Category: Uncategorized

December 22, 2019

Fourth Sunday in Advent-Love

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon Meditation

Rev. Elizabeth Aguilar

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista, UCC

 

 

            Everyone has a favorite Christmas movie, don’t they? Which is yours? Mine is a very silly one. It isn’t at all the sentimental kind like, “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “The Charlie Brown Christmas Special” which I happen to own and like very much. No, my favorite Christmas movie is “A Christmas Story” about a 9 year old boy who is hoping that he will be given a bb gun, called a “Red Ryder Carbine Action Two Hundred Shot Range Model Air Rifle”. All through the movie he schemes on how to convince his parents of this Christmas gift. You see, the problem is that his parents and everyone else he mentions the gift to, tell him that the bb gun would be a terrible thing for him to want for Christmas because he can, “put his eye out that way.” Well, I won’t tell you if he gets his Christmas gift he’s wishing for or not (in case you’ve never seen the movie before). I will tell you however, that toward the end of the movie, right before the boy’s father has an opportunity to eat the turkey he’s been so anxiously waiting for, a group of dogs come into their house and attack the turkey and eat it all up. The kitchen is left in shambles and the turkey is all gone. The family is forced to have their Christmas meal in a Chinese restaurant. So in this movie, not everything comes out quite exactly the way the characters in the movie want them to. No, what we see are all sorts of mayhem, chaos and silliness. Therefore, it isn’t the kind of movie that depicts a “Christmas that works.”

            Now I know that we have all been trying very hard, just like we do every year to make this Christmas “work” for us. And for some of us, it probably has been. But I imagine that for the majority of us it has been let’s say, “less than picture perfect.”

There were stores that did not have that last item you just needed to get for your son. There was the traffic to get through, the countless cookies to bake, the ribbons to keep away from your pets or small children. There were the distant family relatives that you never hear from except during this time of the year, for which you HAD to send a Christmas gift.

Then there are some of you who have been dealing with much more stressful situations, like serious family illnesses. Some of you have been mourning the deaths of loved ones in very acute ways during this season. Others of you have been dealing with difficult financial situations.

            Today, I want to remind you, however, that our picture “imperfect lives” does not determine Christ’s love for us. In fact, I also want to remind you that this Savior who came to us in the form of a baby boy did not come to us in a picture-perfect situation, either. He came during a very hostile political environment. His life was in danger before he was even able to speak, because he was seen as a threat to the king at the time. He was born to a young couple with no money and no home. Yet, in the midst of all that less than picture-perfect first Christmas, Christ did survive and did grow up in order to save us from our sins.

            So, while your Christmas dinner might not be picture-perfect, or while some of you might be dealing with some real sadness this Christmas, remember that God who came in the form of a human, lived among us as Jesus the Christ, because He wanted to know us, love us, and save us. Thus, let us remember that this God who loved us so much to live and then die and be raised up from the dead, came so that we might have eternal life with Him. Jesus the Christ, did all of this, despite our imperfect lives, our flaws, our hurt, and our pain.

You see, His love is not limited to who we are. It is about who He is. Now, let us go out to celebrate with our families, our enemies, the widow, the orphan, the less than perfect people that we know, with the kind of love that is Christ-like; kind, forgiving, patient and generous. Let us worship this Savior who loves us no matter what and who calls us to follow Him no matter what. Amen!

 

“Mary’s Song of Joy”

“The Hoy of the Lord is Our Strength”

Luke 1:46b-55; Isaiah 35:1-6, 10

Rev. Elizbeth Aguilar

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista, UCC

 

We love Mary, don’t we? We love her obedience, her “pondering everything in her heart,” her faithfulness to God and to Joseph….But I love her bravery, too. I hope you all heard or read Mary’s words very carefully.

 

Now, I am not sure if I were her if the first thing I would do after hearing that I am going to give birth to a baby although I am not wed- is to break out in this song.

 

But why? Why was Mary about to do so? Because she knew that her strength came from the joy of the Lord.

 

And that’s what I want us to focus on today. That OUR Strength comes from the Joy of the Lord.

 

This is the third Sunday in Advent and we Are focusing on Joy. But as I reflected on it, it dawned on me how important it is that we not focus on joy as merely a feeling but on it being a gift that comes from God, that MOVES us beyond a feeling.

 

You see, when we FOCUS on Jesus, who IS the source of our joy, the circumstances in our life- no matter how hard they are, do not overwhelm us.

 

Does God want us sad, consumed with worry, or anxiety? No.

