Fear and Hope

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 24th 2006
Fourth Sunday in Advent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Fear and Hope”
Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:39-55

About a week ago, I saw a television special about the birth of Jesus. Since I did not see the entire program I cannot make a sweeping judgment about it. However, the segment that I did watch was disappointing. I was disappointed because what I saw was basically just re-packaging of the same old arguments regarding the birth of Jesus. Different scholars, some less scholarly than others, presented their various arguments regarding the historicity of Jesus birth. The impression given was that the most important thing about the birth stories in the gospels is what can be proved as historical fact.
It is my belief that anyone who seeks to faithfully interpret the bible must look to the work of historians. After all, for too long many in the church have been left ignorant about the historical information regarding our faith. However, I do believe that too often we seem willing to believe that historians have the final word about the enduring legacy of the Gospels. As a result the most heated debates focus on whether Mary remained a virgin, or if all male children under two were actually killed by King Herod, or even if Caesar Augustus actually decreed a census. While those, and other issues, become litmus tests for orthodoxy they ultimately miss the larger truths surrounding the events of the nativity of Jesus.
In the beginning of the Gospel of Luke the words: “Do not be afraid,” are a recurring refrain. But if we focus solely on history we will miss this fact. Before learning that he will be the father of John the Baptist, Zachariah hears from the angel Gabriel: “Do not be afraid.” When Mary learns, from Gabriel, that she will be the mother of God, it is also with the words: “Do not be afraid.” And, when a group of shepherds are visited by the angel of the Lord to announce the good news of great joy, they too hear: “Do not be afraid.” While this serves to calm the nerves of the recipients of the news, it is also meant to say something about the ways of God.
When we come face to face with real power it is natural to react with awe and even fear. This human reaction has been used as a means of control by the powerful, throughout history. Fear is a powerful motivator and an excellent tool of manipulation. When people are fearful, they are more easily controlled. While this is no grand revelation, it bears repeating because the announcement, to Zechariah, Mary, and the Shepherds, could have been God’s opportunity to control and manipulate these people for holy purposes. Instead, these greetings become God’s resounding no to the ways of manipulation and control. In order to bring about the transformation of the world God chooses love. That is something for which we can rejoice.
One of the most powerful effects of Luke using the names of religious and political leaders is not to write history. Instead, it functions as a way of contrasting the ways of God with the ways of the powerbrokers of the world. God does not function or act in the same ways in which the powerful of this world. God enters the world in human form in a tiny corner of occupied Palestine at the edge of the Roman Empire. God uses the places and people who are powerless and does so under a cloud of shame and controversy. Since God does not function by accident, all of this gives us a glimpse of the ways in which God is at work in the world.
One of the best glimpses to the ways of God comes in the words from our scripture; what we often call the Magnificat. These words of poetry stand as a legacy to the faithfulness of Mary as the first disciple as well as a clear contrast to the ways of the world. These are words which simply could not, or would not, have been written by those who were at the center of the empire. This song of joy is a direct contrast to the ideology of Rome and of empire.
If there is one thing of which we can be sure, it is that the magnificat of the empire would be drastically different. The empire’s magnificat would be full of fear, threats, intimidation, and dripping with self importance. And, more than anything else, it would be a litany of the ways in which the little gods of our world operate. In fact, it might go something like this:
God has chosen me, because I am more important than all the poor ignorant slobs of this world. My legacy will last because of what I have done. I am special and particularly holy which is why God chose me in the first place. After all, that is they way he works. He makes sure that the proud are well rewarded. He supports the world leaders in their decisions and teaches the people their proper place. The hungry are left to fend for themselves because there is something inherently wrong with them anyway. But the rich, they will be rewarded with more tax loopholes as a sign of their special blessedness. This is the way God works so it is best to remain fearful because God has spoken.
The song of Mary is a testimony which says no to Magnificat of the empire. It is a testimony of hope in a world blanketed by fear and so often manipulated by the powerbrokers of this world.
The truth is that God could have very easily chosen to use fear to spread the message of salvation. With deeds of power, might, and manipulation God could have all but guaranteed obedience. However, we know, and give thanks, that this is not the way in which God works. Because of our susceptibility to the power of fear we must be reminded again and again of this message. As we stand prepared to welcome Jesus into the world this day, we are called to say no to the magnificat of empire and join the chorus of faith which sings:
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
Amen!

