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  • The Last Day of Advent: Living on the Verge

    The season of Advent is ending.  It is a season of waiting, expecting, hoping, preparing.  But for what?

    We’ve been hearing a lot from the prophets during the past four weeks, telling about those who were expecting God to send a Messiah to deliver the Jews from their oppressors.  Even tonight, Christmas Eve, we will hear such a message.

    Maybe we have been waiting, expecting, hoping, and preparing for one whose revolutionary activities tend toward the liberation and redemption of folks on a more philosophical, theological, or psychological basis.  If so, we may have come to this day with some anticipation that something is going to change inside us.  Maybe after tonight’s service we will finally “feel” the spirit of Christmas that the soundtracks and displays in the malls haven’t been able to stir up in us.  Maybe our Advent has been about getting to this night so that something can happen on the inside of us, "the peace that passes understanding."

    As we reach the end of Advent, expectation turns to fulfillment.  “Jesus is coming” turns to “Jesus has come.”  When that happens, expectation becomes assignment.  And we begin to realize that the new world order, the peace that passes understanding, and all the frenetic activity finally converge in this night and in a babe lying in a manger, who grew up to make some pretty serious demands upon us.  We’ve been living on the verge of something and here it is!

    A bishop once spoke of a priest who “spent forty years living on the verge of ministry.”  Forty years “on the verge.”  The bishop said, “He kept waiting for the perfect church.  Of course, the perfect church never came.  At congregation after congregation, he always found something wrong and never quite up to his expectations.  He just never got to the church where he could minister.  Forty years waiting, forty years complaining, forty years on the verge,” lamented the bishop.

    How many people do you know who spend years “on the verge” of being a disciple of Jesus the Messiah?  “One day, some day,” they say, “when we get the right church, when we get the right priest, when we get the right feeling, when we get the right answers, when we get everything right, then we’ll finally find fulfillment in our Christianity. 
     
    Advent is about being on the verge of something.  It’s about being on he verge of the Christ event.  It’s GS Nativity Window
    about being on the verge of making some real, tangible changes in the way we live out our discipleship. It’s about being on the verge of knowing the peace which passes understanding.  It’s about being on the verge of having the kind of church, the kind of clergy, the kind of resources, the kind of world, the kind of family, and the kind of constellation of emotions to finally DO something about THE thing Advent is all about.  Namely, it is about discovering at the end of the journey what the shepherds and wise men and parents of the Holy Child all discovered that first Christmas. 

    Advent is about coming TO the manger.  Christmas is about what we take away FROM the manger.  The shepherds went away rejoicing and telling others what they had seen and heard.  The wise men returned to their country by another way, amazed by the wonder of it all.  Mary and Joseph had to figure out how to raise the Child.  And, for you and me, who have arrived at this point to hear the good news, receive the gift, struggle with the mystery of the Incarnation, Christmas happens when we can’t live on the verge of it all any more.  We finally, once and for all, have to go out and do something about it. 

    This is Christmas.  This is the fullness of time.  This is the night when we exchange our expectation for an assignment.  The Incarnation means that God has come to us in the flesh.  The Incarnation also means that when we know that, we stop living on the verge of ministry and roll up our sleeves to make the Word flesh in the living of our lives.  When he is born in us, the political scene changes because he empowers us to become peacemakers.  When he is born in us we find inner peace because we stop trying to be imitators of Christ and become innovations of Christ.  When he is born in us we discover a way to cut through all the frenetic activity of life and focus our greatest hopes and energies on the one thing that makes it all meaningful.

    O Holy Child of Bethlehem,
       Descend to us, we pray.
    Cast out our sin and enter in.
       Be born in us today.

    And may your birth, Holy Jesus, transform the world around us and the world inside us so that your kingdom may come and your will be done, on earth – in and through us – as it is in heaven.

    Ron

  • What I Am Giving God This Year ~ My Obedience

    Of all the aspects of our relationship with God, perhaps obedience is the biggest issue with us.

    Consider Joseph.  He was upset about Mary when an angel came to him in a dream and brought him a message.  Joseph heard the message and responded in obedience. "He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him" (Mt. 1:24).   He was obedient to the message he received.

    Consider St. Paul.  His apostleship to the Gentiles was for bringing about obedience to the faith.  Hearing or obeying, then, is used in the closest relationship to faith, not as two distinct acts, but as one and the same response.  "Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17).  Obedience of the heart leads to a right relationship with God.

