Advent 2017 Daily Reflection

2017 Advent Daily Reflection
Advent is a season of waiting and anticipation. We begin this year with a word of warning from Jesus. In Mark 13 Jesus reminds his followers to "beware," "keep alert," and "keep awake!" While Jesus' words were certainly a preface to his promise to return, he was also serving notice for his followers to watch out for deception in their midst - false prophets. The message to "awake" and "keep alert" resonates with us today in a world inundated with false proclamations: greed, wealth, self-centeredness, instant gratification, etc. The holiday season can be one of the hardest for Christians as we discern the world's temptations, distractions, deceptions and reconcile them with the promise of the gospel message.

Too often we may find ourselves beginning this new season on auto-pilot, and it is precisely that moment that Advent invites us to "wake up" spiritually and remember that our waiting for Jesus is centered in the narrative that is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This narrative shapes our life. This narrative both gives us reason to wait and empowerment in our waiting. This Advent you are invited to be present each day, embracing the Spirit's work in our midst, and to aid in our waiting we will follow the schedule below, which lifts up a single word or them for reflection each day.

Dec. 3, 2017 - #Prepare

We might recall the voice of the one crying from the wilderness, "prepare the way of the Lord!" What does #Preparing the way of the Lord look like in our daily lives? In what ways are preparing for the Messiah this Advent. 

Today we give thanks for the many ways in which we #prepare for worship. The ringers #prepare their prelude offering as the altar guild #prepares the linens. The candles are lit, the festival choir warms their voices to lead us in song, and table is #prepared so that all may come to taste and see that the Lord is good.  #Advent #stmarksjaxelca #Prepare

Dec. 4, 2017 - #Hope 

Traditionally the first candle of the Advent wreath is known as the prophecy candle which symbolizes HOPE. For generations the prophets spoke of hope for the people - hope found in God through the promise of a Messiah. Their hope was rooted in a great king of kings, a mighty God, a wonderful counselor, and a prince of peace.  While the prophets spoke of hope in a promised Messiah, today we celebrate in both the fulfillment of that hope in Jesus Christ, emmanuel,as well as the hope of his imminent return. As we light the first candle of the Advent wreath this week we give thanks for both God, who fulfills all promises, and for the community who waits together."May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~ Romans 15:13

Dec. 5, 2017 - #Wait
It seems that we do a lot of #waiting in our lives. In the simplest of moments we find ourselves waiting for trivial things like a drive-through, traffic, or a download. At worst it tests our patience, and at best it makes us realize the value of our time. Sometimes our waiting isn't so trivial, and it then carries layers of emotional, spiritual, and physical depth. For example, waiting for the doctor to call with results, waiting on a loved one to return home from a long absence, or waiting on a child to be born.

Advent is a season of great waiting, and it is intentionally located at the beginning of our liturgical year to remind us where, and in whom we should place our waiting. Our time is valuable and precious because it is a gift from God. As we wait for the Messiah this Advent may our waiting be rooted in Christ. In the simplest moments of waiting, like preschoolers lining up for chapel, may we find joy in their laughter. In the difficult periods of waiting, like a diagnosis or a recovery from illness, may we find strength, peace, and hope in the one who waits with us and offers us grace upon grace, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel. Wait in the Lord this Advent and always. #Advent #ELCA #Stmarksjaxelca

Dec. 6, 2017 - #Light 

How many times a day do you mindlessly flip a switch upon entering or leaving a room? On. Off. On. Off. Instantly a connection is made and the way becomes so clear. The darkness is subdued. Even a single candle has the power to give illumination to an entire room.   Each week in Advent we light a candle as we wait for the Messiah. One after the other to symbolize hope and the anticipation of Christ’s arrival. Jesus is the light of the world, God born among us to give light to a dark world. Like a star guiding the wisemen, this light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it. Where in your life are you in need of some light? Clarity? Illumination? Right vision? Guidance? #Advent #stmarksjaxelca #elca #fbsynod #Light

Dec. 7, 2017 - #Listen

There’s no shortage of noise in this world.  Noise yields distraction.  It demands attention.  It consumes us and it can dictate our lives.  From car horns to microwave dings.  From televisions to text messages and e-mails.  Every little noise has it place and purpose, pulling us further from silence. 

