Sermon for February 3

The reading

Matthew 6:7-21

7 "When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 "Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16 "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

The message

 

Today’s reading is a part of a larger sermon that Jesus shares at the start of his public ministry.  For many centuries this collection of advice on prayer, fasting, faith, community, social and religious life has been known as the Sermon on the Mount.  I wanted to take some time to look at where and when Jesus shares this message. We call it the sermon on the mount simply because Jesus shares it with a great crowd on the side of a small mountain.    

During my recent trip to the Holy Land, I had the chance to see the place ancient pilgrims have visited, recorded and marked as the site where Jesus shares the sermon on the mount.  The field is near the sea of Galilee, in the center of commercial life.  It is  a place of work, fishing, transportation and trade, part of a triangular area that Jesus spent most of his ministry.  There was great diversity there.  There were also some natural acoustic theaters (places where the landscape and positioning of the speaker can amplify sound and make him or her heard over a great distance).  This was not an ideal place.  There was a lot going on in the area, a lot of distractions, Jewish and Roman authorities patrolling and questioning, world views and religions competing for people’s attention,  evangelists for Greek and other philosophies that taught there was no god, there were many gods and everything in between, people offering the secrets to good life, success or good government.  

Jesus draws the crowd, brings all different people together to listen through healings, cures and signs of power and authority.  People will listen to the person who heals the sick, who restores sight to the blind, who casts out demons and unclean spirits, who is not making a fortune from his religious work, who is preaching the truth fearlessly, who welcomes all people even when it is unpopular, even when it is dangerous, even when people walk away in frustration or disbelief.  Jesus sermon was advertised by miracles, hyped up by signs of God’s power and invitations by word of mouth, people telling others “come and see”.  Jesus uses all of the resources available to him to announce the good news.  

Today, in our local community, the sermon on the mount would probably be the sermon at the 74th street train station.  Like the mountainside, it is not an ideal location. There would be a lot of competition at 74th street.  There are often preachers speaking into portable microphones warning of death and hell, Jehovah’s witnesses giving out booklets with titles developed to grab you, US Military recruiters seeking conversations and emails, Islamic evangelists trying to get people’s attention. people selling snacks,  people begging, homeless people trying to keep warm or find something to eat in the garbage cans, MTA workers trying to keep things clean and moving, garbled announcements about service changes or delays (due to signal problems or train traffic ahead, phrases I get annoyed with just saying),  musicians performing and small stores offering products.  There are also  people with headphones on, made to block out the world around them, people glued to their cell phones trying to reach the next level on a game created to be addictive or sharing updates on social media (again, created to be addictive). 

The challenge is, how do we get people to listen, to pay attention, to put their phones down, to stop thinking about the things that make them anxious. We are called to do exactly what Jesus does, to put God first, to live out our faith, to show the power of God in our work and life.

We share the sermon on the mount with others. Even people who do not share the Christian faith, who do not believe in Jesus, who do not think miracles happen or that God cares about us or even exists find meaning, practical teachings, law, the outline of a good world, model behaviors or a roadmap to peace in this sermon. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth which moth eats and rust destroys is lived out as people prefer experiences over things, a trip instead of a ring, learning a musical instrument instead of a big tv.  The sermon on the mount is centered in faith, in the knowledge that with God all things are possible, it is only fully understandable to people who understand the love and care of God.  That does not mean Jesus words do not have any impact on others.       

Ghandi, was the leader of the movement for independence in India against British Rule and an advocate for non-violence, human rights, and fairness and equality in a very unfair and unequal world, Just like many of the civil rights leaders in our country in the 1950s and 60s , he found great inspiration and power in Jesus words on the mount.  I wanted to share some of his reflections in it.  "If then I had to face only the Sermon on the Mount and my own interpretation of it, I should not hesitate to say, 'Oh yes, I am a Christian.'" Ghandi’s issue with interpretation was not what you might think.  He saw that many Christians, who should have said “God has given me the faith and power to do this” choose instead to declare it impossible, as meant just for the 12 disciples while Jesus walked with them or long experienced monks away in monastaires, not part of regular peoples lives.  