    So, obedience is something I'd like to give God this Christmas!  That involves two things:  hearing and responding.

    Firstly, I need to listen to the message.  It comes through scripture – read and proclaimed.  It comes in the Holy Eucharist.  It comes through prayer and reflection.  It comes in many ways.  If I never listen to the message, I am not likely to ever hear and understand enough to do something about it.

    Then, I need to respond to the message.  My response will affect my participation in the ministries of the Church, relationships with others, stewardship of God-given resources, and my entire approach to life.

    Those moments when we become obedient can be life-changing experiences.  As a youth, my parents instructed me to call home if I was going to be out later than expected.  I had trouble doing that and often discovered tired, worried, unhappy parents when I finally arrived home. I'll never forget the first time I tried calling in as they had instructed me to do!  They were glad to hear from me.  They actually trusted me but were concerned for my safety.  They had good reasons for expecting my obedience. Once I understood that, I never hesitated to call them when I was running late.

    When we listen to God and live according to the divine will, we enthrone God as sovereign of our lives.  This is true prayer.  This is faithfulness.  This is discipleship.  

    I’m giving God my obedience this year.

    Ron

  • What I Am Giving God This Year ~ My Trust

    I'm reflecting on the custom of gift-giving, which is grounded in God's greatest gift to us.  We spend a lot of time selecting just the right gifts for our loved ones.  And what shall I give to God?  Advent provides me with the opportunity to consider that question.

    Today, I'm thinking the gift of my trust is something God would value.

    John the Baptizer had the task of pointing others to a greatness into which he himself did not enter. That required a great deal of trust on his part.  In a Bible study course on the gospels, when we came to Matthew 11:2-11, the passage where John sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the Messiah, the question arose, “Was John having second thoughts?  Did he have doubts that Jesus was the long-awaited anointed one?”

    I don’t think John was having second thoughts about Jesus.  I think John realized his particular task was just about complete.  His fate was sealed.  The last thing he needed to do was to send his own disciples to Jesus so that they could join in following him.  It was not John but John’s disciples, therefore, who needed convincing that day.  So they said to Jesus:  “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  And, Jesus reply was meant for them that they might believe – as eyewitnesses to his Messianic work:  “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.  And, blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

    Someone tells of how from the windows of his house every evening he used to watch the lamplighter go along the streets lighting the lamps.  But the lamplighter was blind.  He was bringing others light that he would never see.  Like the lamplighter, John had to trust that his work had a purpose beyond what he could see with his own eyes.

    Trust!  That’s something I want to give God this year.  But it is a costly gift.

    It is so easy to fall into doubt and fear.  It is so tempting to back away and agree, “You’re right, it’ll never work, let’s take the safe way, the familiar way, the heavily traveled road.”

    When I turn my life over to God, I give God leadership. Doing that means I will advance even though I do not know where God will lead me.   It means I have to reshape my thinking to make my thoughts large enough for God to fit in!  I have to let the size of my trust set the size of my aims and objectives in life so that my expectations match God’s abilities.

    One of the things my Father and I always did together at this time of year was to string lights on the roof of our house.  At first, my help was confined to checking the bulbs.  Then, later, I could stand on a ladder and hang the ones under the eves.  Finally, I was allowed to get up on the roof.  But that required assistance.  I needed a boost getting up and help getting down.  The booster and the helper was my dad.  If I wanted to help put up the lights, I’d have to trust him not to drop me.  Because of that experience, I knew Dad could be trusted not to drop me.

    The everlasting arms of God are even more trustworthy. They undergird all of us.  They boost us up and they keep us from falling.  Blessed are we when we trust God above all others.

    I’m giving God my trust this year.

    Ron Short Signature

  • What I Am Giving God This Year – A Life That Bears Delicious Fruit

    I'm reflecting on the custom of gift-giving, which is grounded in God's greatest gift to us.  We spend a lot of time selecting just the right gifts for our loved ones.  And what shall I give to God?  Advent provides me with the opportunity to consider that question.

    John the Baptizer came preaching repentance, saying, “Bear fruit worthy of repentance. . . every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt. 3:8, 10).  In other words, “Give God a life that tastes as good as it sounds!”  That’s one of the things I want to give God this year, a life that bears delicious fruit.  How do I do that?

