Bucket list sermon.

I have resisted the temptation to put sermons on my blog, preferring lighter reflections on life. I am going to share tomorrow's sermon outline because it is, in a sense, “me” sharing why I am a “JC’s helper”. Here, I think, is what I would say if I had only one sermon left to preach.

The reading set for the day comes from John’s gospel, (John 1:1 – 18) which is often called the “Prologue to John”. The author of John has had time to think and allow his thinking to evolve, so within this passage and his gospel are a lot of developed theology and evolved understandings. John uses religious terminology and mythical concepts of the cultures of his day to express his experience of Jesus. I could show you my theological and exegetical expertise by exploring these, but rather I want get behind these and explore what John is saying about his experience of Jesus. I find myself saying a loud “amen” to that, though his metaphysical musings these days may not ring bells.

 I walked up Mount Cargill and surveyed the city of Dunedin, thinking of the year ahead. I could see the heads of Otago harbour, pan past the communities on both sides of the harbour, the inner-city area through to the hill suburbs and beyond. It was evening and you could imagine households slowing down for the night. It is a very pretty city, looking very peaceful and calm. In the newspaper, however, I had read of a sexual assault in Mornington, a chainsaw attack in Caversham and alcohol fueled disturbances in town. From my experiences as an inner-city minister (Drop-in centre work etc.) a workplace chaplain to people in emergency services and my pastoral contacts in the community and chaplaincy, I am aware that all is not well for many people and households in the “pretty city”. That day I had an alcohol addicted young man yelling at me demanding that I give him money. (My heart ached for him because he will end up living a wasted life and I warned him of that) I know that many marriages within the city are a mere shadow of what marriage should be, with hurting people desperate for intimacy they don’t know how to achieve. I know of lives limping from crisis to crisis, hungering for acceptance, love, and meaning. I am aware my perspective could be warped by the sad tales I am constantly exposed to, and that there is much to celebrate, but I feel the hurt in this one city I am “called” to minister in. When my mind wandered nationally and internationally, I began to despair. An economic system that is fragile. There are big barriers building between cultures, religions and perspectives. I see the symptoms of incredible poverty of both the material and the “inner-being” kind.  That’s why I want to pass on this sermon outline about what John said of Jesus. I do this not in an imperialistic prosylatising exclusive way, (for Jesus’ “way” is found in many places) but just because I ache for people and think Jesus has something to offer them.

 

Light

“In him appeared life and this life was the light of humankind” …. “That was the true light which shines upon everyone…” Verse 4 &  9 J.B.Phillips paraphrase.

 

John had mixed with Jesus in life and after his death continued to follow “the way”. He drew up all sorts of perhaps culturally dated theological expressions of the impact of Jesus on his life, but essentially his commendation to us is “he brought life-giving light into my life”. That’s my testimony to my readers. Jesus brings into my life “light” that illumines and is life giving. I have a bare patch on my lawn that is slowly decreasing. It is bare because a deceased car was parked there hiding the light from the grass. Now the car is gone, light is hitting the ground, and life and grass is returning. Jesus does this for me. His teachings, principles and the life-style he promotes, (though revolutionary, challenging to common wisdom and often incredibly highly idealistic) bring into my life insight, healing perspectives and constructive attitudes I would otherwise not reach for. He is for me life-giving light. While I am far short of his ideals, my life is enriched because of the light he gives. I looked at this young man yelling at me wanting a hand out, hooked on whatever buzz liquor gives, and wished he could know the intoxication of “the way”. I listen to grumbling spouses, cynical middle aged men and young people chasing the latest fad. Part of me sometimes inwardly groans, “Get a life!” but I ache for them and wish they could know the deep fulfillment of “the way”. I am not wanting “bums on pews”, nor a bigger bunch of religious fanatics, (the Lord knows we have enough of them) but the experience of more whole living by people I love and ache for. From my experience, I agree with John, Jesus is “life-giving light”!

 I can be a better person!

“Yet wherever people did accept him he gave them the power to become children of God.” Verse 12 J B Phillips paraphrase.

