Hearing Your Vocation

Lectionary Passage: Matthew 3:1-3, 13-16

One of the neat structures in the Old Testament is the many forms of poetry that exist between the pages. There are acronymic poems in proverbs and psalms (each verse starting with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in succession), cuplets, doublets, and something very close to the idea of a sonnet. However, that poetry isn’t just found in the pages of the people of Israel. The New Testament has some poetic elements in it as well. Matthew 3 is a perfect example. It starts and ends in a circular pattern. It begins with John’s voice calling (Latin – “vocatio” or “de voco”) and it ends with God’s voice calling (Latin “de voco”). The first call is fulfilling the scripture “Repent. Prepare the way for the Lord”, the second call is “This is my son, whom I love.” (in another text we are also called to listen to him). It is clear in the beautiful circle of God interacting with people that we are called. We are invoked (invoco). But to what?

It’s not hard to see how we get confused. The same word used in these scriptures is the root of the word we use for the word “vocation”. But the meaning of the word “vocation” has been irreparably damaged by both secular and religious language. It is up to us, in the story of Jesus’ baptism to find its true meaning.

Vocation: It’s not your job!

In the secular world “vocation” (verb of invoco) is a word we use to describe the job we have. We even use it to describe a type of schooling that teaches job skills over academic accomplishments. Remember Grease? “If you can’t pass high school, there’s always hair school!” We have begun to think of the word “vocation” as an every day working word or descriptive of “career”. This brings us into great confusion – suddenly we mix our identity with our job and lose huge chunks of our self, our time and our sanity. I’ve heard it from many professions:
“Nursing isn’t what I do, it’s who I am!”
“I don’t teach for a living, I’m a teacher!”
“The accountant in me doesn’t rest, even on Sundays!”
and something I was told after I retired from pulpit ministry
“How can you retire from who you are?”

But vocation – the call of God - isn’t about that thing we do because we have a contract, or a pay check, or a schedule. Vocation is to be called of God and hear that voice telling us who we are – defining us by our relationship with God. It is not telling us to define who we are by what job we do. Jesus comes to John the Baptist as a rabbi – a teacher. But just as John’s first call was to “repent!” – Christ’s response is to come to him for baptism – to repent of the past, and start anointed with a public witness of the fact he is a child of God, first and foremost. Although John points out Jesus doesn’t need to repent, Jesus says he needs baptism and as a child of God wants to start out like the rest of us.

Notice God didn’t say “This is my teacher” or “This is my healer” or “This is my minister”. God said “This is my son, whom I love.” Jesus would be a rabbi, healer, minister, savior and so many other things but first his vocation was to be God’s son.

So it is with you. You are God’s daughter. You are God’s son. You are beloved of God. That’s your calling. That’s your identity. That’s your job. The places God puts you, the jobs God will give you, are guided and blessed because you are God’s child.

This may sound like semantics, but in our world it can have very serious consequences. Mixing up your identity with your employment can have lasting and bitter effects. I have known many people who lost their jobs, and nearly lost their minds. Suddenly without their work they seem to lose so much of themselves that they begin to treat their partner/husband/wife with hostility, they either ignore their children or become hyper-critical of them – pressuring them to “do better than I did” or “go into nursing/teaching/computers/funeral directing so you will always have a job”. They sink into depression, despair, and chaos. Why? Because they have lost a part of themselves. In counseling folks in that situation, I have frequently used this scripture of Christ’s baptism to bring them back to the starting point – to who they are. God's child. Don’t lose that. Don’t forget it.

Vocation: It’s not your religion

The clergy have done just as much damage to the word vocation as the secular world. We throw that word around to mean “religious life” (if you’re catholic), or to have a calling to work in the church – minister, missionary, youth worker, musician. We talk about ministers being “called” without remembering that teachers, nurses, army folks and the unemployed are also “called”. I have a friend who is very proud of being a pastor. He talks incessantly about it and claims, sometimes unaware he’s doing it, “pastoral” privileges. I once heard him start a sentence by saying “Jesus was talking to the pastors…” My first thought was “who the heck are they?” Jesus talked to fishermen, tax collectors, lawyers and gatekeepers. There weren’t any “pastors” until much much later. The problem with such thoughts is it creates a hierarchy that destroys the common beautiful witness of God’s people.