This week we hear a loud voice crying from the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight his paths.”  Could the wilderness be the world that surrounds us, consuming us with its overgrown brush and briars?  Maybe that voice in the wilderness that is crying out is our own—crying for God to be near. Does God hear our cries?  Advent is a season in which we are reminded that God hears our cry.  God listens.  God journeys to us in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel.  In the mess of the world, a child is born in stillness of night.  God speaks.  Word into flesh.  Light into Darkness.  Divine into Human.  When was the last time you listened?  Not to the cacophony of the world, but in the silence of prayer?  Do you hear God’s cry of love, grace, peace?   #stmarksjaxelca #elca #Advent #fbsynod #Listen

Dec. 8, 2017 - #Peace

A quick survey of the world leaves us in fear that #peace has never felt so far away.  Like that of a fairytale ending, peace seems so unachievable.  So unattainable.  A mirage.  In the wake of natural disasters so many voices cry out, desperate for a peaceful night’s rest.  Fires rage and waters subside, leaving so many without.  Nations struggle against one another for power, and with every attack, intimidation, and verbal bait we edge further and further to a cliff void of world peace.  The recent movement, in which victims courageously claim and tell their stories is unveiling a truth in our society that we have work to do if are ever to restore peace among one another.
Now, as much as ever, our world is desperate for peace, and perhaps we’re desperate for a peace that goes beyond our understanding, a peace that is rooted in transformation, rather than choice.  A peace that names oppressive powers as sin, and enables us to act instinctively in favor of peace—for both the world and one another.  And maybe, just maybe that peace could be found in Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. #StMarksjax #Peace #elca #fbsynod #Advent2017

Dec. 9, 2017 - #Wisdom

Dec. 10, 2017 - #Beginning
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God. (Mark 1:1).  This is Mark’s “nativity” moment.   He begins with a bold statement.  A title for his writing. A thesis. A declaration, really.  The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God.  The beginning, the starting point, the foundation, the origin.  Everything that follows then must necessarily fit within this declaration.  The events and experiences, the lessons and miracles, even the grief, deceit, death, and denial that are about to take place are, in fact, within the framework of good news.  Advent, this precious blue season of anticipation and waiting reminds us that we live and participate in the kingdom of God within God’s time.

Water and word. Word and flesh. Flesh and blood. Blood and death. Death and Resurrection. Resurrection and new life in the water.  It’s all connected.  Washed in the water, each day is a new beginning, a daily dying and rising in Christ.  Each day is a new opportunity. So Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, for in God’s time, this is only the beginning.  #stmarksjaxelca #Advent #ELCA #Beginning #fbsynod

Dec. 11, 2017 - #Path

The voice cries in the wilderness, “Make straight his paths.”  God journeys to the world on this path in Jesus Christ.  We learn that Jesus himself becomes the way the truth and the life.   Jesus is our pathway for eternal life, and our path begins in the waters of new life—baptism.  In the water we are reminded daily that God walks this path of life with us—every bump, twist, turn.  Every disappointment and accomplishment. 

Let me offer a weird illustration: I often think of this life path with Jesus as a piece of music. music is a universal language.  It speaks with its own cadences, tempos, dialects, accents, and interpretations.  Each note has its own emphases as the phrase swells with meaning.  The measures, sentences, movements, and paragraphs of the music move along a certain path, expressing their melodies, harmonies, and dissonances.  Some times a melody moves along by itself.  At other moments the path is cluttered with other voices, some who compliment, some who compete.  A repeat symbol returns the music to a new beginning, or a coda sets them back to a recent memory. 

