Sermon: “Noticing God in the Ordinary”

INTRODUCTION:  Our Scripture Reading for today is from the Book of Psalms, which “represents the hymnbook or the prayer book of the Second (and perhaps the First) Temple in Jerusalem…  Psalm 46 is fundamentally an affirmation of faith in God; it is often classified as a song of confidence or trust.”

Scripture:  Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
    God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
    see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I am exalted among the nations,
    I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.

SERMON:  “Noticing God in the Ordinary”

Growing up, I was a somewhat anxious child.  I worried a lot.  Would the school bus be on time? Would my mother remember to pick me up at camp?  If I took off my glasses at the beach to go swimming, would I be able to find my family again when I came out of the water and couldn’t see them from a distance? 

Because of this tendency to worry, my mother taught me to use a technique she called, “worst case scenario” that she hoped would help me teach myself how to alleviate at least some of my anxiety.  You probably know what I’m talking about.  The way this technique works is that the person who feels anxious imagines the worst thing that could possibly happen, then figures out ways to cope if the worst thing actually did happen.  And then, more often than not, the person ends up pleasantly surprised when reality turns out to be MUCH better than what was imagined.  Even if there are some challenges, the person is less anxious and better able to deal with them.  At least that’s the theory.  And, actually, most of the time it worked, though I’m not sure I ever admitted that to my mother.  (Mom, in case you are tapped into this livestream up in heaven, “thank you!”)

But back to our text.  Imagine my surprise this week when I read that the psalmist--the anonymous author of Psalm 46--was using the same technique my mother taught me to help the people of ancient Israel deal with their anxiety when facing the chaos that is sometimes present in our world.  Biblical Scholar Professor J. Clinton McCann, Jr. says, “to illustrate how powerful a help God can be in [times of] trouble, [verses 2 and 3] present the ultimate worst-case scenario.”  (New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Vol. IV, p. 865.) 

“Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.”

Professor McCann reminds us that in the ancient near east view of the world, mountains represented stability.  It was thought that mountains BOTH literally served as the foundations of the earth AND acted as pillars that held up the sky.  So, in this worst-case scenario painted by the psalmist, if the mountains shook, then the earth would be “threatened from below by water and from above by the sky falling.”  (ibid., p. 865.)  The Professor asserts that the psalmist’s “worst case” is akin to any contemporary doomsday scenario that we could imagine--from nuclear devastation to extreme climate crisis to deadly pandemics.  It is what Martin Luther talks about in our first hymn, where he describes forces that “threaten to undo us.” 

The good news--the really good news--of Psalm 46 is that even when the worst-case scenario happens-- when human beings experience forces or circumstances that threaten to undo us--we do not have to be afraid.  God is still with us.  Verse one:  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  AND, in case we missed it in that verse, the message repeats as a refrain in verses 7 and 11:  “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”  And the words “with us” don’t just mean “standing near us” or “in the same room with us.”  The professor tells us that combined with the word “refuge,” they carry the connotation of being “for us”--that is, “inclined toward ‘our help.’”  (ibid., p. 865.)   In Luther’s words, “like a mighty fortress,” God is actively protecting us.

But, this psalm is clear, God’s protection of us is not the same as a human ruler who might protect us through military means.  No.  In this psalm, God is not portrayed as a warrior who swoops in with his angel armies to annihilate our enemies.  Just the opposite, in fact. God “makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; God breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; God burns the shields with fire.”  (verse 9)  In other words, God doesn’t help us to fight back; God uses the force of Love to protect us and give us a refuge of calm in the midst of chaos.  And, almost counter-intuitively, as we begin to experience that refuge of calm, we actually begin to have a calming effect of the chaos swirling around us.

“But,” you might be asking, “How exactly does God do that?”  Or to put another way, “How do we gain access to the refuge that God provides?”

That is where Richard Peace comes in.  In chapter 3 of his book--the chapter that is entitled, “Noticing God in the Ordinary,” Peace talks about what he calls the “spiritual discipline of noticing.”  His premise is that God is always present, but we need to train ourselves to notice God in the midst of our ordinary days.  We need to look for ways that God’s Love shows up, particularly when we need it most. 

Peace outlines a practice created in the 16th century by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Spanish nobleman turned monk who founded the Jesuit movement of the Catholic Church.  St. Ignatius practiced a type  of prayer called “the examination of conscience” or “the  prayer of examen” for short.  With the help of a spiritual director, Peace adapted this practice to make it doable in our modern-day world.  You can read in detail about the prayer of examen in chapter 3 of Peace’s book, if you are interested, but in short, the practice is taking time each day to reflect on the past 24 hours and to notice where we felt that God showed up for us. 

The practice begins with gratitude.  One way to engage in this practice is by keeping a journal.  (I do this these days on my phone…)  Write down at least 5 things you are thankful for in the past 24 hours.  And then, when the gratitude has opened your heart, then go back over the same 24-hour period and look for ways God has been present.  And the more we do this, the more we notice God in the ordinary moments of our lives.   At first, we notice God in the things we are thankful for:  the gift of a fun time spent with a grandchild; the gift of a beautiful day.   Then, we begin to notice God in other places too.  In the “hard times” as well as the “joyous moments.”

I think Psalm 46 is making the same point.  In the hard times, when we feel like the mountains are shaking around us, when the waters roar and foam and our society is in an uproar, we can take this opportunity to be still and look and listen for God.  This psalm invites us to notice the times and places where God has shown up for us as a refuge in the midst of pain--our pain or someone else’s.  For example, when someone texted us a prayer while we were waiting for the results of a Covid test.  When someone reached out to us in our grief and reminded us of a joyful memory of a loved one who has died.  When our pain of being hurt by dysfunctional systems in this pandemic gave us insight into the pain of our black brothers and sisters who have been hurt by dysfunctional systems for centuries.  May we practice the habit of noticing instances of God’s love-- not just in times when we are comfortable, but even in the midst of the pain.  

May we hold in our hearts the words of this psalm as we practice the spiritual discipline of noticing God in the midst of ordinary life:   “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Amen.” 

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA

Our Daily Bread

PEEPHOLE INTO THE BIBLE

“Our Daily Bread”

Last week, our Bible study group focused on the Lord’s Prayer. Admitting that we were privileged and comfortable far beyond the experience of Jesus’ followers, we tried to imagine a world in which “Give us this day our daily bread” was a real plea for life’s basic necessities: working todaymeant eating tomorrow. The closest we could come was the past year’s struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic: empty shelves, social distancing, masks, quarantine, disputes over closures and lock-downs. Our church building has been closed, most activities and programs changed to virtual, with some even suspended, and contact with our sisters and brothers has been limited and somewhat risky. We worry helplessly about those whose distress is greater than ours. The difference is that prospects for relief were few in the first century, and things were likely to get worse rather than better. Today we have hope that our situation is temporary, that vaccines and government programs will restore our comforts. Our church building will reopen. We will again rejoice in contact with friends and family and enthusiastically share our abundance with the world. Jesus taught us to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Perhaps we should pray instead: “Thank you for our daily bread.” Lyn Pickhover, Pray-er

Mark 9 : 2 - 9

Mark 9 : 2 - 9; Jesus is Transfigured on the Mountain (This commentary based on: NCV, NRSV & NLT (LASB) Versions of the Holy Bible)

I willingly stretch to know better, the one who knows; however today's study in 'truth' raises a few questions.

Do I have any excuse for my unbelief? Unlike the disciples who were often confused during Jesus' life and ministry, let alone his death and resurrection, can I advance my own lot, my Church-community or this needy world by 'having' God's revealed word?

If you look at the reading, do you wonder why Jesus singled out the three disciples to go up the mountain? Do you feel or sense your chosen-ness? Am I seeking enough mountain-time closeness to God? Are you recalling that Moses and Eiljah got closer to God during mountain encounters? Why might Jesus choose James-John-Peter to reveal his purity and glory? Are you ready to understand and accept similar greater truths? Like the three, are you and I called to Jesus' inner circle, having heard his clarion call? Have you had spiritual awakening(s) like Rev. Marlayna mentioned in her lesson this week? Was seeing sunlight through dense fog on the distant shore of Sebago Lake, reason for hope while pleading with God, after rejection from a former spouse? Can you associate very closely with Peter's words or attempts to react toward his tendencies and just "do something", when encountering the divine? Do I move toward what's comfortable when buttons or boundaries are pushed? Had you been a Jew and disciple, how do you think you would've reacted to being exposed to the fulfillment of what your people had been anticipating for generations? Bringing it back to the present, are the many voices we hear today actually helpful? Some may be, but aren't we better off holding those voices up to the light of God's revelation and Biblical perspectives? Would you or I be able to stifle our exuberance, and do as Christ asked those 3, that is to swear to secrecy and not speak of what took place up that hill before grasping Jesus' power over death and authority as King over all? Would you say that the survival of the wider-Christian-church for 2,021 yrs. shows at least marginal success? Shall we, both individually and as a body engage in propagating its 'love - grace - mercy' message?