    I have to recognize the need for change and growth.  A plant that stops changing and growing stops producing fruit. Things happen to people that cause them to stop changing and growing and their lives are not fruitful.  A life that tastes as good as it sounds knows the necessity of change and growth.

    I also have to learn to recognize good from evil.  Have you ever bitten into a beautiful piece of fruit that has no flavor or is bitter?  When dealing with fruit, it doesn’t take much more than a taste to tell the difference between good and bad.  Why is it more difficult in dealing with the fruit of our lives? A life that tastes as good as it sounds recognizes the difference between good and evil.  But then…

    I have to make a choice. We may not be able to choose our parents or color of our skin or land of our birth.  But we must choose how to respond to the people and the conditions around us.  To give God a life that tastes as good as it sounds, we’ll have to change and grow, discern between good and bad, and make some responsible choices.

    Our tradition includes both John the Baptizer and Jesus the Messiah!  With only John, I’d know I am a snake, an unproductive bush.  But with the Messiah, I know I have divine help.

    Christian Baptism is not so much the dedication of a person’s life to God as it is the dedication of God’s life to a person and to a community of persons.  John baptized with water for purification.  But Jesus brought a baptism that included fire and the Holy Spirit.  In Baptism, we are incorporated into God’s life, provided opportunities to turn to God, warned that being a faithful witness is costly, and given the Holy Spirit to help us live a fruitful life that tastes as good as it sounds.

    Ron Short Sig 150-1

  • What I Am Giving God This Year – My Undivided Attention

    “’Tis the Season!”  You may wonder why I’m just getting around to saying this inasmuch as our shopping malls have been displaying Christmas merchandise since Halloween, reminding us that it is the season for gift-giving.

    When we worship during Advent, we are reminded of the reason for the season.  Our custom of gift-giving originated in our attempt to emulate God who gives himself to us.  But, it is easy to forget to put God on our gift lists.  After all, the One who has given us the one necessary gift, is worthy to receive a response from us, isn’t he?  So, I’m going to concentrate on what I’m giving to God this year and I especially want to give God my undivided attention.

    To say that I am giving God my undivided attention doesn’t mean that I am supposed to find a hermitage somewhere and leave this life behind.  It means that in the midst of everyday activities I need to be alert to the One who is looking for me through those events and guiding my response to them.

    Advent is about those long centuries of waiting for the promised Messiah.  Advent is about the thrill of knowing that promise has been fulfilled.  Advent is about the expectation that the Messiah will come again to take us unto himself.  But mainly, Advent is about watching and waiting for his appearance in the present moment. 

    "Therefore you also must be ready," says Jesus, "for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour" (Mt. 24:44).

    A tourist stepped into the beautifully kept garden of the Castle Asconti in northern Italy.  He encountered the gardener and asked when the owner was last there. “Twelve years ago,” the gardener said.  The tourist then observed, “But you keep the grounds as though your master was coming back tomorrow.”  The gardener quickly replied, “Today, sir.  Today.”

    A Christian watches and works as though the Master will return this very day because he does.  He greets us in the mystery of Word and Sacrament on Sunday morning and at the intersection of Main and Broadway on Wednesday afternoon.  In this sense, as in the ultimate sense, his coming into our lives is something to which we should look forward.  That merits my undivided attention.

    Ron Short Signature

  • Sermon at Church of the Good Shepherd ~ November 28, 2010

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    1st Sunday of Advent

     

     

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    1st Sunday of Advent

  • Something to Think About on Thanksgiving Day

    Theologian Walter Brueggemann points out that the observance of Thanksgiving reminds us that life is a gift.

    Thanksgiving is a contradiction of the values of a market economy that imagines we are self-made and can be self-sufficient. When we give thanks, we commit an act of defiance against the seductions of our society. . . We may sing all kinds of patriotic songs and feast to satiation on Thanksgiving Day. Beyond all of that is our acknowledgement that life is a gift that evokes response. We are never self-starters. The drive for self-sufficiency is an unnecessary and futile idolatry.

    Enjoy family, friends, and a bountiful feast on Thanksgiving.  Then, sometime during the day, find a place where you can be alone and quiet for half and hour or so.  Take a pen, some paper, and this quotation with you.  Read it over a few times and then make a list of things that make your life what it is because God and others have blessed you – evidence that you are not self-sufficient.  Say a prayer of thanksgiving over that list and think of ways to express your gratitude to whomever else is on the list.  Do it right away before the pressures of everyday life make you forget.

