A Sermon Delivered to All Saints Anglican Church on May 9, 2010 at the Convent Chapel of St. Mary's Medical Center, Huntington, WV
The Sermon began with listening to the first minute a four seconds of 'Somthin's Comin' from West Side Story,, ending with, 'it's going to be great!"
Have you ever felt like that - felt that something was coming just up ahead? You didn't know what, you just knew that it was coming - but you had to wait for it....?
Well, that what it must have been like for the Jewish people of Joel's day. In the 2cnd chapter of his book, vv. 24 and following, Joel conveys the following promise to his people:
24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.25 I will restore to you the yearsthat the swarming locust has eaten,the hopper (Locust), the destroyer, and the cutter,my great army, which I sent among you. 26 “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,and praise the name of the Lord your God,who has dealt wondrously with you.And my people shall never again be put to shame.27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.And my people shall never again be put to shame.
WOW! Something's Coming! Something big! Something Awesome! Something Good!
Restoration, Plenty of good stuff to eat - and the Lord's Presence with His people to boot! How Great! For once it's good to be Jewish!
The feeling must have been the same as what Tony was singing about in West Side Story: Something Good is coming!
Of course, we as Christians know that the Good Thing being predicted was really Jesus. He is the ultimate fulfillment of all God's Promises, just as it says in 2 Cor: 1:20: "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him..."!
Jesus was the one who would rebuke the devourer - namely the Devil and his minions: Sin and Death, ushering in the Kingdom of God and the Lordship of Christ. All the promises of God find their Yes in him!
But I think that we as Christians can also relate to the Jewish people in the sense that we have yet to see the ultimate fulfillment of God's Kingdom - the re-creation and renewal of all things.
This is what John was talking about in Revelation 21l 22 - 22:5:
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
The River of Life
22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
We too as Christians have Something REALLY Good to look forward to!
Here again, the promise involves good stuff to eat - a Fruit of the Month Club, Some Kind of Awesome Aloe Vera leaves - and the very presence of God manifested so intensely that we won't need the sun or moon or stars any longer! - It's comin'!
But, you know, as wonderful as all that stuff is for the future, there's also the present reality that God wants to give us good stuff now as well. His plan is to bless us in our coming in and our going out.
Deuteronomy 28:
1-6 If you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, and heartily obey all his commandments that I command you today, God, your God, will place you on high, high above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God:
God's blessing inside the city,
God's blessing in the country;
God's blessing on your children,
he crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks.
God's blessing on your basket and bread bowl;
God's blessing in your coming in,
God's blessing in your going out.
7 God will defeat your enemies who attack you. They'll come at you on one road and run away on seven roads.
8 God will order a blessing on your barns and workplaces; he'll bless you in the land that God, your God, is giving you.
9 God will form you as a people holy to him, just as he promised you, if you keep the commandments of God, your God, and live the way he has shown you.
10 All the peoples on Earth will see you living under the Name of God and hold you in respectful awe.
11-14 God will lavish you with good things: children from your womb, offspring from your animals, and crops from your land, the land that God promised your ancestors that he would give you. God will throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land on schedule and bless the work you take in hand. You will lend to many nations but you yourself won't have to take out a loan. God will make you the head, not the tail...
The rewards and blessings of living faithfully in covenant with God are many. He pours out his abundance upon His people because of his own joy in giving. And when you start to list out those benefits, it soon becomes amazing and overwhelming.
God's Goodness to All Saints Anglican Church
So - with all that in mind, I'd like to begin pointing out four material things that are signal blessings to us as a congregation.
1) Christ Pantokrator Icon: Written for us by Elsie Hosie of St. George Greek Orthodox Church after attending one of our prayer meetings. To commission an original icon like this would be very costly. God laid it upon Elsie's heart to do it for us without charge!. It speaks to us of Jesus himself - God's own free gift to us - the best thing he ever gave us.
2)Yesterday, God sent us Bezalel and Oholiab in the form of Bill and Clara Clay, who worked most of the day at Hope House, installing an 'Aumbry', a little cabinet in the wall - a custom that dates back to medieval times, when the Lords of castles would put their weapons in a hidden place within a wall. Our Aumbry will contain our 'weapon' ( 2Cor. 10:4) the consecrated body and blood of Christ, the visible reminder of His Presence with us - and that there is 'power in the blood'!
3) Several weeks ago, I got a call from Christine Habrle, former weekend TV News anchor from Charleston, who is doing a Master's Degree in Digital Media. As an assignment for one of her classes, she had to analyze the media presence of a church and make recommendations. She wrote this 30 page paper about us and is now helping us to update our Digital media plan so that we can be more effective in communicating Good News electronically.
4) The Hope Quilt. ( get an assistant to help display the quilt) by Sr. Connie Mershon of the Company of Jesus and her friends, Mary and Charlie Snyder, from Charleston. It has the word HOPE built into the quilt pattern. It reminds us that: "Hope does not disappoint because of the Holy Spirit that has been poured out ...(Romans 5:1)
Non Material Good Things
Let me also list some good things that are coming our way this coming week for the Day of Hope on Saturday May 15:
First of all, the Venue: The Byrd Clinical Center is again allowing us to use their facility without charge - courtesy of a little skid-greasing from our own Richard Crespo!
