What you are is God’s gift to you.

What you become is your gift to God.

During this time of the year, many of our thoughts turn to gifts: giving and receiving, what we want to give, what we want to receive, what will please those we love, the shopping, the ordering, the wrapping, the general hustle and bustle of the Christmas season centering around gifts ad infinitum, donating to the people with the red kettles and bells so the less fortunate can have gifts…..

And then there’s the practice of ‘re-gifting,’  passing along that unwanted or unusable gift that we were given, to someone else, so that they will have SOMETHING, and so that they too, can possibly pass that pink and orange and green plaid scarf along, re-gifting it themselves to someone else who won’t use it either….and sometimes by some freak chance that unwanted item comes back to us several years later….and not much too worse for the wear….  And is re-gifting, as amusing (and cheap) as it may seem, necessarily a bad thing?

Why all this focus on gift-giving and gift-receiving at this time of year?  The union of Christmas and gift giving was a gradual one; actually, the full story of the bright packages beneath the tree, like most of our Christmas customs, begins in the days before the birth of Christ.  In ancient Rome, gifts were exchanged during the New Year’s celebrations. At first these gifts were simple, such as a few twigs from a sacred grove and small items of food. Many gifts were in the form of vegetables in honor of the fertility goddess Strenia. During the Northern European Yule, (yep, the yuletide season is a pagan thing) fertility was celebrated with gifts made of wheat products, such as bread and alcohol.

Like many of the old and pagan customs, exchanging gifts was difficult to get rid of even as Christianity spread and gained official status. Early church leaders tried to outlaw the custom, but the people cherished it too much to let it go.  St. John Chrysostom urged no compromise with heathen abominations, but he, too, failed in this tenacity of hanging on to the tradition of gift giving.  Since there was no general agreement about the exact date of the birth of Jesus, it must have seemed helpful to have it supersede the Saturnalia, so the rebirth of the sun became instead the birth of the Son of God, and the church leaders looked for a Christian justification for the practice of all this gift giving. This justification was found in the Magi’s act of bearing gifts to the infant Jesus, and in the concept that Christ was a gift from God to the world, bringing in turn the gift of redemption and everlasting life.

What you are is God’s gift to you.

What you become is your gift to God.

Wikipedia defines a gift as the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free. By extension the term “gift” can refer to anything that makes the other happier or less sad, especially as a favor, including forgiveness and kindness.

God’s gifts to us are free and clear.  He has given us the gift of His Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.      He has given us the gift of eternal life:  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV);  The gift of salvation:  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 (NIV);  And the gifts that are unique to each of us:   “We each of us have our own individual gifts:  But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” 1Corinthians 7:7 (NIV)

Besides the obvious gift of His Son, and the forgiveness that we receive through Him whom we receive by faith, what other gifts has God given specifically to you?  What talents have you received?  What blessings have been given to you?

We learn about the 7 Gifts of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2-3:  “² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— ³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;” (NIV)

And more importantly, what are you doing with those gifts?  What are you giving back to God?  What are you “becoming” as you use your gifts and talents?  Which of the gifts that you have been given are you “regifting?”  In other words, when we’ve received a gift from God, do we share that gift with others?  Do we “regift?”  We are told in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (NIV)  Jesus himself addresses this very thing in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.  By using our gifts, they multiply and we bring others to know God, and by recognizing what we have been given and using them for God’s glory, we are giving back to God.

What is the most precious thing we can give to God?  The most precious gift we can give is what God wants the most. God wants us to make the fervent attempt to repent, get right with Him, and not lead a double life, trying to follow two contradictory paths, but living our lives according to His will.  God simply wants us to give ourselves to Him.  This is the best gift we can give!   Our gift to Him is how we respond to the gifts He has given us which are the gifts of life and of grace. We can best do this when we are headed in His direction, following His precepts with a grateful, willing heart and mindset, and by striving to be the best that we can be by becoming what it is that He wants us to be.