    Here is a video meditation for your Thanksgiving on a text by Brian Wren with piano accompaniment arranged and performed by Tom Howard.

    And here is the Collect for Thanksgiving Day from The Book of Common Prayer.

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    Ron Short Signature

  • Let’s talk about worship.

    It should come as no surprise to anyone that worship attendance is declining.  This applies to most mainline Churches in general and to The Episcopal Church in particular. We're even beginning to see worship attendance decline in evangelical megachurches.  Given the fact that participation in corporate worship is almost universally regarded as of the utmost importance among Christians, this downward trend seems odd.  What's wrong with this picture?  Let's review the teaching that has been handed down to us.

    Scripture – The First Commandment is “You shall love God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your might.”  The Second Commandment tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  This is the foundation for the biblical conviction that the life of faith begins in and is sustained through Divine Worship.  Love for our neighbor stems from our love for God.  Such love is costly.  It requires something of us.  So has God's love for us.  In divine worship, we respond to God's love for us and reaffirm our desire to love others in the way that God has loved us.  In order to love like that, we need God's help and the primary source of that help comes through the experience of corporate worship.  That is a thread that runs through the biblical revelation from cover to cover.

    Tradition – The Episcopal Catechism describes weekly corporate worship as a “duty of all Christians” in which “we unite ourselves with others to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear God’s word, to offer prayer, and to celebrate the sacraments.”  In The Baptismal Covenant, we vow with God’s help, to “continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.”  The canons of The Episcopal Church make the expectation very clear: "All persons within this Church shall celebrate and keep the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, by regular participation in the public worship of the Church, by hearing the Word of God read and taught, and by other acts of devotion and works of charity, using all godly and sober conversation" (Canon II.1).

    Why is our worship so important to God and what does worship do for God?  It is impossible to say.  However, it is not impossible to say what worship does for us.  Archbishop William Temple said it this way: “This world can be saved from political chaos and collapse by one thing only, and that is worship. For to worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.”

    Reason – People instinctively assign values, attach loyalties, and establish priorities.  As we mature we expand upon those instincts and become more and more intentional through the operation of reason and the human will.  It is natural, normal, and healthy for people to worship.  Martin Luther said that whatever our heart clings to and relies upon is our god.  Everything on Archbishop Temple's list of benefits of worship is necessary for a healthy life and vital faith.  Whatever else we may decide to do on a Sunday, nothing benefits us more than corporate worship.  Likewise, our private daily prayers sanctify the time, life, and space we share with our neighbors.

    Experience – I should also mention that there is strength in numbers.  The Greek word for Church in the New Testament is ekklesia.  We usually say it means "assembly."  It does, but even more it means a"n assembly that has been summoned out." God has summoned us to assemble in worship, yet on an average Sunday in America, approximately one-third of the members are in worship and that is slipping.  Empty or less-than-half-full houses of worship speak for themselves.  And what do they say?  Take your pick from a wide array of possibilities, all of which suggest a weakening of fervor and devotion among Christians.  What difference will that kind of message make to the enemies of God or to those who are seeking a deeper relationship with God?  It just makes sense that full churches send a different message; one of strength and vitality.

    So, what's the problem? – If scripture, tradition, reason, and experience call us to worship God and show us the benefits for the living of our lives, why is worship declining?  Here are a few thoughts about that.

    Dominence of Culture – Perhaps we have given our culture with its emphasis on consumerism, entertainment, status, and options too much power over our worship habits.  We excuse ourselves or place the blame on various aspects of our secular culture: soccer, two-career households, visiting out-of-town relatives, T-time at the golf course, fatigue from a stressful week at work, the only day to sleep in, and the list goes on.

    Erosion of Christian Identity – The Incarnate Christ calls us “Light” “Salt” and “Leaven” meaning we are expected to transform culture, not the other way around.  Our influence starts when we refuse to compromise our allegiance to God, starting with corporate worship.  Who we are and whose we are is defined and refined week by week as we gather in worship.

    Competing Loyalties – Most important of all, the heart of our worship has to do with our relationship with our Savior.  I remember a poster that was popular in the 1970's.  It had a glass of wine and loaf of bread sitting atop a white cloth and the inscription, "Jesus of Nazareth cordially invites you to a banquet given in his honor."  Our relationship with him is nourished and sustained through Word and Sacrament at a banquet at which he himself is our host.

