You are the Beloved

Henri Nouwen is one of the most beloved Christian writers of our age. He has a way of speaking directly and deeply to the human heart, offering words of encouragement, challenge, and hope. I begin each day reading a meditation drawn from his works. After hearing Henri’s voice every morning for several years, I find it hard to wake up spiritually without it.

So, one of his biographies says, it may seem strange that some of our most uplifting thoughts come from someone who suffered a lifelong struggle with feelings of inadequacy and loneliness and despair. At a time of great anguish in his life, Henri decided to start every day in solitude and contemplative prayer. The eventual result was an epiphany, a revelation of God’s presence and power. He came to a striking realization that guided him the rest of his life: “You are the Beloved of God.”

This became his life message. He writes: “All I want to say to you is ‘You are the Beloved,’ and all I hope is that you can hear these words as spoken to you with all the tenderness and force that love can hold. My only desire is to make these words reverberate in every corner of your being: ‘You are the Beloved.’ ”

Henri heard these words spoken to him wordlessly in prayer. Jesus heard them spoken aloud to him by his heavenly Father, though whether they were a roar or a whisper we cannot say.

Jesus is about 30 years old when he learns that his cousin John is calling Israel to repentance and baptism. Jesus knows that it’s time for him to reveal himself to the world. So he heads for the Jordan River, where John is dunking all who come to him seeking a renewal of purpose and a new direction in life.

Jesus has no sins to confess, but he does feel the need to repent. That is, he needs a new direction; he needs to turn from one way of life to another. He needs to put the quiet life of a Nazareth craftsman behind him and stride boldly into his future.

What happens next is not visible or audible to John or to other onlookers, at least according to Mark’s version of events. That means that we can know about it only because Jesus spoke of it later. He told others about it because it’s an important moment in his life. It’s a powerful affirmation of who he is and what his mission is. It’s a personal epiphany, a fresh expression of his identity, a new way of seeing things into the future.

As he is coming up out of the water, he sees the sky ripped open. Can you imagine the immensity of it? And he sees the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. Can you hear the flutter of wings and imagine feeling the small feet coming to rest on you?

And he hears that voice from heaven. Maybe it’s roar. Maybe it’s a whisper. All we know is that he hears it clearly. “You are my Son, the Beloved. With you I am well pleased.”

Jesus’ baptism is a pivotal moment in his life. He remembers and cherishes this divine affirmation for the rest of his life. It’s what sustains him during three grueling years of ministry, walking, constantly walking, from one place to another, announcing the coming of God’s kingdom. It’s what sustains him during the good days as well as the bad. It’s what sustains him when he is betrayed, condemned and suffers an awful death on a cross.

He remembers the words: “You are my Son, the Beloved. With you I am well pleased.” God’s affirmation to Jesus at his baptism echoes throughout his life.

Like Henri Nouwen, what I would like you to understand today is that when you were baptized, whether you heard it clearly or not, God said something similar to you.

What I want you to understand today is whenever you recall or renew the act of your baptism, God says it again, whether you hear it clearly or not. God says: “You are my beloved child.”

No matter what other people say about you, no matter what society says about you, no matter what other churches say about you, this is the core truth of your life. As Henri Nouwen puts it, “Your true identity is as a child of God.”

This identity sets you free, Henri says, because it “is anchored beyond all human praise and blame. You belong to God, and it is as a child of God that you are sent into the world.”

If you dare to believe this, then you realize that you were sent into this world for just a little while to discover your true identity and claim it and help every other human being do the same.

Oh, you’re a sinner, some object. Big deal. Everyone else is, too. That’s why it’s so important for you and for everyone else to realize that “sinner” is a secondary identity, an acquired identity, a false identity in the sense that it’s not your true identity, who you really are. Your core identity, who you really are, is a child of God.

You may find this hard to hear, harder to understand. If you’re still making new year’s resolutions, then your top resolution of the year should be this: Know that you are beloved of God and claim your status as a child of God.

It will change your life. It changed Henri Nouwen’s life. It even changed the life of Jesus. Let this affirmation change your life today. You are the Beloved. Amen.

