sermon excerpts: "Life from Above" - Luke 3: 15-17, 20-22; Isaiah 43: 1-7

... “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” - a simple sentence that offers so much hope in the world. God speaks announcing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah that people were waiting for. And then the words of praise, “with you I am well pleased”. Jesus was valued simply for being himself, not by what he did or said or planned to do.

Same for each of us. This grace is freely given, we don’t have to earn it or deserve it or measure up to some mark of righteousness; by being, just being, we please God.

In Isaiah, we hear to what extent God’s care and love for us go. We are worth any ransom, the treasures and nations on earth would be offered up for us if it would set us free, if it would bring us all together in unity and peace. The community is created by people gathering in faith, recognizing our commonness with one another, our need for God and the assurance that God’s love is there for us. That we have value simply by being and that earning this approval is not necessary.

We take the Spirit for granted, forgetting that it is a gift. We forget we are treasured and beloved. Instead, so much of society is seeking approval from others, their peers or their competitors, judging worthiness by clothing, income or physical appearance. And so our world has become diluted, distracted and destructive; too often the news headlines have us fearful: murders, abuctions, bombings, child abuse, natural disasters and desperate people in desperate situations.

... and so we tend to look to others to do things for us. Like the people looking to John to be the Messiah, like those of us who complain about people in positions of leadership, we might lose sight of the fact that we also have power and opportunity to make a difference that affects the lives of others. Maybe in small ways, but it is part of our call.

Remember that it was during Jesus’ prayer after his baptism that the heavens opened, the spirit soared and the voice spoke. Because what matters most in our life of faith happens after baptism. What do we do with this great gift of acceptance, care and love? We are welcomed in to a family of faith, but it is also a directive to a call to live life with integrity, honesty, love, courage and compassion.

Interior Decoration

For the winter months, Trinity United will worship in the downstairs of the church to cut down on heating costs, but also to foster a sense of togetherness in a new situation. I may not be a professionally trained interior decorator, but I do appreciate the sense of space and atmosphere for worship services. To that end, part of our office hours were spent bringing components of the sanctuary into a functional, and hopefully versatile, downstairs worship experience.

Posted above are some of the results. Until we emerge from our winter hibernation, we'll make the best of what we have in faith and interior (intelligent?) design.

for Jan. 10/10 - Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

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What feelings, questions, thoughts and prompts to personal action arise from this scripture?
What about hymn suggestions or ideas for Children's Time? Share them as Comments below or in an email, and help shape Sunday's worship service.

Back to it - A New Year Awaits

As the church season of Epiphany draws closer, our focus turns to the revelations, the "aha!s", of who this Jesus of Nazareth was. To find an ordinary man in the midst of ordinary life who would be the Messiah, the anointed one, the saviour of God's people.

Our calendars have turned over to 2010 and we foresee many personal and congregational revelations await. The times are serious, yes, for our churches financially-speaking but not gravely desperate yet. In this fresh time of resolutions and intentions, let us not allow our financial health affect our spiritual health. Can we keep connected in faith, seeking to reach out and serve others for causes of justice and collaboration?

Might we define ourselves by who we are and what we do rather than what we have and what we own (or owe)? Easier said than done, but aren't all resolutions worth keeping like that?