Sermon for

Epiphany Sunday

“Traveling Wisely”

January 6, 2019

Text is Matthew 2:1-12

 

Today is Epiphany Sunday when the Christian Church marks and celebrates the journey of the Magi, (also known as the “3 Wise Men”) to Jesus’ home and the manifestation of Jesus to the Gentile world.

 

Traditionally, this story has been clumped with the birth of Jesus, as if it had happened all at the same time. Now, we don’t actually know when it happened but only that it happened sometime within the first two years of Jesus’ life. Today we have an opportunity to glean something new (I hope) from this well loved story.

 

First- please notice that these wise men had a mission. They were set out to find the Messiah. I love that. They were focused, determined, persistent, curious and even bold (so bold they went right up to the leader of all leaders- Herod to ask him about this Messiah).

 

Seems to me that we can learn from these wise men how we ought to be during this coming year as well! Now if you’re like me, I start off every year with a well intentioned New Year’s Resolution and then by week 4 or 5 (if I’m lucky to last that long) suddenly the resolution isn’t followed any longer.

 

So this year I thought I would do something different- and I’m going to take a note from the Wise Men’s play book for it. They took their time- it took them nearly 2 years to get to Jesus! How many of us are in a rush to get somewhere, to accomplish something, to see results- fast and now! I know I am that way- (i.e. impatient). In fact, I must be KNOWN for my impatience because on a recent Christmas, one of my gifts from my mom was a plaque that says “Love and Patience works miracles.” In fact, I remember, when I was unwrapping it my mom read it for me, emphasizing the word, “PATIENCE.” As in, “Love and PATIENCE works miracles.”! Um, thanks Mom! J

 

So yes, we live in an instant gratification, instant results, fast-paced, “got to have it now” world, don’t we? Where everything is at our disposal so much so that taking time to think, study, contemplate a decision, create something, learn something –all of it is “supposed to go fast.” And yet that isn’t always possible. So the magi remind us to take… our… time…!

 

 Secondly- they studied. They were known to be scholars. They were men who studied the stars and the sky who were also men of faith, who believed that a Messiah would indeed eventually be known, at sometime and some place, in the world. This reminds me that I need to study God’s word more often; not just on a Sunday or not just when I’m about to write a sermon.  Actually, if I am honest when I’m not studying God’s word, on a regular basis, I feel off balanced. Don’t you? A biblical scholar I love to read is Eugene Peterson who likened reading God’s word just as important as it is to eating food and drinking water. He states that if we aren’t reading and feasting on God’s word, we will not thrive in the world.  We will not be strong in our lives, in our decisions, or in our relationships. So, let’s be wise like the wise men and study His word.

 

Thirdly- the magi’s mission required determination, boldness, discipline, and courage. They set out to find the Messiah. I wonder how many of us are eager to “find Christ” again AND again in our lives?

 

It is like any relationship, really. If we do not work at the relationship, or tend to it, or simply spend time with that person, it just won’t grow. It grows stale and flat. So it is with our relationship with the Lord. In doing so, we become eager to “FIND” Christ over and over again in our lives, in order to worship and honor Him, over and over, in our lives!

 

But let’s go back to this word mission- I wonder: do you have a mission? Do you have a purpose for your life or the life of your family this year? If not, ask the Lord what it should be. The Wise Men were open and therefore sought out the path for their journey, which, God had given to them. We must do so, as well.

So, again, what is your mission? If you haven’t had an opportunity to ask yourself that question, then I invite you to do so this morning.

 

Go ahead and ask Him- “what is it that YOU, Lord want me to focus on this year?” Is it about a relationship that needs to be worked on more intentionally? Is it the courage to face an addiction or unhealthy behavior that is hurting you? Is it to spend more quality time with your spouse and/or your children? Is it to find ways in which you can be a better disciple in the world? Is it to take better care of your body, which is after all the temple of God and therefore deserves the best care possible?

 

Notice too, that the Magi set out with courage, boldness, persistence and determination. In fact, they had enough courage to ask King Herod, (who was already known for being fierce and dangerous), the whereabouts of Jesus. Moreover, they had the courage to travel a great distance and even to change their plans once they learned they should not return to King Herod, afterwards. In other words, they were obedient to God’s instructions and their obedience gave them courage.