This message was delivered electronically January 10, 2021, to Edgerton United Methodist Church in Edgerton, Kansas, from Mark 1:4-11.

What a Disgrace

What happened at our nation’s Capitol the other day was a disgrace – both what happened outside, when Trump incited a riot, and what happened inside, when leaders of the Senate sedition caucus (Hawley and Cruz) continued to spew lies about the election that Joe Biden clearly and decisively won, and when rioters tried to sack the place.

Even Mitch McConnell called it a “failed insurrection.”

Rudy Guiliani fired up the Trump crowd with such lines as, “Let’s have a trial by combat.” Then Trump announced, “We’re gong to walk to the Capitol.” He didn’t, of course. He watched TV coverage of the mayhem he’d created from the safety of the White House.

Already the right-wing media (the true purveyors of fake news) are saying that the rioters weren’t Trump supporters at all. Why, they were all antifa! Betcha the arrest records will show otherwise. But better to blame a largely mythical organization than to admit that it was a Trump mob that tried to sack the Capitol building.

These were not “demonstrators.” Demonstrators don’t show up at a rally with firearms, clear plastic shields and ropes with grappling hooks. These people were looking to create trouble.

These terrorists achieved what the Confederacy never could – raising the flag of sedition inside the Capitol. Meanwhile, there were lots of American flags with the name “Trump” pasted onto them. That’s a clear violation of the flag code. But these phony patriots don’t care about things like that. Like their TV reality show master, to them it’s all about the show.

Trump still has two weeks to achieve his goal of making America a shithole nation. God helps us in the meantime.

He won’t disappear, alas. So maybe it’s time to look at some Trump “tells.”

I have no idea how good a poker player he is, but he has several “tells” that you can see all the time.

For example, you can tell if he’s lying: he’s either speaking or Twittering. He appears to be incapable of speaking the truth about almost everything.

More tells: If he calls something “fake news,” that means it’s 100% accurate but he won’t admit it because it exposes his lies.

“Deep state” is a funny one. Supposedly it’s nefarious people buried deep in government who don’t want him to succeed. But when Pfizer didn’t announce its vaccine breakthrough until after the election, Trump said Pfizer was part of “deep state.” In other words, “deep state” is anyone who doesn’t follow Trump’s orders or displeases him in some way. If you show any sign of honesty or integrity or independence of Trump, you’re part of “deep state.”

“Witch hunt” is another Trump favorite. All the investigations into his various shady dealings are “witch hunts.” Of course, that’s because they’re hunting him, and he’s the witch. One of these days, maybe somebody will catch him.

You may note that Trump loves to fire people. Makes you wonder why he hired them in the first place. Usually they show some sign of independence or integrity, and out they go. Trump’s presidency follows the pattern of his TV show, when he fired everybody who was smarter than he was. Eventually, of course, that meant he had to fire everyone else, lest they accidentally reveal how shallow he is.

Trump is an outlaw. He does not believe in the rule of law. He believes only in using the law against others and for himself. His favorite tactic is the lawsuit. Because he has deep pockets, he can keep a case dragging through the courts until his adversaries run out of money. If he threatens to sue you, that means you have done something that cuts close to his chicanery, and he must silence you by falling back on his favorite first- and last-resort tactic: send in the crooked lawyers.

When Trump and his allies talk about election fraud and illegal voting and ballot stuffing and a stolen election, what they really mean is that people of color were allowed to vote. In Trump’s world, black people and Hispanics would not be allowed near the polls.

These are just a few of the Trump “tells.” To parody an old tagline from “The Naked City” TV series: “There are six million lies in Trumpland. These are some of them.”

It’s all about creating a false reality, an information bubble that people can’t break out of once they’re trapped in it. Hawley captured it perfectly when he claimed that he was only trying to answer an outcry from his constituents. But who kept telling the lies that created the outcry? It’s a monster that feeds on its own depravity.

I hope this is the last I have to say about this wretch man. (Trump, I mean. Hawley, sadly, is likely to be around for a long time.)

Glimpses of Glory

On Epiphany Sunday we usually hear the same story year after year. That’s the story of the visit of the magi, or wise men, to the young Jesus. But there are two other stories that need to be told, two other stories we need to hear. These also offer epiphanies, or revelations, of who this child is. These three stories offer glimpses of the glory of Christ.