And here is a list of people who are participating in, or planning to attend our event:
-Mary Lyons, the woman who spearheaded raising a $50,000 reward fund, and who has personally prevailed upon each of the families of the fallen teens to attend this service and to get behind Hope House.
-The Huntington High School Junior ROTC, under the direction of Major David Clark, who have faithfully volunteered their time for four years now.
-Mayor Kim Wolfe, who will deliver a proclamation about Day of Hope in Huntington - and who personally approved our Permit for Amplified Sound!
-Chief of Police Skip Holbrook, who will be at another event earlier that day, but will join us somewhat later in the service.
-Mr. Tim White of the Huntington Weed and Seed program, who sent out our announcement about Day of Hope on official letterhead - and who personally shows off Hope House to visiting out-of-towners when he wants to show them what Weed and Seed means in concrete community terms.
- Professional Violinist Hannah Burbery, and our own professional music teacher Cynthia Counts to accompany her.
-Hannah's husband, Dr. Tim Burbery of Marshall University's English Department, and Aimee Slash Chapman to read the names of the murdered.
-Mr. Chris Dehner, Music director from Jefferson Avenue Church of God to lead us in praise and singing.
-Reverend Reginald Hill, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, who will speak on the topic "Healing and Reconciliation".
-Rev. Mike Greider, Mission Tri-State and Rock of Grace Church, who will deliver the pastoral prayer.
-Audley Kilburn - Rock of Grace church - but also Christian-at-large and prayer warrior extraordinaire!
-The family of Steven L Ferguson, who will be on hand to witness this year's award to Mr. Thomas Kincaid, resident of Huntington since 1955 and 'Dean of the Street Mayors" ( tell story from Weed and Seed meeting): "I'm the mayor of this street, that's who!"
-Rev. Gary Brydie of the Glorious Church of God in Christ, and Mr. Leon 'Do-bug' White, both former Steven L Ferguson Memorial Award winners, who sit on the board of the Neighboring Initiative, and who will give this year's award to Mr. Thomas Kincaid.
-Special Thanks to Marcia Smith, through Clara Clay, who is providing a wonderful vacation time-share package to the winner of the Steven L Ferguson award.
-Bridge Ministries, INC. who will provide our sound system and tech support as well as perform an Offertory - and who, since January, have worked construction miracles at Hope House. (
Here are some other people who have or are blessing us:
-Curtis Johnson of the Huntington Herald Dispatch, who has always been very supportive and given us many stories over the years.
-Tom Roten and WVHU radio, who always gives us time each year, and who interviewed me on-air last Thursday morning.
-Mayor Jean Dean and her radio program, who is always supportive as well.
-Mr. Bill Smith, Cabell County Supt. of Schools, who affirmed to me on Friday that he plans to attend and who has forwarded information about our service to his publicist.
I am reminded of Psalm 68: 19, (KJV): Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
I love the image expressed here - that God is loading us down with benefits!
As I said earlier, the first and foremost benefit he gives us is Himself - and his own body and blood poured out for us. We will experience that benefit in just a little while at the Lord's Table.
The Rite I Communion prayer alludes to this loading of blessings: .." having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same" ...
I don't have time to list them all out, and couldn't even if I had the time, but here are
Seven Benefits of our Faith:
1. Forgiveness of our sins. Were we have missed the mark, or 'stepped over the line', God has forgiven us. Closely related to this is the idea of Atonement - that Christ as atoned for our sins, allowing us to be 'at one' with the Father.
2. Salvation, God has saved us, has brought us into wholeness, and is brining wholeness to us through Christ.
3. Justification, we have been declared to be 'in the right' by the judge of our souls. The certificate of debt against us has been set aside and we are free from the burden of our Sin.
4. Sanctification, we have been 'set aside' and made Holy - and we are continually being transformed into the image of Christ.
5. Deliverance from the bondage of sin and from the false attempts of the Devil to keep us bound in sin, shame and failure.
6. Healing of our souls from the wounds we have sustained in the past, and also healing of our minds, our thinking, and even physical healing.
7. Empowerment for Ministry through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus was talking about in the Gospel lesson today - that he has given us the "Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" and give us the gift of Peace.
All of these things are God's gracious gifts to us. The emphasis is on GRACE. We don't earn any of the benefits he give us. Our work for Him does not in any way add to our worthiness to receive his benefits. In fact it's just the opposite:
Romans 5: 8-11:
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Think about this! Even if you have never been very bad in your life, you and I are all rebels at heart. We get it from our first parents.
Despite that, God gave himself to us! It's amazing, incomprehensible! Paul goes on to explain:
(Romans 5:9) Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
The same God that saved us while we were enemies, has reconciled us to Himself through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Our enemy, the Devil, would like us to forget all the benefits the Lord has given us, to steal away our joy, and even to kill us if possible. He's an unfair enemy and He uses every trick in the book -
even ourselves - to fight against us!
Our charge as Christians is to 'resist him, firm in our faith' (1Pet.5:9). One of the ways we do that is by remembering all his benefits and affirming our belief in His Goodness towards us.
And we're going to do that right now. I'm going to have you stand with me and resist the Evil One by declaring aloud all the good things that God has done for us. I've given you long lists of things that God has done.
I'd like each of you to do the same. I'd like you to think about the benefits that Jesus has procured for us and upon our adoption into God's family, I'd like you to say in your own words something about the benefits that God is giving us personally and as a church. You praise the Lord and declare all his benefits.
Go ahead right now. ......
AMEN.
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