On the Way to Wonder

First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

 ¹Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
  my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
 I have put my spirit upon him;
  he will bring forth justice to the nations.
 ²He will not cry or lift up his voice,
  or make it heard in the street;
 ³a bruised reed he will not break,
  and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
  he will faithfully bring forth justice.
 ⁴He will not grow faint or be crushed
  until he has established justice in the earth;
  and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

 ⁵Thus says God, the Lord,
  who created the heavens and stretched them out,
  who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
 who gives breath to the people upon it
  and spirit to those who walk in it:
 ⁶I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
  I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
 I have given you as a covenant to the people,
  a light to the nations,
  ⁷to open the eyes that are blind,
 to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
  from the prison those who sit in darkness.
 ⁸I am the Lord, that is my name;
  my glory I give to no other,
  nor my praise to idols.
 ⁹See, the former things have come to pass,
  and new things I now declare;
 before they spring forth,
  I tell you of them.

Psalm: Psalm 29

 ¹Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,
  ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
 ²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due God’s name;
  worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
 ³The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders;
  the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
 ⁴The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice;
  the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor. 
 ⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;
  the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
 ⁶the Lord makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
  and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
 ⁷The voice of the Lord
  bursts forth in lightning flashes.
 ⁸The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
  the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 
 ⁹The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe and strips the forests          bare.  And in the temple of the Lord all are crying, “Glory!”
 ¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned above the flood;
  the Lord sits enthroned as king forevermore.
 ¹¹O Lord, give strength to your people;
  give them, O Lord, the blessings of peace.

Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43

³⁴Peter began to speak to [Cornelius and his household]: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. ³⁷That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; ⁴⁰but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, ⁴¹not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Children’s Sermon:  Most people in the United States cannot state the five freedoms of the first Amendment of the Consititon of the United States.  Turn to your neighbor and see if between you, you can name our five freedoms.

Our five freedoms: The five freedoms protected are: speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government.  The right to bear arms is the second amendment!

Let us pray:  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptible in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Sermon:  Declaration of Dependance

January 6 we celebrated Epiphany, the coming of the Wise Men or Magi to see the baby Jesus whom they knew had been prophecized to be “King of the Jews.”  They had seen his star and came to worship.  The 12 days of Christmas from Dec. 25^th to Jan 6^th are completed and the Epiphany season starts with the baptism of Jesus, his Declaration of Dependence.  As we start 2023, we are deciding how we will live with our dependencies and be public about our relationship with Jesus and how our faith will mark us as “children of God.”

         In 1776 the 12 colonies that were to become known as The United States pulled themselves together and with much debate and discussion wrote the Declaration of Independence from Britain and King George’s rule.  The signing of that document changed history, set in motion a series of events in the colonies, and provided the foundation for governance and debate. We still live into our identity as citizens of the United States of America even today.  I would propose today that Jesus’ baptism and hence our baptism is like the Declaration of Independence except baptism is a Declaration of Dependence.

¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan,

to be baptized by him.

         Jesus went to John the Baptist to make a public statement, a Declaration of Dependency.  When I hear the word “dependency,” I think of “co-dependency.”  The Internet defines co-dependency as “an emotional and behavioral condition that affects an individual’s ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. It is also known as “relationship addiction” because people with codependency often form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive and/or abusive.”  I cring at the definition because it is definitely implicit that independence is the desired mental state valued by most and that value has formed me. Dependency can be destructive and abusive.  As Americans we do not want to be labeled co-dependent.  I must ask myself if as Christians, we are addicted to a relationship with God and is it unhealthy?

         We believe Jesus is part of the Godhead, part of the Three-in-One.  He incarnated as True God and True Man.  The whole Christmas story declares this mystery that we believe but have trouble explaining.  A star shone that men from afar could see.  Prophecy declared the birth since long ago.  The religious advisor in Jerusalem knew about it.  Angels appeared to shepherds declaring a “Messiah”, a “Savior’ had been born.  When Jesus was baptized, he was not suddenly becoming someone he did not already know himself to be.  He was doing a public act that defined him.