So many questions; can I bring the vast and open-ended as well as the smallest details, shortcomings or imperfections of my existence to this God of our understanding? Do you believe that people can change, Or in transformation, Or our ability as a culture to root out racism, Or in miracles? What are you thinking God would have you contribute or our church-community become?

Peace, no questions asked! It's been a blessing and a pleasure as my Deacon service comes to a close, Guess who?

Sermon: “Noticing God in Mystical Encounters”

INTRODUCTION:  Today’s Scripture reading is the story of the “Transfiguration,” where three of the disciples have what we could call a “mystical encounter” or “spiritual experience” that has a profound effect on their faith.  As we listen to the description of their experience, may we find ourselves more open to the various ways we may encounter God in our own lives.

SCRIPTURE:  Mark 9:2-9

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 6He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ 8Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 

SERMON:  “Noticing God in Mystical Encounters”

There is a wonderful walking trail that loops through the woods near our house in Beverly, Massachusetts.  I like this trail because if I time it right, in the morning, the dog and I emerge from the woods, pass through a stand of sumac, and turn east into a meadow just as the sun is rising over the treetops and everything is bathed in gorgeous, golden light.  It is like walking into a painting by Van Gough.  (I am sure you know the kind of vista I’m talking about—you have many beautiful walking trails here in Franklin, too.)

I remember one winter’s morning a few years ago when we had about 3 or 4 inches of snow, snow that had melted a little bit during the day and refrozen at night, so in the morning, it had kind of a thin, shimmery crust on top.  You know, the kind crust that is like the glaze on a candied apple—it crunches nicely when you step on it.  (Not that I’ve stepped on that many candied apples… But I digress…)  On that morning, when the dog and I had emerged from the woods, we passed through the stand of sumac and turned east as usual, right when the sun had cleared the tops of the trees and was blazing across the snow-covered meadow.  Brilliant sunlight reflected off the crusty snow, turning everything a dazzling white.  It was so bright, I had to stop and shield my eyes for a moment; I couldn’t even move.  Even the dog stopped for a moment in her tracks—too stunned by the light to even sniff.  It felt like a holy moment.

I wonder if this was a little bit like what Peter and John and James experienced when they went up the mountain with Jesus to pray, and he was transfigured before them.   Our reading from the Gospel of Mark tells us that “…his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.”  Another Gospel account of this event adds to this description by saying that Jesus’ “face shone like the sun,” which, interestingly enough, are the same words used to describe the face of Moses after he had met with God on a similar mountain where he received the 10 commandments.

But back to Peter, James, and John.  When the glory of this Heavenly Light hit them, I wonder if the disciples had to stop and shield their eyes.  I wonder if they were momentarily too stunned by the radiance of Jesus’ countenance to even breathe or move.  And then, when they uncovered their eyes, did they have to squint against the brilliance?  Did they wonder, at first, whether the light was playing tricks on them--or were they actually seeing something supernatural?  But then Moses and Elijah appear.  And then they all hear the voice of God.  There was no doubt then:  this was a true, mystical encounter.  In other words, it was a spiritual experience that defies description, that comes unbidden upon the recipient, that lasts but a moment, but leaves profound insight that changes the course of a person’s life.  This definition of a mystical encounter is based on the work of philosopher William James, and can be found in Richard Peace’s book, chapter 1, if you are looking for more information.  (Peace, page 25.)  

But back to our Scripture text:  stunned, awestruck and terrified, after seeing the shining face of Christ and the apparitions of Moses and Elijah, James and John keep quiet, but Peter begins to babble.  He says something like, “Lord, wow, it’s great we could be here!  If you want me to, I could put up three shelters, build some memorials here for you and Moses and Elijah.” 

Peter is so human, isn’t he?  Overwhelmed by the glory of God, which defies description or comprehension, he turns to what he knows; he tries to scramble back into his comfort zone.  As a fisherman, he’s always been a hands-on kind of guy.  He knows how to haul in fish, how to mend a net, how to handle a boat in bad weather.  I’m sure he’s even handy on land—no doubt he could build a shelter, construct a memorial, no problem.  Can’t we just see the way his mind works?  Rather than focusing on the spiritual brilliance in front of him, which, frankly, is way more than he can even begin to wrap his mind around, Peter starts focusing on something he can understand.  He starts planning a building project—something familiar and comforting.

Do we ever do this?  At home or in church?  Do we ever begin to feel the spiritual presence of God in a way that defies description, and, then, frankly, we just get a little freaked out by it?  We experience both the awe and the fear that come with a mystical encounter, but then, ultimately, the fear gets the best of us.  However, unlike Peter and James and John, our fear may be less about actually experiencing the presence of the supernatural—our fear may have more to do with worrying about what other people will think of us if we tell them what happened. 

In his book, Noticing God, Richard Peace cites a research study that was done in 1976 by the University of Chicago that looked into mystical encounters.  Surprisingly, a large percentage of Americans in the study—35%--reported having a life-altering, mystical encounter.  When the same study was repeated 40 years later, the percentage had gone up to 50%.  But the most interesting part of the study, to me, was that “the study revealed that few of these people talked about their experience with others even though they regarded this as the most valuable or among the most significant experiences they had ever had.  They feared they would not be believed.”  [Noticing God, p. 25]

I can’t tell you how many times, as a pastor, someone has said to me, “You may think I’m crazy, but…” and then they tell me about a very moving spiritual encounter they had that had a huge impact on their lives.  I always feel very privileged and honored when someone shares their story of such an experience with me—because I know people are reticent to share such things.  Like the researchers found, people often do not share their spiritual stories even with their fellow church members because they are afraid they might be judged.

Now, hear me, I’m not saying that every odd or freaky thing that we human beings experience is always a mystical encounter with God.  Sometimes odd and freaky things happen to us if we take too much medication—or not enough-- or drink too much wine or have an illness that affects our brain.  All I’m saying is that sometimes the unexplainable experiences we have are from God, and we should not automatically discount them—for ourselves or others.  We should allow our true mystical encounters to inspire our own lives—and the lives of others. 

Richard Peace divides mystical encounters into a few different categories, including “the dramatic” and “the mundane.”  [Noticing God, p. 26]  The dramatic encounters, he says, are fairly rare.  We may experience one or two in our lives—or, perhaps none at all.  One type of mundane encounter, however, what Peace calls “brushes with God” can happen quite often—and the more we are aware of them, the more we realize that God is present everywhere.   Let me quote that paragraph in the book:

In fact, this touch of the Divine seems to come at those times when life shifts out of the normal for a moment:  when we are in pain or we experience great pleasure, when we are listening to music that makes us catch our breath or we are viewing great art that touches our souls.  There is such an array of these kinds of moments:  canoeing at dawn on a New Hampshire lake; standing in front of the great cathedral in Orvieto, Italy, in the late afternoon when the sun makes the façade sparkle and come alive; singing “the Church’s One Foundation” with a vast congregation caught up in this great hymn; catching a glimpse off to one side of something familiar that for a moment becomes new.  The world is, indeed, alive with God. [Noticing God, p. 30]

It is my hope that each of us, beginning today, will be more aware of the Presence of God in mystical encounters—whether dramatic or mundane.  And may we not be afraid to share the stories of our encounters with one another—here at church—and out beyond these 4 walls.  (In fact, feel free, if you wish, to bring a story today to share at our virtual coffee hour.) 

Pastor Mark Batterson says that when we share our stories, we let others “borrow our faith.”  And, when we listen to someone else’s story, “we get to borrow theirs.”  Either way, Batterson says, “the church is edified and God is glorified.” 

