A GOD-INFUSED WORLD

Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

Rev. Tiare L. Mathison, Pastor & Soul-Tender

Let’s start with hope today. Wolf is wagging his tail as the lamb barks loudly! Calf and lion and fatling romp in the grass together. Out in the field, cow and bear munch away, side by side, satisfied rumbles. Snake is playing hide and seek as the young child giggles and laughs. Everyone is at peace, all over the holy mountain. (Slowly) The knowledge of God is so radically felt and experienced, it fills the air thick, like the salty smell of the seas. The peaceable kindom: a God-infused world. (Pause)

This all comes about because the root of Jesse’s Tree produces a king filled with covenantal qualities of righteousness, compassion and equity. He sees all those on the margins, preyed upon by the aggressors, weighed down by living without, scrounging to find enough to sustain for one more day. Wisdom, understanding, knowing God intimately provides him with the power to judge, to sort the wheat from the chaff, to have preference for the poor. He builds a community of peace.

Full stop.

Isn’t this what we want too? Leaders who act with righteousness, compassion for the poor, distributive justice & reparations to build equity for all? To make commitments for structural repentance, whereby systems of power are stripped of abuse and rebuilt to favor those who have never been given a chance? To own the wickedness of destroying the holy mountain and make the changes necessary to save the earth? Isn’t this our longing too? A God-Infused World?

I am reminded of Thomas Merton, a Trappist Monk who lived at Our Lady of Gethsamani abbey in Kentucky. A 20th century thought leader for spiritual depth. All seminarians were assigned to read his Seven Story Mountain.

He says: quote: “Life is this simple: we are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and God is shining through it all the time. This is not just a nice story or a fable, it is true.” unquote

Paul, in Romans says: May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and Peace, IN BELIEVING, so that you may ABOUND in Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 15:13

A little background. Advent is the start of the Christian liturgical year. The church, over the centuries, determined Christians need to stop and take stock of our lives. Before we can celebrate Christ’s birth, we must repent and be converted. Its parallel is Lent, our preparation to be witnesses to Christ’s death and glorification. The through line in all this are the promises of God, articulated by Isaiah, alive in Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Even now, God is at work in you and me and the whole wide world, removing the trappings, the husks as it were, that act as our defense, arrogance and disbelief.

Quote: “When we think faith is all about belief, we beat ourselves up for not being able to hold together all the mysteries and contradictions and far-fetched ideas. But that’s not what Christianity is really about. The Christian faith is really about trust. It’s not about Jesus the magician whisking us away on a magic carpet of happiness and glory. It’s about facing the unknown and seeing Jesus turn around, offer us his hand, and say, “We’re going to walk across the unknown together.” unquote Sam Wells, The Christian Century.

A God-Infused World

It is out in the wilderness where we first discover the Presence. John the Baptist wears funny clothes and is vegetarian, kinda like Elijah. He speaks sharp notes of judgment, to which the poor and those on the margin respond with sinful confessions, and are then baptized! Marked, included in God’s kindom. Note this: repentance makes it possible to see God’s infusion. It is a turning back toward our identity given in baptism. We look backwards so we can see the future. We have ‘died’ to sin and are raised with Christ, full inclusive adoptions, sisters and brothers in the covenant of Israel, Jews & Gentiles at peace. It is not a ritual of self-purification, rather this fundamental trust that Jesus indeed extends His hand…

Phenomena draws vipers - those with secular & religious power, seated at the center of the city councils - what’s going on? Whose operation is this? Is it a rebellion in the making? Best keep an eye on it. Oh sure, our arch enemies are here too. Tensions rise.

“Do not claim your ancestral linkage to Abraham and Sarah! See these rocks? God can raise them up to become children, you fools. Examine your lives. Where is your compassion, your righteousness, your pursuit of equity for all? He who is coming has the power to judge and to save. Best be getting yourselves ready for the showdown.” A God-Infused World

John’s proclamation points to what God has done, is doing and will do: the covenant with ancient Israel is broken open to include Jews, Gentiles, even pagans. Called into a welcome, this idea of bringing ‘the other’ toward yourself, to build the beloved community. This happens through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We all are brought in, the great gathering. Its nothing we have done that makes this so, rather, it is God’s continuous movement toward us, and all of humanity. Everyone gets a chance to say yes or no. By the fruit of our lives, we show our response, people SEE us, watch us, observe us, and make their judgments. Preach the gospel St. Francis says, use words only if necessary.

Like a pregnant woman waiting for those first contractions to signal baby is on the way! We are called to wait, be patient, anticipate the full arrival of Beloved Community. It is not easy for the violence and oligarchs seem to be everywhere. But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His goodness never comes to an end. They are new every morning, great is God’s faithfulness. To all generations.

A God-Infused World

Apostles Creed

A HOLY ADVENT

Isaiah 2.1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24.36-44

Rev. Tiare L. Mathison, Pastor & Soul-Tender

There is this ancient human longing which manifests itself this time of year. Snow and rain fall, days are shorter and shorter, the sun can barely peak over the southern horizon. Must be time for dinner it’s so dark outside. Oh, it’s only4:30.

