If Only For a Moment

“If Only For a Moment” was preached at Princeton Theological Seminary on Wednesday, December 2, 2015. This sermon was my final project for the course Preaching Paul. Students were allowed to choose the epistle text and its respective topic for their message. I chose one of the lectionary texts for that following Sunday: Philippians 1:3-11. Inspirations for this sermon included scripture, spiritual disciplines, Wayne Muller, The Schmuel Song, and the season of Advent.

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Philippians 1:3-11

3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

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Long, long ago, in the beginning of beginnings, there was an artist that surpassed all other artists. So beautiful; so divine. The architect of eternity; the designer of infinity. The alpha and the omega of all masterpieces.  She was known as the Great Creator. And in the beginning of beginnings, the Great Creator began to create.  She would devote herself to a new piece, a piece of wonder and beauty. It would be considered one of her greatest works. As she worked, time ceased to exist. How many days passed as she dedicated herself to her art? How many years? Centuries? Generations? It was just the Creator and her work with limitless time to dream and to create. Her fingers flew and her creation swirled. It was almost like a dance – a grand whirlwind of color and formation. There was separation. There was configuration. She shaped it all. Everywhere was individually designed and formed by her touch.

Her fingerprints were on everything. They built up the mountains. They dug down the valleys. Every mountain and valley were perfectly molded, a symbolic cohesion of one’s highs and lows. Rivers like ribbons wove throughout the piece. They connected to lakes, ponds, and oceans, speckling the creation with ripple and movement. Light bounced off the waters, devising a mirrored reflection of dazzling lights that danced with the Creator herself. It was the finest display of jubilation. She fashioned plants of all kinds that enhanced the piece with exclusive embellishments. There were trees that climbed their way towards the sky, and there were sprouts that flecked the ground with animation. Every plant ideally placed to give her art a purpose. After everything was built and created, after everything was shaped and crafted, after everything was fashioned and formed, the Great Creator began to paint.

She started with blue. Blue everywhere. In the sky and in the waters. There was blue. Then green to hint at world filled with growth. The plants were given green. So much green. She used white and black and every shade in between to distinguish between light and shadows. It gave a contrast to her piece of art. The sun was given gold and the moon was given silver. Each precious color had its moment to shine. And when sun and moon would switch dominions, she would use orange to signal the transition between night and day. She used red here and yellow there. Every color – every shade of color – was painted into her piece. She had given beauty to this world. Her hands had formed this world; her fingers painted it. But she had one thing left to do before her piece was complete.

With a giant gust of air, the Great Creator breathed into her creation. Every creature and creation felt her breath like a rushing wind traveling through the trees, up the mountains, and down the valleys. And with this breath, the piece was given life. And with that, she was done. Her masterpiece was finished. Every creature and creation bowed down to the glory of her work. They rejoiced in their artist. She smiled down upon them, and in that moment she gave thanks.  And when the creatures and creation saw the Great Creator smile down upon them like a sunrise of dazzling lights, they too rested and gave thanks. For one moment – for just one small moment – If only for a moment… all was still. All was beautiful. All was divine.

There was still so much work to be done. The Great Creator would have to sustain her masterpiece and eventually she would have to redeem it, but here, here in this moment, she gave thanks for the work she had done. She took a moment to give thanks for the gift she had given to her people for it was one of the greatest gifts ever given. It was a gift to be shared by every creature and creation.  It was the gift of life. She paused, she rested, and she gave thanks. That’s the message we need to hear in the season of Advent. That’s a spiritual discipline we can practice during the season of Advent.

When Paul writes his letter to the Philippians, we have this same message of pausing, resting, and giving thanks. At this point, Paul has accomplished a big part of his ministry, and empires – not just people – empires have noticed this. In fact, when Paul writes to the Philippians, he is currently imprisoned for spreading a message that is too great for the people to hear. He knows there is so much more work he and the Philippians both must do. They must spread the gospel, live actively in their faith, avoid enemies of the cross, obey and imitate Christ, maintain unity, stand firm in the Lord – there’s so much work that needs to be done, but here in the first chapter in the letter to the Philippians, before we hear any of that, Paul pauses and he rests and he gives thanks.

