Roger's Postings

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Numbers 6:22-27.                    God's Blessing on another New Year               31/12/11

 (22)  The LORD said to Moses, {23} "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: {24} "' "The LORD bless you and keep you; {25} the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; {26} the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."' {27} "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

 Well here we are again at the edge of another new year. It seems that they are coming and going all too frequently. But as they come and go so rapidly, it seems that about the only thing that really changes is the fact that we are getting older rather quickly. At the same time as we reflect over the year just gone, I am sure we all would say that there has been a great deal happen in the course of that time. A great deal for us to struggle and grapple with; as well as a great deal to enjoy: as individuals, families, workers and as a church.

 However, by an large, as we look back we have to say it has been a good year. Yes, sure, there have been some very rough patches along way; some ups and downs; some reasons to grizzle and grumble; and even some things to be heartbroken about. But when it comes down to it - it still has been a good year. There is a lot for us to be thankful for: we still have a roof over our heads, we get three good feeds a day, and have very good clothes on our back. And we all know that we have got a lot more than that. We have the assurance of the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, which no one or nothing can take away from us.

 Yes we may have had sicknesses, problems and deaths; but in most cases God has been with us and has or is in the process of bringing us through them. Things by and large have gone rather favourably toward us, and we have enjoyed a reasonably good year.

 But why? Many today, would say that they have worked hard for it and deserve to have things go their way. Also, again we tend to think that it is the result of all of the technology and education that we have, that we are enjoying the good life; and that they will ensure that the future possibilities are limitless. Over and over again, we today look at our achievements and the good in life as being the result of what we have and are doing for ourselves. Even as Christians, we so often take our blessings for granted and give little thought to the one who really has given us all the good that we have.

 That being the case, I think it is quite appropriate that we have this reading as our text, as we contemplate the year that is drawing to a close and as we look to the year ahead. Now there is something that I am sure that you have picked up already as you listened to the text being read: That is that this text is the blessing that is used as we conclude our Divine Service virtually every week. Now to understand this blessing and what takes place as a result of its use, will, I am sure, change our thinking about life: And make us far more thankful and far more confident as we face the future.

 The first thing that we are reminded of here is that this reading is not some prayer of mankind. It is not some nice, wishful way that we conclude our service: something that we humans have made up to use in our worship. But it is that which God himself has commanded his priests to use; right from the time of Moses. God said to Aaron, this is how you are to bless the people.
And from that time, to this very day, that same blessing has been in use - because it is what God wants. So we need to realize that this blessing that we use is not idle words and wishes; but is that which God has given to us to use, through which he intends to bless us.

 Initially this blessing was given to prepare the Israelites for their great act of worship – which was their march to the Promised Land. It invokes and announces God's name and his protection on the people on their difficult trek toward the home God had promised to give them. Now we know from history that is just what God did, despite the Israelites continually choosing to go their own way and do their own thing; which brought great problems on themselves. However God was always using their mistakes for good and great blessing has flowed as a result.

 Now that blessing still serves the same purpose today for us. Still he promises his presences, protection and helps for us as we go on our way through this life, to our heavenly home. As God's representative, I, week by week place that blessing onto you; and God actually works what is spoken. What is said, really comes to be; and that God spells out quite clearly in the last verse when he says: So they will put my name on the people and I will bless them.

 Now this again is quite a startling thought. Every time I speak these words to you, I am putting God's name on you; and as you well know - where God's name is - there God himself is present and active. So in the blessing I am actually placing God on you: covering you with him and he wrapping himself around you; so that where you go - God goes also – everywhere - in every aspect of your lives. And he is there not just as a protective garment - but as that which brings blessing. He is there to be of help, benefit, assurance, forgiveness, friendship, everything.

 All this will happen for you because God promised that it will be so. He says; I will bless them. Not perhaps, maybe, or only if we are good enough. But, will. God will bless his people. God will bless us in this new year. And we can believe it – we can trust that it will be so - because God says so. We can therefore know that he will take care us no matter what the situation might look like on the surface.