 

Think about it- had Mary focused on her circumstances she might as well have broken out in a loud cry instead of a song. For a woman to be unwed and pregnant meant that her fiancé would have had to break up with her and she could have been stoned to death- that was the severe punishment for a woman in that predicament.

 

So, had Mary been focused on her situation of being an unwed pregnant woman, she would not have been able to go on.

 

But instead, she kept her focus on what she knew- which were the promises of God through scripture.

 

And she knew that by focusing on those promises found in scripture, she would be strong through out her pregnancy. It wouldn’t matter if the town folk would talk badly about her. It wouldn’t matter that she was poor and unsure of her future. What mattered to her was that God would make a way for her and her family and for the promise of God to come to fruition for the WORLD, THROUGH her!

 

How many times do we focus on our circumstances instead of on the JOY that God gives us? How many times do we forget that the SOURCE Of our strength COMES from the Lord?

 

Now, I’m not saying we should ignore our problems and bury our heads in the sand- no, of course, not! I’m not talking about being an irresponsible person.

 

I’m talking about keeping our gaze on Jesus because He WILL make away where there is NO way! He IS the Source of our strength.

 

If there is anything I want you to remember about today’s message it is this- that the Joy of the Lord is our strength!! And that when we keep our focus on Jesus our problems do not overwhelm us. (Nehemiah 8:10)

 

 

First Sunday of Advent

December 1, 2019

Waiting in Hope

Luke 1:5-25

 

To remind us all what Advent is about- it isn’t just about putting up lovely decorations or beginning to make our lists of gifts we want to purchase. (As fun as those things are.) Advent is much bigger than that. It has to do with the past, the present and the future. It is a special period (4 weeks) when Christians wait and prepare, but for what?

We wait not only to celebrate the past- when Christ came into the world. But we also wait and prepare for our Savior’s return. We do so not passively but actively, for we wait in hope in God!

The task for us this Advent season then is not just to focus on what all is wrong with the world and with our own lives but to place our hope in Christ; hope that God will restore all things in God’s time.

As an example of waiting in hope (and not in vain) is this story of how these elderly servants of God (Zachariah and Elizabeth) chose to wait. They had been barren and to remind ourselves- for a woman not to have had children, specifically a son, was something seen as sad and negative. The family name and land were passed on from generation to generation. Sons often followed in the profession of their father’s. Sons were seen as the barer of the family blessing that he, in turn, would one day pass on to his children.

Zachariah and Elizabeth, though, had not waited their whole lives in vain. We know from the reading that Zachariah was a priest and had been praying to God not only for the needs of others but for his, as well. We know this because when the angel appears to Zachariah he tells him that God had heard his prayer.

This should give us hope right away- that God hears our prayers. We don’t just  say empty phrases to the air when we pray. We pray in hope and assurance that God will work it out in God’s special time and will for us. We pray to a living God who loves us and is actively working things out on our behalf.

So, Zachariah and Elizabeth waited for God to act somehow in their lives by serving God as leaders in their community.

We must do the same- we must wait for God to act in our own lives and in the ways we chose to serve others- our family, our neighbors, our co-workers and even strangers. When you chose to forgive your spouse or your child, you are serving God. When you chose to do the right thing, even when it isn’t expedient or popular, you are serving God. When you chose to love someone you disagree with, you are serving God.

 

But back to hope- Elizabeth’s and Zachariah’s hope and faith in God did pay off. Despite her bareness and his lack of a child to pass on his name and blessings to- they did not give up hope. They hoped in God and in doing so God not only listened to their prayers but also grants it by allowing them to give birth to someone who would become an important prophet and for-runner of Jesus, the Messiah.

Now, there had already been 400 years of “silence.” Meaning there had not been any prophets speaking for God in 400 years. The fact that an angel comes to tell Zachariah that he will give birth to a son and that his role will be that of a prophet must had indeed surprised him to no end. As a devout Jew and as a priest, he would have understood the significance of a prophet.

We know the consequences of Zacheriah’s unbelief. He is struck mute by the angel. I personally don’t believe that God is in the business of striking us mute but I do know that our belief or disbelief have real consequences.

When we chose not to believe in God we give up on hope. Consequently we become doubtful, fearful, and very focused on ourselves.

I once knew a young woman who left her faith tradition for many years. During those years many bad things happened to her. She lost her way, her faith, and her identity, even. Once she was able to return to God she found herself again and her life began to take shape and meaning. She was reunited with her family and her life changed around.

God does not want us to be hopeless people. God wants us to be people of hope. Because hope is a powerful force and when we act in hope, we do not only save ourselves but we save those around us.