 

Lastly, the magi traveled together. It doesn’t say that they went separately. It says that they arrived together. We need people to travel life’s journey with us. Of course, we have been taught that if we are really strong or really smart we don’t need anyone else. We should be able to do it all on our own.  Yet, we have examples from scripture over and over again how team work was necessary. Jesus and His disciples had to work together. The Apostle Paul had leaders helping him to establish churches like Timothy and Phoebe. Moses had Aaron and Joshua… The Magi had each other.

 

Friends, we are meant to travel through life with others. We can, of course, get on each other’s nerves one in a while but at the end of the day, like or not, we need one another. We are NOT meant to travel alone. We are meant to share each other’s burdens, joys, hopes, and plans. We need one another in order to build the kingdom of God and in order to be His church, the body of Christ.

 

So, let us celebrate the wise men and their courage, the things they taught us through their journey and their love they showed to Jesus. We may not have gold, frankincense, or myrrh to give to Jesus but we have our gifts, our talents, and certainly our treasures, to give to Him by giving of our best selves to our families, to our church, and to the world.

 

Let us do so joyfully! Amen.

Sermon: Good Things Happen to Those Who Wait and Worship

December 30, 2018

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista, UCC

Rev. Elizabeth Aguilar

Luke 2: 25-38

 

I have a confession to make. I have preached on Simeon and Anna many times. I just love this scripture reading and I have enjoyed preaching about it, meditating on it for my own spiritual growth.

I wonder, what did YOU notice about this story? What caught your eye about it? For me, I feel as though there is much happening all at once and so there is much we can focus on today! Of course, we can’t be here all day so I will focus on a few things which I hope brings you reflection and insight on your own walk of faith.

 

First of all- notice that both Anna and Simeon are of a certain age bracket. They aren’t young by any means. Anna’s age is named, in fact, to be that of 84 years old. Simeon, on the other hand, we are not too sure of his age BUT we can gather he is older as well by the mere fact that we are told he has been waiting for a promise made to him about seeing the Messiah before his death has occurred.

So right away we see that both have this in common. They are older. (I like to say older but wiser, by the way.) But more importantly, they have some other things in common. Namely- they are both very faithful followers of God. They spend their days in the temple it says. Simeon is called righteous. And if you look even closer to scripture (verse 27) it says that he was guided by the Holy Spirit to go into the temple that day, at that time.

Anna is not only worshiping at the temple day in and day out, we are told, but she also fasted and prayed a lot. So we get the picture- these are too older but wiser folks who take their faith, including worship, prayer, fasting seriously! Wow! I want to be like them when I’m older!

Notice though that there is yet something else they have in common- after both met Jesus for the first time, what was their reaction? Were they uninterested? Bored? No! With both of them we are told that they “praised God” and that they both had plenty to (quote) “speak about the child.”

Lastly, both had their promises made to them come true! What was that promise? That someday they would indeed meet the Messiah and they know that the day has finally come. They must have felt so honored,  so blessed, so thrilled!

Now, I am no grand-parent but my mom is and I have certainly met many other grand-parents over the years. And I can tell you that they are pretty darn thrilled when they meet their grand-children for the first time. They are ecstatic! They show off pictures on their phone, they face time with them, they send pictures, they want to hold and kiss and just be with their grand-children as much as possible. Some of you know what I’m talking about, right?

Well, imagine now that you are Simeon or Anna- You are not just meeting any baby, and not your grandson of course (which would be thrilling as it is) but you are meeting THE MESSIHIA! The Christ child himself!

Moreover, what you have been promised long before is actually coming true! And here is where I need to pause. Because I think we can learn a few things from Simeon and Anna already.

First- good things happen when we come to worship and put our faith into action by praying, worshiping, and fasting. Our worship time is not in vain, in other words. GOOD things happen when we worship! Many these days believe that they can worship God in nature or perhaps by watching a preacher on television. I think God can speak to us by those means. Of course, so. However, something important happens when we worship with others in corporate worship, together that doesn’t when we are alone.

