Sermon for December 11th, 2016 - Revision history

Iraneal at 17:08, 13 December 2016

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Iraneal at 06:21, 11 December 2016

2016-12-11T06:21:23Z

Iraneal at 05:45, 11 December 2016

2016-12-11T05:45:34Z

Iraneal at 05:33, 11 December 2016

2016-12-11T05:33:27Z

Iraneal at 05:26, 11 December 2016

2016-12-11T05:26:57Z

Iraneal at 04:26, 11 December 2016

2016-12-11T04:26:13Z

Iraneal at 23:51, 10 December 2016

2016-12-10T23:51:42Z

Iraneal at 23:17, 10 December 2016

2016-12-10T23:17:55Z

Iraneal at 22:26, 10 December 2016

2016-12-10T22:26:52Z

Iraneal at 19:55, 10 December 2016

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 But I don't see this as an attack on the rich and powerful.  I see this as Mary's powerful desire (and God's powerful intention) to balance the scales, to continually bring about justice and equality where it is most needed. How does God do that?  Among other things, it happens when we, the rich, the powerful, the proud, allow ourselves to be humbled, to see the poor and the hungry in our midst, and then let our prayers turn into actions, and our words turn into service.
-In the closing lines of Mary's song, she mentions the promise God made to Abraham.  That promise is worth hearing again.  It is found in Genesis chapter 12.  God says to Abraham: "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
+In the closing lines of Mary's song, she mentions the promise God made to Abraham.  That promise is worth hearing again.  It is found in Genesis chapter 12.  God says to Abraham:
 To put it more concisely, God blessed Abraham in order that Abraham might be a blessing to others.  The same holds true for us today:  If God has given you a good name and a good reputation; if God has provided a good land for you to live in and be prosperous; if God has blessed you with good friends and family and health; then God did all those things for one reason:  God has blessed you so that you might be a blessing to others.

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 To put it more concisely, God blessed Abraham in order that Abraham might be a blessing to others.  The same holds true for us today:  If God has given you a good name and a good reputation; if God has provided a good land for you to live in and be prosperous; if God has blessed you with good friends and family and health; then God did all those things for one reason:  God has blessed you so that you might be a blessing to others.
 You are the answer to Mary's prayer.
 You are the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.
 You are the continuation of the work begun by Mary's son, Jesus.
-This Christmas season, may the words of Mary's song become your personal prayer:
+May you bring all your joys and anxieties to God, and place them in his hands.
+May your hearts and your minds be lifted up to God, without getting stuck in heavenly mysteries.
-May you bring all your cares and burdens, your joys and anxieties to God, and place them in his hands.
+May your eyes and ears be opened to the hunger and need of your neighbor.
-−
-May your hearts and your minds be lifted up toward God, without getting stuck for too long in heavenly mysteries.
-May your eyes and ears be opened to the world around you, to the hunger and need of your neighbor.
+And when the last "Amen" escapes from your lips,

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	To put it more concisely, God blessed Abraham in order that Abraham might be a blessing to others. The same holds true for us today: If God has given you a good name and a good reputation; if God has provided a good land for you to live in and be prosperous; if God has blessed you with good friends and family and health; then God did all those things for one reason: God has blessed you so that you might be a blessing to others.		To put it more concisely, God blessed Abraham in order that Abraham might be a blessing to others. The same holds true for us today: If God has given you a good name and a good reputation; if God has provided a good land for you to live in and be prosperous; if God has blessed you with good friends and family and health; then God did all those things for one reason: God has blessed you so that you might be a blessing to others.
		+
		+
		+	You are the answer to Mary's prayer.
		+
		+	You are the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.
		+
		+	You are the continuation of the work begun by Mary's son, Jesus.
		+
		+
		+	This Christmas season, may the words of Mary's song become your personal prayer:
		+
		+	May you bring all your cares and burdens, your joys and anxieties to God, and place them in his hands.
		+
		+	May your hearts and your minds be lifted up toward God, without getting stuck for too long in heavenly mysteries.
		+
		+	May your eyes and ears be opened to the world around you, to the hunger and need of your neighbor.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:33, 11 December 2016
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	In the closing lines of Mary's song, she mentions the promise God made to Abraham. That promise is worth hearing again. It is found in Genesis chapter 12. God says to Abraham: "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”		In the closing lines of Mary's song, she mentions the promise God made to Abraham. That promise is worth hearing again. It is found in Genesis chapter 12. God says to Abraham: "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

