(Because this is a homily manuscript, I need your participation. I want you to “hear” these words from a Christ follower to Christ followers. As you read, I invite you to “sit in” on this good news that we preach and eat at the Holy Eucharist of Trinity Church. Fr. Jim)
Hearing Paul this morning is like looking at my ChristMass Tree. Far from being a Charlie Brown twig, my tree overflows with ribbons, candles, baubles, figures old and new! It produces a wondrous, warm, comforting, embracing Light connecting me to yesteryear, telling me everything's OK!
When we hear Paul, it's like pushing the plug into the elctricity---everything lights up, and the Spirit erupts within us: Paul's words: "to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever!!!" Because everything is OK!
Let's focus on only one flash of light from Paul, one gleaming, one scintillation for us to focus on. Here is Paul's Christmas light: THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH. That's his shining brightness.
BTW my treetop Angel's shining brightness is the Banner he holds: "GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO! (Glory to God in the Highest!) This banner is the praise of Gabriel and of the whole heavenly host and of things visible and invisible, of things above the earth,on the earth and under the earth, as we answer with joy to the news: GOD has brought us into the obedience of faith.
Let me untangle my Paul/Christmass Tree simile. I know it's like untangling last year's light strings. But let me try.
First, the obedience of faith! "The obedience of faith" sounds bad, just like the song:
"You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry, you'd better not pout, I'm telling you why."GOD IS COMING BACK and like the bumper sticker says, "He's not happy!"
We so often do the "guilty gotta" with God. I "gotta" love God. I gotta go to church. I gotta keep my sexual fantasies under control. I gotta pray. I gotta love my neighbor, gotta pay attention to the liturgy, I gotta not cuss. I gotta do the 10 commandments. I gotta obey.
How come? Because it isn't Santa Claus who is coming to town. It's God Almighty so you'd best straighten up! That's why!
What we do with God and obedience is really sad. How many times do I have to say to myself, God is not my enemy, my ultimate Scare? But, if God is not my enemy, just who is God?
All my life, my parents, cops, teachers, bosses, spouses, and so forth and so on---they always tell me directly or by the tone of their voices---there's going to be real trouble if you don't obey! And when the church bell rings her bell against me, too, what's a guy to do!? Well, the best I can, even when I know it's not enough!
Take a look at society, any size social mix. Humans try to be obedient to law or we rebel against it: Two choices and two only. Societies rise and fall with obedience and disobedience. I do wonder, in the U.S.where we are in that cycle. And ditto the church.
Is God any different than anyone else who issues commands? If we see THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH as "you'd better watch out or else," if we see God as the Chief Threat, it's no wonder we and so much humanity offer sacrifices to get out from under God.
"Oh, God I'll never do it again. Just get me out of this one more time, and I'll be ever so good!" "Oh God, I'll kill this chicken on your altar if you'll only stop the Aztecs, and the Muslim horde from running over us!
Oh GOD, Oh GOD, Oh GOD!
We do nutty things in our post modern world because we are caught as a species, as a race, as a nation, as individuals under the wrong, wrong notion that "God almighty's coming to town" and he's going to whack us for being disobedient.
It's no wonder there are atheists around. If that is who God is, I'd be an atheist, too. I'd rather die and go to nothing rather than face THE angry ULTIMATE!
Look for a minute at my cardoard Treetopper, the Archangel Gabriel. He has in his hands the banner that says, "Glory to God in the Highest!" That was his great Gospel to the shepherds and to us! Salvation from sins, salvation strength for today, salvation forever! A loving God who backs up the news!
A few months earlier, Gabriel came to our Blessed Mother Mary. His Gospel to her was the same great news. You will bear JESUS the name that means, THE LORD SAVES!
A few months earlier, Gabriel came to our Blessed Mother Mary. His Gospel to her was the same great news. You will bear JESUS the name that means,THE LORD SAVES!
THIS LORD, Adonai, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is coming through you with salvation life for the whole world!
By his awful execution on the tree of the cross, Jesus' sacrifice will be the one and only offering to bring the world back to God, to redeem the world from the Evil One forever.
This includes ALL sin, past, present and future. It includes being saved from the ongoing inability to be good and our rebellion from the Father that we still suffer.
This baby who was born has an unending kingdom, for with God "nothing is impossible!"
It is no wonder that our Mother Mary said, "let it be!"
Back to OBEDIENCE OF FAITH.
Mary did not say, "no thanks." Mary, who is blessed forever, said, "YES!" And she taught all her children, the whole church to say that as our very first word! YES!
