Reigning Hope; Sermon for Christ the King Sunday by Rev. Nicole A.M. Collins

“O father of all mercy and God of all comfort, strengthen and uphold me by Your Spirit. You command that we should wait on Him until the reason for our trials shall appear. For You do not for Your own pleasure permit us to be tortured and grieved. In fact, You did not permit any evil to be done unless You can make it serve a good purpose. You see my distress and weakness. Therefore, You will help and deliver me. Amen.” This is a beautiful prayer one of many prayers that Martin Luther wrote in regard to preparing for the journey of Christian Life. 

This is the final Sunday in the church year calendar. it is the climax of the story and proclamation of just who is, who was and who is to come, Jesus Christ Our Lord; to be our beginning and our end. It is through Him that we listen and lean upon His arm for hope that all that He has done shall never be moved. Christ's victory is the defeat of sin, death and the devil. We are truly free. Heaven & Earth may pass away, will pass away but the Words of the Gospel, the Words of Christ shall never pass away... are we awake however enough to make sure?

Are we awake enough in our own lives to quit daydreaming and start being the church in the world? for the task at hand is great and we are at the precipice of a new beginning once again with the ‘Greatest Story Ever Told’ under our stewardship and care. And for the arm of God, the Reformation began some 500 plus years ago. The Reformation however should still be going on and it's beyond just what happened in Germany with a troubled monk worrying about our genuine salvation and the role of grace and the Christian's life. The church's Reformation should more or less be considered a restoration of living into that wonderful freedom, we were given and that wonderful hope, we are to hold fast to. 

The Prelude/ postlude we have for today’s service is that great Newsboys’ Christian rock song: ‘God's Not Dead.’ It actually goes along with a really good film about a young man challenging his atheist philosopher professor in college. It's a game of power and it is truly a story about convictions. Having a conviction standing firm, holding firm to that conviction is what faith is all about. It is what discipleship is all about. Being a disciple of Christ in the 21st century is going to make you feel sometimes like you’re the figure in Isaiah’s passage from chapter 50: “⁵The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. ⁶I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. ⁷The Lord God helps me….” This is where are you are waiting for those to tug and pull at you, but you stand firm against the tide. Christ the King Sunday is the culmination of why we believe in Christ. Who Christ truly is for us and what Christ has truly given us and how we are to respond, yes.

Earlier this week the Clark County Ministerial Association had a wonderful speaker talking about crisis chaplaincy work in Las Vegas especially after the October 1st tragedy of 2017. Governments and budgets don't necessarily understand the purposefulness of the chaplain’s work in the world, which is the ministry of compassion. Hospitals, medical centers Etc. see people like cars to fix. Fix them up send them a bill and ship them out. The man's hour-long presentation had some sad elements to it in regard to where priorities are for preparing for a disaster. He seemed to critically point out that the income revenue stream was more important to city leaders than the safety and wellbeing of others, in light of potential chaos. I thought it was interesting in one sense because I never go to football games. I have no interest in sports whatsoever and I figured life is enough of a sport as it is. Why should I be a spectator to others doing it? I thought it was interesting however that this gigantic stadium that they're building for the Raiders is only going to have 19 exits. All in all, the speaker concluded in saying there's no way that what we have now in Las Vegas as far as first responders is going to be equipped to handle this.

Kind of sounds apocalyptic there doesn't it a little bit? We have sort of been hearing that as well, with the last couple excerpts from Mark's Gospel from his mini apocalyptic things that he has Jesus sharing with His disciples. The most important line in today's Gospel is something we need to hear deeply and that is or begins I should say with verse 32: “… but about that day or hour no one knows neither the angels in Heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.” Jesus closes by saying: “… and what I say to you, I say to all— keep awake!” Keeping awake is not necessarily downing a Red Bull or having your fourth cup of coffee, Jesus is talking about our preparedness not only for His second coming but truly our preparedness in thinking prayerfully about the future.

Each and every year, ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ is shared by the proclaimers of the church, for all to hear that beginning and that end. This is for us to see and remember and know always, not only who Jesus Christ Our Lord truly is but what he has done, that is the Good News! The Good News for a weary world needing to be shaped by the Gospel. It is that continual task, that to be joyful burden the cost of discipleship carries for the world. The ruler of the world is still alive and well and working upon us as we speak in all forms of things that make us to rebel against God and His gifts. The world would be very happy if we became rebels with a cause only for ourselves. What a lonely universe that truly is. What a purposeless universe that is as well for God is not dead, He is surely alive and He is living within us as that New Nature to tap into and reap.

