A Different Way Home?
January 6, 2008
Officer Ordain / Install
Communion
Read Scriptures
Our Christmas and New Years celebrations are certainly over by now.
All the hubbub has probably settled down somewhat.
You have probably finished undecorating your tress — your house may be beginning to look the same again —
The Church looks pretty much “back to normal” – the Chrismon tree and Chrismons have been packed away – the poinsettias are being taken to their respective homes – the Advent wreath has been packed away with a note made to buy more candles for next year – the ones we used this year have burned down.
Maybe you’re feeling a little “burned down” or “burned out” yourself.
Maybe you’re feeling like there was so much rush — and then it was over before you had time to enjoy it.
These are not uncommon feelings.
In some ways we all feel “down” after Christmas.
And New Years?
So many promises made — so many hopes for a new beginning and a better year – - things are going to be different this year — but even now – just 6 days into into the year — you may wonder if they actually will be better. Maybe all you see now is the same old routine — no change — no real difference.
It can be depressing.
Even in the church – we may feel that Advent and Christmas are glorious times and glorious celebrations — but now what?
Do we go back to the same old routine?
What else is there for us to do?
Is there really something new or different for us?
O sure – we have ordained a new Elder and installed a new class of service on the Session – but we’ve done all this before.
Will it really mean anything new and different for us now?
Will God lead us to new challenges and new things as His Church here at Hopewell?
And — if there is something new and different — if we do embark on new challenges — can we rise to meet them — or will we fall?
To us — in the midst of our questions and uncertainty — the prophet Isaiah has some startling words —
Arise!
Shine!
Your light has come!
A new day has dawned!
A new day has dawned!
Look!
Look at what God has done!
Through Christ — God has come into our world — our world and our lives of confusion, darkness, despair, and routine — even our church and our wonder if anything will ever be new and exciting or if we can rise to the challenges that are before us — –
God has come — and given us light!
Arise!
Shine!
Your light has come!
A new day has dawned!
A new day has dawned!
What is God’s message for us on this day as we gather together for the first time this year for worship — as we have gather around God’s table and celebrated the Sacrament – a we have ordained a new Elder and installed Elders to a new class of service?
It is the message in our Old Testament lesson for today — the words of God through His prophet Isaiah –
Arise!
Shine!
Your light has come!
A new day has dawned!
A new day has dawned!
In our Gospel lesson for today, Matthew tells us that the wise men – magi as the New International Version of the Bible calls them — saw the child — had an experience with Christ — and then went home “by another road” as the NRSV puts it. Other translations say they went home “another way.”
Friends — here is the great truth and the message of God for us on this day – the great truth is that every time we worship Christ — particularly as we celebrate the Sacrament of Communion – and I believe particularly as we ordain and install leaders for our Church — we have the opportunity to go home another way.
Now — what do I mean — “go home another way”?
Some of you have several routes you can take to get to your homes.
Maybe you think I mean you can take one route to get to Church — and another to get home.
Maybe you think I mean you can pass the road to your home – go out to eat in town — then turn around and return home.
That would be “going home another way” — wouldn’t it?
O — come on.
Surely you know me better than to think that’s what I’m talking about.
What I’m talking about is this —
Sure — we have to go home to the same jobs and same responsibilities and same relationships — but — we have the opportunity to go home another way — to go home differently – dare I say to go home different people — because our lives have been changed by our experience with Christ.
Arise!
Shine!
Your light has come!
A new day has dawned!
A new day has dawned!
This is an opportunity for us to see that the light of God has come into our lives through Christ — and let Christ change our lives — so that we can indeed be changed people — changed families — a changed community – yes – even a changed Church.
This is an opportunity for us to become new people — different people — and create a different Church — a different family — a different community — a different world.
Christ can change us and we can be more committed people — more committed families — a more committed Church.
We can be people — we can be families — we can be a community — we can be a church — who shows the light of Christ to the world.
As a church, we can use this experience of ordaining and installing Elders and partaking of the Sacrament of Communion as a new beginning – seeking ways to reflect the light of Christ by the way we worship — fellowship — study — pray — work — and committing our resources for God and His work.
We can reflect the light of Christ in the way we reach out to all people with the good news that Christ has come into our lives.
We can be changed. We can go home a different way. We can go home a changed Church.
Arise!
Shine!
Your light has come!
A new day has dawned!
A new day has dawned!
As we celebrate this new year — as we celebrate our new Elder and our new class of the Session – as we celebrate the Sacrament of Communion — use this time to celebrate – to commit – and to be changed.
Celebrate the light of God that has come into our world — our lives — our families — our community — our Church.
Commit to living as true disciples of Christ.
Hear God’s words to us:
Arise!
Shine!
Your light has come!
A new day has dawned!
A new day has dawned!
Like Magi in Matthew’s story — follow the light to Christ —
and let the light of Christ change the world —
let the light of Christ change your life —
let the light of Christ change your family –
let the light of Christ change this community —
let the light of Christ change this Church –
let the light of Christ change you and everything around you.
Let the light of Christ change you — so you can go home another way — a changed way – a different way — a new way – a changed person — a different person — a new person — so that we can be a changed Church — a different Church — a new Church!
Come — as Isaiah writes — let us
Arise!
Shine!
Your light has come!
A new day has dawned!
A new day has dawned!
Amen.
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