May we take the risk to share our experiences of God’s presence, that our faith may be strengthened and our joy may be shared.  Let me offer a prayer that’s based on a prayer by Ruth Duck, from a book called Touch Holiness, edited by Maren Tirabassi:

God of mystery, we thank you that you make yourself known to us.

Peter, James, and John saw you in Jesus when he was transfigured and shone as bright as the sun. 

Your people at Pentecost knew your Spirit had come near, descending in tongues of flame. 

We yearn, mysterious God, for clear signs of your presence, for amazing, spiritual experiences and not just faint glimmers. 

We would like to live by certain knowledge and not by faith. 

Yet we know that the faithful have gone out trusting in you,

not knowing where you were leading,

and that we too must live in faith. 

Teach us to notice your presence more and more. 

Take our hands and stay beside us,

that we may follow your will as far as we understand it. 

Heal our sorrows; calm our fears; set us on sure paths. 

Help us to be your people indeed, through the presence, the word, and the example of Jesus, in whose name we pray, Amen. 

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA

[An earlier version of this sermon was written and preached by Marlayna in February, 2018. ]

Jeremiah 29: 12-13 & Acts 17: 22-28

Jeremiah 29: 12-13 & Acts 17: 22-28 "If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." (Jer. 29: 13; New Language Translation).

I'm noticing something new on my favorite Christian broadcasting medium since the first of the year; that is they're pausing fifteen seconds between shows or pieces before starting into the next one. Now of course I know that in our current day of receiving information we absolutely have the option of pausing as we see fit, but do I pause and look for God? Admittedly, I was tempted to contact them [WEZE 590 AM] in case they weren't aware of their short void of sound, but in my own life, do I stop often enough to look or listen for His still small scene or voice? It's 5:35 am in my world as I attempt to put these few sentences together, which I find cathartic and cherish with fervor, but I just received a text. Am I 'that' available to the world or do I value more my connection with my proclaimed Creator God? How earnest am I about finding Him anyway? The Message tells us that "when you get serious.... ...you won't be disappointed." (v. 13).

A few days back, I visited at a distance of course, Covid-infected family and failed to adequately acknowledge the 1 year-old grandson, daughter Astrid, held in the window. She later told me, "Papa, Abel cried when you left." Truth be known, I was preoccupied with my timing and fetching a tool I came to get, rather than taking between 6 and 10 seconds to look at the gift that God was giving me in the moment, smile big and make a silly hugging gesture that would likely have made the little guy squeal with delight. And, I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion on birds at the gathering on Zoom after worship this past Sunday. Folks' attention to many details around our feathered amigos reminds me of God's care for sparrows and the hairs on my brain container, meaning all the elements of my circumstances. Like the Israelites that Jeremiah was encouraging: despite our difficult times, we needn't despair - - for we have the privilege of prayer and God's presence and grace. I trust that the little guy will forgive me and you'll keep looking, because neither strangeness, abuse, oppression or sorrow can sever our fellowship with God. Our free will is not in question here, and His desire is that we seek and find of our own volition....are my eyes, ears, heart and mind open to the possibilities He presents?

God is never far from you, may we finely tune our awareness of the Blessings He sends our way! Kevin T. for FCC's Deacons.

New Wine

Most emails from our interim pastor include the Bible passage from Jeremiah 29:11: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” This is so applicable as Rev. Marlayna leads us in a Visioning process to prepare for calling a new settled pastor.

I am also reminded of Jesus’ caution: “No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins and the wine is lost, and so are the skins, but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:21-22. (See also Matthew 9:16 and Luke 5:37-38.) To put it in modern terms: Trying to shove new ideas into old forms spoils both the new and the old.

The Covid pandemic has done us a favor in that we have been forced to find new ways of being a church while adhering to life-saving social restrictions. We need to build on these hard learned lessons as we envision of a new future for the FFC. We must identify important elements we want to keep and as well as some we regretfully have to leave behind to make room for bold new ideas and actions. Then we have to find ways to maintain the authenticity of our traditions without limiting the scope of new concepts and programs for the 21st Century.

This is a daunting, exciting task. I believe we are up to it.

Lyn Pickhover, Confident

Sermon: “How Do We Notice the Presence of God?”

INTRODUCTION:  Our first reading today is from the Hebrew Scriptures, the 29th chapter of the book of Jeremiah, verses 12 through 14.  I’ll be reading from a modern-language version of the Bible called The Message, which phrases things in ways that catch our attention.  Let us listen for God’s Spirit speaking through these words.

Scripture:  Jeremiah 29:12-14

God says, ” When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.  When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.  Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed…” 

INTRODUCTION:  Our second reading today is from the New Testament Book of Acts, where the Apostle Paul is preaching outside on a hill in Athens, Greece on the site where the judicial court met.  In his famous hillside sermon, Paul invites people to notice the statues around them and consider whether or not they believe that God is more than just a statue.

Scripture:  Acts 17:22-28 

So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. “It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, ‘to the god nobody knows.’ I’m here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you’re dealing with.

 “The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just fumble around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! One of your poets said it well: ‘We’re the God-created.’ 

Sermon:  “How Do We Notice the Presence of God?” 

Today, I’m beginning a sermon series on the topic “Noticing God,” a series based on a book of that same title by Richard Peace.  Richard Peace is a retired seminary professor and member of a UCC church on the North Shore here in Massachusetts.    

 In the introduction to this book, Professor Peace quotes another professor, a famous theologian and philosopher from Princeton, who says the following:

In spite of my religious faith, the ability to preach sermons and to give lectures that were as good (or bad) as those of the next person, most of the time God seemed remote.  Although I had a doctorate in philosophy and theology, and had read a lot of books, I did not know what it meant to have an awareness of God in daily life, or how one went about achieving it.  How was it that in all my church attendance and advanced education I had not learned such an elementary matter?...[M]y condition would have been easily recognizable by anyone familiar with spiritual theology, a branch of theology that has been neglected in recent times.  My condition is called a desire for God’s “habitual presence.”  (Diogenes Allen quoted in Noticing God, p. 13)

A desire for God’s habitual presence—or for noticing God in every day life—we know what that feeling is like, don’t we?  I dare say that our desire for God’s presence in our daily lives is a big part of why we are participating in this livestream.  In our culture, on Sunday mornings, there are A LOT of other things we could be doing:  sleeping late, going out to brunch (or getting take-out brunch, in this pandemic), attending a sporting event, painting our living room, catching up on reading—just to name a few.  And all of these are good things, in and of themselves.  They are things most of us enjoy and engage in from time to time.  Nothing wrong with that.  But we are here this morning--or watching this worship video later in the week-- because we have each recognized that there is something that we value even more than spending our “free time” engaging in leisure activities or home improvement projects.    

We have recognized, as Richard Peace puts it, that human beings are created by God to “inhabit two worlds”--the physical AND the spiritual.  Or, as our second Scripture Reading from Acts says, in God “we live and move” and exist.  We are not separate from God, but deeply connected.    

But here’s the thing.  Despite being created by God to inhabit two worlds—the physical and the spiritual—the spiritual world takes a lot more effort for most of us to notice.  Perhaps because in our culture, in general, we are not taught HOW to engage with the spiritual world.  From the moment we are born, the focus in our culture is on how to survive in the physical world.  We are taught how to feed and dress and clean ourselves, how to read and write and make a living—and thank God we can and do learn these things!  These skills are necessary for our survival!  But unless our parents bring us to church and Sunday School, unless we are brought up on the great stories of faith or are taught HOW to pray or meditate or do yoga, we may miss out completely—like Princeton Professor Peace quotes at the beginning of his book--we may miss out on learning HOW to notice God in our daily lives. 

In fact, many of us, in our culture, are so UNtrained in how to notice God, that the skeptical side of us may even question God’s existence.  Or think that God is trying to be obtuse, trying to hide from us.  That couldn’t be further from the truth. 

God is not trying to hide.  It’s that we haven’t trained our eyes—or our hearts—how to see him.  (or her.) 

Those of you who have glasses and are near sighted—like me—do you remember when you first got glasses?  What the experience was like?  I do.  I was in 6th grade, and my next-door neighbor, Jonathan, and I got glasses around the same time.  I remember his amazed, joy-filled reaction when he got his glasses and ran over to tell me about them.  “Marlayna, Marlayna, the trees have leaves!!”  For years my friend had simply assumed that trees were fuzzy blobs and he had never stopped to think where leaves came from in the fall.  Now he knew!  Learning how to notice God is like getting glasses for the first time and realizing that what we always thought was fuzzy actually has a shape and substance.  We just don’t know how to see it.