Being called to a “religious vocation” makes you no more holy, correct, or spiritual than any one else. Relying on and triumphantly praising professional ministry gives people an opportunity to ignore their vocation as God’s children and bearers of Christ’s light. “Well, I wasn’t called to the ministry so I don’t have to witness,” we say. Or one of the more interesting things I was told once in regard to a person misquoting the bible and causing damage to her family in the process, “Look, Rev. correcting scriptural issues is your job, not mine.”

But we are all called of God, and we are all responsible to shine the light of love and mercy to one another. Don’t downplay your part in bringing the kingdom of God to earth (as it is in heaven). John doesn’t really want to baptize Jesus. It seems silly to him to use a symbol of repentance on someone with no sin. But John is called to baptize and Jesus wants not only to fulfill his ministry but fulfill John’s as well. Jesus didn’t need to be baptized half as much as John needed to baptize him. Supporting the mission and witness of a pastor is a beautiful thing, and clergy add a lot to the spectrum of faith. But the job doesn’t belong simply to the clergy.

One of my favorite old hymns is “Softly and Tenderly” – it reminds us that invocation (which is the act of calling to someone, not just the prayer we say before a fancy dinner or religious event) is not only coming to us from God who calls us son or daughter, and the Holy Spirit who calls us to our job, our gifts and our worship but also from Christ who offers us the greatest vocation of all: coming home.

“Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home;
ye who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home!”

May we hear, live and love our vocation, now and always. Amen.

The Week of Joy: Shower!

Read: Matthew 11:2-11

Reflect: So far this Advent we’ve woken up and stretched, now its time to prepare to go out into the world. Waking up is about orienting yourself to the day at hand. Stretching lets your mind and body become involved in your day. But the thing that will really get you ready for work or play is getting in the shower. The shower is the place we wash off the traces of our yesterday and the dust of sleep. Cold or warm, the vibrant water hitting your skin will enliven you and get you ready to head out the door.

The Pink Candle

On the day of Joy (otherwise known as the “pink candle day”) we are encourage to do just that – shower in God’s goodness and blessings, wash ourselves with the forgiveness and love of Jesus and come alive under the flood of spirit. Only in this way can we prepare to go into the world with the good news.

We should be joyous this week – for it is the week of the pink candle. Why pink? The Advent Wreath is a Germanic Catholic tradition that has found a home in many protestant churches in the last 25 years or so. Three candles are purple – the color of repentance – to signify Advent as a time to repent and prepare for Christ. In ancient times Advent was a time of fasting and going without (really contrasts with our currently holiday of cookies and excess, huh?) but on the third Sunday – the day of Joy – the candle is pink to remind us to celebrate because the time of fasting is almost done and the time for the Christ child is close at hand. The pink candle is the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the amazing feel good shower after hard work. If anyone needs a shower – Christians do.

“Christian Thugs”

On December 13, 2007 in a packed subway in New York City a group of 14 men and women attacked a Jewish man and nearly beat him to death. The reason? They said to him “Merry Christmas” and he responded “Happy Hanukkah”. They ganged up on him and physically assaulted him, telling him Jews killed Jesus. What’s more bizarre than beating someone up so they’ll celebrate Christmas? A man of Muslim faith jumping to the victim’s rescue and fighting off his attackers. The victim, Walter Adler said, “A random Muslim guy jumped in and helped a Jewish guy on Hanukkah - that's a miracle." Right before the first man hit the victim the attacker rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo of Jesus Christ. I know how heavy my heart felt when I saw this headline in an article by Christopher Leavitt:

“Muslim Defends Jew Against Christian Subway Thugs”

My first thought is probably the same as yours – those people are on the fringe – they don’t represent Christianity any more than Fred Phelps and his “God Hates Fags” group represents it. I want to believe Christians are still the primary force of good and peace in the world. However, the evidence to the contrary is popping up all over. In just the last 3 months:

1. David Kinnamon from the Barna Organization releases the book “Unchristian” revealing a three year study that showed a majority of unchurched and churched young people (ages 16 to 29) describe Christianity as “ignorant, judgmental, hypocritical, homophobic, and political”.