Secondly- unlike our culture and society that praises youthfulness we are reminded that older can really be better! In their older years they are given the gift of meeting the Messiah. They are able to see for themselves that God’s promise for His people and for them as well has come true! And in their older wisdom they know that waiting has not been in vain!

Next- we learn that they in fact, not only get to meet Jesus but they have something important to say about Him to anyone who will listen! Remember, both began to “praise Jesus!’ So, I’m taking that as a clue as well that we are meant to praise Jesus; be happy, be joyful, be excited about being in His presence.

Thirdly- they did not give up on their hope that some day their promises would come true. They didn’t just wait and do nothing. They spent their time waiting, watching, and hoping that God would come true and God did!

In my years of ministry as a pastor but certainly as a chaplain I have learned that everyone is waiting for something. Some are waiting for a resolution to a problem to come about. Others are waiting for results of medical tests. Some are waiting for their marriage to either get better or for God to let them know it’s time to walk away. Some folks are waiting and hoping for peace in our world, especially as terrorists threats become not only threats but actuality… Some are waiting for healing of physical problems, others healing for emotional problems. . Some are waiting for a new job or for a new room to open at an assisted living facility. The point is that we are all waiting for something.

But, I think HOW we wait is important. How we wait for that “Fill in the blank” thing to occur matters. Do we wait with expectation and trust? Do we wait with a negative outlook? Do we wait hoping and praying? Or do we wait giving into despair?

How we wait matters…Friends, I want to encourage you all to be like Anna and Simeon- they waited by worshiping, by praying, by fasting. They waited in community. They waited in hope and with a positive attitude. And when what you are waiting for comes true- my prayer is that you can share it with others because that is how we encourage one another! We grow in hope about our own situations when we hear how God is working in someone else’s life!

I don’t know what you are waiting for. But you and God knows. My faith tells me that God will show you a resolution to it in God’s perfect time and perfect way. But in the meantime we are called to wait to hope and trust.

Amen.   

 

Sermon for Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 23, 2018

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista, UCC

 “Love Everlasting”

Text: Luke 1:39-45

By Rev. Elizabeth Aguilar

 

Friends, we’ve reached the fourth week of Advent which is Love. We focus today on the greatest Love of all, which is God’s love for human kind and all creation in sending us His Son, Jesus Christ. Of course, the temptation is to preach on the birth of Jesus as Christmas is around the corner and yet we aren’t quite there, yet.

            To be honest the biggest challenge is to be able to focus on a particular part of the Christmas Story without focusing solely on Christ’s birth. But, for that, you will have to return tomorrow, for the Christmas Eve service.  Instead, today we will indeed focus on Love but on one particular form of love as seen in the story of Mary and Elizabeth.

            I found it interesting on reviewing the Christmas Story that inserted with in it, is this story of true friendship. We quickly get the sense that although they were cousins, that they were much more than cousins, they were true friends. We can imagine how easily these two cousin friends must have bonded over the fact that they were both pregnant over miraculous situations. One was advanced in age and one was a virgin. Those three months must have been full of wonder and expectation. Perhaps they prayed, laughed, worried, and hoped together. For that is what true friends do together.

            One of the spiritual marks of discipleship according to Richard Foster and Darryl Tippens, two Biblical scholars and theologians, is spiritual friendship. You might recall that there are several marks of discipleship. They are: prayer, worship, service, giving (as in times, talent and treasures) and last but not least- there is spiritual friendship.

In Darryl Tippens Book, called, Pilgrim Heart– he states that Spiritual Friendship is probably the least obvious mark of discipleship. For all others are those that the Church teaches, promotes and lives out- we have prayer circles, prayer chains, we pray with and for each other in and out of worship. We certainly worship together, we promote and encourage giving of our time and treasures. We also promote and encourage serving others. But spiritual friendships is not that obvious. And yet, we do have examples of special friendships in scripture and today’s example of Mary and Elizabeth is one of them.

Now what do spiritual friendship look like according to Biblical examples?