I suppose my take away is to embrace the flow of music (re: life).  Embrace the guidance of the Spirit and promise of Jesus to guide our path.  Embrace the path, with all of its crescendos, key changes, dynamic shifts, and chord structures. #stmarksjaxelca #advent2017 #path #fbsynod #lutheran

Dec. 12, 2017 - #Joy

Traditionally the third candle on the Advent wreath stands for “Joy.”  Often it may be pink in order to stand out.  When we light the ‘joy’ candle we recall the shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks at night, and the angel who appears with good news that will cause great joy for all people.  Jesus Christ enters the world, restoring joy to a world desperate for good news.  Some times our Advent traditions have us revering this event of joy, admiring it from afar, and reserving it for this one time a year.  But I can’t imagine that God desires for us to only experience or honor joy this one time a year.

Each day is a new day full of joy.  Advent not only reminds us of the ultimate joy found in the Christ child, but the daily joys that breath fresh air into a clouded world.  Today it was the cashier at a fast food establishment singing songs of joy as she worked.  It was preschoolers taking turns to strum my guitar, and watching 2-year-old hands ring a bell for the first time.  It was a sign in a palm tree next to a Christmas penguin as I waited in a business lobby. 

Advent is undoubtedly a busy season, and the trap is to be too busy to notice the joy.  It is not that we have to seek out joy, but rather in the freedom of Christ we notice and embrace small joys when they come our way.  Where have you experienced joy today? This season?  Perhaps you may have been a source of joy for someone else? #Stmarksjaxelca #Advent #joy #elca #fbsynod

Dec. 13, 2017 - #Grace
As Lutherans we talk a lot about grace.  In fact, it remains as one of the very foundations of our faith, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).  THIS is not your own doing.  The salvation, the faith, the grace—all of it is God’s doing.  God’s free gift, graciously bestowed upon us.  God’s grace frees us for sin, death, and the devil.  It frees us to love and be loved.

In Advent we dwell on the Word that became Flesh.  God’s Word embraced life among us in Jesus, the Emmanuel.  “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”  In the most inconspicuous place and in the most unexpected way, the fullness of God’s grace was born to live among God’s people.  God graced God’s people. #Stmarksjaxelca #Advent #Grace #elca #fbsynod

Dec. 14, 2017 - #Patience

ELCA Bishop Elizabeth Eaton recently put out a Christmas message about “just this, just now.” She talks about how busy the season of Advent is for many people and how we must tap back into being present for “just this, just now.” Whether you are a parent working to buy all the right gifts, a musician with a few too many performances, or a teacher waiting for holiday break to start, it is exceptionally hard to be patient in this time. Some of us are even just impatiently waiting for the holiday season to be over and for the new year to start.

But we miss things when we rush through life. We miss the precious time with our families, we miss the Christmas lights on our neighbor’s house, we miss the message that God is so patiently waiting for us to hear, recognize, and live out. It took thousands of years of God’s patience and grace with God’s people before God, in the most gracious act of love *ever* offered the world Godself in the incarnation. So as we wait like Mary for this precious child, let us be present for just this, just now.  See Bishop Eaton’s video here.  #stmarksjaxelca #elca #Advent #fbsynod #Patience

Dec. 15, 2017 - #Journey

Advent is a wonderful season to self-reflect on the journey of faith.  Reflect in all of its joys, sorrows, twists, turns, disappointments, terrors, and excitements.  There will always be voices in this world telling us where our journey should lead us, but ultimately it is to Christ that our path is destined.  The holiday season brings out the worst in temptation, greed, and self-righteousness.  Everywhere we look there is another flashing neon sign offering us a misdirection from our spiritual journey.  

