Sermon - 2020-01-19
(Holding up cell phone). How many of you have a love or hate relationship with device? For those of you who love it, you love the convience that in this one device are all of your contacts, your calendar of what you need to do, you have so many forms of communication with friends and family. Others of you, struggle with the reality that you are always able to be reached by anyone and everyone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you can never seem to escape this reality.
Now how would you feel if this was destroyed? Some might feel pretty good and others of you, the world as you know would come crashing down around you. However, do you remember what life was like before these devices were in our life? Do you remember the conversations that people had? These devices are going to destroy communication as we know, people will not have to remember people’s phone numbers, you will always be at work, and families will never have time to spend with one another. Or the other side, this will revolutionize the world as we know it, now people will be able to remember everyone’s phone number, you can leave your work at work because you will get so much more done, and you will have more time to spend with your family and friends because of all the free time you will have. Any of this sound familiar?
How many of you remember when computers first came out? I mean the kind of computers that we are talking where the screens were black and green, when all you could do on them was really word processing. Do you remember the conversations and arguments that revolved that revolution of communication?
Sadly, these same conversations and arguments come around every time their is a revolution of new ideas, new directions, and new purposes within the world around us. When looking at human history, this can be done through communication: cell phones, computers, telephones, telegraphs, written letters, and others I am sure. Or how about with transportation: auto mobiles, planes, trains, and other new forms.
Today, we are talking about a new revolution and revelation that was shared some 2000 years ago. John the Baptist is standing on the banks of an ordinary Jordan River, to a crowd who had been there, to get clean drinking water, to clean their clothes, to gather as a community, and to hear a preacher who comes among them. John points out to them, the new revolution and revelation that stood among them in Jesus Christ.
Here in Jesus, a new hope, new possibilities and directions would be coming through God’s power among them. God knew their struggles and was coming to do something about them. I am sure people were talking about Jesus the way they do about all things, he is going to bring the end of the old ways, he is going to change things. Each person decided if this was going to be for the good or the bad. Whether this was something they wanted to be a part of or if they wanted to avoid this new movement.
However, truly, Jesus was calling them to understand God and God’s love among them. Jesus first did this in his own baptism. In the ordinary water of the Jordan, an extraordinary moment was shown. In the ordinary place and space of their lives, God revealed to the people, His own son. Such an amazing reality this is.
Yet like the amazing device that we carry with us, what if the ordinary things like our cell phones, like eating a meal, and like water when we bathe, what if these ordinary things would help us to connect and realize that God is among us and that God is calling us to be in relationship with one another. That through our ordinary items, God would be calling us to do some extraordinary things in our life. That our own baptism would not be ordinary but would truly change our perspective of whose we are in the world and who we are serving in the world. That our calling to discipleship (yes pun intended) would truly give us a new perspective on the revolution and revelation that God has among us as God’s people.
For many of us, it has become ordinary for us to have faith in our lives, to read scripture, to know God and that others would do the same that we do not talk about it. We do not proclaim it like John the Baptist does. We become comfortable in our own chairs that have been shaped by our own perspective. Yes, what once was extraordinary is now ordinary and we need to see with new eyes, hear with new hearts and bear witness to what God is calling us to understand within the world around us.
So this leads me to a challenge for you all this week, each day, I want you to think of your ordinary aspects: meals, showers, and devices and allow them to be reminders of your faith. Then next week, as we gather here in the worship space, I want you to find a new chair then your normal chair so that you will have a new perspective in your familiar worship space. A chance and opportunity for you to hear and see God’s place of worship in a new way so that you may grow closer to God.
Now how would you feel if this was destroyed? Some might feel pretty good and others of you, the world as you know would come crashing down around you. However, do you remember what life was like before these devices were in our life? Do you remember the conversations that people had? These devices are going to destroy communication as we know, people will not have to remember people’s phone numbers, you will always be at work, and families will never have time to spend with one another. Or the other side, this will revolutionize the world as we know it, now people will be able to remember everyone’s phone number, you can leave your work at work because you will get so much more done, and you will have more time to spend with your family and friends because of all the free time you will have. Any of this sound familiar?
How many of you remember when computers first came out? I mean the kind of computers that we are talking where the screens were black and green, when all you could do on them was really word processing. Do you remember the conversations and arguments that revolved that revolution of communication?
Sadly, these same conversations and arguments come around every time their is a revolution of new ideas, new directions, and new purposes within the world around us. When looking at human history, this can be done through communication: cell phones, computers, telephones, telegraphs, written letters, and others I am sure. Or how about with transportation: auto mobiles, planes, trains, and other new forms.
Today, we are talking about a new revolution and revelation that was shared some 2000 years ago. John the Baptist is standing on the banks of an ordinary Jordan River, to a crowd who had been there, to get clean drinking water, to clean their clothes, to gather as a community, and to hear a preacher who comes among them. John points out to them, the new revolution and revelation that stood among them in Jesus Christ.
Here in Jesus, a new hope, new possibilities and directions would be coming through God’s power among them. God knew their struggles and was coming to do something about them. I am sure people were talking about Jesus the way they do about all things, he is going to bring the end of the old ways, he is going to change things. Each person decided if this was going to be for the good or the bad. Whether this was something they wanted to be a part of or if they wanted to avoid this new movement.
However, truly, Jesus was calling them to understand God and God’s love among them. Jesus first did this in his own baptism. In the ordinary water of the Jordan, an extraordinary moment was shown. In the ordinary place and space of their lives, God revealed to the people, His own son. Such an amazing reality this is.
Yet like the amazing device that we carry with us, what if the ordinary things like our cell phones, like eating a meal, and like water when we bathe, what if these ordinary things would help us to connect and realize that God is among us and that God is calling us to be in relationship with one another. That through our ordinary items, God would be calling us to do some extraordinary things in our life. That our own baptism would not be ordinary but would truly change our perspective of whose we are in the world and who we are serving in the world. That our calling to discipleship (yes pun intended) would truly give us a new perspective on the revolution and revelation that God has among us as God’s people.
For many of us, it has become ordinary for us to have faith in our lives, to read scripture, to know God and that others would do the same that we do not talk about it. We do not proclaim it like John the Baptist does. We become comfortable in our own chairs that have been shaped by our own perspective. Yes, what once was extraordinary is now ordinary and we need to see with new eyes, hear with new hearts and bear witness to what God is calling us to understand within the world around us.
So this leads me to a challenge for you all this week, each day, I want you to think of your ordinary aspects: meals, showers, and devices and allow them to be reminders of your faith. Then next week, as we gather here in the worship space, I want you to find a new chair then your normal chair so that you will have a new perspective in your familiar worship space. A chance and opportunity for you to hear and see God’s place of worship in a new way so that you may grow closer to God.
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