Rev. Paul Wrightman, Pastor

Independent and United Church of Christ

January 10, 2021

Dear Friends,

It’s been a rough week, not only for our country, but also for our church. ​​ I learned early this week that Beverly Engell died of the Covid-19 virus on December 8th. ​​ She had been living at Park Lane when her two daughters, who live in the area, found out that there were several cases there and moved their Mom in with them. ​​ Sadly, she had already contracted the virus, and soon succumbed. ​​ Her daughters, Karen and Julie, got the virus from her and are slowly recovering from it. ​​ Please keep them in your prayers. ​​ Beverly faithfully took the van from Park Lane here to church ​​ just about every Sunday​​ for the past three plus years. ​​ She sat in the back row, close to Bev Pugh and Betsy Werner. ​​ She will be deeply missed.

And today (Saturday) I found out from Pam Klaumann that her mother has the virus and has been moved to a special isolation unit at the Carmel Hills Care Center. ​​ She was put on oxygen today. ​​ Please pray for Merilyn Baldwin, and of course for Pam and Clyde. ​​ Pam has been visiting​​ her Mother regularly by standing outside her window and writing messages to her on a whiteboard. ​​ As if the virus weren’t bad enough in and of itself, not being able to speak with and touch our loved ones in care centers and hospitals makes it even worse. ​​ 

Some good news as well: ​​ Joanne Anderson’s skin cancer surgery this past Monday went very well. ​​ We are relieved and celebrate with you, Joanne!

I hope and pray to have some good news about Merilyn Baldwin when I write the service next week.

Stay Safe, Take Good Care, ​​​​ And Always Remember that Jesus IS Emmanuel – God WITH Us. ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

WORSHIP SERVICE FOR JANUARY 10, 2021

INTRODUCTORY READING:  ​​ ​​ ​​​​ A.W. Robinson

We can trust God wholly with God’s world. ​​ We can trust God with ourselves. ​​ We are sure God cares far more to make the best of us, and to do the most through us, than we have ever cared ourselves. ​​ God is ever trying to make us understand that God yearns to be to us more than aught in the universe besides. ​​ That God really wants us, and needs us, is the wonder and strength of our life.

SUGGESTED MUSIC:  ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Go Tell It on the Mountain  ​​ ​​ ​​​​ The Joyous Voices  ​​ ​​ ​​​​ You Tube

OPENING PRAYER:  ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Angela Ashwin, Contemporary

Loving God,

we praise you for the quiet strength of Joseph,

the prophetic insight of Simeon,

the self-dedication of Anna,

and the courage of Mary

as she faced the truth

that a sword would pierce her heart.

Make us bearers of your light which lightens the world,

and help us, like Simeon and Anna, to live for you.

Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father,

who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth

as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING: ​​ Luke 2:22-40

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man 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; and 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, saying,

 Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,

 according to your word;

 for my eyes have seen your salvation,

 which you have prepared in the presences of all peoples,

 a light for revelation to the Gentiles​​ 

 and for​​ glory to your people Israel.’

And 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.’

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. ​​ She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. ​​​​ She never left the temple but​​ worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ​​ At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

SERMON: ​​ HOLY WAITING

Rev. Paul Wrightman

(The underlining indicates what I would emphasize if delivered orally.)

Simeon and Anna were aging persons of faith who​​ clung​​ to their​​ hope. . . and​​ waited.

Luke tells us that Anna and Simeon lived in Jerusalem and were among those expectantly waiting for God once again to come with saving power, to bring justice, and to heal.

Simeon and Anna believed that the God who had redeemed the​​ past​​ would not leave the people without a​​ future. ​​ And so they​​ did​​ what they​​ could​​ and they​​ waited.

Luke says that “Simeon was upright and devout,​​ waiting​​ for the consolation of Israel,” and that Anna “never left the temple courts; day and night she worshipped God, fasting and praying,”​​ for she was among “those​​ waiting​​ for the redemption of Israel.”

It is never​​ easy​​ to wait for anything of importance –

For Covid-19 to finally be over,

For Christmas to come,

For the plane carrying the one we love,

For the morning to relieve the sleepless night,

For the healing word in a bitter argument,

For the challenging task to be done,

For the labor to be over and the child to be born.