Another analogy.  I remember learning somewhere, ages ago, when I was a kid, that the chickadee was the state bird of Massachusetts.  I remember thinking at the time that the chickadee was a stupid choice, because I had never seen a chickadee and I had lived in Massachusetts my whole life.  (Now, if the state bird had been a seagull or a pigeon, that would have made sense to me, because I was always seeing those.)  But then, twenty years or so ago, my husband Paul gave me a “bird clock” for Christmas.  From LLBean. It’s the kind of clock that, instead of ringing each hour, it tweets--in the original sense of the word:  each hour is a different bird call.  I remember hearing the chickadee call—8 o’clock—for the first time.  “So that’s what a chickadee sounds like!” I thought to myself.  And then, wouldn’t you know it, later that year when I was out walking the dog, I started hearing chickadees everywhere!  (I started hearing other birds too, 7 o’clock, 9 o’clock, 5 o’clock, but I couldn’t come up with their names…)  It’s not like all those birds suddenly appeared when I got the clock; it’s that I didn’t know enough to notice them before…

One more analogy.  You remember radios?  You know, the things we used to use to listen to music before we got computers and cell phones?  Maybe you still use them sometimes in your car?  Well, in order for a radio to work, we have to turn it on.  Duh!  And more than that, we have to tune in to a channel.  If we don’t tune in to a channel, what do we hear?  Nothing.  Static.  It’s not that the radio waves aren’t there; we just don’t hear music or the news until we are on the right wavelength.  We have to be tuned in to notice and hear what is said.  I think that’s what our first scripture reading is getting at:  “God says…When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.”  In other words, we have to do something—we have to open our hearts, our ears, our eyes, our minds--to be receptive.

Now, you may be wondering, “How do we do this?  How do we open our hearts, ears, eyes, minds?  How do we tune in and notice God?”  Well, each Sunday in this sermon series—I am going to talk about a different way we can notice God.  And it is my hope that our eyes and ears and minds and hearts can get more and more tuned in to God’s wavelength.  I hope that together we can deepen our faith and spirituality and let God transform us for the better.  May it be so. 

Let me offer a prayer*: 

Creator God,

It is in our lives that we become aware of your life.

It is in the rhythms of our world

That we hear your pulse, your breathing, your footsteps.

Over these past several months when we haven’t been able to physically gather for worship in our beautiful church building,

we have come to realize something very important:

that you are NOT contained in the sanctuaries we build for you; Your sanctuary is the whole world

that you have made. 

We can find you anywhere and everywhere--

On the sidewalks we pass,

The highways we travel,

The rooms in which we live,

The sky and the sea and the land which embrace us

And tickle our senses,

Even on websites we surf and apps we download.   

But even more than this we can find you

In the eyes we meet, the hands we hold,

The person looking back at us in the Zoom window,

The human stories that we hear and tell…

We thank you for your loving presence, give us the grace to notice you more and more everywhere we look.  Amen. 

*prayer adapted from a prayer found in Touch Holiness

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA

Reflection on Matthew 5: 43 - 48

Matthew 5: 43 - 48 " .... love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this you will be true children of your Father in heaven.

He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. (vv. 44, 45; NCV Bible)

I seriously doubt it makes any difference to God whether we are good or evil, relative to His blessing us with sun and water, meaning He's going to do it anyway. How are you doing with your enemies? This week's scripture and message from Rev. Schmidt hit me smack between the eyes, with or without Covid or our nation's unrest. My enemy-list is down to four, that I care to admit to; AND may the meditations of my mouth, heart, mind and keyboard be acceptable in your sight, oh God, our rock and redeemer! Personally, I tend toward indifference or flat out apathy toward my adversaries, which usually allows me to not have to engage. After all, I think: at least this stance keeps me neutral, rather than perceived in any sort of overt aggressive judgemental manner. Not that I haven't heard of praying for one's enemies before, but I'm seeing [that] in light of our Pastor's words around living out our lives as God would have us do, quite differently in this context. Is my / your identity really in God?

Truth be known in my four cases (relationships), sincere praying for them will go a long way toward replacing my self-preservation mode! My prayers have the potential to enable me to turn the other cheek with serenity rather than anxiety or apathy. In the older of the 4-cases, my knowledge and association with recovering from substance abuse encourages me not to try to make amends to one where harm will result. However praying for them and believing they're doing the 'best' they can, not only eases my conscience but keeps them from living rent-free in my head. Do you have any relationships from the past that steal from your present? In a perfect world, how would God have you live that out? The other three are alive and kicking in my sphere! I'll spare you the details here, but my understanding of Jesus' methods are a distant cry from how I'm not loving my enemies. It, however, is a new day; I just stepped out to view the sunrise, did you catch a glimpse? - t'was glorious! Prayer for those who hurt me /you is a great place to start. Who knows, my giving to God, those whom I'm currently unwilling or able to contend with might yield a positive surprise. I do know that the status quo is yielding zilch, Leviticus 19:18 advises that we not seek revenge or hold grudges and the voice of a bygone mentor reminds me: that if nothing changes, nothing changes.

May God be merciful to us because we show mercy to our enemies.... His peace & mine, Kevin for FCC's Deacons.

Mark 1: 4-11

Mark 1: 4-11 "John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him; and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." (vv. 4-5; NRSV).

Now in those days, baptism was a means of signifying conversion to Judaism of folks of non-Jewish ethnicity. So the radical concept of similarly baptizing one who was already Jewish as a symbol of their resolve not to continue in some wrongdoing, was a real departure from custom. There's that CHANGE idea again, trying to get me off auto-pilot and eject me out of my time-honored comfort zone! Who needs New Year's Resolutions, I'm delighting in Rev. Marlayna's question of: " what am I being called to leave behind, as we hit refresh on the calendar?"

Are you hearing me on this note, i.e. does anything come to mind or heart that you would rather not drag too far into 2021? I'm confident I've got enough of this fodder for both of us. For starters, I'm working on 'procrastination', one of the things I know should be changed. I do know that seeing several unfinished issues completed will foster having the clear conscience before God that: 1 Peter 3:21 promises. Hmmm..., having said that, I wonder if [IT] is at all related to my erratic sleeping pattern these days? A second arena is an employer relationship I have where I go back and forth on turning the other cheek and the idea that being Christian doesn't mean being a doormat. What's my part in this dynamic? Are your boundary setting parameters usually crystal clear? I fall back on the adage that s/he should know; the truth is they don't necessarily know and I'd lessen my angst about it by waiting (without anxiety) or admitting my lackadaisical limit-setting. Yet a third thing to leave back there in the grips of 2020 is my treatment of a relationship whereby I presume "they" act or speak in such and such a way due to whom they were reared by. In that case, I am so unimpressed that I easily dismiss them without giving them a chance; but we are all, God's children and deserve dignity and respect - - a lot like the grace He grants me! A bottom line (not to be confused with THE Bottom line) is that God isn't finished with me, that transformation is possible and I'd be wise not to bring the 'old' me along.

We can take, as Jesus did this sinful world as it is, not as we'd have it, trusting all will be well if we surrender to His will. Blessings, Kevin T.

Sermon: “Love Your Enemies”

INTRODUCTION:  Our Scripture Reading today is part of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” where he gives practical advice to his disciples and the crowds regarding how to live out their faith.  I will be reading this passage from a paraphrase of the Bible that translates the text into contemporary language, which can help us understand more clearly the meaning of the words.  May God’s Spirit guide us as we hear and learn together.

Scripture:  Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)  

[Jesus said] "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best-the sun to warm and the rain to nourish-to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.  In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

Sermon: “Love Your Enemies”

People do not always treat each other well.  And I’m not just talking about people we’ve seen on the news lately.  In interpersonal relationships, people can behave in ways that are selfish, disrespectful, destructive.  Neighbors can rant and then defriend us on Facebook because of our political views; vindictive ex-spouses can use the kids as a bargaining chip in order to get what they want; greedy employers can make ridiculous profits for themselves on the backs of their hard-working, low paid employees.   

In situations like these, the antagonism in the relationship can rise to the point where we begin to think of the other person as our enemy.  In such a situation, how should we behave?  Or, to put it in a Christian framework—what would Jesus want us to do? 

