In that moment as their eyes lock, as the child looks at his own father in fear, questioning why, as the father looks down upon his child ready to take the life that he helped bring into the world…in that moment as their eyes lock, irreparable damage is done. In the recording of the remainder of both of their lives, the child never utters another word to his father, and his father never utters another word to God. And God? God waits - waits for that moment to pass - waits for the damage to be done – and THEN says, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him.”…Don’t do anything to him? Isn’t it too late for that?
"In the beginning, there was something - not nothing – there was something, and that something was formless and void, rolling and dark, chaotic, seething with potential, but lacking true life. Our God intervened. Our God spoke into the darkness, into the chaos and began a change. A change which brought forth life from what seemed to be chaos. Creation broke forth on the words of God."
"We have attempted to domesticate God’s Spirit – much like the common dog. We tried to tame it, teach it to curl up beside our hearths and be obedient. We want to quantify it, objectify it, demystify it - train it, contain it & constrain it – like our children, we want it stop being so wild and uncontrollable. We want it to lose its propensity to form something new out of a world in which we feel comfortable."
This sermon is recorded in two parts. Please listen to "Part 1" and then listen to the YouTube clip. Then listen to "Part 2."
This is how it was presented during worship.
Part 1:
Part 2:
The last thing Jesus says to the disciples before rising up from this earthly toil and going into heaven is (loosely translated) this: “Look, God is going to give you gifts. Use them. Not just for anything – for something important. Go out there, into this world – a world full of emptiness - and shine a light. Not just any light, the light of the grace of God.” My favorite line comes a couple of verses later. After Jesus rises up, two men in white robes (presumably angles) come up to them and say (again, loosely translated), “Whatcha' lookin' at?”
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