On Sunday we’ll hear about John, a man sent from God as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him (John 1:6).  John the Baptist points to Christ, directing the crowds to Jesus, the Messiah, in whom our journey is filled with purpose, opportunity, hope, love, salvation, and joy.  What distractions are present in your life this Advent?  What is it that interrupts your journey with Christ? #stmarksjaxelca #elca #Advent #fbsynod #journey

Dec. 16, 2017 - #Comfort

Perhaps today’s word should really be ‘discomfort’.  Typically we only address comfort in our lives when it is being challenged.  It grabs our attention when our ‘comfortableness’ is at risk, and discomfort is on the horizon.  Fearful as it may be, discomfort more often than not yields growth.  Maybe Advent could be an appropriate season to reflect on the areas of your faith life that could use some discomfort.  Could the Spirit be challenging you in a new way this season?

The (dis)comfort conversation makes me think of Mary.  Beyond the (growing pains) discomfort of pregnancy, Mary was challenged to process and accept God’s plan in her life.  She likely faced ridicule and criticism.  She traveled to a foreign land and was forced to give birth in a very uncomfortable setting.  And through it all she experienced joy.  Pure joy. #stmarksjaxelca #elca #Advent #fbsynod #comfort

Dec. 17, 2017 - #Witness
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him” (John 1:6).  Today’s gospel lesson introduces a man named John, just John.  John is questioned by the authorities with regards to who he is, yet John can only answer in terms of who Jesus is.  John says, “I am not the Messiah…I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”  John’s identity is tied to Christ, and his presence is solely for the purpose of witnessing to Christ. 

The difficult part of being a witness to Christ is getting out of the way.  Too often our own piety or self-righteousness can interfere with the actual good news of Jesus Christ.  Today we take a cue from John, just John, who reminds us that we should always be pointing towards Christ.  Christ the Messiah, the light, so that all might believe. #stmarksjaxelca #elca #Advent #fbsynod #witness

Dec. 18, 2017 - #Justice

More than ever before we are inundated with crises for justice.  Facebook posts, TV, protests, tweets, and advertisement fill our world with the desire for justice.  Whether it’s equal rights, racial justice, women’s rights, the refugee crisis, we’re overwhelmed with the world’s desperations.  More often than not the temptation is to block it out.  Pretend it doesn’t exist, or worry that our single voice won’t make a difference.  The good news, whether we wish to name it or not, is that we are called to be agents in God’s justice.  We are called in baptism to “serve all people following the example of Jesus, and strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” Our individual voices, when combined with the love of Christ and God’s reign breaking into the world, can make a difference right now, today. We can speak up for someone who is being bullied, we can insist on equal pay for equal work from our employers, we can choose love and joy over fear and hate— today and every day. #stmarksjaxelca #elca #Advent #fbsynod #justice

Dec. 19, 2017 - #Water

There is an inseparable connection between water and the Advent of our Messiah.  Jesus’ birth is the fulfillment of God’s promised savior.  Water has been essential throughout all of God’s redeeming story, including the coming of Christ. 

Just a brief flip through the Bible can reveal God’s redeeming story through water. In the beginning God separated the sky from the seas, God offered a new start for creation in the flood, Moses was saved through the flowing of the Nile. Throughout scripture, water has always been important for cleansing and ritual rebirth.  In the New Testament, water is a sign of eternal life, reminding us that through our own baptism, we have received eternal life in Christ. Martin Luther tells us that each time we wash our faces in the morning and evening, we should remember our baptism and the promises that were made on that holy day. So as we remember the ever present water in God redeeming story, as we water our trees or enjoy the rain, we can remember God’s life-giving water in baptism. #stmarksjaxelca #elca #Advent #fbsynod #water

Dec. 20, 2017 - #Rejoice 

We hear the word “rejoice” often throughout Advent. We sing “rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel,” we hear the words oh Philippians 4:4 saying, “rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” The world “joy” comes from the word “rejoice,” which we hear in “Joy to the World” and we know the third Sunday of Advent to be the “joy” or “Gaudete Sunday,” when we often light a pink candle. We can experience a lot of joy during the holiday season. But there can also be an immense amount of grief and pain.