Many of those people who would stand firm against the powers to be shaking of the world, with the Gospel, did not have an easy life. Perhaps many as well have never had a really “happy” life. We must remember happiness is one of those words that has become a Pandora's Box of both weighty meaning and empty meaning. One of my old Cursillo friends has a statement by Nehemiah tagging the bottom of all of her emails this is: “For the joy of the Lord is your strength.” This is true only when you can tap into that by being awake to God's messages to your heart, working through your life. 

Today's Gospel passage comes from a long conversation Jesus is having with His disciples that sounds pretty bleak and troubling. It is almost as if He is predicting not the only the persecution and troubles the disciples will be facing as they go forth with the Good News after Christ ascends, but a warning for the world at large. I think it is interesting that the lectionary skips from last week's Gospel verse ending at verse 13, verses 14 through 22. Perhaps we don't need to hear the details of suffering and perhaps it marginalizes Jesus's message to the times He was speaking through, but it is something to be concerned about and not ignore.  We should hear this passage perhaps with the hopefulness of the writer of Hebrews with his famous verse: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” The verses before this verse from Hebrews is like a wonderful encouragement instructional Passage to those staying strong against persecution and keeping their faith. No matter what the world throws in our path and the struggles ahead in the deep valleys that seem to have no end, God is always there with us and for us, because of the victory of the cross, We Carry On.

We carry on because Christ carried us and is still carrying us. I love that old ‘Footprints in the Sand’ poem talking about Jesus literally carrying us when the weight, the burden, the stress and pain have been too much. The world can definitely make one's efforts and heart, hurt when we see so many people suffering and seemingly so few people who care to help. I have talked about this before, but what the Gospel of Christ is calling us to contemplate is being advocates with His Word to reveal restorative justice around us. His Word breaks into the world and is there for us to reform, renew and live into a resurrected life. The prophet Isaiah was one to preach and teach with God's Word for us to see a path of not only reconciliation with God, but one of restoration and justice. The Holy Spirit flows through his words in his little passage with God's voice speaking of deliverance and of lifting up. We are not only to lift our eyes up to the heavens and contemplate the Grace and glory of God, but we are to rest in Hope within His mighty arms of this precious Grace.

Of this precious Grace, people hear God's call to their hearts. Of this precious Grace, we are to realize that the mission of God is our discipleship. God needs to work through us out into the world to reveal a New Heaven and a New Earth. Christ’s reign is eternal. We are the community of saints called and gathered, by and around the Gospel. This is what Luther himself once said in talking about the Apostle’s Creed. The church is the site where God renews and transforms us. It is a place where the practices of being the Body in Christ forms us into the image of the Son. Now remember, it's not about the steeple it's much more about the people. It's about Gathering and then scattering with God's Word into the world, into the wilderness we must go.

The journeys of those first responders, the ones that are called to face the chaos of things happening in the world around us...  I can't imagine what they must be feeling, all of those firefighters and other helpers that are dealing with the horrible fires in California that have taken so many lives. I thought it was ironic and troubling that the town to be completely destroyed in Northern California had the name of Paradise. We understand Paradise in the ancient languages to mean of the garden. We understand that in our Christian Heritage to be Eden, the perfect place and the home of God. Some 44,000 Acres I believe, have been decimated by this fire that left only two homes or structures in the town of Paradise, California, standing.

No one really has talked much about how this fire was started, though it is called the “Camp fire.” Could it have been started by a careless camper who did not put the ambers out during their time of leisure in the showiness of nature?  One could only hope that, that's not the case, but then we don't know. We don't know as well what will happen with thousands of people stampeding the boundaries of the US seeking help and asylum. We don't know what's going to happen when the stadium for the Raiders is finished and there is a moment of crisis at some point in time. On one end, life is too short to worry and be sad about so much that goes on and could happen. On the other end this, is when we need to lean upon the great strength of the Holy Spirit to guide us, encourage us, inspire us and most importantly through the Word of God motivate us to make things change.

Just this past Thursday, we celebrated the historical heritage holiday, Thanksgiving. To some young people in the world, they are seeing the need to erase history and not seeing the need for a time for being grateful and sharing Thanksgiving for all that was given for us. Ugly labels such as racism and hatred and other things are being slapped upon not only Thanksgiving now, but Columbus Day and a myriad of other events that are a part of our culture’s history. They have passed, and we have grown to be better. We cannot erase our beginnings. We must learn and grow from them. That is what God's Word teaches us. That is the truth of Christ, His cross, His grace and Resurrection. Those who manipulate the death-work of politics cannot see how much we need to be restored and renewed. Their Justice is only a statement of power. It is not a justice that frees the heart for the Grace of God.