It is never easy to wait. ​​ 

It is hardest of all to wait for​​ God.

Not many can bear its demanding discipline. ​​ Not many can attain its delicate balance of​​ action​​ and​​ hope. ​​ Not many can achieve its deep wisdom. ​​ Not many can endure its long and dark hours.

Since the​​ demands​​ of waiting for God are so​​ great, there is always a temptation to transform waiting for God into something​​ else, something​​ less.

There are some who would change waiting for God into​​ passivity. ​​ 

“It is​​ GOD​​ for whom we wait,” they say, “so nothing should be done until God comes. ​​ Nation will rage against nation, and there is nothing we can do about it. ​​ We must wait for God to bring us peace.”

“The poor we will always have with us, and it is God who will take care of them. ​​ We must wait for God to set things right.”

But waiting for God is​​ not​​ like sitting in a darkened theater, idly waiting for the movie to begin.​​ 

Waiting for God is much more like waiting for an​​ honored​​ guest​​ to arrive at our home. ​​ 

There is a lot of work to be done; everything must be made ready. ​​ Every sweep of the vacuum, every pressing of the dough, every item on the menu is done in anticipation of the needs and wishes of the one who is to come.

When James Watt was Secretary of the Interior under President Reagan, he often infuriated those concerned about the environment by his careless treatment of the nation’s natural resources. ​​ He advocated the granting of oil leases in wilderness areas, and he worked to permit strip-mining in areas adjacent to national parks.

Particularly troubling was the fact that Watt made it known that he​​ based​​ his decisions largely on his views as​​ a​​ Christian.

Watt saw no real reason to preserve the environment since Jesus would be coming back soon, and according to Watt’s theology, when Jesus comes back, it will be to​​ destroy​​ the world.

Watt’s actions, I believe, demonstrated a serious​​ misunderstanding of the Christ who is coming. ​​ The Christ for whom we wait is the very one, as St. Paul tells us, “in whom all things were created.” ​​ A lack of care for God’s creation is no way to wait for the God of creation’s coming!

In the early 1960’s, at the height of the civil rights movement, a group of white ministers issued a public statement urging Dr. Martin Luther King, in the name of the Christian faith, to be more​​ patient​​ in his quest for justice and to​​ relax​​ the relentless struggle for civil rights.

King’s response came in the form of the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

In the letter King indicated that he had received similar requests for delay; indeed, that he had just gotten a letter from a “white brother in Texas” who wrote: ​​ “It is possible you are in too great a religious​​ hurry. . .the teachings of Christ take time to come to earth.”

Dr. King replied that such an attitude stemmed from a sad​​ misunderstanding​​ of​​ time, the notion that​​ time​​ itself​​ cures all ills.

Time, King argued, could be used for good​​ or​​ evil. ​​ Human progress, he said, is not​​ inevitable, but rather. . .it comes through the tireless efforts of persons willing to be​​ co-workers​​ with​​ God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an​​ ally​​ of the forces of social stagnation. ​​ We must use time​​ creatively, in the knowledge that the time is​​ always​​ ripe to do​​ right.

King knew that​​ complete​​ justice must await the coming of God. ​​ That was the theme of his final sermon, in which he proclaimed, “I’ve been to the mountaintop. ​​ I’ve seen the promised land.” ​​ 

But he was persuaded that​​ while​​ we​​ wait, “The time is always ripe to do right.”

Simeon and Anna were waiting for God to come, but they were not​​ passive​​ in their waiting. ​​ Simeon was full of devotion and did what was just; Anna worshipped, fasted, and prayed. ​​ They did what they could.

William Lynch has observed that there are​​ two​​ kinds of waiting. ​​ One​​ kind waits because “There is nothing​​ else​​ to do.” ​​ The​​ other​​ is born out of​​ hope.

The decision to engage in this hopeful kind of waiting is one of the great​​ choices​​ that we can make as human beings. ​​ It includes the acceptance of the presence of darkness – but darkness as something to be worked​​ against, not something to passively​​ resign​​ oneself to. ​​ It includes the​​ enlarging​​ of one’s perspective​​ beyond​​ the present moment.