 In this verse and the verse to follow, and in the gospel itself, using various phrases familiar to the people he was writing to (“Life eternal” “born from above” “resurrection” “life abundant” etc) John passes on his experience that when he lived his life in partnership with Jesus he, somehow became a better person. Again that is my daily experience. I am a human being with all sorts of failings. I can be racist, sexist and destructive. I can be filled with lust, tempted to stray, incredibly and destructively angry, motivated by revenge and blinded by apathy. I can be self-centred, full of my own self-importance, selfishly longing for affirmation, acknowledgement and reward. I can be stunted by self- doubt, fearful of rejection, and incredibly self-obsessed. Like most of us, (I hope) I struggle to be a better nobler person every day. But my experience is that living with an awareness of Jesus and his way, empowers me to be a better person. On Sunday afternoons I usually go for a run/walk or some exercise. There are few Sundays I miss out on this. Last Sunday it came to the normal time for my exercise and I just blobbed out. Why? Well you see my normal running partner is in Perth. Going out there on my own after a busy Christmas was not attractive. Having a partner to be answerable to would have motivated me. I have found the same with my gym membership. When I was taking people with me, or meeting mates there, I was motivated. Alone it is so difficult to make the time. Jesus motivates me to be a better person in the same way. Of course I am tempted, selfish and react to people with destructive attitudes, but inside my “running partner”, Jesus, challenges me and calls me to higher living. There is one other thing about Jesus, that I find an incredible inner resource. I sense in Jesus’ the searching of a whole line of people looking for a better way. Abraham seeking more whole living for the communities he encountered; Moses wanting his people to be free; Isaiah, Amos and other prophets longing for a fair deal for the poor; Socrates, Plato and heaps of philosophers looking for basic guidelines; John the Baptist looking for integrity of religion; Francis of Assisi connecting with creation and the poor; William Wilberforce challenging the slave traders; Martin Luther King; Albert Schweitzer; Gandhi; Nelson Mandela; Trade Union founders; Desmond Tutu; and there are heaps of known and unknown searchers after truth, justice and harmony. In Jesus I sense the same inner-motivation of these people, each seeking to express in their time in their way (though often like me with feet of clay) a spirit of life and love. So as I live I experience an incredibly motivating sense of partnership in life and history with Jesus and all these people who have gone before or who are part of the same searching now. This is dynamic inner motivation to be a better person. I am given power to be better than I would other-wise be.

Deeper mysteries clarified.

“So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendour… full of grace and truth.” Verse 14 J B Phillips paraphrase.

 It was John’s contention that in Jesus we could see the mind of God, and that was full of grace and love.  I agree, but find this incredibly hard to communicate, because the word “God” is a mystery to most of us and often misunderstood. “God” for me is not “a being” watching us “from a distance”. (Sorry Bette Middler) He is a layer of reality, a presence or a current of life and love that is within life. Watching “Border Patrol” on TV there is one activity that reminds me of what John says about Jesus and God. There is discovered in some parcel or luggage a mysterious substance. What is it? They take a sample and put it in a solution or gadget, and by a change of colour of some liquid or a reading on a dial, it shows that within the substance there are levels of some drug. The gadget or liquid expose or reveal the nature of an ingredient that is otherwise unseen. That’s what John is saying about the life of Jesus. His life and way brings to the fore the nature of the unseen life or current of God within the lives we lead. Jesus’ life indicates for me two things. We live in the presence of a spirit who loves us unconditionally and desires for all of us fullness of life in every way. (From the starving orphan in the Sudan, to the spiritually starving rich film star in Hollywood) This “Spirit” or “movement” is expressing “him/her-self” in history and in lives, connections, relationships, movements and communities about us, seeking to bring LIFE. Secondly Jesus exposes or reveals what is ultimately important in life. He cuts through the crap of materialism, consumerism, power-seeking, status, imperialism, misguided patriotism etc. and simply shows that what is important is people, and the quality of the relationships and connections between people. Are they respectful, constructive, life-giving, life enhancing, harmony inducing, liberating. Etc.? So for me Jesus clarifies the atmosphere, deeper purposes and eternal values that are a part of the existence we share together. He reveals, exposes and gives “flesh” to the mystery we name “God”.

 Summary....

Jesus brings life giving light to my life, he empowers me to be a better person and clarifies the deeper meanings and movements of life. I wish the many hurting people I encounter could find this experience in their living. I wish the leaders of the nations could know these directions. I wish the rich people trading spouses and trying to find satisfaction in ways they never will, could know this. I wish I trusted it more in my lifestyle.

Revelations 3:20... John has a vision of Jesus saying this... "Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me." All I can say is I have a better life because of Jesus.

Photos:

(1) Me in my pulpit. Francis of Assisi said something like, "Preach the gospel always in season and out of season. If you have to ... use words."

(2) Jesus is for me light for the pathway of life.