Our mood is lighter. We are happier. We are more generous. We forgive more easily. We desire and work toward the best in others. We want and work for justice for our brothers in sisters who are hurting. Why? Because our hope is not placed on ourselves but on God.

If I placed my hope on myself I would be in trouble, for, I know I fail, all of the time. But when I place my hope in God, I know that anything is possible and good things begin to happen.

May we be a people of hope in the Lord; pointing others to this God of hope. Sharing with others the amazing things that God has done in our lives in order to give others hope. May we be a people of hope now and always. Amen.  

 

 

Sermon for Stewardship Sunday

“For God All things Are Possible”

Matthew 19:16-26

Rev. Elizabeth Aguilar

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista, UCC

 

Isaiah 43:19- “I am about to do a new thing now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Friends, today is the culmination of a month- of Stewardship focus. You’ve heard from Rev. Victoria, Ruth Jones, and myself, preach about various teachings of Jesus about money and giving. It has been mentioned that money was the topic that Jesus spoke about the most. It has been reminded to us that placing our trust in God to provide for all things including our every day needs allows us the space to trust God with our money. Ruth reminded us that indeed where we have our treasure there is our heart.

Today’s scripture reading is a very well-known story of Jesus with a young rich man. I chose it b/c I have always found it to be a challenge. And b/c I’m a sucker for challenges…! Here we are!

The part that always stumped me was that this rich young man had already done many things that the Jewish law would have required of him, as a good Jewish man.  I imagine that when Jesus lists all the things that is required and the young man is saying, “yup, been there done that”, that if I were him, I would have felt quite proud of myself. After all, some of us like lists that we can check off. Don’t we?

But Jesus knew that this young man needed to be challenged further and so he says, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me.”

You see Jesus knew that the young man hadn’t actually put his faith in God first. He knew that the young man had been approaching his faith as a series of litmus tests that he had to pass. Not as a way of life.

Jesus reminds us this morning that putting Him first pays off.

We read also that it wasn’t just the young man who was perplexed about possessions and priorities… In fact, Jesus went on to say that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples go to Jesus with a follow- up challenge, (whether out of dismay or out of wanting to understand) and say, “Then who can be saved?” And then Jesus famously answers, “for mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

And you see, friends, there is the good news. Jesus wasn’t in the business of discouraging people. He was in the business of Encouraging people, instead!

He is saying, do what you can. Try to put me first and when you feel it is impossible, let God take care of it.

We are people of faith. And 129 years ago, this church was founded when a group of Christians wanted to have a place of worship. It seems to me that they certainly had their priorities straight.

We’ve just heard the names of those who have been members here for 50 years OR MORE! They certainly knew where to put their priorities, as well.

This morning, we are reminded that when we put Christ first, all things come into right order.

This does not mean that all of our angst goes away. All of our questions about life and death, about relationships, and our crazy world all go away. No, the questions remain. The struggles remain as well.

However, what ALSO remains is Christ’s presence with us. We are NOT in this ministry work alone. We are Not in the thing called life, alone, either.

Christ walks with us, encourages us even now, reminds us of our priorities, reminds us of HIS love and then calls us to still follow him.

The theme for this month’s stewardship campaign was Isaiah 43:19- “I  am about to do a new thing now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” The prophet Isaiah was encouraging the people who were held in captivity in Babylon, away from their home land, that God WOULD make a way for them.

As we move forward into our 130^th year of existence here in Chula Vista, God tell us that God will make a way for us. God is still active and alive. God is still reminding us to put God first. God is still lovingly challenging us to follow Him b/c indeed it is worth it.

This morning, as we are about to collect out offering and then place our pledge cards into the basket. May it be done as an act of faith. If you are giving for the first time- then God bless you. If you have increased the amount of giving, God bless you. If you have decided that you want to serve and re-commit yourself then God bless you.

God is and wants to do a “new thing” here, through you and me. Not just in this sanctuary and in the various rooms of our lovely church, but in our lives and in our homes and in all the places we find ourselves. Because we are modern day disciples, we are called to serve and service includes giving!

May we give joyfully this morning as an act of faith. May we be reminded that God DOES make ALL things new and that indeed what we may think is impossible, isn’t for God!

Let us stand on these promises and as a way of giving God thanks for being a God who comes through on His promises let us respond to God generously. Amen.

Communion Meditation for Nov. 3, 2019

Month of Stewardship, Week Two

“Placing Our Trust in God”

Matthew 6: 24-33

Rev. Liz Aguilar

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista, UCC

 

 

Matthew 6:24-34 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?  ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 

There are many reasons why I love Jesus. Someone once said, and I believe it was theologian, Dallas Willard who said it- that Jesus was the smartest man that ever lived. I agree. But not only was Jesus the smartest man that ever lived, he was also the wisest and most practical as well. He loved generously, was compassionate, caring, forgiving, radically embracing of those considered to be unclean and sinful. Jesus was awesome!