Barbara Streisand sings in “The Best Gift:”

The best gift
That I ever got
Didn’t really weigh a lot
It didn’t have a ribbon ’round
And it sometimes made a terrible sound
The best of all it seems to me
It wasn’t ‘neath the Christmas tree
And yet, I guess I’d have to say
That it made all the other presents twice as gay
The best gift that I’ve ever known
I’d always wanted most to own
Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice
I never thought it could be so nice
The best gift that I ever get
Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet
Was usually pink but oftentimes red
As it lay so innocently in it’s bed
The best gift of the year to me
The one I hold most dear to me
A gift that simply drove me wild
Was a tiny new born child…

As we celebrate the birth of THE tiny newborn Child, God’s greatest and best Gift to us, let us strive to make ourselves the best gift we can give to others, and to God.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

As I read the bible passages for today, I am reminded of my recent Profession and Ordination to the Diaconate in the Reformed Catholic Church.  Ephesians 4:1-16 states:
“ I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.”  (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean, but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth.  He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.  But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”

As I took my vows to become  Deacon Reverend Sister,  I flashed back to a past which was dominated by a sense of loss, or misdirection. Like most youth, I searched for meaning in my life, experimenting with various doctrines and beliefs. But yet, each left me feeling empty and alone. The love I sought, from others, and things, was always an illusive dream. It was only after I stopped running, and listened to a voice, well rather a shout, that I realized what I wanted, was in front of me all along.  Like a rebellious teenager, I denied my fallibilities, thinking I knew all the answers.  I knew nothing, and no doctrine, or other religion, were what I really needed.  By listening to God’s still voice, I went from a child “tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming” to a daughter of Christ, and now a Deacon.  He knew all along what I was meant to be, it just took me a while to listen to my loving Father.

As this passage states, there really is only “one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” He is a God of love, and seeks to use us, His children, to build up that which unites us all in faith and grace. Here we are reminded that we all are called to serve God, to receive His gifts of grace and peace, and to join together to “for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God”   This was made very clear to me a couple weeks ago , when I was blessed to join my fellow clergy in the Dedication of our national church, and the appointment of a newMetropolitan Archbishop to serve as its leader.  As we all joined our hearts, minds, and prayers to “build up the body of Christ”, the church, we each had a role to play. Whether evangelist, prophets, apostle, pastor, deacon, teacher, or parishioner, uniting in faith as we are tasked to do, allowed us to bring in to being what was surely only a dream not too long ago. With Christ providing us strength, we were “joined and knit together by every ligament”, working properly to promote the body’s (the National Church) growth in building itself up in love.

Our next reading, from Psalm 51:1-12, stands as a reminder that though born as a sinner, now by God’s grace and love, am I able to serve Him in my new role as Deacon in the church. It states:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.  Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”

By beseeching God to “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”, we are acknowledging that no one is perfect, that despite what we have done in the past, God does forgive us. He will clean us, wash us, and make us, as if “whiter than snow”. That by simply asking, He stands ready to teach us what we must learn to follow and praise Him, and then to carry this knowledge, this “wisdom in our secret heart”, with us out in to the world, to teach others. As clergy, this is key to following God’s commandments, to use the Holy Spirit, our willing spirit, to take the “joy of God’s salvation”, spreading His message in our ministry. Sometimes even us as clergy forget we were once sinners, born guilty of our transgressions, and through faith, made clean of heart. And like children at times, we make mistakes, we sin, we misstep, lose our way, but this passage reminds us that God forgave us once, cleaned us of our iniquity. And yes, He will do it again, because like a loving father, he wants the best for his children. All we have to do is ask, and it shall be granted.

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all.

I was asked by our Father General, to prepare a sermon for today- June 24,2012.  When deciding upon a topic, I reflected that today is the celebration of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.  A significant day for which to write a sermon for a mostly clerical audience, as many would consider Saint John the Baptist the first “real” preacher to the common people.

As the Archangel Gabriel had foretold the Annunciation of our Lord to Mary, so to did Gabriel appear to the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah, and tell of his coming birth.  Gabriel gave biblical prominence to John, telling his father; “many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” (Luke 1:14-15) “He will bring back many people to their God […] and go before the Lord […] and turn their hearts […] to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:16-17)

Even after her own visit from Gabriel, when Mary learned of Elizabeth’s pregnancy (Zechariah’s wife, mother of John and Mary’s own relative) she went to visit them, congratulate and spend time before the birth. It is even reported that when Mary arrived, Saint John “leapt in the womb” (Luke 1:44) with great joy and knowledge that Mary was carrying the Christ child even then.  So it is even before the birth of either that these two souls, cousins, were destined for God’s service and forever bound together in history.

