A Sermon
for December 16, 2012 (Advent 3, RCL C)
Offered by
Nathan Ferrell for The Church of Saint Mary
Texts: Philippians
4:4-7; Canticle 12; Luke 3:7-18
Primary Message: soul transformation is the way to combat evil
Title: So
That We Might Become
“Rejoice in
the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”
These are the
words of St. Paul appointed for us to read and consider this morning. I like
this passage. It is a favorite of mine, but I confess that today my heart is
heavy.
These are, typically, days of rejoicing, as we
prepare for our Christmas pageant next week and our joyful Christmas Eve in 8
short days.
But I am not
able to quickly forget about the tragedy that occurred on Friday in Newtown,
Connecticut. Instead of concluding their celebration of Hanukah or making final
plans for a joyful Christmas, twenty families there are now planning a funeral
for their 6 or 7 year old child. Not to mention the other adults who also lost
their lives.
How can we
rejoice in the Lord always, even when faced with such malice, such horror, such
evil?
What kind of
hope can we cling to when confronting such pain?
When
horrible tragedies occur like this one, many people ask the question, “Why?” We
ask, why did Adam Lanza commit this unspeakable act.
And people also
ask, why did God allow such a thing to happen.
My friends:
I have no answer to this question. I do not know why.
But I do know
that evil is a powerful force in this world, and that human sin has infected
every area of our lives. We are engaged in a struggle against this darkness,
and this struggle is far from over.
I know that
mental illness is serious, and treating such illness is a complicated affair.
Just as it takes a village to raise a child, so it requires a network of caring
people to assist those who are afflicted with mental disorders.
I also know
that we need reasonable and intelligent gun control in this nation. I support
hunting, and I even think that we would be better off if we had more hunters
and sportsmen in our society. But no American citizen needs to have in their
home a military-grade assault rifle, which is made only for the purpose of
slaughtering human beings.
And even
more, I know that what we are doing here at Saint Mary’s matters and is vitally
important.
Every time
an incident like this occurs, I grow stronger and stronger in my conviction
that the local church matters more than anything else.
Because what
our nation needs most – more than new laws, more than new safety procedures,
more than new medical guidelines – what we need more than anything else are communities
like this one.
Communities where
we teach every child that they are precious and loved dearly by God, and that
God longs for each one of them to live a full and abundant life;
where our
children can learn that violence against any part of God’s creation is
abhorrent, and that each person is a being of infinite worth and value;
where we
know and mentor our young adults, and guide them to find a good path in life,
and we don’t let them fall through the cracks, but we make sure that they get
whatever help they might need to be healthy;
where we
care for one another and love one another, and support each other when facing
tragedy and loss;
where we
work together to make our world a better place.
Our nation,
and our world, desperately needs more communities like that.
In a few
short days, the Church throughout the world will gather to celebrate the truth
that God chose to enter this world, to live life on this pain-filled yet
beautiful planet as a human being, as one of us.
We call this
the Incarnation, and in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, there is a saying which
serves as a summary of what God actually intended to take place when the Son,
the Messiah, became human. It goes like this:
God
became what we are by nature, so that we
might become what God is by grace! (repeat)
God entered
into this human life, shared all of our joys and our sorrows, experienced the
wonders of friends and family and also felt the pain of loss, all so that we
might become like God.
Becoming is
never easy, and we ought not to expect a quick journey. But this is why we are
here. This is God’s plan. This is the reason we gather as a community here in
this beautiful place.
So that we
might become what God is, by grace.
Make no
mistake about it: the struggle against darkness, against evil, is real. But we
do not engage this struggle with the weapons of war, but rather with the tools
of the Spirit.
We press
forward in this struggle by becoming a community where God’s light shines
brightly, where God’s love touches each heart, where God’s compassion enfolds
all those who are in sorrow.
May we never
cease to push forward in becoming that kind of community, and may such
communities of grace and love multiply throughout the world. Amen.
A Prayer in Response to
the Tragedy in Newtown, CT
From Bishop Rob Hirschfield, Diocese
of New Hampshire
O Source of
all life, you destroyed death so that we might live in your Presence. You sent
your Son Jesus into this fallen world, and in Jesus, you became vulnerable to
sin, violence, and death. As we await the Christ Child's coming again this
Christmas, we now hear the cries of your people, of mothers, fathers, friends,
and colleagues. Help us remember that there is no place earth's sorrows are
more felt than in your heart.
O Jesus, you
held children in your arms, giving us a glimpse of our life with you in our
eternal home. As the news of this massacre of children and teachers reaches us,
may your embrace be wide and strong enough to gather our horror and grief, our
confusion, our anger and our pain. As we behold you at risk in the manger and
in agony on the Cross, assure us once again of your suffering-with-us so that
we may be joined with you at your rising again. O come, O come, Immanuel.
O Holy
Spirit, the Comforter, visit the parents, siblings, guardians, friends and
colleagues. May they may know in some new way your power to draw us into your
healing, peace, justice, and compassion. The darkness of our fallen world overwhelms
us and burdens us with an intolerable weight. Give wisdom to lawmakers,
emergency responders, pastors, and counselors. Enlighten and strengthen us for
your service to one another.
O Holy
Trinity, One God, may we know we are always in your Presence, especially when
we are tempted to believe you are absent. May our lives, our homes, our
churches and our communities reflect more and more the divine life that you
enjoy as a fellowship of love and glory, now and forever.