The reigning hope that we have in the world is the victory of Christ. This is His faithful Witness, His rule of love and His Kingdom that has no end.  As we all begin to turn the pages in our hearts and minds to this coming new year, a little over 30 something days away, I hope we can keep ourselves alert to God's signs. It may be hard for us to picture, for we probably think of ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told,’ like we're looking inside a book itself and seeing the finite pages and seeing the few disciples mentioned in the scriptures, but we are a part of that story too. That's very important, hear that again: we are part of God's story too. God is certainly not dead. He is very much alive and walks with us. His Holy Spirit reigns over us, inspiring and motivating us to do the right thing, to be the right thing for the sake of His Good News.

Let us pray—

Loving and Gracious Lord Jesus

Your love and grace reigns through our hearts

We know what we must do Lord

We know that you are the new beginning for us

And the end is Your love

We also know, and need to be reminded of the resurrected life we must embrace

As Your ambassadors of Your Word.

Help us to keep inspired and be awake

To all that we must do and be

In Your most Holy Name, we pray. Amen

Christ the King Sunday; November 25^th, 2018; Proper 29; Year B; SOLA Lectionary

Sermon by: Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Psalm 93; Isaiah 51:4-6; Revelation 1:4-8; Mark 13:24-37

 The link below is to this sermon's delivery at the Grace Hub at 12:30pm

https://youtu.be/vEdmomly55k

A Towering Faith; Sermon for November 18th, 2018 by: Rev. Nicole A.M. Collins

This is the last Sunday before Christ the King Sunday, which is the quote end of the church year calendar. These endless “extra-ordinary” Sundays in the season of the spirit, the season of Pentecost are all these little lights through the wilderness of helping us to see and realize what we must do growing up with the Holy Spirit’s help into this resurrected life.  This is a time of Thanksgiving. It is a time to see the boundaries that we put up and the ones that God keeps tearing down in order to teach us. The resurrected life smacks right up to the beginning once again of Advent. The season of Advent is that time of expectation, that time of waiting for the Incarnation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into our world, for our sake.

Have we realized enough of what a resurrected life looks like is? Do we know what it really means for us, as disciples, those following Jesus? Those were the things that stuck out for me in looking at these texts. Have we ourselves, individually seen a resurrection within, by tapping into reaping that New Nature? Have we started to feel those birth pangs of endurance? Well we're not exactly in a world that is supporting the power of faith yet alone giving it much credence to listening to Christ and His call for us to think about the future. We have well-established our boundaries. These are boundaries that are not only between one another but have truly created a great gap between us and God once again.

Today's Gospel sounds like it's something written to influence the Book of Revelation. It is the Gospel writer Mark’s “mini apocalypse” as it is called. What's Jesus doing here? We know He's always trying to get through the thick heads of the disciples what they need to do in order to proclaim and live into the good news in the world… but what is truly the most significant thing He is teaching here? Sometimes I think God leaves us with more questions than He does answers. We hear sort of a shorthand summary of the awful things that we know is the quote “end of the world…” but I think Jesus is talking about something truly spiritual here. Our Evangelical brothers and sisters would probably love to go into the ‘Left Behind’ series and talk about all that stuff, but that's not what this is about. For we will not know the day or the hour that the Son of man will return and the “true end” or perhaps really, a “true beginning” will take place.

I went back to Chicago this past week and it wasn't necessarily a very good trip. This was not just because there's never enough time to see friends and family, but there were elements of grief, anxiety and sadness that pretty much put a big black cloud over my celebrating my dad's 76 birthday, as well as seeing the few friends I could see. It's not been a very hopeful Fall for me either… but God keeps trying to touch our hearts to see that there is a “New and Living Way” that He has opened for us, that is a bright light. Having and keeping in building up that towering faith-potential that we have within ourselves can make us feel like perhaps we are stewards of the “Tower of Babel.” That we're playing a continual game of Jenga and not really winning. Those are our boundaries though, not God’s. God has no boundaries and God never gives up on us. We give up on one another as well as ourselves much more often then it seems perhaps God has left us.

There were many places and the many faces I saw on that trip. At one point however, I felt as if I was looking inside a coffin. They were empty shells of my former life. Boy, I sound pretty depressing here, don't I? Maybe that's not to be heard in such a sad way but that I have begun to grow and see much more clearly where God needs me to go. Jesus had to say a similar thing to these disciples. They needed to hear that it wasn't going to be an easy road. They needed to wake up and smell the coffee to the eminent reality of persecution. We are in a world that is persecuting, and it is in subtle ways these days. You could be filling out a form online in hopes for getting a job and they're asking overtly a political question. Technically this kind of question should be illegal… but through semantics, it found a loophole to be within this application. The right answer to dealing with the death works of politics in this current society is to not have an opinion or voice especially if you need to keep getting your “bread-and-butter” money to survive this world.