Injustice and Hope

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 17th 2006
Third Sunday in Advent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Injustice and Hope”
Zephaniah 3:14-20; Luke 3:7-18

I cannot think of a more unwelcome message in Advent than that of John the Baptist. “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” I can’t see Hallmark adding that to the list of holiday greeting cards anytime soon. Yet, this is the message which we cannot avoid on this third Sunday in Advent. So what are we supposed to do with this message that seems so devoid of holiday cheer?
When faced with the5 message in this passage it is normal to have one of three reactions. One is to simply ignore it. Since we seek to take the bible seriously, that is not a faithful response. However, the other most common responses are fear and self-righteousness. The self-righteousness often comes from a belief that we are not like those “brood of vipers.” Instead, consciously or not, we identify with John the Baptist or the children of Abraham. Either way, we hear this message of repentance and call to change as being meant for everyone else but us.
However, if fear is more our reaction then it is probably for one of two reasons. One is because we know the sting of exclusion. We know what is it to carry the label of tax-collector, soldier, sinner, or any other label which carries means we are not welcome. The other reason for fear comes from the realization or revelation that our self-righteousness, born from the designation as children of Abraham, or children of the church, is not an exemption from the need for repentance and change. But whatever the reason for fear, each has heard John’s speech about the unquenchable fire and is left wondering: “What are we to do?” In other words; “We want to change be we do not know what to do, help us!”
John responds to this question, this plea for guidance, with very personal and concrete actions. However, this teaching turns out to be so socially subversive that Herod puts this troublemaker in jail in the verse immediately following our reading. This begs the question: ‘What is so dangerous about his teaching?’ The answer is really quite simple.
John answers the plea for guidance by saying: “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” While this sounds like simple charity, it is so much more. It is a call to action for anyone who seeks to live faithfully in the midst of unjust society. If you have something and someone else does not; share! It sounds so simple but in fact is quite revolutionary in an age where excess is a virtue and not having enough is a social stigma.
John does not end his teaching with this but goes on to include the tax collectors and soldiers who have joined the ever-growing crowd. In this ancient society, they were not welcome in the community of faith. John challenges both groups to stop taking advantage of people, particularly poor people. To the tax collectors, John says stop participating in the cycle of taxation and corruption which rewards the rich and punishes the poor. And, to the soldiers – the enforcers of the empire – John tells them to stop threatening and stealing from the people, particularly the poor people.
The teachings of John have often been reduced to simply moral guidance to those who gathered to hear him. However, John is doing so much more. He has told them all to end their participation in the unofficial protocol of the empire. After all, the taking of extra taxes and the threats and intimidation were all unofficial ways of keeping the people fearful and obedient. However, when John invites these agents of the empire to act in human ways the effect will be more social justice and less fear for the people. But, if the masses, the crowds, no longer fear the soldiers and tax collectors the security of the empire will be threatened.
At its heart John’s message is a call to the enforcers of the empire to undermine the very system in which they work. It is not a call to revolution or a call to arms. Instead, it is an invitation to become human and to treat others in humane ways. These simple actions are ones which ultimately honor the image of God in each person. Whenever this happens, whenever the agents of empire act in humanizing ways, it will always be a threat to the ways of empire. This is why John is so dangerous.
When we encounter this scripture passage we are confronted with this question: “Where are we in this story?” It is not the sort of question which allows us to politely decline. If we seek to follow Jesus we are not given the option to avoid the question. So, where is our place in this story, collectively and individually? Do we stand, self-righteous, as children of the church, bearers of its traditions, who believe the message of repentance and change is meant for anyone but us? Or maybe we stand self-righteous alongside John the Baptist ready to cast the title of “brood of vipers” upon anyone with whom we disagree? If this is us, the message is clear: We must repent, change our thinking and join in the call to change our ways.
If however, we find ourselves akin to the tax collectors and soldiers of the empire familiar with the sting of exclusion, the message too is: Repent. Turn from the practices which dehumanize others and enrich us at the expense of others, particularly the poor. In fact, the message for all is repent. Repent from the practices of unrighteousness and of injustice. Turn toward the ways which give life and that honor the image of God in every person.
While the message of repentance is not often thought of as good news, it is good news. It is good news because it says to us, very clearly, that things do not have to remain the way they are. It is not part of God’s plan that anyone should suffer. It is in God’s plan that all will share what they have; food, clothing, access, welcome. It is not part of God’s plan that the ways of empire should prevail. It is God’s plan that all people have the resources, dignity, and respect so that image of God is honored in all people. It is this plan of God which allows us to have hope in a time of injustice. It is this plan of God which moves us to share this hope and act out of this hope in a world so hungry for this message. It is my prayer that we will move, and share, and act out this hope in our time, this time of need. Amen.

