Refreshing lives, transforming faith, at the heart of the community Haere Mai, Piki Mai
Please Note:This web site makes extensive use of CSS for styling .
If you can read this message, it is probably because your browser does not properly support CSS or you have disabled this yourself.
Although the content looks better with with CSS 'turned on', this site is perfectly readable either way.
One oddity you may notice (with CSS turned off) is the display of text that is intended for PRINTERS ONLY
A Sermon by The Reverend Yvonne McLean tssf
Nelson Cathedral
Sunday, 16 November 2008
Readings
Judges 4:1 - 7
1 Thessalonians 5:1 - 11
Matthew 25:14 - 30
Father, may my words be true to your word and our hearts open to hear you.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen
Did you know that on average city dwellers spend 6 months of their lives
waiting at traffic lights, one year searching for misplaced objects
(glasses, keys etc), 6 years eating, 8 months opening junk mail and 5 years
waiting in line at banks, shops and supermarkets?
We all know that we have been given a finite amount of time. But how we use
it is often unplanned. Life just flows by; we do things the way we have
always done them, until something comes along to shake us out of our rut!
Busy people are very conscious of their time, filling their dairies with
appointments, allowing space for meetings, preparation, study etc.
Most of you know that I have spent the last four weeks in a very unexpected
way. No one prepares to be ill. I knew I was tired, but I thought I would
just keep going. I′d got through the intensity of the 150th celebrations,
open day, etc. Hard on it′s heels came the Pet service, and much preparation
had already gone into the Arts Festival service - but I never got there.
I had never experienced a back injury and disc pain. Any pain is exhausting,
but the biggest frustrations were not being able to do the most basic
things! I could either lie down or walk. Standing for short times yes, but
no sitting! All of a sudden I had a lot of time on my hands! But I was too
tired and too lacking in concentration to do anything with it! After 2 weeks
I moved my computer mouse and keyboard so that I could read my e mails
standing up - that helped a bit, and eventually I was able to read my bible
again without walking round the room.
But where was God′s in all of this?
Well I believe it was all about God′s timing. The back injury that finally
took me to A and E was in fact the 5th time I′d hurt myself. It took 5 times
for God to make me stop!5 times before I had no choice left.It was God′s
timing now - I′d been given my opportunities to rest and now God called a
halt!
In our Old Testament reading it was Deborah and Barak′s time to fight King
Jabin of Canaan. Deborah the Prophetess said:
"The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you, ′Go, take position at Mount
Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of
Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin′s army, to meet you
by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him
into your hand.′" It was God who drew out the army and God who gave them
into Barak′s hands. It was God′s plan and God′s timing.
The reading from 1 Thessalonians begins: "Now concerning the times and the
seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to
you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief in the night."
Here Paul tells the Thessalonians what they are already very much aware of
God′s times and seasons and Jesus′ return.
We are now at the end of what is called "Ordinary time" , the 26th Sunday
after Pentecost. This Sunday is also called the second Sunday before Advent,
and this reading is preparing us for the season of Advent.
Advent is the beginning of the church year, It is the season that looks to
the coming of Christ. Not just at Christmas, but the return of Christ.
This is the day of the Lord referred to in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 Jesus will
return like a thief in the night and it will be at God′s appointed time.
We cannot know what that time will be but we are forewarned so we can
prepare for it.A bit like my back - 4 strains before the final one.
I had warnings - but did I heed the warnings? Did I alter my lifestyle? Did
I change the way I used my time? No.
We may think that we have got our faith response sorted, that we are
prepared for the second coming, but are we?
Paul seemed to think that the Thessalonians were ready; he said that they
were already walking in the light. They were "children of the light,
children of the day." Verse 5 He went on in Verse 8 to say: "But since we
belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and
love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." So although we may be walking
in the light, we still have to put on the breastplate of faith and love, and
the helmet of salvation. Of course breastplates and helmets were the
appropriate imagery for Paul′s day.