The two stories that we’re not used to hearing both come from the gospel of Luke, where they immediately follow the story of Jesus’ birth. From Luke, chapter 2, 21 to 38:

Eight days after the child was born, it was time for his circumcision and naming. He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Forty days after his birth, it was time for Mary’s purification according to the law of Moses, and at that time they took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. It is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord.”

For Mary’s purification they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God.

He said, “Master, now you may dismiss your servant in peace, according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation. You’ve prepared it in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”

Also there was a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years and then as a widow to the age of 84. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day.

At that moment she came upon them. She began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Imagine going off to the biggest city you’ve ever seen and encountering two very strange people who approach you out of the blue and announce that your baby is not only precious to you but precious to the entire world.

I mean, you expect to encounter some strange people in a big city, but this is way over the top! You knew your baby was special. How do these people know? And how do they know so much about him? God must have revealed it to them.

Anna, the old lady, practically lives in the Temple. Seems like she’s always there. But Simeon, the old man, lives in the city. He was guided to the Temple by the Holy Spirit that day. Maybe it was a little nudge: “You ought to go to the Temple.” Maybe it was a big push: “You need to be in the Temple now!”

The Temple is a huge place; it covers 15 acres on several levels. It’s no coincidence that both Samuel and Anna show up at exactly the right place at the right time. They are there to witness two important things happening in the life of the holy family.

First, Mary undergoes ritual purification. She was ceremonially impure for seven days following Jesus’ birth. She has to stay in a kind of ritual quarantine for 40 days afterward. For a girl, it would have been 80 days.

A sacrifice is required. Normally, it’s a sheep. But for poor people, two turtledoves or two pigeons can be substituted. That’s what Mary and Joseph pay. It’s all they can afford.

While they are in the Temple for that ceremony, they also present the baby Jesus to the Lord. This is a serious matter. In the past, it was customary for many pagans to sacrifice their firstborn males to their gods. Many children were slain that way in Jerusalem’s Valley of Hinnom.

The Lord our God also laid claim to all firstborn males. But the Lord simply demanded that they be dedicated to the service of the Lord. God did not claim the blood of the child but the life of the child dedicated to God’s purposes.

That’s why Simeon could declare that Jesus would become a light for revelation to Gentiles and glory for Israel. And given Israel’s poor record of listening to her prophets, Simeon also could see that Jesus would be a source of division among his people, and a source of pain to his mother as well.

In these stories, God reveals something of the nature of Jesus to two old prophets in the Temple. In our third story, the one we’re used to hearing on this day, God shows off Jesus to some foreigners. Matthew, chapter two, verses 1 to 11:

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising at dawn, and we have come to pay him homage.”

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.

Calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘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.’ “

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.

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.”

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. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.

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.

About those three kings: First, we don’t know how many of them there were, only that they brought three gifts to the young Jesus. These were gifts fit for a king – gold and aromatic spices – very expensive. Who knows how many givers had to pool their resources to afford them?

Second, they were not kings. Matthew calls them magi. They are stargazers – yes, even astrologers, but not like those you read in the funny pages or online. They are wise men, scholars who look to the stars and to ancient religious texts for clues to what is happening on earth.

They see a sign in the sky. They call it a star. It might be a rare conjunction of planets, similar to the one visible to us a couple weeks ago. They’re not dummies. They know the difference between a star and a planet, but they’re just like us; when they look up, they see stars.

Some translations say they saw the star in the east. Actually, the text says they saw the star at its morning rising in the eastern sky. The conjunction we saw Dec. 21 was visible to us at its evening setting in the western sky.

Something about this celestial sight leads them to believe that a king has been born in Israel. He must be a special king, because off they go on a long and tiring and expensive and dangerous journey.

When they finally arrive at their destination, they are not just pleased. They are overwhelmed with joy. They are delighted. They are ecstatic. And when they see the child – who is by now a toddler – they fall to their knees and pay him homage. They adore him. They worship him.

Every parent surely adores their two-year-old. But none fall to their knees before him in worship. This is an extraordinary level of veneration.