 Now of course, we can turn our backs on it, ignore it and reject what God has to give. We can focus on the bad and then blame God - even though it is our own humanity’s stupid fault. We can pretend that all the good is a result of our own doing and so not see that it is God who has given us all that is good and beneficial; but that it is what he wants for you and me.

 Again of course, there are many times when we just can't see where or how this can be. We can look and instead of seeing blessing - see tragedy and trouble. How can there be any blessing in the loss of our loved one, or the floods, or whatever? God's blessing can often seem to be non-existent, until we have the opportunity to look back and see what God sees.

 Here, let us remember that this was also the case for the Israelites, for much of the time. On their march to the Promised Land they faced difficulties, failures and even disasters, but from the hind-sight of history we can see how God was at work through it all. Often yes, they had forgotten that God was present with them and that he had the power to do the impossible. But above all, that he has the overall vision as to what is best both for his people and for the nations of the world. Many times they chose to do their own thing and thought that they could get away with it. They thought that they could live free and easy – and would not be held responsible. So God allowed troubles to come their way. But all the while, did God forget them or leave them? Did he fail to see that they had enough food, water and shelter? Did he fail to get them to the Promised Land and make them a great nation? No, despite the failures of God's people, God still went with them and blessed them.

 And most importantly from that nation came the Saviour of the world. Despite Israel and its waywardness, God was still at work bringing about the salvation of the world. He sends Jesus Christ into our world, to die on the cross, so that we might have the forgiveness of sins and the assurance of life and salvation. He comes and takes our sin on himself, so that we can be given eternal life with God in heaven. So there in Jesus we have the fullness of this blessing, extended to each and every one of us.

 So, knowing that God and his blessings are with us, we can go forward with confidence into 2012. Knowing that God's name is on us and he has promised to bless us also, even if, and especially when, troubles and hardships should come our way we can step forward calmly and positively. Even if the world should be turned upside down by the stupidity of mankind, we can trust that through it all, our Lord will stick by us and seek to bring blessing to us. After all he is a loving God who dearly wants to bring good to us all – he wants to bless us richly. And above all, he has given us the certainty of salvation and eternal life.
 
So through this blessing today, at the conclusion of this Service – and as we start another new year; as well as throughout the coming year, let us remember that God's name has been placed on us and he has promised to bless us. Then as we gather here week by week to hear his Word and receive from him his very body and blood which he shed on the cross for us, and at the conclusion of each Service as we hear these words; "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Be assured again and again that his blessings go with you.

 Remember also that through this blessing he is preparing, protecting, helping, forgiving and befriending us; and so much more, as we move on our way through this life toward our heavenly home. So this coming year then promises to be a good one and an exciting one, whatever happens, as God and his blessing goes with us. The Lord has blessed us this last year, and his continuing blessing goes with us in this coming year. To him be all glory and honour, now and always.   AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

Friday, December 23, 2011

Luke 2:15-20.              True Christmas response!!!                 25/12/11

 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 A blessed Christmas to you all. Again we are reminded of what makes Christmas a truly great time of the year. It is much more than presents, parties and holiday break. Despite the hollow outward revelry and Christmas cheer, there is here something very deep and powerful; life-changing and life-giving in the message of Christmas; something that really does give peace, joy and hope to our lives. Here today we are celebrating a truly magnificent event that has turned the world upside down and changed the lives of countless millions of people.

 And it all had its beginnings two thousand years ago in little village in country Israel: In a stable in the back of an inn. The first news of this tremendous event was given to lowly shepherd on the hillsides outside of this little village. Yet the impact of this seemingly insignificant event has gone world-wide and carried forward throughout time, to change the lives and histories of many, many people.

 It is interesting to focus on the response of those ordinary people in that event; and of people down through the ages; as well as that, what our response is to this wonderful ‘Good news of great joy.’ Certainly across our nation the attitudes and actions surrounding Christmas are quite different from what we have recorded here about the shepherds and Mary. As a result, the good feelings of Christmas, for many, is shallow and short-lived.