         When we as parents or adults step up to the baptismal fount, we are not asking God to suddenly change us or our baby into a different person.  I would maintain, though, that we are declaring that we do not want our child or ourselves to be dependent on this world for our identity but that we are declaring that we want our identity to be dependent on God and his Word.

         At baptism, Jesus publicly claimed his intentions to live pleasing God, not the religious or political system of the day.  He stood before people and owned his missional mandate.  He knew who he was at age 12.  At the baptism, he declares it.  And so the first question to reflect on today is to ponder what our missional statement is that we are living out.  Are we dependent on God for living our life or do we carry him in our pocket like a driver’s license.  Our picture is on the card for ID when we get to the pearly gates but we choose which rules we will obey and which we will fudge about.  We might change states or churches but formost we function as Americans.  Or, do we function formost as God’s representatives as we enter 2023? 

“I need to be baptized by you,

and do you come to me?”

         When immigrants take the oath to become Americans, they change their allegiance and they declare to be part of the system of community in the USA.  Baptism is a declaration of dependence on God but it is also a declaration of membership in the Church (capitol C, universal church), the body of Christ.  Look at each other and say, “We’re in this together.”  John the Baptist did not feel worthy to baptize Jesus but Jesus chose the act to identify with people preparing for the coming Messiah.  Jesus did not have sin to repent of so he did not need a baptism of repentance being done by John.  He did not need the gift of the Holy Spirit as he was God.  But as True Man he was under the law and so submitted to baptism by John to fulfill the law of righteousness.  He and John were equals and we are partners with those others in the body of Christ.,

         As an elder who worries about the spiritual journey my children and grandchildren are taking or maybe even a neighbor or relative, I find comfort in baptism as a declaration of dependence on the universal church.  Not all flowers are roses and not all trees are fir trees and likewise God has many flavors or denominations.  I may not agree with them all, but I believe the God who helped me through my youth, young adulthood, and following years, that God can speak through other voices than mine and guide my loved ones.  I can release my doubts and fears into his hands.  Even as soldiers are Americans when they are on foreign soil, we are God’s children when we are filled with doubts, filled with anger, filled with despair and when we are filled with praise.  Baptism is the start of a relationship that we know God will be faithful to pursue and that identifies us with his people…  Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Romans 8 says,

         “³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

         God-parents stand with parents and commit with the parents to shepherd the child’s faith.  We as a congregation commit to shepherd the person being baptized too.  I pray that is not just a formality but we realize we are committing to caring for each other when we feel good and when we are sick, during periods of faith that moves mountains and during dark and cloudy days when we struggle and grieve.  Being church is not just about hearing a sermon or gaining knowledge.  It is about relationships, about being the body of Christ, and baptism declares that is a relationship we want.

¹⁷And a voice from heaven said,

“This is my Son, the Beloved,

with whom I am well pleased.”

         Baptism is a declaration of dependence on God not our world for our identity.  Baptism is a declaration of dependence on the Body of Christ as our communal identity.  But most importantly, we believe baptism is a Declaration  of Sacramental reality.  God says, “I am well pleased.”  Soak in that statement from the God of the universe.  When we choose relationship with him, he is well pleased.  There are now no hidden agendas from God.  God is not saying to Jesus that he will be pleased with him after Jesus is faithful to die on the cross and do all the miracles and teach all the good lessons he taught.  NO!  At the point of baptism God says, “I am well pleased.”

         Luther’s Small Catechism defines a sacrament as a sacred act that is commanded by God, that has visible elements or means, and offers God’s grace or forgiveness.  The Great Commission given by Jesus as his last words were for us to go and baptize all nations.  In baptism, water is combined with God’s command.  We baptize for the forgiveness of sins.  Now a days we don’t like to think of babies as sinners because they seem so innocent.  I have heard sin explained like this.   We can spell sin with a capitol “S” and that is our separation from God that needs to be restored. We do not walk and talk with God in the Garden face to face anymore.  Sin spelled with a small “s” are the deeds we do that separate us from each other and from God.   Babies are born separated from God and eventually we will see the selfishness present itself. In Jesus’ baptism we hear God say, “I am pleased” and I hear that as not only are there no issues waiting to be discussed, no hidden agendas, no separation anymore but there is actuallly positive warm feelings from God.  We no longer need to work to appease an angry judge but we can live in the love of a loving father.

