3rd Sunday after Epiphany, Rock Springs, WY, 1st Congregational UCC

All for One and One for All
By Rev. Steven R Mitchell
First Congregational UCC, Rock Springs, WY 1/24/2010
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; I Corinthians 12: 12-31a; Luke 4: 14-21

For the last couple of weeks, the lectionary readings in the Gospels have been out of John. Last week in particular, I spent a good deal of time trying to clarify and hopefully presenting some new comparisons for you of how John used the Hebrew Scriptures in his presentation of showing the Divinity of Jesus. As we started in this season of Epiphany, we first heard the words that let us know that Jesus was with God from the beginning. Then we learned of the man who was preparing the way for the coming of God’s son, known as John the Baptizer. Then there was the recognition of who Jesus was by John, when Jesus came down to the river Jordan to be baptized, not only by the words of John himself but also by God in the symbol of a dove coming down from Heaven and landing on Jesus’ head. Then last week, we learned of Jesus’ first miracle, his coming out of the closet, so to speak at the Wedding in Cannon, where his mother outs him as she insists on Jesus making sure that there is sufficient wine for the guests.
Again, the focus of the story wasn’t so much in the turning the water into wine as it was addressing the state of the church of Jesus’ day and that it was spiritually bankrupted because of the “law”, those physical dos and don’ts that were suppose to keep you in good standing with God. But that through Jesus, the idea of the best from God had finally come, that of “grace” and “mercy”. Now we are back in the Gospel of Luke and here we read of Jesus going back to his home town and he himself is announcing that “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
I don’t think that when we read stories about Jesus, politics tend to be at the forefront of your brains. Yet this whole segment of scripture just lends itself to images of a candidate who is announcing his candidacy for office. You have Jesus coming into the party; he is nurtured and even announced as the next promised hope of the future. Luke says, “Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read. The eyes of all were fixed on him.” Then after the reading, Jesus announces that “he was the promise”, basically.
We see this all the time on the news. A candidate almost always goes back to his home town when he is getting ready to announce his running for public office. He does this after he has laid the ground work of his agenda out among his potential constituents. Jesus was doing the same thing. It is through this reading from Isaiah that Jesus has set up his agenda, his vision of what his work was to be about; and not just his work but subsequently the work of those who wish to follow in his footsteps, which over the years has become known as the Christian church!
The fact that Jesus was reading from Isaiah is also very important, as what Jesus is saying about his agenda was, “it isn’t new.” Jesus wasn’t introducing a new concept to what his ministry was going to be about. He was going back to what the people had always looked to as the promises of God; those promises that even while in exile, God was going to give to them “restoration”! Restoration of their nation; restoration from a battered life, to one of healing and wholeness; restoration from not being able to see truth and justice.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because ‘she’ has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. ‘She’ has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” This is the whole of Jesus’ message to the church, no, to the world! That God has come and made good on the promises of “restoration.”
After graduating from Seminary, I started my vocation in ministry with only two weeks behind my last final exam. I took my last test on Dec 15th and on January 1, started as pastor of Kittitas Community Church, in Kittitas, Washington. Because of personal issues, it took me about a year before I was ready for my Ordination Ceremony. Actually, I felt a bit like Jesus, as I wasn’t really ready to go through that process quite yet, but the members of the church were really pressing me on completing that one last piece. The piece that officially said, Steven Mitchell was truly a minister, not just one licensed by the church in order to perform those necessary functions such as communion or weddings, but the ceremony that states, “This person is truly called by God to do the work and leadership of the church.” My theology of ministry, of what the church is suppose to be about is very clear and it was reflective with one of the readings of scripture that I had at my Ordination service. It was this same reading from Isaiah! Everything that I personally do with respect to guiding the life of any congregation always comes back to these basic concepts: bringing good news to the poor; proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to let the oppressed go free; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor!” We call it “Social Justice”; Jesus’ ministry was about Social Justice; God’s promise is about Social Justice!