The reality of Christmas is still there but the impact is not. Jesus has come into the world whether people believe it or not. He is God’s only begotten Son whether people accept him as such or not. He is the Christ – that is the Messiah – the one God had promised throughout Old Testaments times that he would send to save his people who had fallen into sin and deep trouble. Here in Jesus is this very one, who then goes on to die on the cross; taking the punishment that everyone of us deserves, on himself, so that God could forgive us all and accept us back into his family and so that we can live with him forever in eternity. This is all for real. It is true, beyond any shadow of doubt, yet the response of so many is to ignore and even poo hoo it.

 However, think of the shepherds out there on the hillside: yes sure it would have rocked them to the core to see and hear the angels that night; but they didn’t shrug it off as no big deal; they didn’t make up the excuse that they had work to do and that their employer would not have been happy if he knew that they were going to leave the sheep to the dangers of the predators that were around. Nor did they hesitate and say to themselves, well look we’ll leave it till tomorrow, or next week or next year. No, they said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

 They heard the message and they knew it was important. This was the Lord’s message to them: “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Coming from him meant that it was obviously of vital importance. This was not something to be ignored or put off to another time. Even though it was only a baby and only in some backyard stable and not a palace, this could not and should not be by-passed or passed off as a fairy tale.  

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. They didn’t just go, but their hurried off to see and be with this one who was so great and important. They were not put off by the lowly stable, or the fact that he was only a baby, or that it would be boring. Here was God come into their vicinity and they, I am sure, went to receive the blessings that he had for them. They also would have went there to worship him.

 And it did not stop there. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Yes, they understood very well the importance of what they had seen and heard and so they wanted others to know it also. They did not hold back because of the fear of being ridiculed for telling such a ridiculous story. I mean, ‘who has seen a hold host of angels. They obviously had too much to drink. Then a great king being born in a stable; now this is just stupid.’ No they went out despite all of this, because they knew that this was the message that we all need to know. It was for real, and everyone needs to know it, so they told as many as they could.

 The other wonderful response that we hear in this reading is that from Mary herself. She treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. She adds all of this together with everything else and builds up and holds dear all of these things that are happening; and continually thinking deeply about what God is doing here. For her too, this was all something that was truly amazing and so very important. So with deep humility and reverence she treasures it all and ponders over it.

 From the responses here, of the Shepherds and Mary, we see already that there is something happening that is hugely significant and important here that would and has impacted on the whole of humanity throughout all time. And as history continues on we can see more and more the depth and greatness of what is happening. For this baby grew up and then performed miracle after miracle and explain God’s Word to the people to show that he truly was the Son of God come into our world. But even more importantly he then allows himself to be led to the cross to die. To die for us all: taking the punishment that we deserve, on himself, so that God would not hold our sin against us.

Then to the absolute amazement of all, he rose again from the dead three days later. Now all can be assured that all of this is for real: it is much more than a made up story: it means that there is salvation and eternal life there for each and every one of us who are connected to this Jesus. Now there is real peace, joy and hope for us all. This is amazing. This is the most wonderful news that humanity could ever hope to hear.

 From there the response has continued to be just as amazing. Those early Christians have shown us the tremendous change that comes of people and nations as they believe and trust this Good News. They were more than willing to rush to get be where they could hear more of this Jesus and to receive the gifts that he has for us all in his Church. The Word and Sacraments, prayer and song, fellowship and service to one another were eagerly sought by them and many down through the ages to this very day.

 Many of them have then gone out in their daily living to share this Good News with the people that they come into contact with: Wanting them to know of this amazing thing that God has done for us all through Jesus Christ. The result is that across the world millions of people have come to know and believe this Good News. Two thousand years later millions of people are still being transformed by this Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate here again.

 Even in our own country where most say they no longer believe, there is still an understanding that Christmas is something special: it is still something that has to be held onto, even though they do not want to acknowledge the true significance and importance of it.

 But what about us, here today, again we have heard the message: “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” We have heard again of how this Jesus and what he has done for us, is of such great importance to us all.