Captivity and Hope

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 10th 2006
Second Sunday in Advent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Captivity and Hope”
Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 3:1-6

The season of Advent is getting squeezed out. There is no doubt that one cause of this squeeze or loss of advent has to do with the retail holiday called ‘christmas.’ Now days, even before Halloween, the signs of ‘christmas’ begin to appear in all the stores. However, it would be unfair and dishonest to give all the credit to the creative and zealous retail establishments. I think the greater responsibility lies with those of us inside the communities of faith who are uncomfortable with the message of advent. As a result, we willingly jump right to Christmas. After all what sounds more festive? Joy to the world! Or “Repent, who can endure the day of God’s coming?!” Or, for that matter, what image will sell more cards: A jolly white guy in a red suit eating cookies and saying: ‘Ho, Ho, Ho.’ Or, An impassioned Middle Eastern man who wears camel hair, eats bugs, and says: Repent?
Whether it sells cards or not, the message of advent is not always so comforting. The message of John is one which calls us all to acknowledge and turn from the places in our lives where we are captive to the powers of this world. Given the option between these messages and the work of preparation, is it any wonder that we would rather skip the work of advent and get right to the celebration of Christmas?
The massage of advent becomes clear only when we unearth it from under the clutter of the “season.” The message is this: We live in an in-between time. This is the time between when God first entered into history in the person of Jesus and the time when all people will see the salvation of God. It is a message of waiting – active waiting – in the midst of a world that is drenched in chaos, war, suffering, and death. It is not an easy spiritual disciple but the good news is that we have a wealth of resources at our disposal. In order to wait, actively, we must reach back to the stories of our faith which are full of reminders that we do not wait in vain – that we are not alone – and that God is faithful and can be trusted.
The time in which the prophet Malachi spoke was at time of turmoil. Unlike other prophets, Malachi was part of the very establishment we was criticizing. Malachi was an insider when it came to the temple and he had a vested interest. He was trying to make change from the inside. That sort of work is fraught with dangers. The risks of burnout, or accommodation or even selling out, were quite high. But, this was the work to which God had called Malachi.
The message of Malachi “…prepare the way…” was one which would not have been foreign to the religious folk of Jerusalem. However, these religious words had lost their power. They no longer had the ability to inspire a community which had become overly comfortable with the life of faith. The worship practices had become a cover for injustice and the life of faith had become ritualistic and hollow.
It is why Malachi speaks these rather frightening words – in an attempt to get people’s attention – “Who can endure the day of God’s coming, who can stand when God appears?” This is a stark message for those overly comfortable in the life of faith. It is a message that God’s advent means nothing will ever be the same. It is a timely message for all of us who are at risk of becoming too comfortable with our religious traditions, because so much of what we take for granted is not intended to last. Everything we know and love – everything to which we cling so tightly is fleeting in the face of the call to “…prepare the way…”
Though Luke is writing to a broader audience than Malachi, he issues the same sort of challenge to the established order. Luke is the only gospel writer who tells the story of John the Baptist’s appearance in this way. However, the most illuminating part of this passage is the part which I often skip over. It is the portion which reads:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
Luke includes references to these historical figures, the political and religious leaders, and contrasts it with the arrival of the word of God to John. It is a powerful statement of faith. It is making the claim that in the mist of the well defined political and religious order that God choose to speak and act and move outside of the established order – in the wilderness. It means that God is going to mess it all up and turn the world upside down. The salvation of God is not going to come through these well defined and well ordered political and religious traditions – no matter how invested we might be.
These political and religious leaders frame the life and ministry of Jesus in the gospel of Luke. At the end of the gospel, Jesus will be hauled in front of these very same leaders. They are the ones who will conspire to have Jesus executed for his message of repentance and salvation for all. So, the call to prepare the way is a choice laid before all who hear. Will we follow the ways of the political and religious leadership who ultimately crucify Jesus to protect their power and to ensure the status quo? Or, will we prepare ourselves to follow the way of John and of Jesus?
The answer to that question is found in the lifelong journey of turning from all the things, beliefs and practices which keep us captive to power and to status quo. This is at the heart of the season of advent. The hope in this season is the hope that we will acknowledge and be set free from the places of our captivity – in ourselves, this community and God’s world. While being prepared or preparing the way of the Lord may not be all that marketable, it is the hope of the world.
It is my prayer that God will continue to reveal the places of our captivity and set us free so that each one of us will become voices in the wilderness of our time proclaiming this good news message:
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Amen.