−	To put it more concisely, God blessed Abraham in order that Abraham might be a blessing to others. The same holds true for us today: If God has given you a good name and a good reputation; if God has provided a good land for you ~~and your family~~ to live in and be prosperous; if God has blessed you	+	To put it more concisely, God blessed Abraham in order that Abraham might be a blessing to others. The same holds true for us today: If God has given you a good name and a good reputation; if God has provided a good land for you to live in and be prosperous; if God has blessed you with good friends and family and health; then God did all those things for one reason: God has blessed you so that you might be a blessing to others.

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 The second part is a little harder--shifting our focus to God, and contemplating who God is, in the heavens and in the world. Not only is this part harder, but we tend to get stuck there. Theologians and entire churches get stuck there.  In fact, all of those doctrines we just talked about--original sin, immaculate conception, federal headship--are all elaborate attempts to understand and reconcile how a perfect God could come into an imperfect, sinful world.  The immaculate conception focuses on what was holy about Mary, what was divine and Godlike in her nature.
-We tend to do the same with her son, Jesus.  We focus on his divine, holy qualities, his God-nature, and we get stuck there.  We get stuck on the God part.  Our favorite title for Jesus is "Son of God," but his favorite title for himself was "Son of Man" or "Son of Humanity."  While Pharisees, Roman officials, and disciples alike were all locked in a struggle to understand how this man could possibly be the son of God, the messiah...Jesus himself was focused on healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and giving hope to the brokenhearted.  We get stuck on his divinity, but he never loses sight of our humanity.
+We tend to do the same with her son, Jesus.  We focus on his divine, holy qualities, his God-nature, and we get stuck there.  We get stuck on the God part.  Our favorite title for Jesus is "Son of God," but his favorite title for himself was "Son of Man" or "Son of Humanity."  While Pharisees, Roman officials, and disciples alike were all locked in a struggle to understand how this man could possibly be the son of God, the messiah...Jesus himself was focused on healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and giving hope to the brokenhearted.
-And that's where Mary's song leads the way.  Three and a half verses for her own situation, her own joy, and her own humility.  And then two and a half verses for God, contemplating God's name, God's mercy, God's strength (without ever really answering definitively any of those mysterious things).  But the biggest portion of Mary's prayer, the most verses, are dedicated to others in the world around her.
+We get stuck on his divinity, but he never loses sight of our humanity.
-She lifts up the lowly; she lifts up the hungry; she lifts up her people, who are under the opression of the Roman occupation.  She reminds God of the promise he made to Abraham, which according to Genesis, is not just a promise to the people of Israel alone, but a promise that Abraham's descendants would be a blessing to all nations, throughout the world.
+And that's where Mary's song leads the way for us.  Mary devotes three and a half verses to her own situation, her own joy, and her own humility.  And then two and a half verses for God, contemplating God's name, God's mercy, God's strength, without ever really delving too deep into any of those mysteries, or trying to explain them rationally.
-In English, all these things are usually translated as past tense, already accomplished: He has lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things.  But in the Greek language of the text, all the verbs are in the Aorist tense, which can indicate
+But the biggest portion of Mary's prayer, the greatest number of verses (five), are dedicated to looking outward, to the situation and needs of others in the world around her.  She lifts up the lowly; she lifts up the hungry; she lifts up her people, the people of Israel, who are under the opression of the Roman occupation.