2. Sherry Shepherd, a self-proclaimed evangelical Christian on “The View” tried to defend Christianity by saying the Bible’s view of creation is correct. When she was asked if the earth was flat or round – she didn’t know that answer. Three weeks later she proclaimed such startling ideas as “Christians began about 200 years before Jesus”, and “Christians were the first people in the world and came long before the Greeks”. Thousands of people begin to blog about the ignorance of the average Christian. (Tens of thousands of Christians begin to declare they are not that dumb). I love Sherry as a performer, but I’m starting to think the best thing she could do for Christianity is to be quiet.

3. Top Christian leaders from eight mega-churches are being investigated by congress for vast financial misdealing. Only 2 leaders cooperated with the investigation.

4. The many news stories about the subway incident all focus on the amazing thing that cultural enemies of the Holy Land (Muslims and Jews) were able to help each other and find friendship in the midst of Christian oppression. No one seems surprised to see the phrase “Christian Thug” enter the national vocabulary.

Okay okay – you’re thinking – “Helloooooooo Rev. Kellie --- it’s the day of JOY, remember?” Yes – Yes I do. That’s what we have this week – the joy that Jesus Christ is among us to showers us with the gospel of healing, power, hope, truth and love. If anything thing can change the distortion of Christianity people are seeing in our country, it is the joy of Jesus.

The Unexpected Joy

In the lectionary reading – John the Baptist is as worried about Jerusalem as I am about Christianity in the USA. He’s sitting in prison for calling Herod to repentance and he has left his movement to his cousin Jesus to run. But John is hearing strange tales behind the prison walls.

John’s movement was based on repentance – people being sorry for their sins and starting anew. He was, by many accounts, a part of the Essenic movement – believing in self-denial (hence the camel hair coat and locust eating) as a way to purification. He thought the Messiah would come and wipe away the materialism, judgment and corruption from the church and the world. He knows Jesus was sent by God, and he expects to hear stories of mass repenting – people sobbing over their sins and the stock in sack-cloth and ashes rising. He expects evidence of people living simply, selling their goods and giving up status comforts. That’s not what he hears.

John hears about crowds of people being fed luxuriously – as much bread and fish as they can eat. He hears about Jesus lecturing in temple court yards and open fields. He hears about Jesus talking to women, talking about Samaritans, and touching lepers. He hears tales of how much joy people are getting in Jesus’ presence and how he promises them abundant life. John is in prison and Jesus is getting popular! So he sends a messenger to Jesus asking “Are you the one?” – In other words – John is not so sure his cousin was the right man for the job after all.

Jesus answers him by telling him all the joy Christ is bringing. He says, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." Jesus tells John that he is the right one to bring God’s message alive on earth. That Holy Will involves healing people, raising people, and preaching the good news of God’s love.

Jesus then says, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." What does that mean? It means Jesus knows he isn’t doing what John expected. “I know I’m not what you had in mind,” Jesus is saying. “But don’t fall away, because Christianity is full of the unexpected – forgiveness instead of revenge; acceptance instead of hatred; peace instead of war; life instead of death.”

That’s what we need to proclaim this week of Joy – the unexpected amazing joy of Jesus Christ in the world. Don’t just brush away terms like “Christian thugs” as “a few local nuts who don’t go to our church anyway.” – Take that image and destroy it with your joy. Show people how God has healed you and is teaching you to bring healing to others. Reflect your gratefulness to God, and smile – laugh- sing – forgive. Stop acting like some old dowager stuck in a pew who hasn’t cracked a smile in 40 years and shower in the luxurious love and grace of God. Walk into your church, your kitchen, your work place and your prayer place refreshed by God’s love and ready to live it.