“[a]s it is written in Isaiah the prophet: I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way- a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare they way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:2-4)

John becomes the Baptizer, fulfilling his purpose charged to him by God; attracting large crowds in the wilderness, preaching the Word and preparing the way for the Lord. At first many thought John himself might be the long awaited Messiah, but he reminds them that: “After me comes one more powerful then I, the straps of whose sandals I am not even worthy to unties. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8)

John even feels uncomfortable and unworthy when Jesus presents himself to be baptized. John recognizes Jesus as “the lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) “John gives his testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. […] The one who called me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one who you see the Spirit come down and remain upon, is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” (John 1:32-34)

Biblical prophecy is fulfilled. Christ is baptized by Saint John in the River Jordan and begins the ministry that will forever change the world and the hearts of men.  Even up to his crucifixion and his glorious resurrection, Christ has charged those He has called to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded of you. And truly I am with you, even until the end of all time.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

So in all of this we  learn we, those of us men and women religious who have felt called by Christ, have ourselves become the new “voice of one calling in the wilderness”. It will be our voices, and that of our Church- God’s Church, that will call out to others the Good News. It will be our voices- our actions, our deeds, our love; that will serve to bring others to know and love Christ.  We are the new baptizers! Charged by the call of God within our heart, and the inspiration of our Bishops and clerical mentors, that we venture out into the “wilderness” to proclaim the kingdom of God!

Almighty God, we pray that you give your grace upon our voices. Make our words clear and strong. Make our words one of love, mercy and compassion. Make our voices many, as we join together with out brother and sisters in The Reformed Catholic Church; to call out into this “wilderness” that God is with us today and his message of love and hope lives! Baptize upon us anew, your Holy Spirit to stengthen, guide and inspire us.  For as we are now in all these things, your messengers and servants. We pray this with humble hearts, in the name of our Lord; our Savior and our salvation, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I have many friends, Catholic and Protestant alike, who wonder why I am so enamored by my belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I am constantly promoting it without reservation (if you’ll pardon my pun). But why? In our day and age increasing numbers of Catholics, Orthodox, and other sacramental Christians are questioning this doctrine – a doctrine that was never questioned until the beginnings of the Radical Reformation. I went the other direction. From a mocking unbelief to utter belief.

It all started in the late 1990’s. I had been raised as a Mormon (a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The Mormon church denies anything like the sacramental understanding of the Holy Eucharist of historic Christianity.  Like many Protestants, most Mormons mock the Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I was no different. I looked down over my nose at those ignorant and superstitious Catholics.

In the early 1990’s I converted to Christianity in its Pentecostal variety. Pentecostals generally have no use for sacramental theology, either. Not much changed for me there. Then I began to attend a Seventh-day  Adventist church. Adventists are generally nice people and sincere in their faith, but for them anything whatsoever that they associate with Catholicism is utterly anathema, from the anti-christ. The “wafer god” of Catholicism is not just mocked, but derided as a satanic counterfeit. In short, everything in my Christian experience set me up for just this sort of future.

Back to the late 1990’s. It was November, 1998. I was working grave yard shift in an auto parts supplier factory in northeastern Michigan. We were working 7 day weeks with only an occasional and rare day off. One of those nights I sat up listening to the radio as my wife slept in the next room. I decided that I would find one of those good Christian stations on the AM dial that came in after dark. I stumbled on this pious sounding preacher man and stopped to listen. It was not long before he had started preaching on the rosary and the Blesséd Virgin Mary. That angered me. I believed that not only was veneration of the Saints a violation of the First Commandment, but that the Virgin Mary had absolutely no contact with this sinful world and would roll over in her grave if she could see the “worship” all those awful Catholics were rendering her!

I determined right then and there that I was going to start doing my homework, deeply researching Roman Catholicism’s unique claims and I was going to write the tell-all, end-all refutation of Roman Catholicism. But God had other ideas.