Tomorrow we will observe the longest night of the year and hold a “Longest Night Service” at St. Mark’s. For many people, Christmas is a reminder of the loved ones who are no longer with us, of estranged family and friends, and dreams dashed during the year. The service tomorrow will recognize this grief and loss while remembering God’s promise of joy and dried tears in everlasting life. #stmarksjaxelca #elca #Advent #fbsynod #rejoice

Dec. 21, 2017 - #Promise

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20).  Matthew gospel account ends with this promise from Jesus—a promise to always be near.  Throughout the old testament and the history of God’s people, God repeatedly promises to never leave God’s people nor forsake them.  Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of that promise.  During Advent we wait with anticipation as God initiates God’s promise of life-long presence.  In the birth of the Messiah God becomes incarnate, further exemplifying God’s love and commitment for God’s people. 

Tonight we gather for the Service of Healing during our Longest Night Worship.  Tonight we acknowledge that the holidays are not always so joyful.  We remember those whom we are not able to celebrate with this season.  As we remember the traditions of old and begin to make new ones, we holdfast to the promise of Jesus’ eternal presence.  We enter the holiday seasons with full confidence and promise of the resurrection dawn, and the life of the world to come.  When the season draws to an end and the holidays are over (for now), and when the day comes that all is washed way God’s promise to be with us to the end of the age remains true in Jesus.  We will never be abandoned, and it is good for us to remember that Jesus is with us always. 

Dec. 22, 2017 - #Delight 

Delight is not often a readily-accessible word in our vocabulary.   More often than not we describe a moment of delight with more common synonyms, like joy, happiness, or excitement.  Perhaps it is our own rare usage of the word that gives it such weight when we do hear it.  “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights” (Isaiah 42:1).   “I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:24).   The connotation that “delight” carries is more than just a synonym for joy, but rather a complete encapsulation of all of its synonyms.  Joy, excitement, thrill, happiness, and more all wrapped up in a single moment of delight.

In Advent we recall not only the favor of the Lord upon Mary, but her great delight as well.  Upon receiving the good, yet surprising news that she will become the mother of the son of God, Mary’s soul is filled with delight.  Normally we might consider God’s good, yet surprising calling in our life to be followed with fear, doubt, or unworthiness.  May we take a lesson this Advent from Mary, a remarkable model of discipleship.  May our souls delight in God’s calling for us to serve with justice, act with kindness, and walk humbly in the Lord.

Image source: http://www.pbgrace.com/magnificat-canticle-of-mary-prayers-for-catholic-kids/

Dec. 23, 2017 - #Adore

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).   O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

Dec. 24, 2017 - #Glory

"Gloria in excess deo!"  Glory to God in the highest! Christ the Lord is born this night!

Video: Epiphany Sunday, 2013 @ Church of St. Catherine, Bethlehem, Israel.

Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come.

“Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come.”  This prayer is our Advent refrain each week as we invoke the Holy Spirit to “stir up” within us through the prayer of the day.  These ”stir up” prayers in Advent have always been my favorite, and every year I discover a new reason to fall in love with them all over again.

In a literal sense, I love the image of the Holy Spirit stirring things up.  My mind is filled with images of the Spirit swirling, much like a desert windstorm or a tidal pool with the waves crashing together.  During the holidays I am even reminded of the Spirit’s “stirring” when I fold flour or eggs into a good batter, or marshmallows in a cup of hot chocolate.

One of my favorite “stir up” prayers is on the third Sunday of Advent. On December 17, we’ll pray, “Stir up the wills of your faithful people, Lord God, and open our ears to the words of your prophets, that, anointed by your Spirit, we may testify to your light…” The power of the Spirit stirring up God’s people is empowering and exciting.  However, it is also downright terrifying.

There is a stereotype that Lutherans don’t like change. We’re often comfortable with our traditions and having “always done it that way.”  Whether that generalization is true or not is the topic of another time, but perhaps the same generalization could be made within our own lives.  How complacent can we become in our relationship with God?  How settled can we become in our faith?  How content can we become in our practices, traditions, rituals, and beliefs?  Are we truly ready or willing to be stirred up?