Today’s Scripture offers some guidance that might help us answer that question.  Jesus says, “…love your enemies.  Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.”

It sounds good, doesn’t it?  But it raises a lot of questions.  First of all the question, “How do we define “enemy”?” 

The dictionary defines the term enemy on two levels: 

1)    On an interpersonal level:  An enemy is “a person who engages in antagonistic activities against another…”

2)    On an international level:  An enemy is “a hostile nation or state.”

When Jesus uses the term enemy, he does not actually define it, but from the context of the rest of the chapter-- when he talks about turning the other cheek, going the extra mile-- it’s clear that he is talking on an interpersonal level, not an international one.  He is talking about situations where one person engages in antagonistic activities against another and thus could be called a personal “enemy,” and he gives guidance regarding how one should respond in a way that de-escalates such enemy behavior.

Now, over the centuries, I know preachers and theologians have looked at this passage and have extrapolated the guidance Jesus gives for dealing with a personal enemy to interactions within and between nations.  And, while much can be learned from such expanded thinking, it is important, first, to understand--and practice--how Jesus wants us to deal with our own personal enemies before we start theorizing about how we should behave on a national or international level.  Because unless we master how to deal effectively on an interpersonal level with the individuals who oppose us, there is no way we will be able to master how to deal effectively on a national or international level with opposing parties or enemies of state. 

So, this sermon will focus on the level of interpersonal interactions: how do we love our enemies?  Maybe it’s the neighbor who gossips about us, the boss who devalues our work, the relative who sees us only through a lens of criticism, the stranger who cuts us off in traffic.  How do we let them, in the words of our scripture, “bring out the best in us, not the worst”? 

The next line in the scripture gives us practical advice on how to do just that:  “When someone gives you a hard time,” says Jesus, “respond with the energies of prayer.” 

Rather than reacting negatively, say, with a sharp tongue, a withering look, an improper hand gesture, Jesus tells us, channel your energy into something positive—start with prayer.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. says it this way, if we want to love our enemies, we need to “begin by looking at ourselves.”  In a sermon preached in Alabama back in 1957, Rev. Dr. King graciously suggests that maybe it’s because we’re so focused, as Jesus says elsewhere in scripture, on the little speck in our brother’s eye, that we totally miss the huge plank in our own.  We need to remove the plank from our own eye first, King says, and recognize “that within the best of us there is some evil, and within the worst of us, there is some good.”  (MLK in a sermon Delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama, on 17 November 1957.) 

Rev. Dr. King’s words are even more powerful when we realize that he was preaching in the South at a time when Jim Crow laws were in place that kept black people segregated, barred the vast majority of black people from voting, severely limited their opportunities to go to college, and stopped them from holding decent-paying jobs or even obtaining loans to buy houses.  And when blacks dared to protest such blatantly unfair practices, they were often beaten, arrested, and even killed.  Rev. Dr. King had every right to see white people as his enemy--and the enemy of all black people--and to hate them for it, but he didn’t.  He advised his black brothers and sisters in Christ to look at themselves and recognize their own flawed humanity before they saw the flawed humanity of the whites around them and    called them to account   for their behavior.

Wow!  If Rev. Dr. King could advise his community--who were in such a position of vulnerability in society-- to love their enemies, then how much more should we, as white people of privilege, do the same?  When we prayerfully make an honest assessment of ourselves, seeing our flaws as well as our strengths, then we also can begin to make an honest assessment of our enemies, whomever we deem them to be, seeing their strengths as well as their flaws, understanding that they too are human beings, not so very different from us.  If we take this perspective, loving them becomes a little bit easier.

But the question still remains, “Why?  Why should we expend any energy praying for or loving our enemies?  Isn’t it just a pious waste of time?”  The truth is, “No, it’s not a waste.”  In fact, the only force strong enough to quench hatred is love.  We’ve seen this played out in our own lives, time and time again, haven’t we?  Think back on the arguments you’ve had with people.  Think about the arguments that have ended well, that have led to reconciliation.  I dare say that those are NOT the arguments where our main strategy has been reciting all of the faults of the other person or saying the meanest things we can think of in order to hurt them as much as they have hurt us.  (Not that any of us have ever had any arguments like that… J.)   

The arguments that end well are the ones where we stop and take a deep breath and pray and say with as much humility and honesty as we can muster, “Maybe I’m not seeing the whole picture here.  Maybe I’m at least partially wrong.  Can you tell me why you believe what you believe?”  By the grace of God, if we can say something like that to someone who is giving us a hard time, we go a long way toward diffusing the situation--and preparing the way for an honest discussion where we can each be heard, facts can come to light, and reconciliation can potentially begin.  We also go a long way toward centering our own selves in the Peace of Christ (and saving ourselves from stomach ulcers.)

But Jesus doesn’t say, “Love your enemies” just so we that we can live at peace with our neighbors or save ourselves from ulcers—though, both of those are certainly good outcomes.  More importantly, Jesus says to love our enemies because “This is what God does.  God gives God’s best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless:  the good and bad, the nice and nasty.”  If this is what God does, and if our highest goal is to follow in God’s way, then why would we want to do anything else? 

Our scripture says it like this, “You’re kingdom subjects.  Now live like it.  Live out your God-created identity.  Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” 

Let me close with an example.  Many, many years ago, in a church far, far away, I was once engaged in what felt like a battle of cosmic proportions with the Superintendent of Sunday School.  To summarize, she and I completely disagreed as to whether or not it was appropriate for a certain individual to teach the junior high Sunday school class. 

We couldn’t come to an agreement between us, so I scheduled a meeting with the Pastoral Relations Committee, the group in the church that helped facilitate dialogue and brainstorm solutions.  I invited her to come.  Well, I confess that I came to that meeting loaded for bear.  Not only had I prepared a well-thought out, logical argument as to why I was right and she was wrong, I was also bristling with anger and negative energy.  But here’s what happened.  When the meeting started, before I even got a chance to lay out my argument or vent my anger, the Superintendent of Sunday School, the woman I had come to view mainly as an enemy, led off by saying something like this, “I’ve been thinking and praying a lot about this.  I decided to give Rev. Marlayna the benefit of the doubt because she is my sister in Christ.” 

My jaw dropped when she said that, and all the angry wind went out of my sails.  I was surprised, amazed, and embarrassed at her incredibly gracious response—embarrassed because up until that point it had not occurred to me to be nearly as gracious. 

What would our world be like if everyone prayerfully practiced this kind of generous graciousness?  I dare say it would be a world where most of us would want to live.  As our country--our world--becomes more and more divided, can we be the ones to model the gracious love that is the only force that can free us from division?  And let me be clear, being gracious does not mean being silent when we witness injustice.  It means asking questions from a stance of humility and being clear about our own positions without  allowing ourselves to use the same hate-filled speech as those who may stand against us. 

May God give us the grace and strength to live out the words of Jesus:  “to let our enemies bring out the best in us and not the worst.”  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA 

[Earlier versions of this sermon were written, edited and preached by Marlayna on 2/22/15 and 1/20/19]

Sermon: "Baptism: A New Beginning"

INTRODUCTION:  Today’s Scripture is traditionally read on the Sunday after Epiphany.  It is the story of Jesus’ baptism, which takes place in the wilderness around the Jordan River.  Jesus’ baptism marks a huge turning point in his life--he leaves his old life behind and begins a new chapter where his focus becomes sharing the Good News of God’s Kingdom.  As we hear these words and picture this scene, may we consider what God is calling us to leave behind as we begin a new year trusting in God’s guidance. 

Scripture:  Mark 1:4-11

                4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

          9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Sermon:  “Baptism:  A New Beginning”

Before I start this sermon, I just want to remind you again to have a bowl of water on hand for a renewal of baptismal vows that is happening right after the sermon.

PRAY

Over the years, I have Googled the word “wilderness,” and I always get very interesting results—an odd conglomeration of things.  My favorite results have included:  Wilderness Resort Hotel and Waterpark in Wisconsin; a podcast about the Democratic Party, and reviews of a British horror movie with Wilderness in the title. 