• they speak the truth in love. They share their opinions and insight in a way that will not hurt the other person but will respect the other person. That truth might be hard to share but it is shared in love- carefully and respectfully.
• Spiritual friends pray for and with one another. They present to God, the needs of that friend, asking God for God’s will in the life of the other friend. They don’t ask God for what they think should happen but on what God’s best interest is for that person because we know that God loves our friend with a perfect love, which is not like our love b/c we ourselves are not perfect.
• Spiritual friends are of course, loyal and reliable. They will not share your secrets with others and break confidence. They won’t use your faults to hurt you in some way.
• Michael Foss adds: “it is in interpersonal caring friendships between committed disciples that real growth takes place.” They pray for each other, encourage one another, share insights into scripture, and help one another reflect on the ways God is present and active in their lives.

So let’s think about this some more- what would the world look like if we exercised healthy relationships and communication? There would be less wars, more sharing of resources, more peace and consequently, prosperity. In society there would be less loneliness, depression, suicides, less consumerism and obesity as we know that over-eating and over- spending are ways to avoid loneliness and boredom.

Then I also wonder- what would our church look like if we cultivated more spiritual friendships. Where mutual accountability, encouragement, play, and prayerful support were the norm?

As we look at Mary and Elizabeth- notice that they came from different areas and towns. They were of different ages and probably social backgrounds for Mary was very young and poor and Elizabeth would have been well known as the wife of a priest (Zachariah.) So they would not have had much in common except for the fact that they were both pregnant at the same time, both under very unusual circumstances.

            So, you see, to have a good spiritual friend, you don’t have to have everything in common with them. But you do have to love God and be willing to trust, pray, and share with each other.

            This kind of love is agape love or filial love. It is true love that lasts and endures time. It isn’t a shallow love that comes and goes according to one’s mood. It is the kind of love the endures time and all circumstances.

My prayer is that we can grow in spiritual friendships here in our congregation. That you find a spiritual friend here- someone you can trust in, grow with, pray with, laugh with and share with.            

Let us remember as we hold on to the rock that was given to you as you entered, that Jesus is the rock of our salvation! Like this rock, which says “love” on it, God’s love for us does not change. It isn’t penetrable. It isn’t changeable in any way. It is strong. It is everlasting. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Pilgrim Heart. Darryl Tippins. Leafwood Publishers.2006., Abeline, TX.

Power Surge: Six Marks of Discipleship for a Changing Church. Michael Foss. Augsburg Fortress Publishers. 2000., Minneapolis, MN.

 

Sermon for December 16, 2018

Third Sunday of Advent

The Joy of The Lord Is My Strength

Text Luke 1:11-20, 23-25; Isaiah 12:2-6

 

We have reached the third Sunday of Advent. Notice a shift has begun from waiting and longing to excitement and expectation. We have arrived to JOY! I wonder, what gives you joy? And is joy the same thing as happiness to you?

 

In today’s gospel lesson we are focusing once more on the parents of John the Baptist again- Elizabeth and Zachariah. In this portion of Luke’s account, we read the about the Angel Gabriel’s announcement to Zachariah- who was a priest, that he and his wife were indeed going to have a child.

 

I always found it interesting that despite Zachariah being someone who would have spent much time in prayer and worship, leading others in worship that he was not able to immediately believe Gabriel’s words.

 

Now, Gabriel started out by saying, “Do not be afraid, Zachariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you will name him John. You will have JOY and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.”

 

Gabriel was letting Zachariah know that his prayer had been heard and honored by God. Not only heard but that it would be fulfilled.

 

Have you ever had something you prayed for come to fruition? Do you remember how that felt?

I have- and I must confess that I was like Zachariah at first- not about to really believe it. You see, sometimes I think we get so used to praying and hoping for something that it is hard for us to accept that what we were praying for has really occurred. Perhaps that is what happened to Zachariah. Maybe he had even given up all together? He is old, after all. Perhaps he and Elizabeth had been praying for decades to have a child but weren’t successful.

 

Well, contrast his reaction to that of Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth did believe it and embraced it. Her reaction is one of gratitude toward God for answering her prayer.