Willingly and knowingly invoking the Spirit to stir us up is a scary invitation.  After all, the Spirit has strong track recorded of stirring things up pretty well.  Off the top of my head I can think of a large ark, thousands of Israelites crossing the Red Sea, a whale’s belly, a wise judge, and of course a young woman named Mary.  The Spirit is always stirring and filling, empowering and challenging. 

One of the many joys of the Advent season is the invitation to begin again. To begin a new liturgical year.  To enter a new calendar year with excitement, goals, hopes, dreams, and ambitions.  To begin the story of Jesus, from birth and life to death and resurrection.  To be stirred up.  Advent invites us to have the settled, dusty, and stagnant parts of our lives stirred up by the Holy Spirit.

This year I am reminded of God’s promise in the Spirit to keep stirring.  I often want to condition my Advent prayer with “only if you want to” or “if you think I need it.”   But the question isn’t if the Spirit will stir, but when and how.  This Advent I am reminded that our prayer is not request or invitation as much as it is a proclamation of faith. 

From the beginning, God stirred up creation.  God stirred up love when Jesus, Emmanuel and Messiah, walked among God’s people in humble service— turning the world upside down in the death and resurrection.  And by God’s grace, God continues to stir things up for us in the most beautiful, challenging, and faithful ways.  How is the Spirit working in your life this Advent?  In what areas of your faith life might you find the Spirit stirring?

Originally Posted in the December, 2017 Messenger for St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, Florida.

Reign of Christ Sermon - Matthew 25: 31-46

Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

There is a popular expression of faith.  Although it is credited to Francis of Assisi, its origins are a bit unknown. Regardless, it resonates with today’s Gospel text.  It goes, “Proclaim the Gospel, and when necessary use words.” I suppose it sounds similar to present day quips such as “you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk,” or “actions speak louder than words.” Personally, I’m more fond of the former “proclaim the Gospel, and when necessary use words.”

To be clear the intention of the expression is not to diminish the use of words or dismiss the inherent oral nature of the gospel message, but rather the intention is to highlight the interconnectedness of proclamation and action.  Word and deed. Theses two expressions of the Gospel go hand-in-hand, inseparable present-day manifestations of the good news in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.  

Not as a choice, but as an embodiment of our discipleship.  An instinct of our Christian nature. A stitch in the fabric that is the body of Christ DNA.   Proclaiming the Gospel, and when necessary using words.

Today marks the end of our liturgical calendar.  The end of the church year.  And so on this final Sunday of the church year, as we transition into Advent and new beginning we hear Jesus in his final public teaching moment with the Disciples. It is perhaps the perfect bookend to his public teaching ministry.

Recall that 20 chapters ago he began with the Beatitudes a world-turning, expectation-flipping assessment on the kingdom of God, in which the meak, poor, lonely, and lost inherit the Kingdom of God.  He goes on for another 10 chapters talking about the Kingdom teaching in parables, and preaching to the disciples and the crowds.

In chapter 16, after a decisive moment when Jesus asked Peter, “who do you say that I am?”  The text tells us “From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem to be killed and raised.”  From that time on he began to show.

It is not purely coincidence that Jesus spent his entire ministry both proclaiming and showing in action the good news of the Kingdom of God come near.  I don’t think either that is is purely coincidence that Matthew’s account of Jesus has him teaching for the last time about the interconnectedness of word and deed.   The humble, instinctive, and intuitive nature of doing to the least of these as Jesus did.

In Matthew’s account of the Gospel, there are more than 50 references to the kingdom.  The majority of which come from Jesus in coordination with a healing, parable, miracle, or a teaching moment.  

Central to Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew is the presence of the Kingdom.  A reign of God in Jesus Christ.  The embodiment of love, mercy, and grace in Jesus Christ the King.   