    Is that so strange or difficult to understand?  Do you share meals with your family and friends?  Is it important to them for you to show up at those meals?  Does it impress them that you have excuses for your frequent absences?  Do you think they might eventually begin to believe they are not as important to you as other people, pursuits, or possessions?

    Relationships require something of us, especially the most important ones.  Our actions provide the evidence of the truth of what we say about those relationships.   "Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action" (I Jn. 3:18).  Worship is "walking the talk."  Your family and others who are watching how your faith is expressed in your life will know if you are telling the truth.

    Skirting the Issue – One of the best selling religious books of our era is The Purpose Driven Life, by Pastor Rick Warren.  Pastor Warren guides readers through a forty-day spiritual journey in search of life's purpose.  The first words he has to say on the first day of the journey are these: "It's not about you." The rest of the journey is dedicated to the biblical revelation that we were born by God's purpose and for God's purpose.  Along the way, he describes the necessity of worship, the heart of which is surrender to this God and his purpose for our lives.

    This message is bound to rub people the wrong way.  That may be a good thing because that reaction may prompt reflection on values and priorities.  Even though I'm in the company of a best selling author, I am aware that the Prophets were run out of town and stoned for calling God's people back to worship.  Jesus was crucified for saying things like, "The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him" (Jn. 4:23).

    Most of us who have been in ordained ministry for awhile have tried all of the less direct, "kid glove" approaches and they are not effective.  We've tried to fix our sermons, our music, and our wardrobe to make things more "convienient," "appealing," and "entertaining."  We've set attendance goals, assumed much of the blame for the behavior of people given into our care, and tried numerous gimmicks to coax the faithful to worship.  And still, worship in our churches continues to decline.

    So, let's try the direct approach.  We have not been completely honest and we have not served the flock of Christ well by shading the truth.  One of the most important and helpful things a pastor can do is tell you this:

    God wants you to adjust your life so you can be there when your Church gathers for divine worship! 

    God will be pleased, it will strengthen the Church, it will enrich you spiritually, and it will help you love others.  There is no substitute for worship.

    How to Get Started – If you are still with me and have concluded that worship needs to be a greater priority in your life and that of your household, you may be wondering how to proceed.  Here are some ideas.

    Some may be able to simply decide to be there every Sunday unless prevented by some major physical difficulty like illness, disability, or you're snowed in.

    • Others may make a commitment to make a more gradual change during the next year.  For example, If you attend corporate worship once a month, try twice; if you worship twice a month, try three times; or, just decide that you will worship twice as often.
    • Some may have a job or signficant obligations to others that make Sunday morning attendance extremely difficult or impossible.  If changing your job or work schedule or finding a substitute for a couple of hours most Sundays is not possible, let your pastor know you'd like to help start a service at another time.  Most of us will listen and try to find a way to make that work!
    • Most church members could double their worship attendance and still not be there every Sunday of the year.  I'm not a mathematician, but I believe I'm correct in suggesting that if places of worship are typically two-thirds empty and we doubled attendance, our churches would then be two-thirds full. Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience tell us that would be a good thing for God, for the People of God, and for the world God so loved that he sent his only begotten Son.  It could be the beginning of another Great Awakening in the hearts and minds of Christians.

    Whatever you do to improve your participation in corporate worship will be a step in the right direction.  It is time to reverse the trend and it has to start with a new commitment on the part of the believer.  This is a call to worship.

    Therefore, I join St. Paul in extending this invitation to those born of water and the Spirit, who bear the Name of Christ: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” (I Cor. 12;1-2).

    Ron Short Signature

  • Something More Precious Than a Precious Stone

    I have a great old rolltop desk in my study.  There are a number of treasures on my desk, including a small stone.  This stone was given to me by a dear friend and colleague, The Rev. Jim Nelson, rector of Church of the Good Shepherd in Friendswood, Texas.  He gave me the stone to remind me of a parable he tells.

    A wise woman who was travelling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said. "I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious.  Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone."  Sometimes it's not the wealth you have but what's inside you that others need…A Precious Gift inside you.

    I believe that the wise woman had the inner gift of generosity and I pray to receive it every single day when I see the stone my friend Fr. Jim gave me.

    Ron Short Signature

  • Sermon at Church of the Good Shepherd ~ November 7, 2010

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