 So surely, we too, will want to week in week out, rush to see and receive this one who has done all of this for us. We too will want to, treasure up all these things and pondered them in our heart. And we also will spread the word concerning what has been told to us about this child. Christmas again has reminded us of just how tremendous God’s gift to us really is. May we now continue to celebrate and appropriately respond this this great news that is commemorated here today. A blessed Christmas to each of you today and each day of the rest of your lives.  AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish


Friday, December 16, 2011

Psalm 89:1-4; 19-26.               Sing of the Lord’s great love!             18/12/11

 I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. {2} I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. {3} You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, {4} 'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.'"
 {19} Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: "I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people. {20} I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. {21} My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him. {22} No enemy will subject him to tribute; no wicked man will oppress him. {23} I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries. {24} My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted. {25} I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers. {26} He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Saviour.'

 How truly great and magnificent is our God. He is the Almighty God who is over all and in all that is good. Surely we will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with our mouth we will make his faithfulness known through all generations. We will declare that his love stands firm forever, that he has established his faithfulness in heaven itself. He is God Almighty himself who deserves nothing but the greatest of praise.

But why? Why should we sing his praises? What makes him so great? Is it because he gives us what we want? Is it because he is a God who suits our way of thinking and our imaginations? Is it because we can see, quite clearly, that he is a God who has everything under control and evil is defeated? Is he a God who has made everything good and wonderful for us as we live out our lives every day?

 Well, no! In fact this psalm was most likely written in the midst of the Babylonian exile. In this psalm, the psalmist sings about a problem. God had promised that there would always be a king in David’s family. But now there was no Jewish king! The army from Babylon had beaten the Jewish army. They took the Jewish king to Babylon, and the King of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) became king of the Jews. How could anyone explain this? For the Israelites, everything was going wrong; and most importantly of all, there was no longer a king on the throne: no longer one of David’s line, ruling over Israel. Their world was in a mess; and yet they sing this song of praise to God for his love and faithfulness. Now there is a challenge to our modern thinking.

In verse 3 the covenant that is mentioned is what God and the Jews had agreed on. If the Jews would love and obey God, then he would keep them safe. He would be their God and they would be his people. The Jews had a special covenant name for God: Yahweh. We translate it, LORD. In this part of the psalm, the psalmist says that he still believes that the Lord will do what he had promised. And he was right! Even though it may not have seemed so at the time.

We also need to remember that Christians have sung this psalm at Christmas time for many centuries. This is because Jesus is a king from David’s family, he will always be king and he was born at Christmas. That is how we explain the problem ... even if the psalmist did not know this! Yet, maybe, he had a far better understanding that God was always living and ruling over his people, than we do today. Maybe he knew that there was always that connection between the Messiah and his ongoing rule over all.

 But having said that, we can see the faith and complete confidence that the psalmist has even in the midst of his adversity. Despite the fact that everything looked to the contrary, he knows that God is true to his word. He knows the Lord is the Almighty God who does hold all things in his hands. The covenant he made with Israel stands: he will be their God, and he will be faithful to the promise he made to David. Even though Israel had turned their back on the Lord, he would not turn his back on them. He would be true to his word.

Yes, God was true to his word and still is today. He did say that he would punish the sin of those who betray him and his faithfulness, and who reject his decrees and commands. His holiness and justice will be maintained: The Israelites were sent into exile for their failure to keep their side of the covenant.

But at the same time he was true to his word; in that he would not take his love away from his people and away from David’s line. Even though the people violated the covenant, the Lord would not: he would not betray his faithfulness. He would continue to love his people even though they did not deserve it.

But hang on, some people would say; there in Babylon we can see that God is not true to his word. There was no king in the line of David anymore. In fact they were not even a nation anymore; far less a people who could know that they were loved. Is it really so loving to destroy a people and send them into exile?

 But again despite this, the psalmist knows that the Lord is true to his word, even though it goes against all the senses. He knows that He is still loving and faithful; true to his covenant. Even in his words and promises with regards to the king, he knows that it is true despite the evidence. So he sings the praises of his God because he knows that he will fulfil his promises in this regard; somehow. He looks forward eagerly to see once more the revelation of all that he has said and promised.