When Christ cleanses a Leper, heals a hemorrhaging woman, and restores site to the blind he proclaims the arrival of God’s kingdom in both word and deed.  

When Jesus sits to eat with a tax collector and associates with despised members of society, Jesus proclaims the arrival of God’s kingdom in both word and deed.  

When Jesus feeds 5000 and 4000 on a hillside, breaks bread with disciples, and offers living water to the woman at the well he proclaims the arrival of God’s kingdom in both word and deed.

When Jesus advocates for the oppressed, teaches about wheat, seeds, and yeast, and walks on water he is proclaiming the arrival of God’s kingdom in word and deed.

The correlation between faithful proclamation and humble service for Jesus, and for Matthew is no coincidence.  And furthermore the presence of the Kingdom of God within both word and deed is no coincidence.  

Now look brothers and sister I know that the word and deed sermon isn’t likely a new concept.  I’m sure many of us have heard the talk the talk and walk the walk sermon.  Most of us are familiar with this text and its implications.  Never-the-less, today’s text on this Reign of Christ Sunday is a significant and intentional text for on the final Sunday in the church year.  Beyond its familiarity, Jesus offers his disciples, the crowds, and us an important reminder of the nature of the Kingdom of God.  

‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’

And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

I invite you to hear today’s text and message not as conviction but rather as a reminder, an affirmation of your participation in the kingdom. To help, I offer two insights:

First, may we not get caught up on the “otherness”... wondering who are the least of these.  I think too often we subconsciously determine who is the “the least of these.”  This determination impacts our ability or willingness to act.   We might identify the least among us by some set of unfair or unnecessary criteria.  Limiting our care for neighbors and others by some condition of “leastness”  

Rather may our focus be on the action themselves, regardless of the recipient. Perhaps Jesus’ teaching today is not so much about determining who the least are, and who is need of care, but rather the acts of compassion and care we carry out in the name of Jesus.  The feeding through programs like UCOM and foodbanks, the welcoming of family promise, the caring of our home-bound and shut-in members, and the visiting of those in need of a familiar face or a safe smile.  Acting in Jesus’ name as Thomas Merton says, “to love others, the sick hungry, thirsty, stranger, oppressed, naked...without stooping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.

Second, may we not get caught up simply on the actions themselves.  The works in Jesus’ name.  

After all neither the sheep nor the goats in today’s teaching realize that they have done anything good.  “Lord when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ The sheep and goats seem to share and ignorance in their response.  They are surprised by their fate.

So rather than focusing on the actions themselves...to help or not to thelp, may today’s text be a reminder that caring for others, regardless of worthiness is part of our very nature.  It’s intuitive to who and whose we are.

It comes naturally, perhaps subconsciously to those who have been washed by God’s grace.

Like a good tree producing good fruit, it is the very nature of the body of Christ to proclaim the arrival of God’s kingdom in word and deed.

Brothers and sisters the good news this Christ the king Sunday, is that Jesus Christ proclaimed the kingdom of God come near, and showed the world again and again the goodness of God’s grace by

dining with sinners, forgiving aggressors, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, grieving with the bereaved, dying on a cross and rising again.  

And friends may there be no better news than the fact that through our baptism God has claimed us as children of God.  Sheep in God’s flock.  We are woven into the fabric of the body of Christ and we are gifted each and every day with the gospel message of Jesus the King. A king who reigns in the messiness of life.   Who shines light in a dark world and guides our paths.  Jesus who is the center all that we say, and do not because Jesus intrudes our life, but rather washed in the water we exude the resurrected promise of everlasting life.

So as we transition into a new church year, a new calendar year, a new church season...as we change the colors, decorations…The hymns and texts.. May Christ always and forever remain at the center…empowering us to do and say as Christ.  To proclaim the gospel message that Christ the King, Emmanuel and Messiah, Lord of Lords, mighty God, prince of peace has begun his reign. Halleluiah.  

© Pastor Daniel Locke Nov. 19, 2017 @ St. Mark's JAX