It’s almost like a comforting introduction as if he’s saying, “Let us take a moment just to breathe.” It’s a moment of prayer where Paul writes, “I thank my God every time I remember you constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you.” Can we hear Paul’s rejoicing? Can we hear Paul’s encouragement for the Philippians to rejoice? Every time Paul prays for the Philippians he does so with joy and thanksgiving. There is an emphasis on joy because the Philippians are beginning to distinguish things that truly matter from things that do not. And the good news is the things that truly matter are going well. The Gospel is advancing. Paul’s ministry is expanding. The work is being done, and this work will continue to be done until the coming day of Christ when their work will be complete. In this moment, Paul calls on the Philippians to rejoice with him. To be joyous and to be glad. Because, yes… there will be disappointment and worry, but here in this moment the Philippians are called to remove themselves from that. They are called to pause and give thanks for all that has been given to them by their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That’s what Paul doing. Pausing, resting, and giving thanks. If only for a moment. That’s what we should be doing.

Less than two weeks ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving and in a little over two weeks from now, we will be celebrating Christmas. It seems that there is always something that was just finished or always something that needs to be done. There’s no break. There’s no rest. There’s just… more. This “more” can overwhelm us. It causes stress, anxiety, worry, disappointment. We get so caught up in the preparing that we lose focus on what we’re actually preparing for. In the season of Advent, we are preparing for the coming of Christ. While we don’t know when or where, we know that it will happen as it has been promised to us.

This promise to the coming of Christ is the epitome of another gift God gave to God’s people. The same Great Creator who gave us of the gift of life also gave us the gift of grace. The same Great Creator who fashioned the world out of nothing also came down in the Word made Flesh to live among us. But instead of coming to us in extravagance and glory, Christ came as a humble servant born in a manger. He lived a life serving others – healing the sick, curing the blind and lame, performing miracles of all kinds. With twelve disciples and hundreds of followers, he traveled the countryside. He told stories and preached parables. He lived out God’s love for all us, especially the outsiders – the least of us. Christ knew something was about to happen to him, so with his closest friends, he had a special supper. The Last Supper; The Lord’s Supper. He paused, he rested, and he gave thanks. He broke the bread and poured the cup. It was a promise to our salvation. Then the people who once loved him turned on him. The people who Christ loved betrayed him. They sent him to his death. Christ – the one true Son of God – died an agonizing, painful death on the cross. With his blood – the red of his blood – the same red used in creation – the sins of humankind were forgiven with the gift of grace. With his resurrection, humankind was given new and eternal life. Christ promised to come again to dwell among us.

The life, death, and resurrection of Christ is a mighty account! It is exciting and humbling and sad and glorious. Because of this, we feel the need to prepare – to do “more.” There will always work that has been done and there will always be more work to do, but Paul’s message to the Philippians calls us to take a moment. Paul takes a moment to remind the Philippians that every time he prays for them, he does so in joy and thanksgiving. Even God – the giver of life – rested and gave thanks after the great creation. Even Christ – the giver of grace – rested and gave thanks before his agonizing death.

Give thanks for what has been done and what will be done. Love will overflow. Knowledge will be shared. Insight will be spread. The Gospel will be confirmed. We will be made pure and blameless in Christ. The work has been done. The work will be done. Breathe and be okay. This is Christ’s promise to us.

Despite the busyness of the holiday season: pausing, resting, and giving thanks can be a ritualistic, meditative spiritual discipline to practice. It is an act of participating in God’s gifts of life and grace. It allows us to embrace and live in the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. How this spiritual discipline looks is up to you. Pause, rest, and give thanks every time you light a candle. Pause, rest, and give thanks every time you smell a spice while cooking. Pause, rest, and give thanks every time you touch a door handle or as you enter your home Pause, rest, and give thanks on your drive to work or pause, rest, and give thanks on the bus or train. Pause, rest, and give thanks every morning you wake up and every night before you fall asleep. Find something that works for you. Be intentional about it. Every time you do something, pause, rest, and give thanks. You decide what that something is. Pause, rest, and give thanks. If only for a moment.

Continue to do the work that needs to be done, but give thanks for the greater works that God has done for you. Take a moment to feel God’s love for you overflow with joy and thanksgiving. Paul’s message to the Philippians is not one that asks us to stops what we are doing. We should not just sit back and relax believing God will do all the work. God promised greater works for us. Our work is to live a life worthy of those greater works, of those greater gift: gifts of life and grace. A part of that life is finding the balance between work and rest. A rhythm between the two. Both should be done in thanksgiving. We live busy lives, but God calls use to find rest, renewal, and delight in these busy lives. And when we do, we give thanks. And even when life seems too busy, we still give thanks because God will provide. Prepare for Christ because Christ is coming. But also pause, rest, and give thanks for that same reason: Christ is coming.

Advent is the time where we await in hope for the coming of Christ. We don’t know when or where that will happen, but that’s okay. The same Great Creator who gave us the gift of life and the gift of grace promised us that Christ will come again. Pause. Rest. Give thanks. Christ is coming.          Amen.

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Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God.

You have given us great and loving gifts: gifts of life and gifts of grace. Gifts that we sometimes forget to cherish. Help us to be thankful for these gifts. Help us to pause, rest, and give thanks for your mighty works in our lives. Help us to find renewal. We want to learn from your example. Let us be an imitation of Christ and let our love overflow more and more for you. Advent is our time to await your coming, and we do so in hope. In your name we pray.

Amen.

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The Scientist

“The Scientist” was a homily preached at Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church on Sunday, December 6, 2015. Three other preachers in addition to myself shared their own unique interpretations on the same text: Malachi 3:1-4. Inspirations for this short message included scripture, depression & suicide, current events, and science.

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Malachi 3:1-4

1 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

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One hundred miles below the surface, specifically anywhere from 87 to 118 miles below the surface, in the second of the earth’s four layers, diamonds are formed. One hundred miles straight down, diamonds are formed. It’s impossible for humankind to dig that deep. Scientists can barely even get to ten miles below the earth’s surface. One hundred miles straight down where it’s impossible to get to, diamonds are formed. There it is overwhelmingly hot and pressurized. Due to this extreme pressure and heat, carbon atoms – the same element found in all of life – begin to bond and react with one another. It’s a rare type on bonding where five carbon atoms from a very strong covalent bond with each other. It’s a slow process; a process that stops more easily than it begins. Scientists still haven’t been able to name how long this process takes in the natural world, but even the smallest of diamonds have been dated over one billion years old. This special type of carbon covalent bond is why diamonds, although pretty, are surprisingly among one of the hardest materials known to humankind. As these bonds are being formed, the carbon atoms begin to crystallize. Over time they will attach themselves with other carbon covalent bonds until they lock into a structure that eventually grows into a crystal that is large enough for us to see. This is the diamond as we know it. Each crystal – each diamond – each carat of diamond – represents literally billions and billions of carbon atoms that had all to lock perfectly into place to form this very orderly crystalline structure. Since it’s impossible to get to the location of the earth where diamonds are formed, we have to wait until these precious gems come to us. This can take another billion years. A billion years to be formed and a billion years to be exposed at a service... It doesn’t seem worth it. It doesn’t seem worth the time it takes. It doesn’t seem worth the heat it must endure. It doesn’t seem worth the pressure it must experience. It just doesn’t seem worth it… until you see a diamond. It catches the sun; it flashes back at you. For a moment, a light dances within the diamond, beautifully cut and crafted, and you know, it was worth it. It has always been worth it.

You are God’s diamond. Individually cut and crafted. More precious than any gem ever formed. More precious than any amount of silver or gold. You are the most precious thing God has ever made. You will face pressures. You will experience heat. You will be continuously refined for all of your days, and it will seem unbearable. But someday it will all be useful to you. Someday the pressure and the heat – the pain – will be useful to you. It’ll create something within you. You’ll get a tougher skin; your heart will be hardened. But this pressure and heat – the pain of all you must endure – will create a transformation where Christ will be your catalyst. It will make you beautiful. More compassionate; more knowledgeable. It will give you even more of a reason to be loved.  Yes, you are God’s diamond. Fearfully and wonderfully made. You will be lifted up on eagle’s wings. You will be given the breath of dawn. You will be made to shine like the sun. You are the most precious thing ever made, and God will hold you in God’s palm.  Not just for all of your days, but for all of God’s days. From the beginning to the end. Yes, you are God’s diamond. You are worth it. You have always been worth it.

Christ is coming to us. Like the diamonds of the earth, Christ will come to us.  We will wait. Are you ready? Have you been tested? Have you been cleansed? Have you been made uncomfortable? Have you been refined? Yes! Yes, you have! You have been refined! "For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver." Through the love and grace of Christ, you have been purified! Transformed! You have been made pleasing to the Lord! You are God’s diamond! So precious and loved! Even more divine, Christ is our diamond. His coming will be worth the wait. His coming will be worth the pressure. His coming will be worth the heat. His coming will be worth the pain. Christ is our diamond. Christ will be worth it. Christ has always been worth it. Christ is coming.

It has been worth it. It will always be worth it because you are worth it. Worth it to me; worth it to the people around you; and above all else, worth it to our Heavenly Creator. You are worth it to God the Father. You are worth it to God the Son. You are worth it to God the Holy and Everlasting Spirit. You are worth it. You are God’s diamond.           Amen.

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Effie Trinket

          “Effie Trinket” was preached at Princeton Theological Seminary on November 4, 2015. The assignment was to take a well-known movie and use it as the main source of imagery in an eight-minute homily. The text must come from one of the Pauline Epistles. I was assigned the movie, Catching Fire. Inspirations for this sermon included scripture, narratives, and the transformation of one of the prominent characters from the movie: Effie Trinket.

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Philippians 2:1-11

1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God,

    did not regard equality with God

    as something to be exploited,

7 but emptied himself,

    taking the form of a slave,

    being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

8     he humbled himself

    and became obedient to the point of death—

    even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him

    and gave him the name

    that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus

    every knee should bend,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue should confess

    that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

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Effie Trinket is as prim and proper as they come. And this makes sense; she was a citizen of the Capitol. The society that she was born into raised her to be this way. A society known for their ever- and over-flowing wealth; a society whose wealth has caused them to be oblivious to the poverty and the starvation and the sickness that consumed the surrounding districts. Yes, Effie was the model citizen, just as oblivious and shallow as the rest of them. She was known for her flamboyant and unique sense of style. Her outfits matched her bright and bubbly personality exuding her own sense of ecstasy and euphoria. Effie didn’t have to try to be the best dressed; she was the best dressed! She was the epitome of fashion. And even better, she was strict in her manners and controlled in her thoughts! She would make the perfect Capitol Escort for one of the districts in the upcoming Hunger Games. And so that’s what she did. Effie Trinket became the Capital Escort for District 12! And that is where she meets Katniss and Peeta for the first time.

For those of you who have no idea what I’ve been saying for the last minute, I was giving a description of a prominent character from the Hunger Game series. For those of you who haven’t seen or read the Hunger Games, let me briefly explain. The Hunger Games is a trilogy of books turned movies written by Suzanne Collins. In a future, dystopian society, the nation has been split into two main groups – the Capitol and the twelve Districts – after a war labeled as the Rebellion. The citizens of the Capitol were the rulers and the wealthy; they held all the power. Effie Trinket was a citizen of the Capitol. The twelve Districts were the workers who served the Capitol where each district controlled a different industry. The poorest of the twelve – the home of Katniss and Peeta and the district in which Effie was assigned to be the escort – worked in coal mining. In punishment for their Rebellion, each of the twelve districts must randomly select a boy and a girl – the Tributes – to fight to the death in an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. Twenty-four teenagers were forced to go into an area where there would only be one surviving victor… and this was all for entertainment of the Capitol.

When we first meet Effie in the first movie, she is thrilled and excited to be a part of the Hunger Games. She gets to accompany the Tributes as their escort and serve as their Capitol Guide! She knew it was a great honor, and she loved every minute of it! You can actually see her joy as she selects Katniss and Peeta as District 12’s tributes at the Reaping. Katniss and Peeta fought throughout the game, and in the end, both were named the Victors. But in the second movie, “Catching Fire,” when the Reaping occurred, there is a transformation happening within Effie. Only previous victors would be selected as the Tributes to fight in the games this year. That means Effie would have to select Katniss and Peeta again, two people she has grown to love. When Effie selects Katniss as the female tribute, a single tear rolls down Katniss’s face. But if you look in the background, you can see Effie dressed in an extravagant gown made of monarch butterflies, a beautiful metaphor for the transformation Effie is experiencing. There is no joy on her face this year. She is uncomfortable… sad… distant…  It’s a powerful scene, and you can feel the aura of humility. Effie is conflicted between the life she was given and her newfound compassion for others. A woman born into privilege now feels helpless and afraid. A woman who lived her entire life being exalted was humbled before our very eyes.

I won’t spoil the rest of the movie or talk about the third one, but Effie continues to be filled with compassion and empathy throughout the series. At her core, Effie is still Effie, but there is also this transformation occurring within her. She lives into her own humility. It is rough and shaky and slow. At times, it is even visibly and unbearably uncomfortable, yet Effie grows into a kind and caring soul who does what she can to serve those who have been deemed by society as less than her.

Like Effie, living into this humility is what I’m asking us to do. We are part of the Capitol. I’m not saying that we have been spoiled in life or that everything in our lives is some great gift given only to us, but I am saying that we have been born into some sort of privilege that others will never experience.  We weren’t born into this privilege because we are in any way better, but rather, this is the life we were given.  That means we are not the enemy but because we were born into this life, we have been given the power and the opportunity to do something with what we’ve been given. We have been given a gift that allows us to transform into something that could serve the greater community instead of just ourselves. This transformation starts with the act of compassion.

To feel for one another can be such powerful and contagious act. There is an emphasis of unity that lets others know that they are not alone. You are giving them a space to voice their pain, their struggles, their grief. You are acknowledging that despite how they world may treat them, that they do matter and they do have a place. In humility, regard others as better than yourselves. Be of the same mind. Share the same love. Look to their interests and listen to their pain. Let your light shine as a burning beacon of hope. After all, Christ has done all of this and more for you.

Christ – fully human and fully divine – equal to God the Creator – came to live among us as the Incarnate Son in the form of a slave to humankind. Rather than being born into glory, Christ was born in a manger. He lived a life of obedience, taking the weight of the world on his shoulders. All pain and every sin was given onto him. In everything Christ did, he humbled himself for our sake. He humbled himself even to the point of death by crucifixion. His humility and his obedience led him to the cross. In that moment, in his death and in his resurrection, he was exalted above all things. Name above all names. Every creature will bow down and confess him as Lord. Christ’s work was done for us in the ultimate act of compassion.

Let us imitate Christ. Allow the power of the Savior to transform our bodies of humiliation into bodies of glory. For in the day of the resurrection, we too will be caught up in the divine movement of exaltation. “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Effie Trinket is as prim and proper as they come, but Effie Trinket is also compassionate. She was a woman born into power and wealth, but she was also born into a world where she could serve. Effie was transformed before our very eyes. Effie’s humility is an imitation of Christ. Be like Effie. Be like Christ. Humble yourselves and serve the Lord. Compassion can change the world.      Amen.

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If you would like to see the character of Effie Trinket as portrayed in the first movie compared to her character in the second movie, please watch these two short clips. It was in these two scenes where I felt I witnessed Effie's transformation.