 That is now where we today look also. In the midst of Advent, our focus is turned toward Christmas: the coming of our Lord as Saviour and King. Just as the psalmist looked forward in hope to see this fulfilment, so we look back to this great event and see the true fulfilment of all that is said and promised.

 Now we can see and know for sure that, in Jesus, a descendant of David’s line, we have a king who rules eternally; past, present and future. He is the anointed Saviour of mankind. He is the one who would and did crush our greatest foe, Satan. His death on the cross, nailed the defeat of Satan once and for all. He was raised from the dead so that we can know for sure that he is our living and ruling LORD.

 The covenant that he established, through our baptism, which joins us to his death and resurrection, now stands secure for us. We know that we are loved, forgiven and made members of his family. He is our God and we are his forgiven people. He is now our glorious and everlasting King, to him be glory and honour now and always.

Through this covenant he also promises us an agreement that is sure and lasting. Even though we may waver and fall along the way; we know that he is true to his word; he is still our Lord and his love and faithfulness is sure. So nothing now can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

So as we approach Christmas, in the midst of our hassles, distraction and uncertainties: not perhaps even sure what going on because of all that is wrong and bad in our world; we too can sing of the Lord's great love forever. Even though our society has lost its way and doing its best to discredit Christianity: even though it might seem that the Church is dying and that God no longer cares about what is happening; we too can have the same confidence as that of the psalmist, to know that God is true to his word.

Yes, maybe he is reminding us of what life is like if we choose to ignore God and his word and not seek to live in this covenant relationship that he has made with us. But as we again look back to him and trust that he is true to his promises, we can look up and be positive despite what we see. We can be assured that Jesus is still king over all, and all things will work out as he has said. Jesus’ coming two thousand years ago and his death and resurrection are his guarantee that this is so.

 Therefore we can sing of the Lord's great love forever; with our mouth we will make his faithfulness known through all generations. We will declare that his love stands firm forever, that he has established his faithfulness in heaven itself.   

Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.

 Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish








Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Isaiah 40:1-11. - by Vicar Kees Sturm

Last week the church season of Advent began. Advent is a time where we, God’s children, spend our time preparing for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

It is a time to reflect on the promises of God, and to proclaim the coming of our Lord.

 But this is a difficult thing to do. In our modern world the Word of God has been obscured. It has been placed on a shelf with the other books on spirituality and mythology. It has been labeled as someone’s version of truth, rather than ‘the truth’. It gets hidden behind the events and festivities of our society, and I can’t help but feel that society has hijacked the Advent and Christmas seasons (and Easter for that matter) and twisted them into some sort of worldly festivity ready to be used for commercial gain.

 Let me give you an example, I was in a supermarket the other day, and at the check out there were some Advent calendars. These Advent calendars had no nativity scene, nor a mention of Christ, not even a Christmas tree. Rather there were the Crows or the Port Power mascots, and the only thing that was pointing toward Christmas was the small Santa in the corner wearing an AFL guernsey.

 When you think about it, society has turned its back on God and the traditions of the church. The world has stopped listening to Him. By placing His Word on the shelf, as if it were like any other piece of spiritual mumbo jumbo, society has effectively rejected God and in turn pokes fun at Him. But like we know, a life without God is doomed to confusion, futility, and finally it will succumb to the dread of eternal darkness.

This of course is nothing new; our modern world is no different than the ancient world. The bible shows us that the history of God’s people is filled with the same attitudes that we are seeing here today. There was scheming and conniving, in-justice and unrighteousness, and it led the nation of Israel to commit acts of evil in the sight of God. And it removed the people of God from His presence.

This unfortunately is the reality of our world today too. We live in a society that is confused. Our values, our laws, and our expectations are all screwed up. Our lives are futile, they are devoid of a greater significance and we make ourselves busy by running about all over the place doing all sorts of things, but achieving very little.

 We busy ourselves by looking after our houses, and possessions, we spend countless hours driving our children from event to event, only to spend even more of our valuable time at work earning the money we need to keep up our self-chosen hectic life-styles. And if you’re not busy doing those things, then it is likely that you are relaxing on the couch either watching the tele, or reading something.