I don’t think any of these things were what the writer of today’s Scripture had in mind when the text says that John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 

Clearly, the wilderness reference in Mark’s gospel refers to the traditional understanding of wilderness as defined by Merriam-Webster: “a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings...”  In fact, throughout the scriptures, the word “wilderness” has at least two levels of meaning:  1) it refers to the literal areas where human beings do not live or cultivate, and it also 2) refers symbolically to the areas of our lives that are in chaos outside our control--which I dare say is what many of us have been feeling a lot lately--but I will get to that later.  Let me stick with the text for a while…

When John the Baptizer appears in the wilderness outside of Jerusalem, he is literally out there with the rocks and shrubs and snakes and locusts and lions.  But the people hearing this scripture in the first century would also understand that symbolically it meant that meant John was out there with our fears and anxieties, worries and heartaches—all those things that wake us up in the middle of the night and infringe on our peace of mind.  John is out there—way out there—in the middle of a frightening chaos that most human beings would prefer to avoid. 

But here is an amazing thing:  when John goes out into the wilderness—in the tradition of the prophets of old, wearing camel’s hair, eating locusts and wild honey-- people actually choose to follow him.  They choose to follow him out to a place where they come face to face with their own fears and anxieties, worries and heartaches.  And not only do they come to face them, which is hard enough, but John asks them to go one step further and repent, that is, acknowledge their own part in these things and promise to make a new beginning. 

Now hear me, John isn’t asking people to accept responsibility for ALL the chaos in the world or lives.  No.  That would not be fair.  That would not be loving.  That would not be honest—because no one is powerful enough to cause ALL the chaos around them.  John is simply asking people to acknowledge—to own-- before God whatever their part is in such things—great or small. 

I wonder if we are at a similar place in our lives today?  Anyone who has watched the news this week can attest that our country is experiencing chaos like we’ve never witnessed before.  Regardless of our political party affiliations, watching a mob of angry people storm the Capital building in Washington and interfere with our Democracy was frightening, to say the least.  Frightening most of all to the families of the 5 people who lost their lives in the midst of the violence.  But frightening to almost everyone:  to the members of congress trying to do their jobs; to the Capital Police, who “didn’t have the outside support they needed” and “failed to do their mission”1; to journalists who were there to cover a session of congress and ended up fearing for their lives2; and to the rest of us:  people at home watching on TV who saw violence and vandalism unfold and were powerless to stop it--and who worry that we haven’t seen the last of it, because the root causes of the violence and unrest have not gone away. 

There are still political leaders and millions of citizens who truly believe the fraudulent claim that the election was stolen.  But worse than that, this mistaken belief is part of growing trend of people basing their beliefs and actions NOT on verifiable facts but on opinions masquerading as truth, opinions promulgated by people with agendas that feed their own power.3  And the result of this trend is that people are misled into acting in ways that ultimately hurt our whole society, but particularly deepen the pain of the poor and marginalized.  Because it’s always the people with the least power in a society who are hurt the most by false narratives.  In our society the people hurt the most are people with black and brown skin and, to a lesser extent, poor whites.  But, make no mistake, ALL of us are hurt--because we are all connected to each other.

So what can we do about this trend, which lands us in the wilderness of chaos and pain?  Our Scripture can guide us:  we can follow John the Baptist’s lead and bravely walk into the wilderness, bravely face the chaos.  And name it.  And name our part in it.  We can name the pain we experience and we can name our part in the things that cause the pain.  Maybe we haven’t succumbed to belief in opinions masquerading as truth, but maybe we’ve kept our mouths shut too often when we’ve heard others knowingly or unknowingly spread falsehoods, maybe because we haven’t wanted to be disrespectful or hurt someone’s feelings or cause a rift in the family.  OR maybe we haven’t kept quiet, but rather, in our frustration, we’ve proclaimed the facts so loudly and angrily that the people we are trying to reach have stopped listening--and refuse to engage with us.  And when this happens, not only do people stop hearing us, but we stop hearing them.  We stop hearing each other’s pain.  We stop seeing each other’s humanity. 

So what can we do?  We can name the pain and chaos of the wilderness we are currently in.  We can name our part in that pain.  And we can listen to others as they name theirs.  And then, we can remember our baptism.  Baptism.  The word literally means “to sink.”  In today’s Scripture reading John invites the people to sink themselves down into the flowing water of the River Jordan and allow the Spirit of God to wash away the effects of all the painful chaos they’ve been experiencing. 

The early church (started by the disciples of Jesus in the first century) actually saw baptism as a symbolic death and rebirth.  They saw it as death to the power of the wilderness and all its chaos—and rebirth to the power of God’s Loving Spirit to renew and refresh people’s lives. 

It’s like taking part in the annual Polar Plunge on New Year’s Day.  (You know, when people put on bathing suits and rush into--and out of--the cold water of a lake or ocean.)  Maybe you’ve done it?  Or witnessed it?  I’ve never done it, but I’ve watched it on a beach near my house.  The amazing thing to me about this event is that the participants are always smiling, no matter how cold it is.  And not just smiling, but whooping and hollering and running out of the water raising their hands in the air like athletes who have just won some kind of championship.  Whether we participate in person or just watch the Polar Plunge on video:  everyone who runs out of the water on New Year’s Day is full of glee—caught up in the spirit of joy and celebration and new beginnings.

I think this is what it was like for the people who were baptized by John in the wilderness in the Judean countryside.  They faced the chaos in their lives, owned up to their own part in it, and then took the plunge of baptism, rising up to renewed life.  And they rose up with great joy, like Jesus did, to the voice of God speaking to their hearts, saying, “You are my child, the beloved, with you I am well pleased.” 

In baptism God says to us, each of us, in effect:  “The chaos in your life does not have to define you.  I am with you.  Center yourself in my love, and I will not let the chaos sweep you away.” 

It is not a coincidence that this reading about baptism comes every year at the beginning of January.  It’s a reminder that, regardless of the chaos we may have experienced in the year before, God is still with us.  As Rev. Esther Rendon-Thompson reminded us a couple of weeks ago in her sermon, even in a year like 2020 with all the chaos and loss it contained, we can still experience the blessings of God.  God can help us to leave the difficulties of the past behind and move into a new year—consciously choosing to count our blessings--and to BE a blessing, centered in the Love of God who calls us to reflect God’s love to all our neighbors.

So, I thought I would invite anyone who wants to-- to participate in a renewal of Baptism ceremony.  No pressure.  If you don’t want to participate, feel free to just stay prayerfully where you are and know that God’s love is with you.

But, if you’d like to participate, here’s what I ask you to do.

In a moment, I am going to read the questions on the screen, and I invite you to read the responses. 

And, as you read, I invite you to think about what you would like to leave behind from the past year.

After the questions, I will invite you to dip your hand into the bowl of water and place some water in the middle of your forehead, as a reminder of your baptism.  And if you haven’t yet been baptized, please still feel free to participate, as I am sure Jesus would want you to be included.

RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS

Pastor:    Do you desire to be baptized into the faith and family of Jesus Christ?

All:         I do.

Pastor:    Do you renounce the powers of evil and desire the freedom of new life in Christ?

All:         I do.

Pastor:    Do you profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?

All:         I do.

Pastor:    Do you promise, by the grace of God, to be Christ’s disciple, to follow in the way of our Savior, to resist oppression and evil, to show love and justice, and to witness to the work and word of Jesus Christ as best you are able? 

All:         I promise, with the help of God.

Pastor:    Do you promise, according to the grace given you, to grow in the Christian faith and to be a faithful member of the church of Jesus Christ, celebrating Christ’s presence and furthering Christ’s mission in all the world?

All:         I promise, with the help of God. 

Pastor:          I now invite you to dip your hand into the bowl of water and place some water on your forehead as a reminder of your baptism.  Let us pray…

O God, for your Loving Spirit, we give you thanks.  We thank you that you meet us even in the wilderness of our lives—and of the world.  We boldly ask that you free us from the tangled cords that bind us to the chaos of our past.  Forgive us our part in the chaos, whatever that may be, and give us grace and strength to start anew, loving our neighbors as ourselves.  In Jesus’ name, we pray and act.  Amen. 

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA 

1 Seth Moulton quoted in Boston Globe Editorial, Saturday, January 9th, 2021, p. A8.

2 From NPR discussion on January 8th or 9th, 2021 with female journalists who were present at the Capital Building when the insurrectionists stormed it. (I can’t remember which program I was listening to)

3 My observations/theory stated here was informed by this article:  “The information ecosystem that led to the Capitol attack” by Claire Wardle, Boston Globe, Saturday, January 9th, 2021, p. A8

[An earlier version of this sermon was written and preached by Marlayna on January 13, 2019]

January 10th Worship

Information about this Sunday’s 

 Livestream Worship

You are invited to have a bowl of water on hand for a “Renewal of Baptismal Vows”

which will take place after the sermon.