These types of activities come in many forms. It comes as a person who stands in the pulpit, or in this case on the main floor, and tries to interpret the scriptures, this word of God that is given to us. I take this very seriously; there isn’t a Sunday that I stand up here wondering if what I am saying is truly reflections on scripture or if it’s just something that Steve Mitchell wants to say. So much so, that there are times when I will ask various people to read what I am proposing to preach, to get feedback.
Another way of staying true to what Jesus says is the work of the church, comes with how I interact with the larger community as the official representative of this congregation. Like my working with the Wyoming Association of Churches and helping represent the voices of our Wyoming churches in matters of social justice to the legislative body in Casper. Or, taking time away from this pulpit and preach in other places, much like what I will be doing on Feb 21st as I go over to our sister church in Green River and share with them my perspective on Homosexuality and God’s word; or going to special events that honor members of this congregation, like Louise Wesswick’s award from the Governor this next month or visiting members of this congregation in their homes, care facilities or hospitals. It comes in my representing the love and compassion of God when I am called upon to officiate a memorial service, especial to those who really have never had much to do with organized religion.
It comes in events during the High Holy Seasons, such as the Christmas Eve program, or this coming season of Lent where we nvite the community of Rock Springs to come and view different films and documentaries on topics that affect us all. A film series that will run for 6 weeks, exploring such topics as: women’s self-images in this country and how it is shaped by the fashion industries “perfect size”; we will explore the topic of global climate change; we will have the opportunity to learn about “white privilege” and how does that affect our lives and the lives of others; There is going to be a look at breast cancer, which can be applied to any potentially life threatening disease; we will be addressing the consequences of taking a stand on major issues through the movie Lions For Lambs; as well as watching and discussing one of America’s most controversial musicals of the 1970’s, Jesus Christ Super Star and explore for some another view of Jesus.
Through these documentaries and films we will not just be addressing issues, but more deeply, working on what Isaiah called, “recovery of sight to the blind; issues on the oppressed of our society; stewardship of our mother earth, that which God entrusted us to care for.”
In our reading what the Apostle Paul was addressing to the church in Corinth, we read about his using the analogy of the human body as the body of Christ. It goes beyond the idea that the church is representative of Christ and his teachings. In Paul’s eyes, the church is truly the body of Christ. The church is Christ incarnate, just as we look to Jesus as God incarnate.
Today’s lectionary readings are not just laying the ground work of the “nice” things that the church should be working on. What we are reading is that the Church is the body of Christ and if Christ is God, then as the Church we don’t just represent God, we are the body “incarnate” of God. It is the connection through the Holy Spirit that we have not only the power to Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, but through the Holy Spirit, we have the energy and the message. We have the road map, so to speak, of what “Our” responsibility is, as the body of Christ. It goes beyond just proclaiming and pointing out the social issues that need working on. We have the responsibility to make social justice happen; we have the responsibility to help heal a world that has become blinded by self-interests, even our own countries self seeking interests; and we not only have the responsibility to bring “restoration”, but through the Holy Spirit, we have the power to do so.
Last week we hear the words of Dr Martin Luther King as he contemplated what he would like to be remembered as, at his funeral. There were other great speeches that he has given us to continue on our walk of ministering to those who need a voice for justice. We have the words and examples of great men and women, who have dreamed and worked toward equality not only in our nation but around the world, men like Gandhi and women like Goldie Amir. But most of all we have the words and examples of people found in Holy writings that provide the great light of what God asks of his creation, that of being a reconciling people, not to just one another but also to the planet and as we continue to venture out into the Cosmos, to be reconciling to it as well.
We are the body of Christ. We are a part of the body of Christ. As a part of the body of Christ, we are individuals within this body. It takes each and every one of us, old and young, rich and poor, educated and the non-educated, to help make this body function. As we look to places like Haiti, where there is such pain and suffering; or to Afghanistan and Iraq where there is war; or to the genocide that goes on among tribes in Africa; or the poverty that exists in Rock Springs; it may seem overwhelming to us, but if we can pull together, as a church, as a community of churches, as a collective group in this country as well as throughout the world, then we can work more effectively on making this the reconciling world that Jesus was proclaiming at the onset of his ministry! Amen