         The Constitution of the United States or of any group declares membership, puts parameters around relationships, and states the rights and privileges of members.  The Constitution declared our independence from England and our rights to be self-governing.  As Christians our baptism declares our freedom from judgment by the laws of the land and declares our dependence on the laws of God: to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Our baptism unites us with a universal church found in all languages and with people of all ethnicities whom we call brothers and sisters.  Our baptism is sacramental, removing barriers between us and the God of the universe and forgiving the sins we do that alienate others.   We are forgiven, valued and dependent on God.  Sounds like a pretty healthy relationship to me!

First Reading: Numbers 6:22-27

the Aaronic benediction

²²The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²³Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,
 ²⁴The Lord bless you and keep you;
 ²⁵the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
 ²⁶the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
 ²⁷So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.

Psalm: Psalm 8

How majestic is your name in all the earth! (Ps. 8:1)

 ¹O Lord our Lord,
  how majestic is your name in all the earth!—
 ²you whose glory is chanted above the heavens out of the mouths of infants and children;
  you have set up a fortress against your enemies, to silence the foe and avenger.
 ³When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
  the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
 ⁴what are mere mortals that you should be mindful of them,
  human beings that you should care for them? 
 ⁵Yet you have made them little less than divine;
  with glory and honor you crown them.
 ⁶You have made them rule over the works of your hands;
  you have put all things under their feet:
 ⁷all ^| flocks and cattle,
  even the wild beasts of the field,
 ⁸the birds of the air, the fish of the sea,
  and whatever passes along the paths of the sea.
 ⁹O ^| Lord our Lord,
  how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7

⁴When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. ⁶And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Gospel: Luke 2:15-21

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

 ²¹After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Children’s Sermon:  As you think back over this past year is there something that you are pondering and wondering what God was up to in your life?  A time when you asked God, “What was that all about?”  Share with a neighbor.

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

Today we turn from Advent and all the excitement of preparing for Christmas that celebrates the arrival of Jesus, to looking at his childhood.  We call these two weeks the Christmas Season.  This year we look at our faith through the Gospel of Matthew.  Advent we focused on the Matthew’s buildup to Christmas day. For our gospel text today, though, we are going to go over to the Gospel of Luke that includes experiences of Jesus as a child not included in the other gospels. Luke is the only one who includes these early childhood details as important so we will focus on the assigned text today and ponder what God is saying to us.

         The first half of the church year we look at the big question of learning more about who our God is.  The second half, Pentecost Season, focuses on who we are to our God.  Advent starts the year by leading us to the reality that our God is not a being far distant in the heavenlies, the CEO of life whom we never see but whom is ultimately “the big cheese.”  The buck stops with God!  God is not an all-present force like in Star Wars, a force we allign our lives with and learn how to master. We are not becoming Jedi masters.  We do not hold our hands up, fingers split to form a V, and say, “the Force be with you.”  No, the Bethlehem account brings the eternal God into our reality, incarnate, and in human flesh.  The angels announce to the shepherds “today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” 

         Houston, we have a problem.  The shepherds go to see this promised savior but the baby does not look like a Messiah, someone destine to save the world.  It is not quite obvious to anyone just what is happening.  In fact, I would say it is not quite obvious what God is up to at any point in time.  It is only as we look back that we better understand what was happening and even then we often have questions.  I want us to ponder today with Mary all these things and treasure them in our heart.

“Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place,

which the Lord has made known to us.”

         Every culture has rituals around the birth of a child.  Americans hold showers to help the mother prepare.  We send out announcements.  In Kenya they would kill a goat.  The mother would live in seclusion for a month and neighbors would bring in milk.  In one tribe, the baby would be called “little monkey” for its first year as everyone waited to see if the child liked its home and would stay or die and return to heaven.  At one year, a naming ceremony would be held, a goat prepared, and a feast was had.  Luke gives us a glimpse of some of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth.  John the Baptist was conceived to prepare the way for the Messiah.  God sent an angel to Joseph and Mary. God, as father, declared the child would be named Jesus.  God claimed his role in the life unfolding.  He sent angels to shepherds announcing the birth of his son.  He made sure everyone knew.  A star shone above in the skys.