"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan [River].” (Mark 1:9)

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page)

ORDER OF WORSHIP (35 minutes)

- Prelude

- Welcome

- Announcements

- Call to Worship

- Hymn #589 "Lord, I Want to Be a Christian"

- Scripture Reading: Mark 1:4-11 (the story of Jesus' baptism)

- Song: “Down To The Water To Pray"

- Sermon: "Baptism - A New Beginning"

- Renewal of Baptismal Vows*

- Closing Hymn #371 "Wade in the Water"

- Benediction

PRAYER SERVICE (10-20 minutes)

You are invited to type prayer requests into the comment section of the Livestream.

LORD’S PRAYER

POSTLUDE

*RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS

Pastor: Do you desire to be baptized into the faith and family of Jesus Christ?

All: I do.

Pastor: Do you renounce the powers of evil and desire the freedom of new life in Christ?

All: I do.

Pastor: Do you profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?

All: I do.

Pastor: Do you promise, by the grace of God, to be Christ’s disciple, to follow in the way or our Savior, to resist oppression and evil, to show love and justice, and to witness to the work and word of Jesus Christ as best you are able?

All: I promise, with the help of God.

Pastor: Do you promise, according to the grace given you, to grow in the Christian faith and to be a faithful member of the church of Jesus Christ, celebrating Christ’s presence and furthering Christ’s mission in all the world?

All: I promise, with the help of God.

Pastor: I now invite you to dip your hand into the bowl of water and place some water on your forehead as a reminder of your baptism. Let us pray…

Hymns for Sunday, January 10th

Click on the hymn to view and/or download the music.
#589 Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
#371 Wade in the Water

Zoom Fellowship Time

Please join us for a Zoom Fellowship Time this Sunday (January 10th) from 11 am to 11:30. No agenda—just come and enjoy each other’s company!

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 891 3631 1339
Passcode: 729800

or Call - +19292056099
Meeting ID: 891 3631 1339
Passcode: 729800

An Early Creed

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus;

for as many of you who have been baptized have put on Christ;

there is no Jew or Greek;

there is no slave or free;

there is no male and female;

for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians 3:36-38.

We think of this passage as the source of our Communion hymn, “One Bread, One Body,” but many Biblical scholars see it as an early – possibly the first – creed of early Jesus followers. Paul, who wrote in the mid-First Century (10-30 years after Jesus’ death), was not the author; it does not fit his writing style. Paul probably took this beautiful idea from an even earlier baptismal ritual.

Notice that this creed addresses three main sources of division: Jew or Greek (race/ethnicity), slave or free (status), male and female (gender.) Sound familiar? We are still dealing with those divisions today. Paul uses this very early creed to maintain that those traditional social divisions do not exist among Jesus’ followers who are all recognized as God’s children.

To take this one step further; if this is a baptismal creed, then baptisms, including our own, are rituals of adoption into God’s family, making Jesus our brother, and all other baptized Christians our brothers and sisters. Singing “One Bread, One Body” is a reaffirmation of this relationship.

I like it that the FFC considers itself a “creed-less church,” but if we needed a creed, I would choose this one.

Lyn Pickhover, Adoptee

Matthew 2: 1-12

Matthew 2: 1-12 "When it was time to leave, they [wise men or royal astrologers or magi] returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. " (v. 12; NLT - Life Application Study Bible).

Have there been any ways that Jesus has affected the direction of your life? Am I writing to one who has believed in God as creator as far back as s/he can recall? Are you a relatively new convert trying to get a grip on why the Bible and mode of thinking entices so many and remains relevant? Or are you simply a 'seeker' of something of substance that you can identify with, hold onto and give meaning and purpose to your existence? I don't intend any condescension using the word simple and cannot easily satisfy those 3 categories, nor the possible myriad of levels of our pursuit of a power greater than ourselves! So, I leave that to the Spirit of our living God, and this corner then, attempts to keep the focus on the passage +/or message of the week, as it has impacted or is affecting my mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Are you tracking with me? Do you and I regularly break and try to equate God's possible plan, to events, conversations or encounters that cross our path(s)? Does God speak to you in dreams, like the wise men?

What is it with the appeal of the power of denial ? My Oxford dictionary uses synonyms of: disavowal of truth, repudiation, disclaimer & rejection for defining this thing that is far too easy to fall into. My experience is that being swept up into disavowing the truth is usually subconscious oblivion until the emotional toll awakens enough to rid myself of [that] pain. That oblivion is way easier than the work of getting at the truth, but I for one am elated, that the 3 traveling sages failed to deny the still-small-voice from their dream and went home by another route. Prayer: Might you and I try an alternate path in our apathy or fear toward dealing with a difficult situation or person, intuitively taking our gifts into account? In the case of the 'new-seeker', I recall encouraging middle-schoolers to find 30 seconds a day for a week to listen or speak to God, or read His word; then 40 seconds next week; 50 the third, and increase by 10 secs. weekly until reaching 20 or so minutes daily AND if their life hadn't improved they might abandon their new habit, knowing they had done their part to enlist God's Spirit, understand Christianity a bit better and consider trying again a year later because it works for many.

We may have denied recent signs or voices, resulting in a fatality and disruption of governance on the day of Epiphany this week, but God is still in charge. Epiphany remains possible; "God is King over the nations. The leaders of the nations meet, ..the leaders of the earth belong to God." (Psalm 47: 8-9).

Like the Magi may we follow God's voice....& wear the belt of truth honorably! .....Deacon Kevin

Sermon: “The Gift of the Magi” written by Edward Hays

INTRODUCTION WRITTEN BY MARLAYNA:

Today I am going to recite a story written by Edward Hays entitled “The Gift of the Magi.”  It is a fictional account based on verse 12 of today’s scripture reading that tells us that the 3 wisemen or kings went home by another, “different” road.  Hays’ story is a deep reflection on what going home by another, “different” road could have meant to the wisemen, and, by extension, could mean in our lives today. 

I often tell or recite stories instead of preaching traditional sermons because our faith is based in story-telling.  Jesus’ primary means of “preaching” was telling stories.   Stories engage both our intellect and our emotions.  They stick with us and work on us during the week.  It is my hope that this story by Hays can move us to a deeper understanding and more faithful response to our Scripture reading.  May the Spirit speak through these words. 

“The Gift of the Magi” written by Edward Hays

Once upon a time three kings from the East made a star guided journey, carrying with them three gifts.  Their gifts are perhaps the most famous in all history:  gold, myrrh, and frankincense.  After they had presented them to the mysterious infant king lying in the stable where the star had led them, they returned home by a different route.  As the three kings traveled homeward, each carried a souvenir of his star-journey carefully hidden from the others.

When they stopped the first night on their way home, their attendants pitched the silk pavilions and made camp.  As the crescent moon appeared in the west, they finished their supper and retired.  Even the camel drivers were asleep and all was silent.  King Balthasar, however sat alone in his tent, in the glow of a brass lamp, reflecting on the gift of gold he had given the God-King in Bethlehem.  He smiled at himself for the need he had felt to take something, a small token of remembrance, from that insignificant stable where the infant lay.

By the light of the lamp he opened a golden case and removed a single piece of yellow straw, saying aloud, “I came on this quest to seek a king, a real king, because I did not feel kingly.  I have always doubted myself, my royalty.  What makes me different from my camel drivers?  Do I not also have the same needs for food and drink, for love and physical comfort as they?  How is a king different, after all, from a carpenter or any commoner?”

He replaced the straw in its precious case and continued, “Back in Bethlehem, the father of that child was only a common peasant, a simple village craftsman; yet he was more regal than any king I have ever seen.  And the child’s mother—was she not queenly in her simple dignity?  What, I asked myself, is the source of this inner nobility that can change peasants into royalty?”