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	She lifts up the lowly; she lifts up the hungry; she lifts up her people, who are under the opression of the Roman occupation. She reminds God of the promise he made to Abraham, which according to Genesis, is not just a promise to the people of Israel alone, but a promise that Abraham's descendants would be a blessing to all nations, throughout the world.		She lifts up the lowly; she lifts up the hungry; she lifts up her people, who are under the opression of the Roman occupation. She reminds God of the promise he made to Abraham, which according to Genesis, is not just a promise to the people of Israel alone, but a promise that Abraham's descendants would be a blessing to all nations, throughout the world.
		+
		+	In English, all these things are usually translated as past tense, already accomplished: He has lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things. But in the Greek language of the text, all the verbs are in the Aorist tense, which can indicate

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 But I digress.  According to Calvin's line of reasoning, Mary would have been under the same sentence of "original sin" as everyone else, but since it was not something transmitted by the act of procreation, there would have been no danger of passing that on to her son, and therefore no need for a doctrine of "immaculate conception."
-*Mary's observations are in the aorist tense.  God has already done these things? Is doing? Will do?
+We tend to do the same with her son, Jesus.  We focus on his divine, holy qualities, his God-nature, and we get stuck there.  We get stuck on the God part.  Our favorite title for Jesus is "Son of God," but his favorite title for himself was "Son of Man" or "Son of Humanity."  While Pharisees, Roman officials, and disciples alike were all locked in a struggle to understand how this man could possibly be the son of God, the messiah...Jesus himself was focused on healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and giving hope to the brokenhearted.  We get stuck on his divinity, but he never loses sight of our humanity.
-*Pride as the root of all sinfulness, everything else flows from that.
-*Jesus' core teachings are anticipated in his mothers prayer.
+And that's where Mary's song leads the way.  Three and a half verses for her own situation, her own joy, and her own humility.  And then two and a half verses for God, contemplating God's name, God's mercy, God's strength (without ever really answering definitively any of those mysterious things).  But the biggest portion of Mary's prayer, the most verses, are dedicated to others in the world around her.
-*Seven strong verbs:  God is a God of action in this world. This is not spirituality, this is politics.
-*Since we are all made in God's image, we are to see God in each other, and therefore work for justice for all.
+She lifts up the lowly; she lifts up the hungry; she lifts up her people, who are under the opression of the Roman occupation.  She reminds God of the promise he made to Abraham, which according to Genesis, is not just a promise to the people of Israel alone, but a promise that Abraham's descendants would be a blessing to all nations, throughout the world.
-*To be pregnant is to be hopeful.  And anxious.  And patient. And reliant upon God.
-*Luke 4:18 - Jesus says pretty much the same thing, also in past tense (quoting Isaiah).

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	Some early Christian theologians, like St. Augustine, believed that when Adam and Eve sinned, something changed inside them, their souls became somehow "stained" with sin, and then through the act of procreation they passed that trait on to their children, who passed it on to their children and so on.		Some early Christian theologians, like St. Augustine, believed that when Adam and Eve sinned, something changed inside them, their souls became somehow "stained" with sin, and then through the act of procreation they passed that trait on to their children, who passed it on to their children and so on.

