Mission Statements and such

 Gate Pa – Epiphany 3 2013

Readings:

First Reading               Neh 8:1-3,5-6,8-10 

Second Reading          1 Cor 12: 12-31a

Psalm:                                     19

Gospel:                                    Luke 4:14-21

What I want to say:

Explore how we might read this statement of Jesus in Luke 4,

            not read it as a mission statement (as I used to understand that phrase, and as I have read this passage)

            but as the way Luke invites us to understand Jesus the Word

            where we are to look on-going work God today

            as a way we are to understand ourselves as people of God today. (not what to do, but who we are)

What I want to happen:

People to continue to be shaped as people God, living out incarnation amongst people of these communities

Continue to grow into results of our work last year – “Initiate conversations about living incarnationally in our streets.”

The Sermon

     1.      Introduction:

old job – helping parishes develop mission statements and strategic plans

–        mission statement describe their role,

Gate Pa Mission Statement

To bring all people to God and to unite

each other in Christ

-          strategic plans help parishioners commit themselves to mission statement,

o   and develop ways for parish to live that out

Last year’s parish meeting about engaging with our community

decided that we would “Initiate conversations about living incarnationally in our streets.”

when we decided that

thought – who can write strategic plan about that

terrible

        really woolly

      2.      Modernity and mission statements

Last week I talked a little bit about modernity

how we are no longer in this time

            and are now in an in between time

            know what we have left, just not sure what is next

church developed in modernity no longer works

one great thinkers who shaped modernity was Isaac Newton

Scientist - physicist

described universe like machine

a lot of his thinking still shapes our understand universe today

provided the lens by which we made sense of everything

he said

want understand universe

need pull it apart

identify building blocks, - smallest parts,

find out how worked,

and then put it all back together

universe was sum of all its parts

once understand parts, how they work, you can predict what will happen when any one of those parts is changed

everything in universe seen in same light

machine like

predictable

controllable.

thinking not only applied to science

also applied just about every area human endeavour

one of defining patterns of modernity

But - no longer way physicists describe universe

while is high level mathematical elegance to universe

also uncertainty

nor is universe seen as sum of its parts -

universe now seen greater than sum of its parts

Newton’s thinking still colours a lot of our thinking

last year news frenzy about CERN particle accelerator– we had discovered that smallest thing – now all will be revealed

Except it wont

also been applied economics

if understand component parts economy,

predict what will happen if any components change

current financial crisis teaches us all not as predictable as we thought

sadly

way seeing world also applied human organisations, like church

that thinking gave rise to mission statements and strategic plans

organisation, like church , made up individuals

you and me

when get people to commit to an overarching cause or idea (mission statement)

develop strategic plan allow leaders to plan and predict what will happen

organise life organisation around that mission statement

trouble is

never really worked

people are not like cogs machine

choose not line up with mission statement

get way too busy with work, family, health, life

why am I talking about all this

passage heard from Luke is often described as Jesus mission statemnt

given everything I’ve just said, how are we to read Luke 4 now?

      3.      Luke

last week heard from John who begins Jesus ministry wedding at Cana with a bit wine making

this week back to Luke,

for Luke - this is the beginning of Jesus ministry

            no wedding at Cana

baptised – spirit descends on him

goes out wilderness – tested

come back out – no angels looking after him – just has to man up

filled with power spirit

begins go synagogues and preach – gets a bit of a reputation

goes home

where grown up

Learnt read (pretty unusual thing)

where he had heard Isaiah as grown up and through his adulthood

he is asked to read

so he chooses this passage

interestingly - this passage does not exist as Luke records it

mostly Is 61.1 and 2

-          misses out bit about Year of Lord also being the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

bit Is 58: 6 (to let the oppressed go)

Luke get it wrong?

was Nazareth scroll faulty?

neither

Luke is very deliberate how he writes this story

This passage contains very important themes for Luke

key themes in understanding who Jesus is

            Spirit

            anointing

The Poor – which the passage further describes

Luke is announcing that Jesus is the one who does the work of God’s spirit,

He was anointed by  the spirit to proclaim the coming of God’s reign,

reign of liberation

we hear echoes of these themes in sermon on Mount

same themes reappear in Jesus answer to John query as to whether Jesus really is the one

same themes that acted out in story of Nativity,

and freedom songs sung through that story

whole gospel is how Jesus lived this out

themes that captured longings of God’s people

capture longings of so many people

            then and now

So here we have Jesus

lived in poor village up north

he is one of the poor

deliberately searches out this text from Isaiah

proclaims “the year of the Lord's favour”

50^th year

year of Jubilee

debts that left poor landless are forgiven

land is restored to those who have lost it

those who have accumulated land have to give it back

            no recompense

where everything begins again

God’s justice prevails

Jesus says to poor people Nazareth

with all their longings and hopes

 “"Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."  

      4.      So What

pretty important passage for Luke,

fair say, he understood this pretty important passage for Jesus

Jesus used this piece from Isaiah to understand who he was

this is the lens by which Jesus, according to Luke,

and Luke ,

made sense of everything

lens used to interpret his experience of God

lens used make sense of how he was to live this out

this is much much more than a mission statement

            simply about his role

this is about who Jesus is (ontology)

Jesus is the one who does the work of God’s spirit

who brings about God’s reign of justice

      5.      The Poor

Luke offers us this passage to be the lens by which we see the world

lens by which we make sense of Jesus

of ourselves

how to live our lives in response

2 things then note

a. mustn’t spiritualise this away

in Luke

Jesus ministry set among poor Palestine

he proclaimed and lived good news for poor

            not poor in spirit

            but the poor

need to take hold of that – because Luke understood Jesus to be good news for the poor

the real poor

everywhere

every age

      6.      Hearing

b. need to hear that “"Today this scripture has been fulfilled in our hearing."  

to hear is to do more hear sound

it is to receive what is being said

Centuries we in West heard Isaac Newton’s understanding of the universe

we were shaped by it

lens through which we heard and saw everything

this morning we are to hear these words of Isaiah

to hear means to be be shaped,

that they become the lens through which we hear and see everything

when we truly hear these words,

we like Jesus begin to shaped and defined by them

as we were by Newtons thoughts

we begin, like Jesus, to live them out

when we hear these words,

when we internalise these words

when we let these words shape us

we join the mission of God

Work of the Spirit continues

7.      Conclusion

brings us back to last year’s parish meeting about engaging with our community

live incarnationally

is really woolly idea

one of best things ever heard parish meeting come up with.

exactly what todays is about

live incarnationally means

truly hear these words from Luke this morning

and to  join risen Christ on-going work Spirit

where would we be mostly likely to see on-going work Spirit

Luke says

where good news brought to the poor.
release proclaimed to the captives
the blind see,
oppressed go free,
where the year of the Lord's favour is proclaimed."