason that Seminary education has included instruction in Greek, so that Biblical Scholarship can be pursued using the manuscripts of the early church.
Parousia denotes active presence. The parousia of the gods in the Hellenistic world denoted a helpful appearance. In Hellenistic Philosophy the word was used to indicate an invisible presence of the gods at sacrifices. According to The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, “The Hebrew linguistic world view is more concrete.” The Hebrew word refers to a long tradition of theophanies and judgment. It referred to the expectation of the arrival of the Messiah, God coming as World King. In the Hebrew Scripture God is experienced in sleep through dreams as well as while awake. Experiences of pillars of Fire, visitors to one’s abode, as well as dreams all are ways that the Hebrew scripture refers to the presence of God.
Our reading in Isaiah today speaks of this sense of the word parousia:
“When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.” Through the writing of Isaiah, the Word tells us of times in the lives of the people of Israel when God was experienced as presence, and then felt to be absent from them. They anticipated the perfection of God’s rule over the world.
The psalmist writes of the experience of God’s absence from the community and the feeling of separation from God, as he writes “you have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure.” The image is a sharp contrast from our Eucharist of the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. Even still, the psalmist asks for something better in the future. In the request there is a tone of hope as he asks “but let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then they will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name.” In this we can hear the longing for the Messiah, the one we know to be the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, Christ Jesus.
The continuing question of the perfection of God’s rule is the question that the disciples in Palestine were asking Jesus about. This is where chapter 13 in Mark begins. The disciples want to know when, and how will they know that the “the Day of the Lord,” in other words, the end time, has arrived.
Todays’ Gospel lesson is the conclusion of the discourse of chapter 13. As usual, Jesus’ answer feels more like a riddle than anything concrete. Rather than revealing any clear answer of timetables, he concludes with a simple instruction; “Stay awake.” He gives no concrete answer for knowing when to expect or experience the parousia.
In our present age there are many who go around warning of the coming Judgment, the end of the age. Because parousia is a rich word, with multiple understandings, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that there is more than one way in the Church universal to interpret the significance of parousia. Those churches which don’t hold to the tradition of celebrating a season of Advent are more likely to look to the “Day of the Lord” as a fearful event. Their interpretations are based on scripture, but centered upon the Book of Revelation. They speak of the coming of Christ as a fearful event. They ascribe to a theology of Apocalyptic thinking which raises up images of horrible suffering. Some even engage in a form of death wish thinking. They personally have no fear of nuclear destruction because they see in it the end of the world and the end of the age, thus bringing in the time when Jesus reigns in Glory.
A picture, like this {Al Haring’s E=MC2}to these followers of Jesus is not read as a prophetic warning to change our warring ways. It troubles them not, but it is troubling to me that they look upon this something that they might actually desire to facilitate. For Christians with this mindset, tensions between Arabs and Jews in Palestine are something they would sit back and encourage rather than seek to encourage resolution and reconciliation.
How is teaching and expectation in the Episcopal Church different?
I believe that within the Anglican tradition this picture serves as a reminder of the human potential for sin and self-destruction. For myself, I see that it presents the risk of the ultimate failure to care for all creation, to honor the sacred value of every person and thing that has been placed in our care.
The Apostle Paul writes of the hope that he has in seeing the people of Corinth. Paul writes of their waiting for the parousia; “the revealing of our Lord Jesus.” In this passage he tells them that they are already in possession of real presence through the work of the Holy Spirit, in their being a part of the fellowship of God’s Son. It will continue to strengthen them so that they will be found blameless on “the day of the Lord.”
Jesus’ instructions to the disciples at the end are what we need to pay heed to; “Keep awake.” This isn’t a literal command; it’s a spiritual command.
How do we keep awake? We set seasons in our calendar for preparation.
The season of Advent is preparation time.
It is a time to prepare our hearts by self-examination.
While the world says “buy, consume, spend,” we have options; one is the option to choose to ask for less or ask for nothing material.
While the world says “it’s all about having the best, newest, largest, (or smallest)” we have the option to say “I have enough, thank you. I need nothing, give a gift in my name elsewhere.” and then include gifts for people you’ve never met in person on your wish list. You could ask for a well, a flock of chickens, a house in Haiti, or a “net for life.”
We prepare for Christ’s coming in glory each week as we come to Holy Communion. We say: “Be present to us in the breaking of the bread.” And receive the instruction “feed on him in your hearts by faith.”
We prepare for Christ’s coming in glory each week as we come to Holy Communion. We proclaim to the world our belief in Christ’s presence experienced through each of us as the corporate body of Christ. Through the myriad actions we engage in we prove or disprove the claim. Our work, our play, our charity, our acts of service and compassion, our political behavior, our shopping, our speaking, and our worship are all “presence of Christ”
Episcopal priests are fond of say that praying shapes believing. I suggest we need to be intentional to complete the cycle of faithful Christian living: praying shapes believing; believing shapes doing. Archdeacon reminded us last week that we have all received the “diakonia of all believers” at our baptism.
There is no doubt that stores and radios will flood the air this season with holiday songs. Not very many of the great hymns of Advent and only a few of the Carols and Hymns of Christmas will be given audition in the next four weeks.
The feast of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra as well as his tradition has become obscured by the greater popularity of Santa Claus and the elves which help fuel the consumer economy of the present age.
We can choose who we will use as our models for giving this year. We can choose the Three Kings who searched for Jesus & the Bishop of Myra who served Jesus giving to the needy. Through these choices we can bring Jesus Christ back to the center of our preparations and celebrations of Christmas.
Santa Claus can and does hold a place within the gift giving season as the almost transcendent and mysterious bearer of gifts. But we can choose to restore Gods’ position as the giver of all good gifts. God, transcendent and immanent; God made known through the revelation of the Son, Emmanuel, Jesus, Prince of Peace, King of Kings.
Jesus’ instructions to the disciples at the end of the passage are the critical message we need to pay heed to; “Keep awake.” This isn’t a literal command to seek after insomnia. This is a spiritual command to remain alert to the world around us and consequently respond appropriately. It’s time for us to turn the messages of the world upside down.
I think it’s time to supplant the messages of the media.
What if we started singing songs like this?
You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I’m telling you why
Jesus Christ is coming to town.
He sees you when you’re waking
He knows when you’re asleep
He knows when you’re behaving
Like an onry stupid sheep.
You better watch out, you better not lie,
Always love your neighbor, this is why
Jesus says he’s present in them.
I want you to know there’s nothing to fear
Jesus loves you, he’s holding you dear.
Jesus Christ is present always.
We call upon our Father
in Heaven as we pray.
We ask him to pour blessings
On the bread and wine and us.
When we eat the bread, and take from the cup
Jesus Christ comes into our hearts
So trust in him and do your part.
I want you to know there’s nothing to fear
Jesus loves you, he’s staying quite near.
Watch for Jesus everyday.
“It’s okay to pout, it’s okay to cry
That is reason Jesus came to live and die.
Jesus Christ knows our fears and our pain.
Still, Jesus loves us with our frail ways.” ^
That is reason Jesus came to live and die.
Jesus Christ knows our fears and our pain.
Still, Jesus loves us with our frail ways.” ^
The season of Advent is preparation time.
It is a time to prepare our hearts by self-examination and response to the prodding of the Holy Spirit which is the regenerative force in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit which makes manifest the presence of Christ in the world today, and we can choose to reject or fulfill the advice of the Advocate which Jesus has sent to guide us in our daily life.
Preached 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM, November 27, 2011 – St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church
^ added December 22, 2011
^ added December 22, 2011