 Think about all the things that take up your time, what do you give priority to in your life?

Now, think about that and ask yourself, what have I really achieved?

 Realistically, whether we realize it or not, most of us in our society today keep ourselves busy, so that we don’t have to think about the reality of our situation. We keep ourselves actively preoccupied so that we can look the other way; so that we can focus on something other than the confusion and futility of our lives and that of our society.

 Just like in the days of the prophet Isaiah, where the people had given up their loyalties to God, and replaced them with loyalties to a whole pantheon of foreign gods and beliefs, our society today has given up its loyalty to God for a loyalty to the next big thing, or fad that is sweeping our nations.

 This is exactly what Isaiah prophesied against, in the first 39 chapters of his prophecy. He warned the Israelite people of the impending doom that would befall them if they did not change their ways. A warning that appears to have fallen on deaf ears. The people continued in their evil ways, and because the people refused to listen, God brought down His anger upon them in the form of the Babylonian army: Who invaded the Israelite nation, destroying the temple and leading the people out of the Promised Land to be exiled into Babylonian captivity.

 The people were torn away from the Lord; they were removed from Him physically by being taken into exile, and spiritually by their loss of the temple.

They were dragged into eternal darkness, a place removed from God, where His light did not shine.

But, this morning’s reading on the other hand signifies a major turning point in the lives of the exiled Israelite people. The prophetic word given here by the prophet Isaiah is one that announces hope for the people of the Israelite community.

 In the reading we heard Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the end of the Babylonian oppression, and the coming of a period of relative peace for the Jewish nation. We heard the Lord say,

Comfort, comfort my people. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

 Isaiah’s prophecy gave a renewed hope to the Israelites; he announces that God still loved His people, that He hasn’t forgotten them in spite of the fact that He was punishing them.

 Through the prophecy the Israelites were reminded that it was God who would lead them out of darkness. He would be the one who would lead them home.

Isaiah says,

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.

 Their journey would be a triumphant processional, announcing the mighty acts of God. It is God who would show mercy on His people and deliver them from their captivity, all done so that the Israelites and the nations would see His glory.

Furthermore, Isaiah reminds the Israelites that it is God who is the Almighty, He is the one who would over power the Babylonians for them in order to set them free,

Behold, [prophecies Isaiah] the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

By His work He would show Himself to be the Almighty God and His recompense, His reward, would be the freedom of His people.

 For the Israelites Isaiah’s prophesying removed any doubt of God’s sovereignty, they were reminded that before God all people and earthly powers are like the grass of the field. And for this reason, they should only place their trust in Him.

Isaiah reaffirmed for them that,

            all flesh is grass, [and] the grass withers when the breath of the Lord blows on it.

But this prophecy is not all just for the exiled Israelites. In it we too hear the word of God that gives us hope as the prophet proclaims his message. In this prophecy Isaiah also heralds the coming of our Lord. He says,
herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, say to the cities,
“Behold your God!”

Just as the Israelites were captive in their isolated darkness, we are captive to our sinful nature; which continually draws us into darkness. This dreaded darkness is never far from our thoughts, even for us worshiping here this morning. It’s like the darkness is just lurking around the corner, waiting to catch us unaware.

But thankfully there is hope for us, St Mark tells us;

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before you, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ”

The voice of one crying in the wilderness was the voice of John the Baptist; he came preparing the way of the Lord saying,
After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist himself was a prelude to the coming of the Messiah. He came proclaiming that our hope is to be found in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Christ is the one who sits at the right hand of God and He is the one on whom we can lay our burdens.

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

As we go about our daily lives, we are faced with the dangers of a society that is confused, and the temptations that come with it. We struggle to fit our devotions and worship in to the hectic life-styles that we lead, and often stumble head first into the darkness as we fail and sin.

 But although we stumble, we have hope. We have the assurance of God’s promises, we can have faith in His word that we, like the Israelites of the exile, will be delivered from the darkness of sin by faith in our Lord.