The gospel of John tells us what Jesus told John the Baptist to explain why Jesus isn’t turning the culture into self-denying mourning penitents, but freeing them from sin to live full and joyous lives. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17.

Respond: In what ways can you reflect the joy of Christ into a world that needs to see God’s love?
For me:
1. Speak out against oppression – not just the groups or people that oppress women and children and the economically disadvantaged – but when people claiming Christ oppress others as well. I need to stop pretending “Christian violence” (spiritual and physical) doesn’t exist, and start working as a witness to an embracing peace-loving God.
2. Reflect the joy of Christ in my life and my day. I am trying to learn to speak in a way that brings hope, not just awareness and spirit not just knowledge.
3. Take prayer and personal meditation time not just to pray for what ails me and the people I love, but to celebrate God and the gift of salvation in my life. I think I take that salvation for granted sometimes, and I need frequent celebrations of what an unexpected, beautiful gift it is.

Good Fruitcake: The Dance of Joy

Third Sunday of Advent

Scripture: Luke 3:7-18

How can you tell its Christmas? The fruitcake has come out of hiding. Let me be very clear. I HATE FRUITCAKE. Please do not send it to me for use as a doorstop, hammer, fireplace brick or any other of its fine uses. I do not like it Sam-I-Am. I do not like fruitcake and ham! In my research I discover the main reason for the dryness and icky texture of fruitcake is of course because its made of dried fruit - whithered little chewy bits of what was once live, vibrant and juicy. In our scripture today, John the Baptist points out the same thing in the faith of the people.

John the Baptist is preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah - just like we are supposed to be preparing for the coming of the messiah. He gives us a message to help us get ready for the gifts that God will bring us. His first message: Realize.

Realize who you are and what you are doing. You Brood of Vipers! - Now, that's a nice greeting for Christmas. How would it be if I sent all my Christmas Cards saying "Dear Vipers. Your time is up. Change or be destroyed. Love and Peace, Rev. Kellie" - because that's what John is saying - he points out the religious lives the people have been living are nothing but withered dried repititions of ritual - with no life, no spirit, no honesty and no good fruit. "Make no mistake," John tells them. "The tree that doesn't produce good fruit - (in other words - the fruitcake tree) gets cut down!" This Advent take some time to look at your faith and your life - is your relationship with God vibrant, alive and thriving or just a withered old cycle of go to church, go to work, pay the bills, pray over food? After you get a chance to see where your faith truly is - Redo.

Redo the priorities in your life. You can tell the difference between fruitcake and pie. One is dry, withered and nasty, the other full of sugar, taste and goodness. If you can tell your faith has become dull ritual or spiritless wandering - then redo your priorities. "What should we do," the Vipers ask John. "If you have two coats, give one away. If you are a tax collector, collect only what is due," is his answer. Be right in life and right with God. Get rid of materialism, greed, selfish desires. Stop cheating yourself. Stop cheating God. Be a faithful partner. Give quality work. Do your own homework and be thankful. Check the priorities you have for you life. Where is God, and the worship of God, on the list? Is your life producing Good Fruit? In not, then change it. Once you start living the kind of good life God desires there is only one response: Rejoice.

Rejoice in your faith. After the nasty viper crack and some serious talk about trees and fire the Bible says John went on to preach the GOOD NEWS. Rejoice - its true, you have a problem - but GOD has the solution. God is ready to make the tree of your life full and vibrant again. While researching this sermon I discovered a number of websites with fruitcake recipes. Oddly enough, most of the recipes involved the use of some kind of alcohol. Now what does that tell us? It tells us fruitcake is so terrible we even have to get IT drunk to enjoy it! But among the websites I found was the "Society for the Preservation of Fruitcake" - people who simply rejoice in the tradition, fun and (so they say) flavor of fruitcake. Although I will never agree with them - I can understand their spirit. They rejoice in what is good. On this day of Joy when we seek to dance with God in lively steps - let us take a moment to realize where we are in faith, redo our priorities, and rejoice in the God who loves us.