One of the readings that I read before I went on my vacation was a wonderful piece written by the professor from my Proclamation class. It was, in essence, his review of this book called: ‘The Death Works.’ It is one of those books that talk about the struggle, challenge and failure of the culture of “doing and being” Church is facing against the power and oppression from the secular world. I didn't necessarily agree with some of the author’s views in saying that Art is a part of the death works. Our Lord, our God is a Creator. He created the universe. We have been given the capacity to create as well, but it is to be an expression and more or less a layer to reflecting on the world. Art can be something that imprisons but it also can be something that is profoundly freeing...

The Holy Spirit led me through being an artist, painter then into poetry and then to where I am today for a greater purpose. I still don't understand, and I do feel often at times a “rebel without a cause.” The world we live in deconstructs the heart’s motivations to persevere and endure all kinds of evil and imprisonment that we not only place upon one another but fall prey to, to our own undoing. The destruction of the temple that Jesus is alluding to with these apocalyptic words… yes, are speaking to what really did happen but I think He is really trying to get the disciples to think about the potential destruction of the temple within themselves. This temple within us is the heart. This is faith’s first church, where the Holy Spirit dwells and where the seed of the New Nature is planted.

The heart is our first church within our temple of the “self.” At the center of this first church, if you are a disciple of Jesus, is Jesus. He is that great light. He is that great anchor that keeps us strong and helps us through our ever-challenging days. The world we are persevering right now has been deconstructing many things. It has been tearing down our encouragement, but Jesus is not only calling His disciples here, but He is calling to us to be a part of the plan of building it up, rebuilding. Reaping that New Nature seed of the New Creation within us is not going to be an easy journey at all. The world does not approve of the Christian’s radical sense of freedom. We see this with regimes shutting down and tearing down churches and we see this even in our own backyard with the “death work of politics” over running every single thing that we do.

The author of Hebrews tells us to hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering. What a powerful thought! Just this past Sunday we heard Pastor Mary preach on a Psalm of strength. It was also the Sunday to celebrate Veterans. There is no such thing as a just War sorry to disappoint St. Augustine, but it is the truth. These brave men and women however knew and were called to reach out and be a part of rebuilding peace in the world. All of us are “veterans” of something. We may have never wielded a gun or anything like that, but we've definitely seen and survived or barely survived the battles and challenges this one solitary, earthly life has thrown at us, whether we like it or not. It's easy to think at times or despair that we're doing this alone… I’m glad that God keeps having to prove us wrong all the time.

This is no less different for the church as well. The steeple and the people.... do we function well together or not too often enough? We are those Jenga bricks that build the post-modern church. Jenga doesn't sound too promising for a solid structure does it? I think being one of those Jenga bricks is pretty precarious and definitely challenges your endurance. I must confess I've never played the game, but I did think it was amusing seeing it on television shows such as the Big Bang Theory and the continual jokes about the unpredictability of humanity to choose. But if you actually did think of yourself as one of those bricks and you were building this structure and things had to be moved around and some bricks were removed by people who couldn't stand or couldn't stay in that place.... The reality is, is that the church is a very delicate place. As my one friend likes to joke, “Flex Seal” wouldn't necessarily help the situation either.

Being perhaps the overly conscientious biblical scholar, I like to be, I quoted some scripture where I had someone comment: “what's your point?” Human nature made me get defensive, when I was merely quoting Ephesians chapter 4 that talks about our task to empower, enlighten and encourage others with their varying gifts that we all have a place in God's plan as His church in the world. But perhaps just like the disciples, this person was perplexed why I wasn't talking about or debating through doctrine alone. Doctrine is or has become our boundaries, where we've perhaps imprisoned or torn down God's Word with what we feel is, “the truth.” Perhaps when we feel we need to express ourselves one way or the other and God's Mission really isn't in the forefront… is when we're one of those Jenga bricks being taken out of the Tower or taken out of the steeple that makes up the people of the church.

Another bright spot that highlights the Gospel’s call for us to be enduring and persevering as Christians in a hostile wilderness is what the Prophet Daniel teaches us in saying: “… those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” The righteousness that we understand from Christ comes from reaping that New Nature and seeing the power of love to build up and resurrect us. Perhaps those empty shells those sad and dark places my heart was wrenched to feel this past trip was God once again reassuring my heart that I have been following Him and I have begun to transform.  Through Christ, we see the promise of the new world revealed by His cross and by His resurrection. We will begin to really know and see His Providence over us the more we begin to become those stable weight-bearing Jenga bricks. 