Hunger and Hope

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 3rd 2006

First Sunday in Advent / Communion Sunday
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Hunger and Hope”
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-29

The scene presented by Jesus as the time of redemption does not fit with most images found on Christmas cards. How many of us are planning to send cards which have images of wars, chaos, turmoil, natural disasters, or hunger? Yet, this is precisely the image we are presented with as we begin advent. Jesus makes the claim, in Luke that the time of redemption will come, not beside still waters, but in the middle of chaotic times. Unfortunately, generations of Jesus’ followers have taken this passage and seen it as a roadmap for the end times. With ever eclipse, comet, hurricane or war brings the peddlers of doom with a new book, tape or video claiming they have the key to understanding the signs of the times.
While we know that those sorts of claims ignore Jesus teaching, and as such always unbiblical, there is something about these claims which can often grab our attention. After all, if we are remotely paying attention to the world around us the signs are there. War is our constant companion, wealth inequality is at levels not seen since the depression, and we can no longer ignore the real environmental crisis. If we wanted to make an ‘end time’ prediction, or sell some books, tapes, or videos, now would actually be a good time to do so.
However, faced with the signs of our times we are most often overwhelmed by it all. In fact, who would blame us if we simply buried our heads in the sand of willed? How can we not but fall victim to the hunger and hope that God will take us out of the world’s chaos? However, the hope that Jesus presents, the way of the disciple is not the one of retreat from the world or ignorance of the realities. Instead it is a call to stand up right in the middle of it all as witnesses to the hope we have in Jesus.
When faced with chaos, wars, and disasters; Jesus does not present a roadmap for the end times. He does not promise that his followers will not face struggles. Instead, Jesus tells makes it clear that being a disciples means being faithful and hopeful in the middle of it all. His words are quite simple: “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads…” There is no talk about retreating to sanctuaries safe from the world; instead there is a call to stand up tall and keep your head up despite the chaos all around. These are revolutionary hopeful words. It is a ridiculously hopeful symbolic action in the face of desperate circumstances.
The power of these words is often lost on people of privilege. After all, privileged people do not have to be reminded to stand tall and keep their head up. People of privilege are not taught to avert their eyes when speaking to people in power. People of privilege are not taught how to survive the recurring stops by the police because of the crime of driving while black. But for anyone who knows what its like to have to survive in a world not designed for them, these words are a witness to a powerful revolutionary hope. “Stand up and raise your heads…” in the face of it all!
This is not to say that these words offer nothing to people of privilege. After all, the despair of this world takes many forms. In fact, all people are in need of these words of hope. However, there is just less acknowledgement of that need the more comfortable, pampered or privilege we are. The hunger for the promise of God – for security, safety, and hope, know no bounds of race or class. The hunger just manifests itself in different ways.
The hunger for hope found in God exists in each one of us. As such, we must begin to name those hungers and acknowledge that ways in which we feed those hungers. There are many ways these hungers are fed: Maybe we do this by joining lockstep with the consumptive orgy of the retail Christmas holiday. Maybe it is through; food, drugs, sex, work, gossiping or complaining, seeking to control others, or always being right. The question facing each one of us is: “How do I feed my hunger?” If we answer this question by claiming we do not, then you are not being honest. The truth is that until we are aware of our hunger and the ways we seek to numb it that we can really join in the call for Christ to come again.
The revolutionary hopeful words from Jesus are also found in Jeremiah. When Jeremiah shares God’s vision it is during a time of great turmoil. “The days are surely coming … when I will fulfill the promise… (For) justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.” They are words spoken with Jerusalem in under attack from Babylon. It is not a battle between two armies but is an attack on the city where there is no concern for body count or collateral damage. They are foolish words of hope in the midst of hopelessness. And yet, they are the sort of words which would have inspired those under attack to know that hope was not lost and that God had a plan. In fact, it may have just inspired them to “stand up and raise their heads…”
The words from Jesus and Jeremiah are a call to honesty and to hopeful action. They are a call for us to pull our heads out of the sand and confront the injustice and unrighteousness in ourselves, our church, our community and God’s world. It is a call to remember that our hope does not come from anything other than God. The words of the modern day prophets who claim to have the roadmap of the end times, or who promise security through better walls, deeper pockets, more distance from people unknown to us, or surrendered liberties simply do not have the last word.
“The days are surely coming…” and are here now! “There will be (and are everyday) signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will (and are) faint(ing) from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon (and is upon), for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” So our call is quite simple: Stand up and raise your head, take a revolutionary hopeful posture in the world hungry for any signs of hope. May we be a witness to this hope which enables us to stand up and raise our heads for the living of these days. Amen.