2020-12-07
Brooke Strong
This service was livestreamed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Sermon Text
Scripture: Mark 1:1-9
Our scripture lesson involves the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry as recorded in the Gospel of Mark. It is the story of the John the Baptist and his introduction, so to speak, of the Messiah into the world. Matthew and Luke are usually credited with the details of the Christmas story. However, I would argue that Mark’s placement of Christ’s baptism is every bit as key to the Christmas story and the angels, wise men and nativity scene, which informed only a very few. In Mark we are immersed, through Christ’s baptism, in the playing out of why he was born Immanuel in the first place and to a much greater audience. In Mark we get the story of how Immanuel, or God with us, makes a difference for all humanity. In some ways, Mark is key to the Christmas story in that his account is the first to bring Jesus to the world at large.
I have to admit, - I love Christmas. The colors, the scents, the story of the birth of Jesus and all the rest just sort of calms me down. Even the secular part is magical with elves, reindeer and huge inflatable snow men. As we remember and honor the holy, sacred story of Christ’s birth, it is still fun for me that there are expressions of Christmas that are the outgrowth of the holiday. I think as we observe the sacred, we can also enjoy the secular. I mean, who can resist a Charlie Brown Christmas? Rudolph? Or the movie Elf?
What I don’t like in the secularization of Christmas is when merchants try to push Christmas upon us too quickly in hopes of making larger product sales. I’m thinking any time after Halloween is OK to begin the Christmas push if you are a merchant, but before, not so much liking that.
I remember some years ago when I was still in Ravenna, one of the merchants began a daily “Shopping Days to Christmas” count down. Their enormous store window ad proclaimed you can’t start shopping too early. Our local newspaper did a similar count down on the front page that began the day after Thanksgiving. That seems OK. Snoopy did the countdown. But this other merchant, a furniture store in the heart of Ravenna, started their countdown on (drum roll please) August 1st. August 1st. Ridiculous. Sacrilege! And they had that goofy countdown number change each day. We endured a countdown that began at 145 days before Christmas.
Having said that, in these strange times, I surprised myself by meandering through the emerging display at Home Depot this year. Of course, their stuff was up way before Halloween – usually a cardinal sin to me – but I couldn’t help myself. I looked at the trees, the lights, the blow-up yard characters like Snoopy. I smiled at the Santa sleigh with three deer. I watched the strings of lights chase each other and I felt calmed and happy and withdrawn from the times in which we live. A sort of peace settled on my as I bathed in Christmas – while it was about 82 degrees outside.
A few days later I was in the Dollar Store and my keen little eye fell upon a weakness. I love snow globes. I love shaking them and watching the tiny plastic dots settle over and upon whatever the scene. At some point, I began collecting snow globes. Not sure when or why. But I have two shelves in my home office filled with them.
Which was why I found myself perusing the display in the Dollar Store.
As I shook the globes, I saw that one of the globes – this one in fact, was dedicated to Peace, which is our Advent theme for today. So, I bought it. Guess how much I paid? Yep - $1.00.
I think inherent to being human is the pursuit of some sense of peace. That sense differs from person to person. I’ve talked to deer hunters who tell me that they experience peace when on the hunt. Our Colorado Kids have frequently described a peace during quiet time in the mountains that was like nothing they had ever experienced. I remember a work camp kid telling me how much peace it brought him to leave a work camp project and know that he had been part of truly changing one family’s reality by simply help replace a leaky roof and insulate some of the walls. I have held hands with dying friends who said they had made peace with God and they were ready to go home. Peace is very subjective in style and expression, but it is something we all seek in our lives.
Just two weeks ago I asked out JOY and GROUP youth, as we loaded the church trailer for our ingathering offering, what brought them peace. Family, pets and friends were mentioned, but the number one response, from almost 2/3rds of the kids, was sports in some form. Sports gives me peace. Dance gives me peace. Golf gives me peace.
I was quite shocked and had no idea where to put that in my expectations of the replies I expected.
An hour or so later I ran into Hamilton and I shared the sports response with him. Again, my expectations of a response were shattered as he told me that he very likely would have said the same thing as a student.
I asked him why and he said that in sports he could just let it all go. The game was the focus and the trifles and annoyances of life were released in the competition. He said it gave him the kind of peace that letting go and unplugging from the day-to-day stressors of life can bring.
I immediately regretted not participating in sports in high school. I hung out with the musicians and rockers.
Jesus tells us in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give (peace) to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
There is the implication here that the peace offered through a relationship with God in Christ holds a different kind of peace than the promises of peace that the world attempts to give us. In fact, a Google search of the phrase for peace of mind, which is the kind of promises that the world makes, brings some pretty interesting images of what advertiser’s think will give us peace.
Here is a charge card that implies using their card will ease the troubles you certainly will encounter when traveling.
Travel again. Portraying travel as stressful and even dangerous. Yet, this one suggesting an emergency travel kit may not be a bad idea.
You can ask anybody who knows me - I’ve said this for years. Nothing, and I mean nothing, brings peace of mind like a serviceable temperature pressure relief valve.
