"Does Christ Rain?"-- sermon from November 20th at Burks UMC

I said I would post the sermon I gave at Burks UMC on November 20th.  Here it is.  As I mentioned in my reflections, I was privileged to give it 3 times.  It was a little different each time. 

In the past, I've left in the [PAUSE] spots.  This time, I took them out to facilitate reading. I added in a couple of things I added in Sunday morning.  May the reading of this reveal to you Christ the King.
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“Does Christ Rain?”

Ephesians 1:11-23

Burks UMC, November 20^th, 2011

Scripture: Ephesians 1:11-23 (NRSV)

Good morning! Don’t forget your G.P.S. that is printed on the back of your bulletin, for note taking, doodling, or staying with the message.   You may have noticed the title, let me assure you that the title is not a typographical error.  I intentionally spelled it “r-a-i-n” instead of “r-e-i-g-n”.  Did it get your attention?  Maybe you searched the Scriptures prior to coming this morning for a verse that referred to Christ “raining”.  Maybe not.  The main reason I chose the spelling is that it came from a children’s message I read.  Imagine a children’s sermon today, on this topic and entitling it “the reign of Christ” without explaining the meaning of the word.  Imagine those precious minds attempting to figure out what was being explained.  The illustration for that message was someone holding up an umbrella.  It simply captured my attention. 

Today is “Christ the King” or “the reign of Christ” Sunday.  What does this mean? 

Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of the season of Pentecost, the season that focuses on the church's mission in the world.  Today is the last Sunday in the liturgical year.  Liturgical means ‘relating to a rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship’.   Today we can reflect back upon the entire church calendar year –from the incarnation, birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ and look forward to Christ’s coming and the final reign of Christ.   Today is a bridge between this past year and the start of a new one because next Sunday begins the Advent season, the preparation time for the coming of Christ.   As we look forward to Advent, let me share with you a wonderful children’s Advent book written and illustrated by two of our own church members, Suzanne and Leila.  This advent book for children, “Journey to the Manger” starts on December 1^st and goes through the month to the celebration of the birth of Jesus.  It is an interactive journey that parents can take with their children as they read the Scriptures together and then take part in an action step for that day.  Then, there is space for the children to write or draw about what they did, how they felt, etc.  It’s a wonderful way to walk the Advent journey!  These advent journals are available for the children of Burks in the Narthex after the service and through the children’s Sunday school classes. 

You’ve probably noticed throughout the year that the colors of the cloths (paraments) and banners change to reflect the different seasons of the liturgical year.  There is meaning in those colors as well.   Today’s colors are white and gold in recognition of Christ the King Sunday.  White symbolizes purity, divinity, and victory.  Gold symbolizes majesty, joy, and celebration.  (NOTICE THE “KING OF KINGS” BANNER in the sanctuary?)   In some years, Christ the King Sunday may be represented by green because the green reflects the season known as Kingdomtide or Ordinary Time (the time between Pentecost and Advent). Green symbolizes life and hope. Hopefully this brief lesson on the seasons and colors helps you to better understand how today fits in together with the rest of the calendar year.

As we reflect today on Christ the King, let’s look back at the verses in Ephesians 1, starting with  verses 11 and 12: “In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,^* having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.”

We have obtained an inheritance in Christ.    An inheritance.   What do you think of when you hear the word “inheritance”?    Something that has been left for someone by someone else in their will?   The story of the prodigal son in Luke asking for his inheritance prior to his father’s death?    Maybe you’ve received an inheritance and that’s what comes to mind.

I think of a book I read a couple of years ago and the movie I saw based on it:  The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall.  After his grandfather’s death, Jason receives a very unusual inheritance.  Jason is given twelve tasks which his grandfather referred to as “gifts” to challenge him to grow as a man.  Jason is given each task one by one and has to complete them before receiving the next gift.  At the end of the gifts is the billion dollar inheritance.   Through this experience Jason learns about life, love, relationships, work, and how to manage money.  He learns the responsibilities of obtaining an inheritance.

What does it mean that we have obtained an inheritance in Christ?   It is a spiritual inheritance.   Our spiritual inheritance is life in Christ.   How are we to live our spiritual inheritance?   In verse 12 it says “so that we,[…], might live for the praise of his glory.”  We are to live for the praise of his glory.  Verses 13 and 14 continue: ^“In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this^* is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.”   Part of the inheritance is redemption as God’s own people.  By accepting this inheritance, we live into being God’s people through relationship with Christ and one another.    By accepting this inheritance, we take on the task of learning and living out the responsibilities of what this means.

What does it mean to think of Christ as King?—First, Christ wasn’t a king that wore a glittery crown, though many expected the Messiah to come in such glory.  Christ’s way was different.   His leadership throughout his life was not that of a figure head, but someone living in and among the people, leading them.   In the end, to mock his authority, he was given a crown, a crown of thorns.   Not a symbol of power, but of humility. 