Simeon and Anna did not wait “because there was nothing else to do,” but because they had​​ hope. ​​ Therefore their waiting was not a​​ vacuum, devoid of​​ activity. ​​ They​​ worked​​ and​​ worshipped, they did​​ acts of​​ justice​​ and​​ prayer. ​​ Yet​​ while​​ they waited, they​​ defied​​ the darkness by serving God.

And, Luke tells us, God​​ did​​ come to them.

Who knows what they were expecting, but surely it was not this: a fragile baby bundled into the temple by two young parents who were eager to obey the ritual law of purification, but who were too poor to afford the sacrifice of a lamb and brought with them instead the acceptable substitute, a pair of birds.

A man, a woman, two birds, and a baby.

Can​​ this​​ be the heralded and hoped-for coming of​​ God?

It is​​ hard​​ to wait for God.

There are some who wait for God​​ passively, and there are some who impatiently​​ refuse​​ to wait. ​​ But the​​ hardest​​ part of waiting for God is to​​ recognize​​ and​​ accept​​ God​​ when​​ God comes and​​ how​​ God comes.

We pray for God to come and console the people, and in the front door of the temple walk two new and uncertain parents carrying a pair of birds. . .and a baby who will grow up to be God’s Messiah, but in an entirely unexpected way: not​​ through the use of military power, but through the surprise of suffering for others.

But Anna looked and saw, and somehow she knew that she had seen the fulfillment of her hope and Israel’s hope. ​​ 

Simeon looked, and he knew as well. ​​ He knew that God indeed had come, and he also knew that this coming of God, like​​ all​​ God’s comings, both​​ met​​ human​​ need​​ and​​ defied​​ human​​ expectation, that it would bring both salvation and demand great hope and great cost.

As soon as he said, “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation,” he added, “This child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel.”

Every coming of God​​ meets​​ our​​ needs, but also​​ defies​​ our​​ expectations​​ and​​ demands​​ our​​ lives.

When master artist Giotto expressed this story in paint, he, too, saw the fulfillment and the demand, the joy and the hope, in the coming of God. ​​ His painting of the presentation in the temple is one of the few genuinely witty paintings in great art.

Simeon holds the baby Jesus, his lips moving beneath his snowy beard, carefully reciting his lines, “nunc dimittis. . .now lettest thy servant depart in peace.” ​​ Giotto knows his Simeon.

He also knows his babies, for the infant Jesus, far from resting contentedly through all these goings on, is responding as all babies do when held by eccentric strangers. ​​ His dark eyes are narrowed and fixed in frozen alarm on Simeon. ​​ He reaches desperately for his mother, every muscle arched away from this strange old man. ​​ Giotto knows his babies.

He also knows the deep truth of this moment, for as Jesus reaches away from Simeon toward Mary, we observe that the child is suspended above the temple altar.

Redemption and sacrifice, hope and demand. ​​ So it is with the coming of God.

But God​​ will​​ come.

The God who came to Simeon and Anna will come to us, too, casting aside our​​ expectations​​ even while coming to meet our deepest​​ needs.

Until God comes, what we can do, like Simeon and Anna, is to​​ wait​​ with​​ hope, and to​​ work​​ with​​ compassion​​ for​​ justice​​ and​​ peace​​ while waiting.

Amen.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• What has been the hardest thing for you to​​ wait​​ for?

• What has been the hardest thing for you to​​ hope​​ for?

• When has God sent you a “Simeon” or an “Anna” to confirm something in your life?

CLOSING PRAYER:  ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Brother John Charles SSF

For all the possibilities ahead in this new year,

make us thankful, O God.

Give us wisdom, courage, and discernment

in the face of so much chaos, despair, and fear.

Help us to see how, in our circumstances,

we can contribute towards peace, faith, and love;

and give us the will to translate our desires into actions.

Amen.

SUGGESTED MUSIC: ​​ Awake, Awake and Greet the New Year  ​​ ​​​​ Brent Holl  ​​ ​​​​ You Tube

BENEDICTION:

Patiently and persistently, God loves.

Relentlessly and unconditionally, God love.

Now and forever, God loves. ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ AMEN.