Sermons of Rev. Timothy J. Kennedy

					Wonderful Things! Join the Club
Second Sunday of Christmas
John 1:1-18

Sunday, January 03, 2010
				

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

Welcome to the first Sunday of the new year. If you made a resolution to worship more often in 2010 well, you're perfect so far. Maybe the closest to perfection your life ever gets - but don't fret: you have a Savior who is perfect for you. In the midst of a messy world ... we have a Messiah. As one preacher put it in a memorable line, "In this man Jesus, we saw, and see, the face of God. That had never happened before and has never needed to happen in that way again."

A television newscaster began his news segment on Christmas Eve by saying, "Now that the Christmas Season is coming to a close...." Wait a minute ... coming to a close? December 24? even now it's not quite over! Please don't slam the stable door just yet! Why, here it is January 3 and this first Sunday of a new year is also the tenth day of Christmas. The light on our trees this morning, still shine. Christmas may be over for our neighbors; but for us - not quite.

How great that our first Gospel reading for 2010 opens with those familiar words, "In the beginning," which echo the initial words of Genesis. St. John talks about, not the beginning of Creation, but the onset of a New Creation. God created the world, initially - and put upon it the initials of God. "This is mine; it is good." Now, the New Creation, Jesus Christ. God adds the signature: "this is my Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Several years ago I visited the Valley of the Kings, on the banks of the Nile. I was a part of a small group that entered the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen. We meandered through a long tunnel, with several turns along the way to prevent people like us meander in the sacred tomb. But finally we arrived - at the sarcophagus of the boy pharaoh. It took me by surprise that Tutenkhamen was still in his final resting place - his face covered by a great golden mask. What a maginificent sight. Truth be told, it was far more radiant than the tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem. Then again, the tomb of Jesus is empty. If Tutankhamen had been given the uncommon choice between radiance and resurrection ... there's little doubt how he would vote.

Here is one man's account of the tomb's discovery: archaeologist Howard Carter was completing nearly fifteen years of searching for the tomb of Tutankhamen. Money was running out and thus were his days of digging. The year is 1922.

In the final season of Carter's search, workers discovered sixteen stairs leading into the earth. After days upon days of clearing tons of rubble, a door was discovered. Carter himself drilled a small hole in the door and inserted a candle and peered in. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, Carter saw what looked to be a messy basement. Strewn about were statues of strange animals, as well of statues of horses pulling a chariot. And everywhere, it seemed, the glint of gold. "For the moment, I was struck dumb with amazement," Carter wrote. A colleague asked, "Can you see anything?" A moment later came this whispered reply, "Yes, wonderful things."

It is still Christmas, and the Church continues to talk about wonderful things. Then again, as we point to Jesus, the Church always showcases wonderful things. How God came into our world. One of us. And how the world has never quite been the same. Ten days ago we heard the story of shepherds leaping. If you would have asked them if they had seen anything that starry night in Bethlehem, they might well have responded, "Yes, wonderful things!"

I'm not merely guessing here. Why else would they have returned to their fields, as Luke reports, "glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen," unless they had heard and seen wonderful things?

And so, as in years past, so shall it be for years to come, this congregation will continue to hear wonderful things about the light which has come into our world ... and God willing, this faith community will continue to participate in being light to our community and beyond!

Some of my colleagues are rather envious of me (oops, a deadly sin). They are envious that I am the pastor at this place. Quite frankly, I am proud of their envy (oops, another deadly sin). When we dedicated this sanctuary some six years ago, the pastors who participated noted the size and majesty of this pulpit. Before worship began, my best friend walked into the pulpit and said to me, "Tim, what do you see from this vantage point?" The Howard Carter in me responded. "I see wonderful things." Meaning, the people in these pews. A treasure surpassing the one discovered by Carter. He found statues of gold; I see children of God!

Let me give you a preview of the State of Grace. You'll read more when our annual Report is published, and hear more at our Annual meeting. For now, let it be said that in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the financial support of Grace actually increased. Financial support is certainly not the only yardstick for measuring a healthy congregation - but it is surely one of the ways.

We have been generous in our outreach. We have been a corner grocery store as we've provided lots of food for the St. Mary's Food Pantry. We traveled to the Big Apple on Midnight Runs; we subsidized youth and adults on a journey to New Orleans. And get this: we've even given coats, gloves and boots to men and women, boys and girls in Afghanistan. Imagine - Afghans for Afghanis! We gathered weekly for worship, and sometimes almost daily for outreach. And on this tenth day of Christmas we continue to acknowledge that our stability comes from the stable! And we shall continue to see wonderful things.

Let me conclude by hearkening back to our Christmas celebration at Traveler's Rest. It was a marvelous evening of food and drink; fellowship and song. In spite of the gaity, I left early. The reason being, I had arrived from Tel Aviv that morning, and this traveler needed rest. Out in the hallway I had to squeeze through a group of people leaving from another dinner party. As they waited for their coats, some were gathered around the door to the banquet room, peeking in on our merriment. One lady said to her friends, "I want to join that club." Her way of saying, "I see wonderful things."

In the Name of Christ, I concur. To any who might be visiting this morning, we invite you to join the club! You too will see wonderful things - the Word made flesh who lives among us, the Savior - who is Christ the Lord!