This crown reminds us of the crown that was placed upon his head as he was on the cross.  This crown of thorns is from Israel.  The thorns are extremely sharp [(just ask Riley—he stuck his hand in the box as he was asking me, ‘what’s this?’)]  Per the literature that came with the crown, it was made in Bethlehem from a particular thorn bush with a double thorn pattern.  It is said to be from the same type of branches used for the crown placed on Christ.  Primarily, it is a visual reminder for us today that Christ’s reign as King was not as glorious as some wished for him and for themselves, but it was life-changing for those who chose to walk with Christ then and follow him and for those today who accept the relationship offered.

Second, as King, Christ is head of the body--Verses 20-23: “God^* put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”  Christ is the head of the body, the church.   This can be a whole other sermon!  But for today, know that this means that Christ is to be in charge, in control.

To go back to the title, “Does Christ Rain?”  Christ may not R-A-I-N “rain”, though you could use this spelling to see it as an outpouring and flowing of power and Holy Spirit. This morning someone shared with me from A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God and from the passage that was written by Rueben Job, this is what stood out to me: “We come away from this last Sunday of the church year soak to the core in the revelation of God in Christ.”  “soaked to the core”.  Maybe Christ does rain (R-A-I-N) after all.  Christ does R-E-I-G-N “reign” as well.  The question is: will you allow Christ to reign, to rule in your life?   Will you allow Christ to be in charge, in control?

Two Scriptures come to mind when I reflect on how I personally respond to Christ.  These two passages have become part of my faith journey.  The references are on the GPS for you.  The first one is one I had to memorize for my first mission trip as a faculty advisor to Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf in the 90s.  As faculty advisor, I wasn’t in control; the students were.  Memorizing these verses was required to get into supper.  Memorizing has never come easy to me and I wasn’t so sure I’d be eating that first night. This passage from Philippians and having to memorize it has impacted me on several levels. Since that mission trip, I refer to these verses as the “Jamaica verses” and I have tried to have the attitude of Christ.  

Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV 1984)

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
⁷ but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

The second one is from Micah.  There’s no great story really behind it impacting me, other than one day I heard it shared and it struck me that this is how I want to live my life, how I want to respond to Christ the King.

Micah 6:8 (NIV 1984)

 “He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”

How is my life different because I have responded to Christ the King? [Since this was added in after the 1^st service, the response was different in both the 2^nd and 3^rd service, though the bottom line is about the same…. My life is different in that I attempt to listen and obey, even when I wrestle and struggle with whatever it is I hear and am asked to be or do.]

In The Call, Os Guiness reminds us:  “We are not our own; we have been bought with a price.  We have no rights, only responsibilities.  Following Christ is not our initiative, merely our response in obedience.” (p. 167)

What is your response to Christ the king today?   Will you choose to follow Christ and be His disciple?   How will you live out your inheritance?   

As you reflect on your inheritance in Christ today and your response to him, I hope that thanksgiving will be part of the response that flows out of the relationship that you have with Christ.

I close with these words from Ephesians (verses 15-23).  Listen carefully.  This is a different version, the Contemporary English Version.  The language is more personal.  May the Lord speak to you as you hear these words: 

“I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people. So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers. I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God's people. I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything.  The church is Christ's body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.”  AMEN.

Reflections from Christ the King, Reign of Christ Sunday (part I)

Yesterday was Christ the King / Reign of Christ Sunday.  I was privileged to have the opportunity to speak at my home church (Burks UMC in Hixson, TN), 3 times--two Traditional services and one Contemporary service.  It was a great experience for me and a relief to be on this side of it.  Why a relief?  Because I made it.  It was one of those risky, scary steps of faith and obedience that I took.  I'm thinking there were others taking risky steps of faith in allowing me to do it as well. ☺  I'm grateful for the Mentored Ministry class I'm taking this semester that encouraged such an opportunity and even more grateful that my mentor was willing to allow me to pursue it.

It was the largest congregation I had ever been in front of for preaching.  I have been in front of this congregation before in the Traditional service to read Scripture, the Affirmation, help with the offering and pray.  But, those are all short-term activities.  Preaching lasts a little longer.   Was I nervous?  Yes.  Nervous from the day my mentor and I discussed it.  Nervous like up on the trapeze platform again or on the edge of the rock formation about to rappel off.  This was risky!  But, I took the first step or leap.  And, I'm glad I did. 

As I've shared before, I never planned to be a teacher.  Professors in college recommended me for a Teaching Assistantship at SUNY Stony Brook.  The very first day that I was in the classroom, it felt right; it fit.  I grew into becoming a better teacher over the course of the 24 years.  I made lots of mistakes along the way, but it was me and I was in the right place.

I have spoken at other churches.  My very first time was at Christ Church in Port Jefferson Station on Long Island.  It was my last Sunday there, as it turned out.  The pastor had long before planned to be on vacation and had asked me as a Lay Speaker to do pulpit supply.  At the time we didn't know that I would be moving back south.  "Are You Available?" was the title of my first sermon.  Since then, I have spoken maybe two handfuls of times (including yesterday's 3 times).  Each time, it has felt good and right.  But, there was something yesterday, during that 3rd time, during the Contemporary service, that clicked and felt very right.  Just like teaching felt. 