To this Gandhi replied: "Well, I do not believe this. I think the Sermon on the Mount has no meaning if it is not of vital use in everyday life to everyone." "Nor do I accept the limitations that are sought to be put upon the teaching of The Sermon on the Mount." the Sermon on the Mount was delivered not merely to the peaceful disciples but to a groaning world." The teaching of the Sermon was meant for each and every one of us.”' Ghandi’s issue with interpretation was that Christians were saying it but not doing it.  People who saw it was the word of God, celebrated, read, beloved but not being used.  This great gift, this tremendous resource was being wasted.   

In today’s section of the sermon on the mount, we are not so much called to say things as we are to listen to God and to do things. We are invited to actually forgive, to actually store up treasures in heaven, joy that cannot be pulled or taken away from us, the peace of knowing God hears our prayers, to actually call God Abba or father, an informal, casual term used in family settings, the address for a parent you know will care, listen and help, to actually fast so that we can remember these most important things.     

Sermon for January 13th

Please note: I will not be preaching the next 2 Sundays, my next post will be Sunday, February 3rd.

 The reading

Matthew 3:1-17

1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' " 4 Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

The message

(I am continuing without a manuscript so here is a brief outline)

We are still in that time of epiphany, of revealing, of the world figuring out who was born on Christmas.  We also see who first experiences this good news of great joy, light to people in darkness and that reveals a lot too.  First were the shepherds,  not exactly everyone's favorite people and not exactly religious scholars, Then foreigners, the magi, visitors from far away with no known historic or cultural connection to Israel.

Today, about 30 or so years after the wise men visit, we hear from John the Baptist.  This time, the arrival of the kingdom of God is announced by an outsider, a prophet who was not connected with the temple authorities, who never claimed or tried to be.  John's message is that promise from Isaiah 49

I have a greater task for you, my servant

    Not only will I restore to greatness
    the people of Israel who have survived,
but I will also make you a light to the nations—
    so that all the world may be saved.”

 This is why John is so aggressive with the religious authorities,  the kingdom is not confined to a particular place, time or people.  Their claim to authority and power was that they were children of Abraham.  God was doing something new.  People would be known as children of Baptism, a diverse and different people connected to God through grace, baptism and love.  This is how the world would be saved.  

Today, we are invited to remember the kingdom of God has plenty of room for everyone.  We are also invited to remember, we receive that same spirit that descends on Jesus, that same power John has to speak the truth and that same joy when we realize the waiting is over

   

  

Sermon for January 6

The reading 

Matthew 2:1-23

1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 "And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.' " 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."

14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son." 16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.

17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."

19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."

21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."

The message

I am starting out the new year without using Manuscripts .  I am going to share an outline / summary each week

-The word epiphany means “revealing”.  The arrival and gifts of the magi answer the question “who, exactly, was born on Christmas”  Gold Indicates royalty, frankincense for someone to worship, Myrrh, a perfume for the anointing of the dead to reveal that Jesus will suffer, die and rise again.

Today’s reading has been one of my favorite. Over the years I have used the story of the Epiphany (the 3 magi) as a way to understand and celebrate what is going on here in our community.

-The magi follow the star to Jesus.  The star disappears after they leave.  Today, we are the star, we point people to Christ in our words, actions, worship and life together.  We, along with our school and the other congregations that share our space with us are brighter together

-This week, we do not only see the magi revealing who was born on Christmas. This familiar, joyful story is paired with one of the worst events in the scripture, the slaughter of the innocents, King Herod killing all children under 2 years old to try and get rid of the competition (Jesus the newborn king). 

-This too is a revealing, not of who Jesus is, but what the world is like. What sin can do, what people are capable of when they are scared or fearful.  The light that shines in the darkness is not always welcome, change is not always wanted.

 -We are called to remember the light of Christ is very bright and powerful, the darkness of the world is deep and does not go away gently.

Sermon for Sunday, December 30

The reading

Matthew 1:1-17

An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,  and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

The message

We are now starting our reading through the Gospel of Matthew.  This will take us from today, the first week after Christmas until Easter in the middle of April. 

Matthew was written for a Jewish audience and stresses the Jewish origins of Jesus. In Matthew Jesus fulfilling prophesy is very important. For instance Matthew 1:22, that we just heard on Christmas All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”) or Matthew 4:14  to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death  a light has dawned.  Those are 2 of about 15 passages in Matthew that cite Old Testament scripture to show Jesus is the long expected Messiah.

Matthew was written in, to and for a community in the midst of chaos, confusion, anxiety and a struggle to understand their place in the world.  In response to an attempted revolt by the Jewish people, Rome destroys the second temple in Jerusalem (around the year 70). Matthew is written a little after that time.  In addition to the external conflicts, there were also internal conflict over leadership for the Jewish community. There were groups that pushed for revolt and war, groups that urged respect for Roman authorities as long as they stayed out of religious affairs and groups in between. Throughout Matthew, Jesus is constantly in tension with the Pharisees and the established authorities (groups that are often seen as and called hypocrites or obstacles to the good news).

After the destruction of the second temple, Christianity and Judaism were essential spilt into two distinct faiths. This division started years before.  Christians would worship on a different day (Instead of the traditional Sabbath of Friday night – Saturday night, Christians meet on Sundays since that was the day of Jesus resurrection) The debate over if someone had to be Jewish, keep the law, get circumcised, in order to become a Christian was over. The first big church fight with Peter and James urging conversion and law keeping against Paul and others, who said those things were an obstacle to bringing outsiders into the church. It was settled a decade or two before with the kingdom of God open to all people because of Jesus.

Matthew starts the Gospel with the geneology of Jesus.  A family history that stretches from Abraham to Jesus to verify Jesus place in Jewish history and connection to those who have come before. It is very different from the other gospel geneology presented by Luke. The 2 agree from Abraham to David and then become very different.  Matthew starts the list with Abraham, Luke starts the list with Adam, there are different numbers of generations. In both cases, they do not cover enough time and there are very good, well known kings who are left out. Instead, less faithful or successful people are included. There are different names on each list and both include names not mentioned anywhere else in history. Since the early church these were not seen as historically accurate.  People have suggested this is because of Levite adoption, other ways to build or join a family, a spiritual genealogy, the genealogy of Mary or Matthew and Luke having access to some lost or unknown history.The fact remains that this geneology is true in that it does verify Jesus place in Jewish history and  his connection to the people, activities and promises that have come before.  The list tells us that God’s will is going to be done, through good and bad, that we are not called to be perfect, we are not able to be perfect. We are called to be faithful. 

Take, for example, the women listed.  There are four, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. Including women by itself was very unusual for a genealogy (usually they were only concerned with fathers and male descendants).  Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute to become pregnant by Judah, bear his children and ensure her place in his family (a place that was clearly entitled to under the law but no one wanted to let her have). Their son Perez is the ancestor of David.  Rahab was a Canaanite (intermarriage with them was forbidden in the law)  She was an innkeeper (and likely a prostitute) who betrays her own people and helps Israel conquer the city of Jericho.  When the city falls, Rahab and her family are spared and marry into Israel. Ruth, whose story we heard over the Summer, was a Moabite who seduces Boaz to save herself and Naomi. Ruth becomes the great grandmother of King David.  Bathsheba is married to a Hittite, is basically kidnapped and assaulted by David (who also has her husband killed). She ends up as the mother of King Solomon.

Through each of these women’s lives and actions, in their doing what they had to do to protect themselves and others, they end up continuing the family line of Abraham, David and Jesus. Each of them is an outsider, involved in questionable legal or moral actions.  The family line of Jesus is not purely Israelite, or purely royal or without sin.  There are Moabites and Canaanites, people included from different communities. There are people who were not born into prominence (even David was the youngest and least kingly looking of his brothers, the one set away to care for sheep, out of public view), there are people who have done bad things.      

Today, people have a huge interest in learning where they come from. Our church gets at least 5 or 6 calls a year from people looking for records or information about their grandparents, great grandparents and other ancestors.  There are things like ancestory.com that let you find documents and connections many generations back. There are companies like 23 and me that run genetic tests to help you determine what parts of the world your family is from.  Most of the times this leads to unexpected realizations of diversity, a report that you are a mix of many ethnic groups, a document that shows your great grandfather was a hero or that your great great grandmother was sort of a criminal.  Sometimes this is simple curiosity, other times it matters much more (like applying for citizenship someplace or trying to claim an inheritance).

The imperfections in the genology remind us that God works through all different people, is present in all different places. It also shows a big change in how we are connected to each other, in how we are united. we are now all connected by Christ,  joined to Jesus death and resurrection means citizenship in the kingdom of God, Baptism means our inheritance of God’s grace. 

Sermon for Christmas

The reading 

Luke 2:1-20

1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The message

This is my 10^th Christmas here as the pastor of St Jacobus.  There are only 3 Christmas stories in the Bible, Matthew, that we heard yesterday, where Jesus fulfills the prophesies and he is named with great power and glory. There is Luke that we just heard, where the birth of Jesus starts with a census and often disregarded shepherds speak the good news. Finally there is the prologue of John, usually read on Christmas Day, which is not much of story. In John 1 Christmas is 8 words, the word made flesh and dwelling among us. We have acted this out, playing sheep or stars as children, then maybe a shepherd or angel and growing up to get the more coveted roles like Mary or Joseph (who could actually say words).  We have seen the images of this night on cards, books and decorations, we have heard the story in beloved and familiar carols. How do we find meaning in something so familiar?

Christmas according to Luke was our reading 3 or 4 years ago on Christmas Eve.  At the end of the service that night, someone told me something, I never heard before, or again, something most pastors never hear during an entire career and few people have ever said. After worship someone came up to me and said “that sermon could have been longer”. Now I do not mean a sarcastic yeah that could have been longer which really means “wow, that was too long” but an authentic, that was a good point, you could have expanded on it more.  I would have just redone that same sermon and made it longer but I didn’t have a manuscript for that one and more importantly, our world has changed.  

In Luke, Christmas starts with a census, the most bureaucratic, uninteresting thing a government can do (well at least in the top 2 or 3 of that list). It is the counting of people in a community, zip code or city. For the Romans, it was necessary to figure out expected taxes, how to divide administrative regions, how many people they would need in government, the need for infrastructure, possibilities for profit and of course to know how many soldiers they would need to dispatch to keep the peace or put down a revolt.  For Luke, along with the genealogy, this detail about the census is included to show Jesus is from the family line of King David and why they ended up in Bethlehem (like the expected Messiah would be according to some of the prophets).  I think there can be more to it.    

About 2000 years later, my brother and I worked for the US Census department, tasked with same job Augustus gave to all governors of the Roman empire.  The work was simple enough, ring the door bells of people who failed to return or fill out the Census properly and try to get them to fill it out. There were short forms which took about 2 minutes to fill out. They basically asked “who lives here”.  Most people were willing to do those.  Then there was the long form, which meant about 45 minutes to an hour of answering in depth questions about income, family, education and everything else you could think of,  Those took way more convincing for people to bother with. We had some tools, There was the explanation of what the census was for, it impacted schools, the number of teachers, road repairs, political districts, hospitals, federal funding for programs. You could also use things you saw to convince people to take the time and share a lot of personal stuff with a total stranger on their front porch who had some sort of temporary government id.  If you heard a dog in the background, you could say “It could make a dog park”, heard kids in the background, you could say it impacted schools,  if they were wearing a veterns hat, you could mention it affected VA services, (which were all true). Just knowing it was important or good, didn’t really matter, you had to convince the person on the other side of the door, someone who already dismissed it as a waste of time before. 

Perhaps that’s the first lesson we can take from this Christmas Census. You are asked to bring others good news of great joy for all people, we are asked to do this in creative, new, bold, interesting and authentic ways.  This is done in how we worship, how we pray, how we live, how we care for others, how we vote, how we support our loved ones. This is done with faith, trusting that God will give us the words. This is done with joy knowing that God saves and that God is with us.     

Beyond the call to share our faith, the part about the census that really makes me think of Christmas is that in a census everyone counts. People in illegal apartments counted, people living together who were not married counted, gay couples counted, that woman who has been squatting on your couch for 2 years counted, undocumented people counted, the person in a wheelchair counted, the disabled teenager counted, atheists counted, monks counted, priests counted, Rabbis counted, rich people counted, doctors counted, the annoying neighbor you couldn’t stand counted, The homeless counted, People in prison counted, people in hospitals or nursing homes counted. No matter who you were, what you believed, how you lived or what you had, everyone counted as 1. This is because everyone would take the trains and buses, everyone would need access to healthcare, police support, school for their children.   

Tonight, Christmas, we hear, we sing, we celebrate, we encounter and we experience the word made flesh and dwelling amongst us, a child whose names mean God saves and God is with us, a birth that lets angels tells shepherd  Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people and to sing out Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace. All this starts with a census, a reminder that to God, everyone is known and loved, that because of Jesus, everyone counts. Everyone and anyone is welcome in the diverse and awesome kingdom of God, everyone, with God’s word, faith and water, can joined to the promises of God.