These men, who have sacrificed so much to come so far, are aware that they are in the presence of supernatural greatness, and they are humbled. They worship the little guy who stands before them, bright-eyed and happy, gurgling and blowing bubbles.

This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing. This, this is Christ the King, the babe, the son of Mary.

“And the Word became flesh and lived with us,” the gospel of John says. “And we have seen his glory” (John 1.14).

These stories offer glimpses of the glory of Christ. Have you glimpsed this glory as well? Have you been called by the Holy Spirit to witness great things? Have you traveled a long and hard way to discover the Lord in your midst?

This, this is Christ the King. Let us haste, haste, to bring him praise. Amen.

This message was delivered online January 3, 2021, Epiphany Sunday, for Edgerton United Methodist Church.

Journey to Bethlehem

We’re still in the Christmas season, so I invite you to view a most interesting video presentation of the birth of Jesus. It comes from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as part of its new Light the World campaign.

“The Christ Child” is a dramatized telling of the story. It helps if you know the story because there’s little dialogue, and what few words are spoken are in Aramaic, the ancient language widely spoken at the time of Jesus.

The music is way over the top and Mary does ride a donkey, but there are some interesting deviations from the standard telling – all supported by the latest scholarship.

When they arrive in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary go to a home of someone in Joseph’s family. It’s crowded because of the census. He wonders if they might not use the guest room, so he climbs a ladder to investigate and finds it full. You wonder how Mary could have gotten up the ladder anyway.

There aren’t just male shepherds in the fields that night. Herding sheep is a family business, so women and children also are gathered around the fire.

The magi remain a mystery. Having seen the star, they set out in a well-guarded caravan. By the time they get to Bethlehem, Jesus is a toddler. When they present their gifts and bow down to worship him, the significance of the act is evident in their faces. They’ve come a long way for this moment, and they find great emotional and spiritual fulfillment in it.

You may find it an affecting experience as well.

The film is about 18 minutes long. Find it on YouTube or at this address: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world-2020/the-christ-child.

Incarnation: Light of the World

I don’t like driving at night. I don’t trust my night vision. Especially on narrow country roads, I feel like I’m always driving over my headlights. I need just a little more light. So after dark I either stick to familiar roads, or I avoid getting out at all.

This is a major exception to my acceptance of an idea called “flashlight faith.” You know how a flashlight works. It casts a narrow beam of light for a limited distance. You can see only so far. To see farther ahead, you have to take another step ahead. The flashlight does not show your destination. It only shows the next steps you have to take to reach your destination.

That’s the kind of guidance God provides for us most of the time. God gives us direction one step at a time. We have to trust God one step at a time. And I do – but I’m still leery of country roads at night.

* * * * *

The joyful Jewish thanksgiving festival known as sukkot falls in late September or early October. It’s also known as the Feast of Booths, because celebrants set up temporary booths in memory of the tents their ancestors lived in on the way to the Promised Land.

In the time of Jesus, the festival included an event called the Grand Illumination. Four candelabras more than 70 feet tall were erected in the Temple, and it was said that the light was so bright that it illuminated all of Jerusalem.

The light was a reminder of the pillar of fire that guided Israel through the desert. Now imagine Jesus standing in the Temple during the Grand Illumination and proclaiming: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

On this last Sunday of Advent, when we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus, we turn to one more title for Jesus: light of the world. He is the light we need to see ourselves as we truly are. In his light we can see the truth of our past, and our present, and our future. Only in his light can we understand where God is leading us, where we have strayed from the path, and how we can get back on track.

* * * * *

Throughout scripture, light shining in the darkness is a symbol of God’s guidance. Remember the creation story in Genesis. God says, “Let there be light,” and there is light (Genesis 1:3). God sees that the light is good, so God separates the light from the darkness. This implies that darkness was the primordial reality, and it was not good.

“The way of the wicked is like deep darkness,” a proverb says (Proverbs 4:19).

The poets of Israel give God thanks for redeeming them from such trouble. Psalm 107 says: “Some sat in darkness and gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons, for they had rebelled against the word of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. … Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and God saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder” (Psalm 107: 10-15).