In just saying the name of Jesus, even when to warding away the devil and evil things… we know we are in good hands. We know He never abandons us and holds us. He keeps us strong. His Holy Spirit continues to keep us strong even when we feel we look death straight in its dark face. Christ’s life is to be seen as a tapestry. This is one that we must see from His Incarnation to the Cross, to the Resurrection and Ascension to the final Triumph--which is the resurrected life. The final Triumph is that the tower of Faith still stands firm and is holding itself together in the face of anything and everything that the wilderness of the world will throw at it or into its path I should say.  Our lives are always going to go into valleys and climb out upon mountaintops and descend once again. It's not a vicious cycle. It's just a part of what we must do in being strong as disciples who truly follow Jesus. We truly follow Christ and take up our own crosses every other day. We feel the stress of despair at times. We feel those tears that are too real. Tears which make us feel very frail as we go forward with the Good News.

Our hope is in the Lord who made Heaven and Earth; who has no boundaries but endless love and grace for us.  A wonderful overflowing hope, a powerful vision— a bright light, that is what keeps us strong. We are His children of Grace and of promise. Hope is not foolishness, it is strength. Keeping to the promise is not idle thinking, it is our missional motivation.  Christ is counting on us to change the world. Yes, that sounds like “Pollyanna-hippie” idealism but it is our calling. Each one of us has been given gifts from God to use, wield against evil in the world and be that strong Jenga brick within that wonderful Tower. 

A closing note for this Sunday for us to really think about is the vocation of discipleship. The way the world sees vocation is what kind of job that you have, and you are then, ranked, filed and assimilated by the Judgment of others. Through and with God, vocation is something much more profound and beautiful. The only judgement God wields against us is when we choose or fall weak to sin over the mission of the Gospel. This is when we become one of those Jenga bricks to be removed and move where we feel like we'd like to move to “grow and go,” the way we see fit and not necessarily with God's blessing or guidance. The commission of the Gospel only has one “agenda.” This is to be a great, overarching peace and unity that builds to loving God and neighbor, revealing the kingdom of God, here and now, in this world.

One of my friends, I was only able to see for one day.... He’s not really had a very good year as well, with many things that have happened for him. I thought it was interesting in how the Holy Spirit had me connect the scriptures with his story and where he now lives. His new teeny, weeny, tiny apartment is facing a church. His former home was also facing a church. His girlfriend, who just like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, he continues to deny, is his girlfriend… lives across the street from yet another church, as well. Neither one of them felt to be a part of the “Body” especially the one that my friend continues to serve, thanklessly and selflessly. He's like one of those Jenga bricks that didn't want to be taken out of the Tower but be a part of serving a greater mission and story. Sometimes though, we like tearing people down as well as doing other divisive evil things for the justification of ourselves and our worldly priorities.  

I must confess I wasn't really that great of a guest visiting with him, all day the second day of my trip. I had a very hard time holding back tears. This was not only in feeling sadness for him, but just wondering where the world is going. In his little tiny home, he has two bookshelves his father made for him when he was a young man.  This, plus a few things, are all he has left. But he keeps persevering even going back into his former home that greed, in the "name" of church.... has not sold yet and turning on lights and turning on heaters so pipes don't burst over the cold. More thankless ironies, he must persevere. I love my friend and I pray for him daily. That's being one of those Jenga bricks of support. 

I have perhaps said it in other messages before, but being a “rebel with a cause,” is persevering as a disciple of Jesus. The Gospel is our great strength that is that invisible mortar to the heart’s walls where His Holy Spirit dwells in teaching us, leading us onward, into an unknown future. Perhaps though, our boundary is thinking it is unknown? Perhaps we need to be beginning to think that everything is held in God's hands and care… that our wavering faith will always fall short of His glory, but we march onward with His Word. Amen

Let us pray—

Loving and Gracious Lord Jesus

You continue to hold our frail temples together with Your Love and Grace.

Continue to help us to be strong and be there for other people.

Help us to be really grateful, grateful with love and thanksgiving

For not only everything You have given us,

But for all those in our lives that are Your lights in the world

Persevering through the darkness.

We thank you Lord Jesus for every gift, for every day and for each other. AMEN

November 18th, 2018; 26th Sunday after Pentecost; Year B; Proper 28; SOLA Lectionary

Sermon by: Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Psalm 16; Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-13

 The link below is to this sermon's delivery at the Grace Hub at 12:30pm

https://youtu.be/kdpx7F0xOnU