What would we say today? Maybe - let us speak, text and e mail with words of
faith and love. And: let us safe guard our thinking so that we may live as
people belonging to God. Or as the Message puts it: "Since we′re creatures
of Day, let′s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in
faith, love, and the hope of salvation." You may have better analogies, but
the point is, even after we believe there is still ongoing work to be done.
We have to walk the talk!
Which brings me to our gospel reading - The parable of the talents. The
reading begins with the master giving gifts to his servants, then going
away. The parable tells how each person used those gifts but the telling
moment occurs when the master returns:
Verse 19 "After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled
accounts with them."
Again it is God′s timing. A long time yes, but the master will return!
Jesus will return!
We have all been given our gifts, our abilities and we will all be called to
account for how we use them. We are in God′s household, but we still have
jobs to do. Our gift maybe the level of the faith we have received. And we
will be called to account for the way we have expressed that faith.
How we have spent our lives.
Have you noticed that we talk about spending our lives, spending time?
A management consultant once asked this question: If we each had to pay in
advance for our time - say $100 an hour, would that make a difference as to
how we used it? How we spent our time? A sobering thought!
But in one way our time, our lives have been paid for. We have life in all
its fullness because God has given it to us, paid for by Jesus′ death on the
cross. As part of our offertory prayer we often say : "Everything we have
comes for you." Not just our money but our lives, our health, and our time.
How we choose to use life does make a difference. I know I have said this
many times before but it has really been brought home to me again through
these weeks of recovery. How well I can serve God is affected by my body′s
health. We know the body is the temple of God, we give this mental
affirmation, but do to live it! And I′m still working through what that
means for me.
But what is God saying to us today about his plans and timing for our lives?
How have you spent the gifts that God has given to you?
In the season of Advent as we look forward to Christ′s return and it′s good
to ponder such questions. Advent is a seasonal reminder of God′s timing.
I couldn′t help but link the Barak from our Old Testament reading with the
recently elected president of America - Barak Obama. Many believe that it
was God′s timing for the USA to have its first Black American President.
There were many sermons preached along this line throughout American
churches last week, you can find them on the internet. Here in New Zealand
we have been told for weeks that "It′s time for a change". For we know that
very few governments have more than 3 terms in office. If we believe that
God is in control of all things, then can we say that this was just God′s
timing? In all three of our readings we can see that we have a part to play
too! I believe that God continues to work with humanity and does not impose
his will upon us.
Barak, the commander of the Israelite army had to gather the ten thousand
troops from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun.
Deborah had to listen to God.
And if we go back even further to Judges 4 verse 1: "The Israelites again
did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud died. So the LORD
sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan." The Israelites behaviour
landed them in captivity in the first place!
The Thessalonians had to live their lives in the light, to put on faith,
love and the helmet of salvation.
And the servants in the parable of the talents had to use their talents
wisely. It was no use burying them in the ground! Jesus then called them to
account.
Yes, we have a part to play: To believe in the first place and to live our
lives accordingly!
Our actions do count, just like the votes of 220 million Americans counted
and just like our votes counted last weekend. Individual′s actions add up to
the whole. Individual lives working in conjunction with God′s provision,
God′s times and seasons can bring about great changes.
So to echo Barak Obama - named after Barak of the Old Testament?
Can we make a difference?
Yes we can!
Do we work in conjunction with God?
Yes we do!
Will we examine our lives this Advent, before God returns to call us to
account?
I hope the answer is - yes we will!
What is God saying to us this morning?
And like Deborah, are we listening?
I pray that each one of us may hear God′s call to prepare our hearts and
minds, and to examine the way we spend our lives
so that we may be not just ready but joyfully anticipating Christ′s return.
This I ask In Jesus′ name.
Amen.
The Reverend Yvonne McLean tssf
This sermon was written and delivered by The Reverend Yvonne McLean tssf at Nelson Cathedral, 16 November 2008 at 8:00 and 10:00