         We say, “Seeing is believing.”  But we also say, “I can’t believe my eyes,” and “Looks are deceiving.”  The shepherds raced off to see for themselves what the angels sang about.   They saw baby Jesus in the manger.  We have created movies, songs, cards and folklore around how this encounter must have been experienced.  The text says that the shepherds are not silent but share with others about this night and “all were amazed.”  I note there is no triiumphal procession as when Jesus enters Jerusalem before the cross.  There is no loud proclamation that the Messiah has been born.  I suspect, people heard with their ears, were amazed at the news report, went to see with their eyes but did not truly understand or believe the meaning of the happenings.  We turn on the news and hear reports about Ukraine and believe they are somehow true but it does not really impact our lives.  I suspect that like Mary, the shepherds saw and went back to their fields to ponder what God was up to.  God works in ways that are not always as we would expect.  God had started the world on a journey that we will learn more about as Jesus grows – leaves the manger and enters lives.

         On the other hand, the religious advisors of Herod heard about the possible birth of a new king from the Wise Men and they could even quote Scripture that said the king would be born in Bethlehem and they could look out their windows and see the star but they did not go to Bethlehem.  Hearing the news and seeing did not lead to faith and actions.  Herod who knew there was a prophecy of a Messiah that was to come, heard the Wise Men’s report but he did not go to Bethlehem either.  Hearing and seeing led him to fear and anxiety.  Neither the priests nor Herod walked the talk but watched as others went to “see this thing that has taken place.”  Seeing may well have been believing for the shepherds but it does not mean they understood what was happening.  Hearing for the priests and religious scholars and Herod, resulted in indifference and even fear.

         It is possible to see something and walk away marveling but not understanding or believe.  And so the question for us who hear the Christmas carols their “brave glad tidings tell,” is what is our response now that the babe is born.  Will we go to the manger like the shepherds and Wise Men and depart sharing or will we like the scholars and Herod move on to New Year resolutions about improving our lives?  A savior has been born but what does that mean to us today? 

^“17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child”

^“20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

The shepherds go to Bethlehem to see but the story does not stop there.  What they experienced moved their hearts to praise and their mouths to share with others.  Christmas for the shepherds could not stay in the manger and stable but moved with them back into their everyday lives.  The shepherds told others what they had experienced.  They did not understand the whole picture of what a Messiah being born meant but the little they understood, they shared.

         I suspect often we think the pastor’s role is sharing and explaining spiritual experience.  We pride ourselves as Lutherans that we are a confessional church and not dependent on testimonials from emotional people.  Back in the day, seeing spilled over into sharing.  Events that deeply touch our lives, we often talk about.  Getting that engagement ring most often becomes the center of our conversations.  Being accepted in the college of our choice is news worth sharing.  Holidays are days when we share our joy communally.  The birth of Jesus spilled over the confines of heaven as the angels praised God and shared with the shepherds.  The joy of the manger spilled over the stable into the lives of the Shepherds and the Wise Men as they shared their experience.

         So how do we want the joy of Christmas tio spill over in our lives this coming year?  Yes, we gave presents.  Yes, we sent Christmas greetings.  Yes, we decorated.  And for many, we bowed our heads and hearts in faith as we grieved the missing people and the hard times God carried us through this last year.  Life was messsy.  The birth of the Messiah did not mean the shepherds would no longer care for smelly, stupid sheep.  It did not end the Romans occupation.  It did not guarantee a car in every garage and two chickens in every pot.  So what did it mean that a savior was born?  And what does it mean to us?

         Houston, we have the on going challenge of living between the promise and the total fullfilment of salvation. Christmas is a seed that will grow but only as it is shared and cherished.  Our passage challenges us about how we will leave Christmas day and face the New Year wiith the message of the angels and the sights we have seen.  Will we too share with others the experience we have had?

^“19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”

         Mary challenges us to go deeper.  She had seen the angel at the announcement.  She had birthed the baby Jesus, but the text tells us she “treasured” and “pondered.”  Take a moment and think.  What do you treasure?  What is important and precious to you?  Turn to your neighbor and name that which is precious to you.