King Balthasar walked to the entrance of his tent, looking up at the night sky crowded with stars.  “I saw the answer to my questions in the eyes of that infant.  True nobility comes from an anointing of the heart, not of the head!”  Quietly the king returned to his bed, and as he retired he thought to himself, “I am returning home by a different route and as a far different king.  I rode to Bethlehem on my camel, high above the faceless sea of commoners, slaves and beggars, wondering about my kingship.  I return home understanding that my camel drivers and every woman, man and child I saw along the way are royal persons deserving of my respect and honor.  Indeed, that star was an omen of a new age.  It has raised the curtain of history, not upon a revolution of slaves and servants overthrowing thrones; this is an evolution, as slaves and servants become equal to kings and queens!”  As Balthasar blew out his oil lamp, he sighed, “Such an age of equality is almost beyond imagination.”

The three kings traveled on the next day, and the next night the three silk pavilions were raised and the camels bedded down as the noises of the caravan quieted.  Everyone had retired, and the last embers of the campfire glowed orange in the darkness.  King Melchior stood outside his pavilion, holding an oblong ivory box encrusted with rare jewels.

Looking upward, King Melchior spoke, as if to the sky.  “I followed one of your wondrous lights, hoping to find the answer to the most ancient of all riddles the puzzle of life and death.  My gift of myrrh was sign of my inner quest.  Myrrh is the ointment used for burial, and gifts tell a great deal about the giver.  Ah, yes, even kings die, no matter how great or powerful they are.  Somewhere in this world, I thought, there must be a magic charm, a secret to escape death.”

He opened the ivory box, removing a single yellow straw.  “I was ashamed,” he mused, “to tell the other two that I wanted to take a keepsake from that stable.”  For a long time he stood silent, looking at the straw he held.  “I remember once reading a passage from one of their prophets of long ago; his name was Isaiah, as I recall.  He promised a king to these people, and when he comes ‘he will destroy death forever…and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes…’”

King Melchior held the hollow straw up to his eye, pointing it toward the most brilliant star in the night sky.  “Death, I now see, is like this straw—merely a passageway from one life to another.  And we slip through as easily as my breath passes through this straw.”  The wise man held the straw up to his mouth, and, indeed, his breath passed through it.

On the third night, when they had made camp, after everyone else was asleep, King Caspar took his leather saddlebag from inside his tent and opened a side pouch.   He removed a silver flask inscribed with intricate hieroglyphics.  Standing at the entrance to his tent, he opened the flask, reverently placed it on the sand, and knelt before it.  He made a profound bow and, after a few moments of silent adoration, he straightened but remained kneeling.  Looking at the stars, he spoke:  “I confess to you, I also took a souvenir from that stable.  I came on this star-led adventure because I needed to find a God to believe in.  My gift of incense, a traditional offering to the holy, was a telltale sign of my search for belief.  Oh, I believed in some sort of impersonal divinity, but I could put no form or reason to it.”

In the stillness, the silk cloth of the pavilion rustled softly.  “I, the great Caspar,” he spoke mockingly, “was the agnostic king.  I came seeking a religious experience, some divine revelation.  And my disappointment must have been the greatest as we entered that livestock stable.  I was the last of the three to approach the infant to adore him.  How un-godlike it was—the shabby stable, an infant lying in a bed of straw in a makeshift crib, his two peasant parents beside him.  There were no heavenly lights, no divine thunder rumbled around us, no angelic music filled the stable.  And my gift of incense in its silver chest seemed humorously out of place.”

“I remember it as if it were this very night.  How slowly I came forward to kneel before the infant!  It seemed cruel to refuse to do so, an embarrassment to my two fellow kings, so I simply pretended adoration.  Then that tiny baby looked at me.  Everything and everyone there was suddenly bathed in light.  There was a brilliance in those small eyes greater than the star we had followed.  That stable had become more awesome than any great temple I had ever visited; everything, even the straw on the floor was aflame with glory.  That’s why I picked you up,” he said, removing a single piece of yellow straw from the flask in front of him.

Leaving the entrance to his tent, Caspar climbed to the top of a silent sand dune, and, looking up into the starry night, he raised his fragile straw to the heavens.  “That child has come to end all religion and to make temples needless,” he said.  “Religion, ironically often separates life from God.  This child, I know, will someday bring together life and religion as one.  Common and ordinary life will become sacred.  There will be no need for temples.”  His arm swept outward to encompass the entire night sky.  He dropped the straw.  “This will be the Great Temple!” 

Out of the shadows stepped Balthasar and Melchior, and the three stood without speaking, surrounded by the silence of the stars.  Finally, King Balthasar said, “Each of us is going home by a different way.  Noble companions, we have ridden three days now from Bethlehem.  Did we find what we were looking for?  If so, how has our view of life changed?”  For a long time the three kings stood silent.  Then they began to speak, each in turn.

“I, Balthasar, have seen the beginning of a new age, the end of a time when only a select few are given reverence, treated as gods come to earth.  I have seen the end to kings and queens as the anointed ones, for now every person will be seen as royal, unique and possessed of great dignity.”

“I, Melchior, have seen the death of death.  Now I see only life in countless forms of transformation.”

“And I, Caspar, what have I seen?  I have seen God, and now I see God everywhere!”

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA

(“Preached” previously by Rev. Marlayna on Epiphany Sunday in 2007 in Annisquam; 2012 in York; 2017 in Manchester, NH; 2018 in Manchester, MA.)

January 3rd Worship

Information about this Sunday’s 

 Livestream Worship

You are invited to have bread and juice on hand in order to celebrate communion.


Epiphany

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page)

"In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem…" (Matthew 2:1)

ORDER OF WORSHIP (35 minutes)
- Prelude
- Welcome
- Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn #172 "We Three Kings"
- Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-12
- Story/Sermon “The Gift of the Magi,” written by Edward Hays, recited by Rev. Marlayna
- Communion of the Lord’s Supper
- Closing Hymn #469 "I Am the Light of the World"
- Benediction

PRAYER SERVICE (10-20 minutes)
You are invited to type prayer requests into the comment section of the Livestream.
LORD’S PRAYER
POSTLUDE

Hymns for Sunday, January 3rd

Click on the hymn to view and/or download the music.
#172 We Three Kings
#469 I Am the Light of the World!

Zoom Fellowship Time

Please join us for a Zoom Fellowship Time this Sunday (January 3rd) from 11 am to 11:30. No agenda—just come and enjoy each other’s company!

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 891 3631 1339
Passcode: 729800

or Call - +19292056099
Meeting ID: 891 3631 1339
Passcode: 729800

Isaiah 61: 1-4 & 8-10a

Isaiah 61: 1-4 & 8-10a      "The Lord makes me very happy; all that I am rejoices in my God."  (v 10a; Extreme Teen Bible, New Century Version).
           
          The magi haven't gotten to us yet, but I've received plenty of gifts already! Did you get anything or 'all' you wanted for Christmas? The unexpected presents just keep on coming; no wonder Christian thinking encourages us to express gratitude for all that comes to us. I seriously doubt I could bear the mental / emotional stressors on my own. Are you feeling me, on this? The monumental week I've had brings 1st Thessalonians 1:6 to mind where: "you suffered much, but still you accepted the teaching with the joy that comes from the Holy spirit." This week, my dear Rev. Esther told us of some less important and often overlooked parts (gifts) of the Christmas narrative that came to be for individuals, via staying the course, that is: 'faith'.
          In my sphere were: a study's conclusion needing commitment, which is best accomplished via Biblical truths; being shown how my passive style isn't necessarily benefiting a situation with an older American I assist; supporting a daughter about to be let go by her employer; the opportunity to reach out to a niece caught in a spiritual battle that tears one's heart out; and recognition of my confusion and difficulty with tactfully dealing with one I find haughty, while also seeking [my] approval. The opportunities are many and varied, - may the words of my [our] mouth and the thoughts of our hearts be acceptable prayer, oh Lord, my rock & my Redeemer.
          My earthly father used to say, "some day, it's gonna rain on your shoulders" and a mentor Dr. Ray encouraged: to use the truth and insight you glean to minimally help your families. Now personally, I think I'm pretty conscious of not offering unsolicited advice. Yet I can pray, and make the distinction of not thinking or saying: "all I can do is pray", but instead know that what I can do is pray. Perhaps, consider where you're at on this idea? Know that, through no effort of my own, but rather the gift that Jesus is, is my source of happiness and why I rejoice in God.  So, when I'm not leaning on my own understanding, I'm open to actively waiting on His timing and His possibly using my hands, feet, mouth or willingness regardless of what this life serves up for '21.
          May God's light shine on your 2021 & may you thrive rather than merely survive, Deacon Kevin; call me if I can be of help.