 

Why would it have been such a big deal for them to have a child?

Specifically, a boy? Because sons would be able to carry on the family name. They would be able to help sustain the family economically. Because in this patriarchal system having a male child meant you had value as a woman and as a couple. That is why Elizabeth states, “this is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.” Indeed, she would have been living in disgrace all of those years and now she no longer had to. Their prayer had been fulfilled.

 

So what about you? How did you react when your prayer was fulfilled What did you think? What did you feel? Who did you share your good news with?

 

Now, I need to pause here and clarify that I am not saying that joy

is ONLY about receiving what we pray for. We know that God is not a genie or Santa Claus. Sometimes what we pray for isn’t for us or it isn’t the time for us to receive it.

I am saying, however, that what we pray for IS being heard by God and when we are given the answer to our prayer, we need to embrace it and give God thanks for it. Not doubt it, as Zachariah did but embrace it, as Elizabeth did.

 

I prayed for many years to become a pastor again. I interviewed, I spoke to churches. I searched. I prayed. I waited. In the meantime, I worked as a chaplain. You all know that. Some of those years were very hard but also very rich with opportunity to remind many hurting people that God was truly with them.

But it took 8 long years for my prayer to be answered. I don’t think I doubted it. I was just over-joyed! That finally God was sending me to a church setting again. That God would allow that place to be here in California which made most sense for my family and I.

 

I remember wondering why it took so long. I can only imagine that it was because I needed more time to learn to completely rely on God. Perhaps i needed to be a blessing to all of those patients. Perhaps you weren’t ready for me or my kind of leadership? It happened in God’s time.

 

But notice that Joy and happiness are two different things- are they not? For I am not speaking of happiness. Neither was Isaiah or Luke. We read over and over how Jesus came to bring JOY to the world. Had it been just happiness that He brought, it would have been something momentary and not the event that it was that changed the world forever.

 

Joy is enduring. Happiness is fleeting.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that bears more fruit.

Joy is choice, not just a result. Archbishop Oscar Romero said this of Joy- “Christians must always nourish their hearts the fullness of joy. Try it brothers and sisters; I have tried it many times and in the darkest moments, when slander and persecution were at their worst: to unit myself intimately with Christ, my friend… it is the deepest joy the heart can have.”(quoted in The Saints Guide to Joy that Never Fades by Ann Ball, 120)

 

Joy sustains us- This is what my friend, the Rev. Matthew Crebbin said on NPR, one year after the Sandyhook massacre when 12 children and teachers were struck down. Matt is the senior pastor at Newtown Congregational Church and went to seminary with me. He said in his interview- “we are not people who look at happiness- the root for happiness is the same root as happenstance or haphazard. Happiness is really rooted in this notion that somehow, we are dependent upon circumstance around us as to where the well be happy or not. And really for people of faith, joy is a deeper sense that we are held in something that sustained us, beyond envy our ability to recognize, sometimes even in the moment.”

 

Friends- the Christian message is not one of happiness. Where we are meant to have faking smiles on our faces all day. It is one of deep joy. A joy that only God can provide. A joy that give us peace in the midst of whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

 

If we are a people who only lived by circumstances, we would not be able to survive. We wouldn’t want to get up in the morning. We wouldn’t want to keep fighting for what is right, we wouldn’t want to live out our faith through acts of kindness, justice, and transportation. If we were a people who only existed on happiness, we would not come to worship Sunday after Sunday.

 

We would only do it if we felt happy. We would only do it out of habit and not because we chose to believe and serve a God who stopped at nothing to show us what love looks like!

 

We are people of Joy. As such we are called to spread Christ’s JOY into the world. Where is the darkest place in your life- take joy, there. Who in your life needs joy- tell them why you believe in God and how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s love for them.

What will joy call you to do in your own life? Pray and meditate on it. Ask God- who or what situation needs you to bring Christ’s joy to them? It isn’t about being happy. It isn’t about “fake it ‘til you make it.” It is about the joy that comes from God, that give us strength that IS our strength!

Let us be a church that embodies, embraces, preaches, teaches, demonstrates JOY in all circumstances. That is what will give us strength.