 Jesus Christ, who’s birthday we celebrate at Christmas, is the one who gives us hope for the future. He was born to save us. He took on himself the punishment that we deserve, death. Death on a cross. Through His death we have all been set free. And through faith in Him we have been granted access to this free gift, given to us so that we might have eternal life with Him in the kingdom of heaven.

When we were baptized, we were joined to Him; we were given our faith in Him and we were given a place in the family of God. We were joined to the one through whom all things were created, under whose authority all things exist and in whose love we were graciously shown mercy.

As we gather together in the Divine Service, we confess our sins and receive forgiveness, we hear scripture readings, we pray to our Lord, and we take part in the Lord’s Supper, and we can rest assured that we are being prepared for the future coming of our Lord. We partake in the continuous process of being sanctified, being made Holy in the sight of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Just as Isaiah’s prophecy was the word of God given to prepare the Israelites for the coming of God to set them free, this prophecy is also a word of preparation for us.

Today, just as then, God calls His people to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the meaning behind the season of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation. It’s a time of fasting and spiritual conditioning in preparation for the Feast of Christmas and is focused on the "coming" of Jesus the Messiah. Not just His birth 2000 years ago, but also His second “coming” at some point in time somewhere in the future, on the “Day of the Lord”

 As we look back, we prepare ourselves for the coming celebration of the birth of our Saviour, which is celebrated at Christmas. We do this, not by going out to the shops to buy presents and food, but rather by spending time with the Word of God, by meditating on it and praying it. When we do this, the Holy Spirit, our counselor, teaches us what the love of God means for us; how God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us so that we might be made acceptable to the Father through faith in Him.

 Although, we are like grass and all our glory is like the flowers of the field, that wither and fade, we have before us this great and wonderful message. Behold, here is our God, ‘the Lord God is with us’. Behold, the Sovereign Lord comes with power and his arm rules for him. Behold, His reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him. He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart, and he gently leads those that have young.

 Therefore during this season, as we slow down, take the time to think about your future. Look toward the end of time, when Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead. And when you do, do so with confidence, knowing that through faith in Christ you will be saved, and that you will be with our Saviour in the kingdom of heaven.


Friday, December 09, 2011

Isaiah 61:1-4;8-11.      Jesus is still the Good News we need!   11/12/11

(1)  The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, {2} to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, {3} and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendour. {4} They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. {8} "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. {9} Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." {10} I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. {11} For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

 Then thinking about this reading here this morning in preparation for this sermon, I came across two pieces of information that are rather thought provoking in this connection. The first came as a result of listening to the media again this year in the lead up to Christmas. People are often asked what Christmas means to them; and of course you can very quickly guess what the replies would be: the giving and receiving of gifts, Santa, holidays, parties and most significantly, family time. Then when asked whether the Christian significance meant anything, very few responded positively, while others would say something like; we know it is about Jesus and all that, but we aren't all that serious about it. Generally the focus is on the less important aspects of Christmas. Now I am sure that we not all that surprised by those reactions. We know that this is fairly typical of much of the present thinking surrounding Christmas.

 However the second piece of information is far more interesting and encouraging; and it relates to an article that came in the mail. That, connected to other comments made on the same subject in recent years is very thought-provoking. I quote - "One of the most significant developments in the last decade or so has been the increasing realization that modern world views rest upon distinctly vulnerable foundations. Modernity is dead." "Modernism told us that religion was going to come to an end. However, religion has suddenly appeared on the landscape again." "We must have the courage to declare that modernity - with all the alleged fatal challenges it brought to bear against the Christian faith - is dead. It is killed off by its failure to live up to its own promises.”

Now there I believe we have some encouragement, as well as a challenge put before us by God. For what this article was saying then is that the ideas and basis for much of our modern thinking is false - it hinders our growth, instead of helping. And this is not just with regard to our Christian faith, but for everything. The whole homosexual debate; the economic world view of growth rather than sustainability, and many others, could be added to the list.