−	This ~~works~~ fine until you come to Jesus.	+	This explains everything just fine...until you come to Jesus. Throughout the New Testament, we are told that Jesus alone among all humanity "knew no sin." In order for that to work, he can't inherit if from his parents. Since his father is God, no problem there. But his mother is human, and therefore Jesus should have inhereited one half of a sinful nature, right?
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		+	To correct this problem, ancient theologians came up with the idea that when Mary's parents conceived her, God must have acted somehow either to block that original sin from being passed on, or else erased it somehow, so that years later when Mary conceived and became pregnant, neither she nor God were passing any sin to Jesus.
		+
		+	This is the doctrine of immaculate conception. The problem is that unlike the sinless nature of Jesus, it's not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. It's just a theory. And it all rests on the idea that original sin is passed down through the physical act of reproduction. But there are other ways to answer the question of how is original sin transmitted?
		+
		+	The 16th century reformer John Calvin, who was trained as a lawyer, noticed that sometimes an individual can represent an entire nation (for example a king, a president, or an ambassador) and can enter into a binding agreement on behalf of a larger group. Sounds just like a lawyer, right? Calvin viewed Adam and Eve as representatives of all humanity, so that when they sin in the garden, and when God passes judgment on them, it has the effect of condemning all their descendants to the same fate. That's a doctrine known as "federal headship."
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		+	It may sound harsh, but it's not unusual: My great ancestor, William Ruthven, was the Earl of Gowrie in Scotland. But when he was convicted of kidnapping the young King James (of King James Bible fame) all of his lands and titles were stripped from him and his decendants. That's why today, even though I personally have never kidnapped anyone, I am decidedly not the Earl of Gowrie, and neither I nor anyone in my family live in the old family castle in Scotland.
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		+	But I digress. According to Calvin's line of reasoning, Mary would have been under the same sentence of "original sin" as everyone else, but since it was not something transmitted by the act of procreation, there would have been no danger of passing that on to her son, and therefore no need for a doctrine of "immaculate conception."

−	~~Other ancient theologians believed that Adam and Eve's descendants learned sinfulness by watching their example, and that in that sense "original sin" gets passed down in every generation.~~

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	Yes, today we're going nerdy. But I promise it's all for a purpose, and in the end we'll come back to today's scripture passage and the conclusion to Mary's prayer. You remember the three parts to Mary's model prayer, right? First, Mary prays for herself and her situation, then she pauses to remember and center herself on God, and God's nature, then finally she turns her thoughts and prayers to others in the world, their situation, and their needs.		Yes, today we're going nerdy. But I promise it's all for a purpose, and in the end we'll come back to today's scripture passage and the conclusion to Mary's prayer. You remember the three parts to Mary's model prayer, right? First, Mary prays for herself and her situation, then she pauses to remember and center herself on God, and God's nature, then finally she turns her thoughts and prayers to others in the world, their situation, and their needs.

−	We'll come back to that.	+	We'll come back to that. But first, let's talk about original sin. And no, that does not mean sinning in new and creative ways. Original sin is an ancient doctrine of the church that attempts to answer the question, "Where did sin come from?" If God created the world and said that everything in it was good, then why do so many bad things happen?

		+	Original sin goes back to the very first "bad thing" that happens in the creation story: Adam and Eve disobeying God and eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. That was the "original" sin. But how does that explain all of the other ones that came later? Well, that's where it gets tricky.
		+
		+	Some early Christian theologians, like St. Augustine, believed that when Adam and Eve sinned, something changed inside them, their souls became somehow "stained" with sin, and then through the act of procreation they passed that trait on to their children, who passed it on to their children and so on.
		+
		+	This works fine until you come to Jesus.
		+
		+	Other ancient theologians believed that Adam and Eve's descendants learned sinfulness by watching their example, and that in that sense "original sin" gets passed down in every generation.

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	Obviously, it's complicated. And by now, I've probably completely ruined the joke.		Obviously, it's complicated. And by now, I've probably completely ruined the joke.

		+	But sometimes, because we're Presbyterians and this is just what we do, we go deep, we go intellectual, we go nerdy. We're still talking about Mary and her song of praise, but today I also want to talk about some of these classic doctrines of the church surrounding Mary--original sin, immaculate conception, and another one called federal headship.
		+
		+	Yes, today we're going nerdy. But I promise it's all for a purpose, and in the end we'll come back to today's scripture passage and the conclusion to Mary's prayer. You remember the three parts to Mary's model prayer, right? First, Mary prays for herself and her situation, then she pauses to remember and center herself on God, and God's nature, then finally she turns her thoughts and prayers to others in the world, their situation, and their needs.
		+
		+	We'll come back to that.