That is exciting and scary as all get out to me.  On one hand, I want to explore that and see where it leads.  On the other hand, I want to bury that sucker deep down because it scares the heeby jeebies out of me.  (Heeby jeebies is a colloquialism-- apologies to the many foreign readers.  I am not sure of a better expression here.)

I received some insightful and encouraging feedback both yesterday and today.  I have lots of room to grow in this area, in both my preparation and delivery.  Just as I had lots of room to grow in my teaching from the time I first stepped into the classroom.

I'm not claiming to know where I'm headed yet.  I'm not even claiming that I clearly see a new piece to the puzzle.  All I'm saying is that this is something that I enjoy and I might very well be cut out for it.  I'm leaving it in Someone else's hands still.

My parents came up from Dalton, GA to hear me.  That was a very cool and pleasant surprise.  My mom heard me back in 1989 when I spoke on Long Island.  My dad had never heard me speak.  It meant the world to me that they would drive up the road to support me and hear whatever it was that I might have to say. 

Besides my parents coming, there were a few other things that happened yesterday morning prior to me preaching.  Of those, the biggest two are indebted to a sister in Christ who was preparing for this day and praying for all of those in the service and the congregation.  One was seeing the prayer card she had written out for the day and seeing the crown of thorns in the middle.  She reacted when I walked in the door with a crown of thorns as well.  That was a God thing for me.  The second was seeing the quote for the day in the Green prayer book called A Guide to Prayer for All Those Who Seek God.  It's the one Guide book I didn't have yet, so I hadn't read what it said for Sunday.  The Blue and Red had some good quotes, but my breath was taken away as I read what was in the Green book.  This prayer guide is edited by Rueben Job.  Here is what she shared with me:

"We began the seasons of the church year with anticipation, and we end the seasons of the church year declaring a certainty. In Advent we waited for the needed and longed-for definitive and ultimate self-disclosure of God in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. On Reign of Christ Sunday we celebrate the fulfillment of the biblical revelation of God in Christ.

     Once again the church has listened to, reflected upon, rehearsed in worship, and tried to live in daily experience the redemption story. We come away from this last Sunday of the church year soaked to the core in the revelation of God in Christ. For us, as for those first disciples, there can be no turning back. Here in the light of Christ's triumphant presence we find our voice and declare once again, Jesus Christ is Lord of all and shall reign as Lord in my life. So committed, we are ready to face every eventuality of life because we now know the One in whom our life is found, redeemed, and kept secure.  Our radical trust is in the One who is completely trustworthy (2 Tim. 1:72). Life in Christ is good and complete." (A Guide to Prayer for All Those Who Seek God, Rueben Job, page 406.)

This grabbed my attention because of what the sermon held within it, and the title: "Does God Rain?".

Wow!  Another God-thing.

Not only am I grateful to my mentor for this opportunity, but for all of those who prayed for me, near and far, and for those who stayed awake during the sermon. ☺ [That's what my daughter prayed for when she went off to Kidzone.... she lifted me up in prayer... that no one would fall asleep during the sermon.  That was probably a good thing too as I wasn't as lively and interactive in that first service.]  I'm thankful for all the kind comments and expressions of how folks were moved to action or what stood out to them or that they were able to clearly understand me.  One comment was something to the effect that they support me in my calling.  That one scared me!!  It caused me to back up a little bit and remind them that I wasn't fully sure of what that calling is/was.... so they edited it to say that they supported me no matter where or how God is calling me.  Whew!!  You see, I still resist Christ the King... it is scary to say "yes", to follow and obey.  Even if it's only for a 3 month position while someone goes out of town, right?!?!  (hehe ☺)  [Actually, I shouldn't put that in here because if the right person reads this, I'll be held accountable and reminded that at least she submitted and said "yes".]

I've said "yes" to alot of things over the past year.  I've told God "okay" as God has brought things into my path and asked me whether or not I would accept these gifts of inheritance that were offered to me.  I have shared in past blogs the things I've said "yes" to, even after my "arguing" and "wrestling" with God.  I don't know where any of those things will lead.  All I know is that I have a choice whether to accept them or not.  The outcome is not up to me.  It is up to God.  At each crossroad, I have had to decide whether or not I would accept and live into what I felt was being asked of me or reject it.

And, truthfully, the reason I get scared today?  I'm there again.  Can't I get a break around here?  Whew!  This growing stuff is stretching me a little thin here.  I need one of those "Stretch Armstrong" dolls... if anyone knows what I'm talking about..... but, writing about that is just putting off the inevitable.

The answer is:  Yes, Lord, yes.  Whew.  I said it.  Now that I've accepted it, maybe God will let me rest a little.... maybe?!?!?  Just in case it's not clear, I'm saying yes into living in to my preacher me, whatever that means and whatever that is to be.

What is God asking you to answer?  How is God stretching you?  Are you willing to answer "yes"?

Keep on pressing on... this journey is an awesome adventure!

~Debra ☺

P.S. I will post the sermon in the next day or two.