Now, without looking very hard I believe we can see what the writer means. This age of reason and self-indulgence has given us a declining morality; deep depression in many people’s minds; and many other problems. But none more terrible than the fact that now we have nothing solid and stable on which to base our lives: loneliness and poverty of spirit; feelings of being imprisoned in our freedom; and much more are the results.

People can argue all they like against this, but the facts speak for themselves. The modern world view is unsustainable: it is dead – it is just a matter of how long we are going to go on pretending and arguing that it is not. And that goes for you and I, as well as all those out there who at this point are still blind to the truth. If the modern world view, which pretends there is no God, is dead; what does this mean for us and our approach to life today; surely the things we are thinking and doing with regard to Christmas alone would be significantly different.

To add to that we have here in this reading from Isaiah, a clear reminder that Jesus is the answer to all the issues of life that we face in this world - if only we would give him a chance. For instance: Jesus has and is the Good News for the person who has a lack of money and possessions. Money does not bring one happiness and contentment; nor does having a whole host of material possessions. They can't buy that which is important in life; despite what we are led to believe. The sum of a human being is not in the amount of wealth that they have accumulated, or the power they have over others, or the rights and freedoms they have.

No, the importance of life is in the fact that we are loved and cared for - no matter what. We need to know that we belong: and that salvation, security and peace of mind lies, not in the things of this world or even in what we do or fail to do; but is in Jesus Christ. A right- relationship with God and eternal life cannot be bought, but is a free gift to everyone through our Lord Jesus and his death on the cross.

 Now again we are reminded here that Jesus has help for the broken-hearted and freedom for those held captive. And sadly this is a big problem in our present day society: there are many, many people today who feel caught up in a situation, whatever it might be, and see no way out. There are those who are stressed out and under great pressure; broken and hurt; and can only see more of the same in front of them. There are families torn apart and relationships that are in tatters; and much more.

And for all of these people, Jesus has help. He cares in and about every situation. And instead of telling them, that they have their rights, and encouraging them to have a positive self-image, or to work harder, and all the rest; instead he says to them that they are loved and forgiven: instead he tells them that they belong: that eternal life is theirs; and that no one and nothing can take it away from them. He reminds us all, that he has come to win and give salvation to every person through his death on the cross: that there he has placed us all back into a  right relationship with our God; and that our every real need that we have has been taken care of. The answers for us are all still there in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.

 So what is wrong? Why don't we now see all this? Why isn't there this massive transformation for us all to see? Why – because we are too busy listening to the lies of our modern society. We are too wrapped up in following Joe Bloggs next door. We are too intent on being our own person and have things our own way. We worship our modern education and technology: we heed our psychologists and our financial economists. In other words we are blindly following the blind, and then we grizzle and complain when those things trip us up.

 In our Gospel reading today, John the Baptist reminds us to not look to any self-styled human being for our answers - even in Christian circles: it is Jesus Christ alone who is the way and the truth and the life – the Light of the world.

So this Advent season again, we are encouraged to turn back to him: To turn back to that which is most important in life. With Christmas coming up, let us be encouraged to see to it that Jesus is more central than our presents, family gatherings, Christmas dinners, or what ever. Because the joy, peace and goodwill of Christmas will be all too fleeting and shallow if we put those things before taking time to reflect and celebrate the greatest of all gifts – Jesus Christ. To put work, cooking, visiting or whatever before worship of Christ and our receiving all that great help that he has to offer, is participating in and perpetuating the death of our modern society: we will continue to be encouraging the downward spiral that is taking place.

 No, Jesus is still the answer and he comes again to us, and through us to our community, with Good News. His love, care, help and forgiveness is what makes this world tick; and it is there that we have that which our society needs in order to go on and find the peace, happiness and security that it needs and seeks after, but cannot find. It is all there in that gift that has come into our world many Christmas' ago: but who also comes to us today, seeking to bring his love, help, healing and hope to us all: seeking to again get us and our country back on track.

 So may our Lord Jesus again find a special place in our lives this Christmas and in the days beyond, so that true joy may abound for us all. Then to him again will go all glory and honour, forever more.  AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish