Proclamation
“ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who
announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation,”
I have told you before that I think I have the best
job in the world, that is telling people that God loves them, and that each of
you also has this job. We may use words
to let people know they are loved by God, but more often it will be our
presence, our listening, our praying, our support, that shows the love of God
to people around us. We will bring the good news with a casserole or the washing,
or flowers, or picking children up from school. And this congregation is good at those practical
ways of showing Gods love in action.
But I wonder if we downplay the story we have to
tell.
Because it is a great story that we can tell.
The ‘big’ story
of the
interplay of God and creation,
of God’s
presence with people throughout time,
of the life
and death and resurrection of Jesus,
of the spread
of the message of Jesus throughout the known world in the early church.
There is also the personal story that each one of us
has of the difference Jesus has made in our lives.
In freeing
us from guilt and the fears that hold us back
In healing
us from hurt and shame
In liberating
us to be the person God created us to be
The stories of
the times
when we have been aware of the presence of God or Jesus or the Spirit in a
special way
the times
we have sensed a deep inner peace in the midst of difficulty
as well as the ongoing story of God and creation
and history
as well as our own personal story
there is the story of this congregation.
….
In
the Gospel reading this morning, we heard about the two followers of Jesus who
were discussing the events of the past week, trying to make sense of death and
resurrection
Wondering
if it was true
Wondering
if the time spent following Jesus around, was a waste of time.
Talking
with each other
about what we are experiencing,
about our struggles and joys
discussing bible readings and other material
all
this builds up community, and also
encourages in our life as faithful followers of Jesus.
Hearing
other people experiences and telling our own, can help us to understand, or at
least acknowledge, the presence of God in our lives, and sometimes in ways that
are startling.
I
remember a time when I was on retreat, and I had an experience during a time of
prayer and communion, that was new for me. It felt like someone was pouring warm
oil over me – it felt wonderful and soothing, but I couldn’t understand what
was happening. And I didn’t mention it to anyone in case they thought I was
stupid or weird!
On
the way home, the person who was travelling with me, told me of her experience
a few years earlier, and it was quite similar
to what I had experienced the previous day. I was then comfortable to talk with
her about it. Her words were good news to me.
“ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who
announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation,”
We
can be bearers of good news to each other within this faith community, within
small groups that meet for Bible study, discussion, craft and travel.
But
we can also be bearers of good news in the community.
By being involved in the community
By valuing all people
By being a place and a people who
forgive
By offering space for people to talk
about their doubts without judgement
We
have a story to tell,
a story of peace and hope and joy
and love and grace
we have a story to tell,
a story about a God who creates and recreates
a story of a God who was born and lived
and healed and taught and forgave
a story of a God who dwells within
us, who sanctifies and inspires
a
story of how this community, Engadine Uniting Church,
has strengthened our faith,
has valued and loved us
has taught and encouraged
we
have a story to tell of this community and the way its life is inspired by the
love of God in Jesus.
in collecting food for Shire Youth,
because people are important and food is a necessity
in operating the OOSH to help local families
with quality child care.
In having social activities that all
people are invited to participate in, that help ease social isolation.
We
have a story to tell
Yet
I have rarely heard those stories
Maybe
that is because I am a scary person
Or
you have other people to talk to
Or
maybe like me, it can all be a bit uncomfortable and embarrassing, because someone
might ask a question we can’t answer.
popcorn [maybe earlier or here?]
popping a single kernel over the Christ candle, thinking about story
“
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces
peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation,”
In
what ways do we announce good news, salvation and peace in our community?