Those are just some of the reasons why I love Jesus. Today’s scripture passage points to Jesus’ wisdom and practicality. Also to His compassion for others.

This is our second week into a month of sermons focusing on the teachings that Jesus shared regarding money. To remind you of why I chose to focus on His teachings this month is to remind all of us that the topic that Jesus taught about the most was actually about money. Therefore, it must have been a pretty important topic to Jesus.

But why? Was it because he was about selling some phony “make yourself rich” scheme? Was it because he thought money was THEE most important thing in the world? No, it was because He knew that we needed to keep it in its rightful place. We needed to put it in right perspective.

In today’s scripture portion we have some of Jesus’s most famous sayings. Some of these verses must have sounded very familiar to you. Therefore, if we were to set each verse apart, we could easily spend a whole sermon on each verse. However, today I want us to look at these verses as one whole periscope/ one whole portion, that weaves itself into one main point.

And what is that point? Simply- that we must trust God. NOT putting our total trust in God means that we WILL worry about every else. It means that we WILL make money to be the most important thing in our lives. It WILL also become what we worship the most; what defines us, what keeps us up at night, and what eventually can enslave us.

Jesus knew what the most important commandment was, which was to love God with ALL of our hearts, minds, souls. And then to love others as we love ourselves. Therefore, He understood that putting anything above God would not bring us true happiness and joy. And remember, Jesus wanted us to live abundant, joyful lives.

In this scripture portion, Jesus first tells us not to be anxious, and then provides the rationale:

• God provides for the sparrow, who works but does not worry.
• God, who gave us life, will provide for our needs.
• Our worry is futile; it does not accomplish anything.
• God clothes the flowers beautifully, even though they are of minor importance compared with humans—God’s sons and daughters created in God’s image. Jesus argues from lesser to greater—a common type of reasoning among the Jews of his day.

So, was Jesus saying to me and to others who are not poor like me, don’t worry be happy because after all you don’t HAVE to worry?

No, not at all. Jesus was not wealthy himself. Nor were his disciples. Jesus had been a carpenter. Some of the disciples would have made decent lives working as tax collectors and/or successful fishermen. And yet, they left everything to follow Jesus.

Jesus was reminding those around him then and us today- that no matter what your station is in life you and I must place worship to God first. When we don’t, we allow worries including our worries about money, consume us.

Now, Jesus isn’t saying, that we shouldn’t care at all and be irresponsible with what we have. No. He was saying that we need to put God first. TRUST God first. Trust that God WILL provide for all of our needs.

There were indeed times when I was not sure how I would pay my rent or my tuition bill. My parents did not pay for my undergraduate degree or graduate degree, after all.

There were times I lived on rice and beans and canned soups. But, I can tell you that despite not having money I was fine and I knew I would be fine later on.

Did I worry, yes. BUT, I never allowed the worry to consume me.

Do I get anxious now- yes. I am human. We all do. However, those of us who put God FIRST and therefore place our full TRUST in God know that when we lack something it does not mean that we will always be lacking. It does not mean that God has abandoned us.

God has proven to you and to me that God is FAITHFUL. That no matter how much we may doubt God, no matter how many times we forget that the God we worship and serve is an all-loving, all generous God- that nothing can or will stop God from providing for our needs. Ever!

Therefore, when we take a step back and look at our lives from the perspective of placing our faith IN God, it is then when we no longer  need to fear as much.

It is then, when we can also understand that we can indeed give God the portion that corresponds to God in the offering plate. We can indeed give to the poor and needy. We can indeed go to sleep knowing that God will give us the means and the ways to pay our bills.

I once had a professor who used to tease us students and remind us that while we may wonder how we can pay for tuition or how we can put money in the offering plate that somehow when it was time to go to the movies or go on a date- somehow, we always found the money.

Our decisions about how we spend money follows what we find to be of most importance. Sometimes it is the basics- like food and shelter. However, sometimes what we consider to be essential just isn’t.

Jesus was, indeed, the smartest person that ever lived and he knew that we must put God first and in doing so, everything else would follow. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and All His righteousness WILL follow.”

As we approach the communion table. May we re-commit ourselves to placing our complete trust in God. May we give God those things that we worry about the most- whether it is about money or about a strained relationship or even our health.

God IS worthy of our trust and of our praise. May we continue to grow in trust and love for God and for one another every day. Amen.