New Images of Joy

This sermon can be heard here

 Gate Pa – Advent 3 2012

Readings:

Hebrew Scripture:     Zephaniah 3: 14-20

Psalm:                         Isaiah 12:1-6

Epistle:                        Philippians 4: 4-7

Gospel:                        Luke 3:7-18

What I want to say:

to explore how John might invite us into new ways of experiencing joy

What I want to happen:

what new way seeing and living in world do we need to embrace

The Sermon

     1.      Introduction

Theme this Sunday is Joy

what is joy?

what gives us joy?

where does joy lead us?

     2.      Joy

20 years ago – went England for youth ministry conference

introduced to Joy

            group young people – come faith through work Anglican group in Oxford (England)

            organised a service each month –

            both Anglican – held in Anglican church (took all pews out)

                        held to same structure as our liturgy

                        always included eucharist – presided over by priest in full robes

                                    using authorised liturgy

            came out Rave culture

                        huge muslin screens three sides – slides projecting on to them from slide projectors (pre data projectors)

                        always electronic music playing – except when wanted silence

                                    or we were singing

                        always wrote own music sing to

                        pretty interactive

è most amazing thing I had ever been to

                        some from conference who hated it

loved images around us

loved Anglican flavour

loved music

loved that young people who organised did not run it to attract other people

            it was their service – for them

            this was how they wanted to do church

            they spent a month meeting and working with the scripture readings set down for that Sunday – really grappling with it

            and the end result was for them to worship God in a way that was true to who they were and the Anglican Tradition

ran service for conference every night

thing that remains is that such joy being with that group people

constantly seeing things in new light

knocked out presuppositions

had my eyes open to different way seeing world

     3.      Sunday

1. One things see differently is what we do here in church Sunday by Sunday

            probably would have said that we need to run really good services so that we attract people to join us

            now say – we run services (which really means who I am) that will allow us to be in God’s presence in a way that is true to who we are

mission primarily happens before come here

            what we do here undergirds everything else

     4.      Being Random

Few of us tried curating (that is term used) similar services here in NZ

particularly around the use of images

intrigued watching friends and how they did it

friend who was very particular about where slides be in service

more approach – these are slides around theme of service

put them in rough order

we will see what happens

interested that Jackie often be disappointed

            hadn’t quite worked as she had thought it would

            and I always surprised at where slides would appear

                        sometimes not work

                        sometimes gave you really fresh look at reading

                                    ideas wanted to explore

                        knocked you out assumptions and ideas

            go – aha I have never thought about it like that before

     5.      John and Joy

This Sunday is all about Joy

but I don’t think lectionary writers paid any attention to that when writing lectionary

think more focussed on telling the back story behind who this Jesus is who we are expectantly waiting for

so on this Sunday all about joy

John thundering from Jordan

            Repent

            baptising everyone who comes to him

offers us wonderful opportunity to see joy in new light

look again at these questions?

è what is joy?

è what gives us joy?

è where does joy lead us?

     6.      John

John lived in world where really important know who was in and who was not

            actually we live very similar world

a lot cleansing rites around that time – especially at temple

            established who was in and who was not

                        who was in righteous group?

                        group within God’s care

                        who was not?

                                    outside God’s care

                                    outside ours.

            that still at work today

John’s baptism seems have no barriers

all baptises

no matter who are?

            who family is

            where come from

            rich or poor

            healthy or sick

            deemed a sinner or not

John is egalitarian

him all were sinners!!

including Pharisees and priests – supposedly ritually pure

still sinners

come from best families

still sinners

people high honour

still sinners

in fact maybe even worse others

where is joy in that?

John’s baptism announced God’s concern, care aroha for all people – even though they are sinners

     7.      what now?

gives lesson on how to live our repentance

live it out by….

not protecting what is ours

not clinging what we have

seeing need around us and

meeting that need with what God has given us to share

            which is everything

Joy comes in not clinging to what we have

but giving it away

honest - that is not easy

hard let go

            change mind set to see what worked for all our lives as God’s gift to us

            so that we might in turn be as generous

but when we manage to live it

            there is great joy in that.

     8.      Pew Sheet

Take some time each day this week to pray and reflect with this photo.

è How does John help us find joy this Christmas

è How our normal Christmas scenes help us into God’s joy?

è How do they hinder us?

è What new joy are you being invited to experience this year?