Free checking is the source of peace in this ad.
Here we find our peace in computer support and you can even buy the book to increase your peace.
Travel insurance equals peace. I like the reminder that we remember to pack our travel insurance. I pack mine on top of my socks.
Tires with good tread? Each tire comes with free peace of mind.
In this next slide we find that by virtue of our geographical selections, we are good in the peace category. You can magnify that peace if you take their $1000 moving bonus and head for this retirement community in Delaware, Ohio.
Pre-plan your funeral for your family AND get what you want as your final wishes is accomplished by one call before you enter eternal peace. Peace here and now with the promise of peace to come.
Investments growing is the key to peace with this CD special.
We dread the nuances of technology. Yet, this ad promises peace, and some snuggle moments if you buy their tech coverage.
And here, once again we see that the peace this product brings is great for relationships.
And Dog lovers! For next Thanksgiving, just remember that a mere 4 miles from Starved Rock, you can gain peace for your puppy and save $2 on the luxury accommodations. Plus, pumpkin brownies for Fido. I learned from Google that Starved Rock is a state park and has been voted the #1 attraction in the State of Illinois. Starved Rock State Park is a world apart from anything else in Illinois!
The “however” for these ads is that this is not in any way what Jesus is referring to in John as he promises us peace. Peace in Christ is not attached to things or consumption, products, pay for it and profit for advertiser. It does not promise anything more than the presence with God that is attached to a trusting relationship with God. God’s presence holds a peace that the world cannot give.
The two kinds of peace that Jesus describes are based upon different systems and values. World systems that promise peace are based on fear, uncertainty, manipulations, and second guessing. I learned from a friend in college who took a film and culture class that fear is one of the top themes in advertising. When an advertiser for a product can tap into what we fear, it is a short step from there to getting you to consume any solutions to your fears. Again, the worldly idea of peace preaches that things bring peace and security. The world builds on fear and uncertainty, not the foundation we have in our walk with God. And part of our pain and fear is due to the assumption that we often carry that this walk with God somehow makes us exempt from troubles, pain and difficulty. Jesus is our savior and our friend. He is not our magic, get out of trouble or problems guru. There is no Magic Jesus card. Christ is a real presence in the midst of life’s pains, but not to be confused with escapism or avoidance.
Part of the peace we find is Christ is reconciling our past. As scripture teaches us, “we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We have missed the mark many times. We hold anger and sometimes seek solutions that are rooted in violence. We categorize and justify our dealings with others based on our often inflated and inaccurate assessments of who we are verses who they are. Racism, ageism and sexism. To list our sins and failures would be not only depressing, but exhausting. And nowhere in our faith is it demanded that we do so.
Or, as friend Regina Brett told me recently, “There is nothing you left upriver that you need now.” In other words, what is over and done is truly that – over and done. No need to revisit it. Go now with the flow of the current into the new places God is taking you.
In her new and wonderful podcast, Little Detours with Regina Brett, she has discussed the idea of peaceful encounters with God a number of times. Here are two of my favorites.
Go for a walk and study the trees. Look for the space in between the branches. The spaces — that’s where the Light gets in. Isn’t that beautiful?
Visit a place that feels like your own personal retreat space. It could be a pond, a waterfall or under a big willow tree. Turn off your phone and just be one with the quiet.
Regina believes that peace is gained when we pause. As her show is completely immersed in the belief that God is with us in every new day, her assumption is that we may miss God’s peace because we don’t pause to look for God in every new moment. You can get more cool insights if you go to Regina@reginabrett.com .
As Christians we often invoke peace by what is called the Passing of the Peace. This peace of Christ is spoken in worship services as a reminder and as a pause. We bring into our presence the shared reality of Christ as the source of peace. Please respond to me after I day “Peace be with you” by saying to me, “And also with you.” Peace be with you…. Peace be with you. And now you say it to me. ____ And also, with you.
In that moment of pause, we not only invoke Christ’s promise of peace, but we spread it to others.
We live in a magnificent and inspiring world. There is much here that is good, and God has blessed us with this Eden-like garden no matter where we travel on this planet. There are wonderful things to eat and so many incredible people to meet. There are adventures and experiences that delight us and make us who we are. In fact, I often say at funerals when it is said that “Uncle Joe left here for a better place,” that I knew that Uncle Joe really loved this place. In other words, God has so blessed us with here, don’t make what is coming after our lives, as unimaginably wonderful beyond imagination to be sure, something that diminishes what God has made for us in this place.
Jesus balances that with the proclamation that part of this worldly system is problematic. It makes promises that are not what God intends and the counterfeit attempts at giving us peace are lean and shallow.
You certainly know the Serenity Prayer. The Serenity Prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr, an American theologian and seminary professor. He wrote the first version in 1933 and tweaked it over then next two decades. Alcoholics Anonymous began using it in the late 1930’s and incorporated the prayer in their 12 Step Programs. Finally, in 1955, Rev. Niebuhr published his final copy of the prayer, which was by then expanded into two stanzas. As we close, please read it with me. This is the complete prayer as he intended it.
Peace be with you. Amen.