     How do we nourish, protect, and insure the continuing presence of that person or thing in our lives?  That is a good question.  My family has always had a silver box, somewhat like a safe deposit box, where our passports, identity documents like marriage and birth certificates, and other important papers are kept.  As a child, I was the oldest and in case of a tornado my assigned item to get to the basement was that silver box.  Scrap booking is another means of preserving those memories that bless us and help us hang in when life is hard.  As beloved people decline with dementia, we turn to our memories and remind ourselves that we are more than the fragile bodies we have.  Reunions and genealogy charts help us cherish.  We create physical ways to treasure that which we value.  We treasure someone by spending time with them.  We treasure Jesus by spending time with him and getting to know him.

         Mary not only “treasured” but she also “pondered” all that was happening in her life.  Pondering is an interesting word.  It would imply to me that Mary did not see life as random but realized something from God was unfolding.  College allows us to ponder and prepare for the future.  As young adults I suspect we pondered relationships as we asked if this was the person we wanted to spend our life with.  As parents we ponder the characteristics and talents of children and just how we can develop the talent and where it might lead.  As seniors our ponderings turn to decluttering and the inheritance we leave to the next generation, perhaps the contribution of our lives.  People who go to church on special occassions, may be guilty of neglecting pondering their faith like Mary and be more like the religious scholars of Herod.  Hmmmm?

         We believe God is not random and we believe God speaks into our reality.  BUT we often must stop and listen or ponder to realize what is being said.  Have you ever been driving home distressed about the burdens of the day and suddenly see a dazzling sunset and have the feeling that everything will be ok?  Perhaps a song comes on the radio or a friend calls or a verse comes to mind.  Then again we are delayed just that little bit that means we were not in the accident that happened that might have involved us had we gone earlier.  Life is not random and God speaks into our lives.  Pondering is sitting in an experience and listening for God’s message in the event.  Mary and Joseph had seen the angel.  But now as the shepherds come, Mary ponders.  May our prayer for the New Year be that we will have hearts open as we ponder events that touch our lives.  May our ponderings lead us deeper into seeing how Jesus, our Savior, speaks into our lives today.

^“21After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus,”

         We see, we share, we ponder, but also we must carry through with the good news.  Mary and Joseph were told by the angel to name the baby Jesus as he would save his people from their sins.  They named the baby Jesus.  We all know the New Year resolutions we make and by February, if not sooner, our determination fades.  Mary and Joseph by obeying and naming their child Jesus they are speaking into eternity a message from God. Jesus is “Savior.”

         Salvationn is a reality he is initiating.  Ultimately salvation depends upon what he does on the cross and our ongoing relationship with him.  Salvation does not depend on our actions like New Year’s resolutions. Salvation is a relationship.  It is faith and not works.  Jesus means God is acting and we are receiving by faith.  This coming year there will be dark days when salvation will seem as impossible as a little baby in a manger out in a stable.  We will be tempted to doubt and dispair but God has acted and declared.  May we spend time pondering life with Mary. God has come into our world and his goal is our salvation.

         The baby in the manger, the baby named Jesus, will grow and his story will expand even as through this coming year hopefully we will grow and expand in our awareness of salvation, Jesus, in our lives.  

         The Aaronic blessing that is our Old Testament reading for today says, perhaps summarizes it best:

^“24The Lord bless you and keep you;
 ²⁵the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
 ²⁶the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”
 

The name Jesus means that God is choosing to bless us and he will keep us in all situations we encounter in the coming year.  His goal for us is salvation.  The Lord looks at us and smiles.  His heart’s intent is love.  He wants to be gracious and kind to us.  The Lord lifts up his countenance upon us.  He is not so busy in Ukraine that he cannot be concerned about things that touch our lives.  His eyes are on us.  His desire is that we have peace or perhaps security in our relationship with him and with those around us.

         Allow me to pray this blessing over you this morning –

^“24The Lord bless you and keep you;
 ²⁵the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
 ²⁶the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”
 ^“

Let the people of God say, “AMEN!”