The prophet Isaiah sees our human need for a savior and God’s timely response. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined. … For to us a child is born, to us a child is given, and the government shall be on his shoulder, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:2, 6).

John’s gospel begins: “In the beginning was the Word. … In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).

In Jesus, John says, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9).

* * * * *

It is no accident that Jesus comes to us this time of year. It is widely believed that the date of Christmas was stolen from the pagans. As I show in my book Keeping Christmas, this is not true at all. When they began to celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25, Christians had every right to believe that the date was correct.

Back then, December 25 was considered the Winter Solstice. The date of the solstice has moved forward four days our calendar drifts over time. Today we consider December 21 as the solstice. We also call it the first day of winter. To my mind, calling it that mutes the hope of the day, because the solstice is actually a day of hope.

The winter solstice occurs when the earth is at a particular point in its yearly circuit of the sun. On this day the sun shines the least number of hours and the night is the longest. But after the solstice, the sun begins to shine longer each day, and each night is shorter than the one before.

We may indeed be entering the deepest part of winter, but there is hope. After this, the days are getting longer and the nights are getting shorter! Light is coming into the world!

That is one of the reasons we will be offering a Blue Christmas worship time on Dec. 21, the longest night of the year.

It’s a recognition that long winter nights may be especially hard on those who have suffered the painful loss of a loved one. Especially in this season of joy, those whose joy is seasoned by sorrow may find it hard to celebrate. Blue Christmas reminds us that the light shines even in this darkness.

* * * * *

“I am the light of the world!” Jesus declares. But he also says, to us, his followers: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).

And we need to let that light shine. You don’t light a lamp and then cover it up. No, you put the lamp on a lampstand so its light can shine throughout the room. “In the same way,” Jesus says, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:15-16).

The first letter of Peter says we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people – and we are called to proclaim the mighty acts of the one who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining in us, the first letter of John says. “Whoever claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light.” (1 John 2.8-10).

How are we the light of the world? We are the light when we reflect God’s light in acts of kindness and mercy and love.

Let me pass on a couple of timely stories from Martin Thielen, a retired United Methodist pastor.

Some time ago, in a suburb in Pennsylvania, there lived a Jewish family. Where other houses were decorated for Christmas, their house was decorated for Hanukkah. Hanukkah is the festival of lights, so they had a big menorah lighted in their front window.

One night they woke to the sound of shattering glass. Someone had smashed their window and destroyed the menorah. Their grandparents had died in Nazi concentration camps, and they knew what the sound of broken glass meant. They covered the window and went away to speak with family about what had happened.

When they returned that night, they were surprised to see that in the front window of nearly every home in their neighborhood was a large, illuminated menorah.

The second story concerns a family in Little Rock, Arkansas. They had many decorations in their front yard, including an inflatable black Santa Claus. They got an anonymous letter telling them to get rid of the black Santa and go back to where they belonged.

When they shared their story on Facebook, black Santas started appearing throughout their neighborhood.

“We are God’s plan for changing the world.” That’s what Adam Hamilton says in his book Incarnation, the inspiration for this series of Advent messages.

There are many ways of changing the world. Each of us has a unique way to do it. I encourage you to find a way to change the world that best suits your talents and temperament. Then do it. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see.”

The prophet Isaiah says this: “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, and the pointing finger and malicious talk, if you share your food with the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness …Your light shall break forth like the dawn” (Isaiah 58:8-10).

A simple act of goodness may not appear to do much to keep the darkness at bay, but it could ignite a flame of love. From simple acts grow larger acts, and movements and revolutions. A revolution of the heart starts with a tiny spark. Be the spark for others. Be the light for others, as Jesus is the light for you.

We are nearing the end of this Advent season. Christmas is only days away. Our celebration this year may be very different from others in recent years. However similar or dissimilar it is, are you ready to celebrate Jesus’ birth one more time? Is Jesus being reborn in you as you prepare for the day? Are you ready for the coming of Jesus?

I pray that you are, and that you have a very Merry Christmas!

This message was delivered online December 20, 2020 for Edgerton United Methodist Church in Edgerton, Kansas.