This longing comes framed by the power of purchase in our market-driven economy. We call it Black Friday. not as a negative, rather to get balance sheets in the black again, an accounting anachronism from years gone by. The Seattle Times had just such a headline in Friday’s paper: “Black Friday could be make-or-break for downtown retailers”. There is small business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, ‘Give BIG’ Tuesday. Every where you look in the beginning of December there is this anticipatory sensation of something Big about to happen. As we move deeper into the cover of winter, we ache for living light. We forget how much the bodies of the earth need this season, roots regain their nutrients, strength for the journey ahead.

And there is the emotion of it all, as well. Maybe this year Christmas dinner won't be ruined by dad being drunk, again. Maybe Mike will come home for the first time in a long while. Maybe Auntie's passive-aggressive remarks about your marital status will be restrained. There is this longing for life to be different than it usually is. A Holy Advent

If swords can be beaten into plowshares - a signal of communal nurture - what can AR 15’s be pounded into? The shadow of mass shootings lines every moment of our days. A gay bar in Colorado Springs - safe haven for those who love in a different way, a mom of one of the dead says, 5 dead. A Walmart in Chesapeake Virginia, co-workers watched their friends be killed, 6 dead. College kids coming home from a special trip to see a play in Charlottesville, 3 dead. And in Idaho, and Pennsylvania, everywhere.

Shannon Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action, a group started after the slaying of 20 6 & 7 year olds at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn, 10 years ago this month. 10 years ago. Quote: “We are not numb to this violence, we, as a nation, are traumatized. We are not free if we are worried that no matter where we are, we are at risk of being shot.”unquote. We sing ‘While we are waiting, come…’ with tears running down our faces, hearts broken open, again, violence seeps deeper into the very fabric of our lives. We ache.

We do want to see what Isaiah sees.

Scripture's first words to the church in Advent raise the curtain and shine the spotlight on the lone voice of a pilgrim prophet, Isaiah. He who SEES the future. He doesn't speak with God, he doesn't listen to the Holy Spirit, he 'sees the Word'! He looks at reality's depth rather than its surface.

If u were to Cast a glance around Isaiah's world, you would see the rich in exploit of the poor; church folk pre-occupied with following rules of sacrifice and obedience. Their perfectionist pursuit shrinks the magnificent heart of Torah, the law; makes them arbiters of who is in and who is out. Governing bodies operate with a full blown bribe system in place. Everyone skims off the top or fixes the books or their tax returns. On the face of it, it is the same old thing, no peace, conflict pervasive, disillusionment and disappointment reign. Nothing's ever going to change. Justice is a dream gone by.

But what Isaiah sees? He sees the mountain where the Holy Presence calls all the nations. Jerusalem is the name of a particular place in our holy geography. Pilgrims traipse there. It is a stand-in for the world in our theology. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem means pray for the world. The nations flock there to learn; to learn how to live, to get on the pilgrim road, to have enough light shine to take the next step.

Everyone is invited and included--all the multi's you can think of. Inclusion and justice shape the formation of communities. People encounter the living God who speaks and listens; arbitrates disputes, lays down judgment for salvation not damnation. To end inequity is to end violence--there is no peace without justice. Then and only then can weapons of destruction become tools of life. Swords into plowshares.

This preposterous vision of 'in the days to come' suggest this transformation happens on the ground, here, within human history. We are to be THE peace. We are to cast our gaze into the deep regions of life, to discover the miracle presence of the living Christ. Our Advent pilgrimage offers up a glorious chance to reconsider the design and order of our daily lives. Isaiah asks we believe in the impossible, In the days to to come.

The beauty of pilgrim steps is found in a certain wisdom and a certain maturity of faith that develops over time. It says the future is based on the faithfulness of God. (Say twice). God’s shalom beats steady rhythms, songs of joy and peace, prosperity and goodness for all. We see the hammer hit the sword of our own inherent violence, pounded on the anvil into tools of abundance and generosity. God is not a refuge separate from our broken, violent, chaotic, messy, glorious world. He is the shelter we seek. Even as we jet off, trying to make it on our own, busy with our own busyness that functions as a distraction from this fundamental truth. We are created to NOT MAKE IT ON OUR OWN, look at our belly buttons! rather only in relationship with God and one another and the whole wide world.

Ah, but wait a minute. We do believe in the impossible. Jesus is raised from the dead. We believe we are saved from the sin that clings so closely, because of what God did 2000 years ago in the first Advent. We believe God entered the world through a birth canal experience, born a baby in a barn. In Christ's redemptive life, death and resurrection we believe this promise: we are saved and we are in the process of transformation until we die, or Christ comes again. Salvation is closer than when we first believed. God continues to gather us in, sit us down around a crowded table; and them too. She holds her fury at evil to call the world into righteousness. We believe our baptism signifies our inclusion in those gathering on the holy mountain and when we remember our baptism? we are grateful.

We believe God breaks into history every day or at least we ask Her to --intervene for peace in Ukraine, save the young women and men in Iran; Heal our country’s deep divide; prayers for our president and our Congress to act with compassion, wisdom and restraint; prayers of healing from cancer; restore broken relationships; help us forgive as we are forgiven. We want to learn how to walk on this pilgrim road to eternity. The old is passing away, the new is arriving right now.

We live between the bookends of Christ's coming. We long for the presence of God to be as visible as a brand new mountain. At least on our best days we beg for peace and justice throughout the whole world, the whole world, even those with whom we are estranged or have a feud. Because then maybe, just maybe, we will get to be at peace too.

A Holy Advent.