In as straight forward a way as I can get it, here's the good news of "obedience of faith." God says, "Believe Jesus." And the Holy Spirit breathes the response inside us, while we are in the womb of Baptism, YES! "Gloria in excelsis Deo!"
Hearing Paul this morning is like looking at my ChristMass Tree. Far from being a Charlie Brown twig, my tree overflows with ribbons, candles, baubles, figures old and new! It produces a wondrous, warm, comforting, embracing Light connecting me to yesteryear, telling me everything's OK!
When we hear Paul, it's like pushing the plug into the elctricity---everything lights up, and the Spirit erupts within us: Paul's words: "to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever!!!" Because everything is OK!
Let's focus on only one flash of light from Paul, one gleaming, one scintillation for us to focus on. Here is Paul's Christmas light: THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH. That's his shining brightness.
BTW my treetop Angel's shining brightness is the Banner he holds: "GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO! (Glory to God in the Highest!) This banner is the praise of Gabriel and of the whole heavenly host and of things visible and invisible, of things above the earth,on the earth and under the earth, as we answer with joy to the news: GOD has brought us into the obedience of faith.
Let me untangle my Paul/Christmass Tree simile. I know it's like untangling last year's light strings. But let me try.
First, the obedience of faith! "The obedience of faith" sounds bad, just like the song:
"You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry, you'd better not pout, I'm telling you why."GOD IS COMING BACK and like the bumper sticker says, "He's not happy!"
We so often do the "guilty gotta" with God. I "gotta" love God. I gotta go to church. I gotta keep my sexual fantasies under control. I gotta pray. I gotta love my neighbor, gotta pay attention to the liturgy, I gotta not cuss. I gotta do the 10 commandments. I gotta obey.
How come? Because it isn't Santa Claus who is coming to town. It's God Almighty so you'd best straighten up! That's why!
What we do with God and obedience is really sad. How many times do I have to say to myself, God is not my enemy, my ultimate Scare? But, if God is not my enemy, just who is God?
All my life, my parents, cops, teachers, bosses, spouses, and so forth and so on---they always tell me directly or by the tone of their voices---there's going to be real trouble if you don't obey! And when the church bell rings her bell against me, too, what's a guy to do!? Well, the best I can, even when I know it's not enough!
Take a look at society, any size social mix. Humans try to be obedient to law or we rebel against it: Two choices and two only. Societies rise and fall with obedience and disobedience. I do wonder, in the U.S.where we are in that cycle. And ditto the church.
Is God any different than anyone else who issues commands? If we see THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH as "you'd better watch out or else," if we see God as the Chief Threat, it's no wonder we and so much humanity offer sacrifices to get out from under God.
"Oh, God I'll never do it again. Just get me out of this one more time, and I'll be ever so good!" "Oh God, I'll kill this chicken on your altar if you'll only stop the Aztecs, and the Muslim horde from running over us!
Oh GOD, Oh GOD, Oh GOD!
We do nutty things in our post modern world because we are caught as a species, as a race, as a nation, as individuals under the wrong, wrong notion that "God almighty's coming to town" and he's going to whack us for being disobedient.
It's no wonder there are atheists around. If that is who God is, I'd be an atheist, too. I'd rather die and go to nothing rather than face THE angry ULTIMATE!
Look for a minute at my cardoard Treetopper, the Archangel Gabriel. He has in his hands the banner that says, "Glory to God in the Highest!" That was his great Gospel to the shepherds and to us! Salvation from sins, salvation strength for today, salvation forever! A loving God who backs up the news!
A few months earlier, Gabriel came to our Blessed Mother Mary. His Gospel to her was the same great news. You will bear JESUS the name that means, THE LORD SAVES!
A few months earlier, Gabriel came to our Blessed Mother Mary. His Gospel to her was the same great news. You will bear JESUS the name that means,THE LORD SAVES!
THIS LORD, Adonai, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is coming through you with salvation life for the whole world!
By his awful execution on the tree of the cross, Jesus' sacrifice will be the one and only offering to bring the world back to God, to redeem the world from the Evil One forever.
This includes ALL sin, past, present and future. It includes being saved from the ongoing inability to be good and our rebellion from the Father that we still suffer.
This baby who was born has an unending kingdom, for with God "nothing is impossible!"
It is no wonder that our Mother Mary said, "let it be!"
Back to OBEDIENCE OF FAITH.
Mary did not say, "no thanks." Mary, who is blessed forever, said, "YES!" And she taught all her children, the whole church to say that as our very first word! YES!
In as straight forward a way as I can get it, here's the good news of "obedience of faith." God says, "Believe Jesus." And the Holy Spirit breathes the response inside us, while we are in the womb of Baptism, YES! "Gloria in excelsis Deo!"
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