Advent and the end of #patriarchy and #toxicmasculinity

On the Second Sunday of Advent I reflect not only on the meaning of the story about the angelic announcement of Jesus’ birth, but the way Joseph, father of Jesus, symbolizes a way toward healing toxic masculinity, challenging patriarchy, and curbing war and violence in our world. By reflecting on the popular carol, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” I also explore how the religious vision of “God with us” can change hearts and minds and turn us toward peace on earth, goodwill toward all.

A sermon on Matthew 1.18-25 for December 6, 2020.

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Later in the service today, we’ll sing the popular Christmas carol, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” The Rev. Edmund Sears, a Unitarian minister in Boston, wrote the carol in December 1849. We’re told it was first performed in his home on Christmas Eve of that year. A week later, it was published in a Christian journal, recognized for the way it drew the meaning of Christmas into the present realities of the world at that time. It’s a carol not so much preoccupied with historical events surrounding the birth of Jesus; it’s occupied instead with what Christmas means for a world at war and for the men who lead those wars. . . .

The Empathetic Heart of God (and Ours): A Sermon on Ezekiel 34.11-16, 20-24

Empathy is a virtue, among the highest of human character ideals, because it is essential to the nature of God. When we lack empathy we are in danger of losing our humanity because we are out of touch with divinity. And when we are under stress, faced with a crisis, a choice is pressed upon us: we can become as hard and sharp and dangerous as the hard times we’re living through, or we can allow the hard times to soften us, keep our hearts supple, open, and warm, nourished by divine love.

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There are many things we need when we face the kinds of crises we’ve faced this past year, the kinds of crises we are surely going to face for some time to come.

We need courage; without courage we can fall prey to a paralysis of spirit. We need vision, even if we can’t see where we’re going; without vision, without some sense of the direction, we’ll wander and get lost. We need flexibility so we can adjust to new realities. We need companionship so we are not alone. We need humor so we don’t wither under the weight of worry. I love what G.K. Chesterton once said: “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly; devils fall because of their gravity.” Even when things are hard, maybe especially when things are hard, we need the gift of humor so we don’t become too grave.

This last week one of you wrote me a short, thoughtful note . . .

Midwives of Tomorrow: A Sermon on the Political and Moral Muscle of Ordinary People

While America has decided on a new trajectory for our nation and it's participation in the world, there is a lot of work to do to recover from the divisiveness of these past years. Our national and global politics is still riddled with trouble. That trouble needs to be dealt with. And we need strong politicians of integrity and vision to guide us. But we don't place our ultimate trust in those at the top. No, hope is rising from down below, among us, and through the visions, commitments, and determination of the most ordinary people everywhere. This sermon celebrates the gifts and power of ordinary people everywhere. This sermon on 1 Samuel 4 points the way for all of us to be "Midwives of Tomorrow" and agents of a hopeful and flourishing future.

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In his final words to America last summer, Congressman John Lewis, improvising on the teachings of Jesus, urged us all to lay down the heavy burdens of hate so that peace might finally triumph over violence, aggression and war. He urged us to “walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.”

Millions have walked “with the wind.” But not enough have, not enough to turn the tide. . . .

For Christ's Sake, Keep Going: Fifth and final in our fall series: "What Matters Most Now: Life, Love, and Liberty in these Uncertain Times"

Here’s the fifth and final sermon in my series, "For Christ's Sake, Keep Going." Fifth and final in our fall series: "What Matters Most Now: Life, Love, and Liberty in these Uncertain Times."

I’m not ignoring the crises crashing in upon us. They certainly threaten our wellbeing, personally and communally. At the same time, we’re being summoned by God to engage this urgent moral reckoning as a nation.

It often feels like an uphill battle, a long, long journey toward where we want to go. It's easy to lose hope, run out of steam, bury your head. Today's service will not only inspire you to keep going, but guide you toward inner resources to keep the fire burning.

The series focuses on the universal feelings and experiences that unite all human beings. Charlie MacKesy’s book, "The Boy, The Mole, the Fox, and the Horse," does this beautifully, especially the way he brings together the four characters (boy=curiosity, mole=enthusiasm, fox=suffering, horse=wisdom). We will pair five of Charlie’s best sayings and joins them to biblical wisdom says to help ground us in these uncertain times.

This sermon was based on Proverbs 13.12 and a saying from Charlie MacKesy’s book: “We have a long way to go,” sighed the boy. “Yes, but look how far we’ve come,” said the horse.

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Christianity is never escapist. Christ’s way in the world is a deep plunge into the fullness of life here and now. It’s a way of life that doesn’t deny or side-step the great challenges human beings have faced in the past or those we’re facing in these uncertain days. We walk this way for Christ’s sake—that is, we walk this way in order to bring about the kind of world God desires, where beauty and goodness and justice thrive and so does every thing on this vast and wonderful, yet troubled world. . .