Out with the Old

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” - Isaiah 65:17

  I have had several mentors from different churches. I used to define my preaching roles in the churches I interned at in baseball terms, either as the designated hitter or a pinch hitter; and I was never really sure what position I had. I had my rotation in the lineup but most of the time it was as a fill in. You know what I mean; I was the rookie on the bench that got put in when the game was a sure thing. I got to fill in for the pastor when he wasn’t available like on New Years. Many of these dates were the least desirable and the least attended. I hope it wasn’t a reflection on my preaching! But despite the small crowds, the messages delivered were often the most meaningful for the congregation. Isn’t that amazing how God works?

  For those who love to read, one of my mentors reminded me of Siegfried, the brilliant but eccentric chief veterinarian from James Herriot’s wonderful works which include: All Creatures Great and Small and The Lord God Made Them All. These were stories about a veterinarian practice in the 1930’s in the northern English hill country. The people and the stories are very funny and larger than life. My mentor, like Siegfried, was good to me, patient and very encouraging, but sometimes he was hard to follow and other times he was just “out there!”  When I worked for him, we met once a week over breakfast while talking about everything. We never say “eye to eye” on the subject of politics, because he claimed to have everything figured out. That is he had a solution for all the nation’s problems. It is not that his ideas were wrong or not cogent, it was that he only looked at one side of any given issue - his own! When I pointed this out repeatedly, could I push his buttons!

  Now at these breakfast sessions, I would seek his advice on planning my sermon, since I was an inexperienced preacher. From the beginning, the question I asked my mentor was always the same: “what do I preach about?” Each time I expected him to outline his thoughts based on the passage with challenges from the commentaries. But, boy, was I wrong! My mentor’s reply was always the same no matter what time of the year; New Years Day, 4th of July, Labor day, the Second Sunday of May. He would say in a rushed and dismissive tone: “just preach about love; no one is listening anyway.” Each time I heard this, I always thought to myself silently and of course sarcastically: “Wow, that’s encouraging!” And even though all these years have lapsed, I can still hear my mentor’s words in my mind. Recently, I pondered a new dimension to that old statement: in what way are they not listening? Are they not listening to the message or are they not listening to the Messenger’s message?! What is the messages and what does it mean for us today? Is the celebration of the New Year really a part of your spiritual life? Perhaps these questions apply to each of us. Today is time for us to go out with the old and in the with new; we need a fresh, new meaning and application and understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

  What is the gospel? The gospel turns every human effort and security that we have upside down. “Instead God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful.” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Here’s how the commentary from the Message put it: “Isn’t is obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks.” He chose the nobodies to expose the hollow pretensions of the somebodies? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. What an important observation then and now.

  The gospel finds its way into the hearts of those who are spiritually, economically, or emotionally down trodden; not the proud and puffed up. I know a non-Christian man who sarcastically believes that Christianity is for people who do not want to help themselves, or lack the ability to help themselves. How right he is but for reasons he does not see! Why? All of us have talents and gifts from God but the gospel’s message of salvation exposes us all as we truly are before God: lacking and wanting.

   This is what is promised in the reading from Isaiah: “I am creating new heavens and a new earth...Be Glad and rejoice forever in my creation.” Through the birth of Jesus Christ, the old things have passed. That is why the writer speaks of great joy. The events of the last week show the depth of God’s love for us, so I guess my mentor was right after all, sermons should be about love: God’s love for His Son Jesus; Jesus’ love for the Father; and both the Father and Son’s love for us. But I hope my mentor was wrong about people not listening though!

  Now is the time to approach the New Year with a new view grounded in your necessity for the Savior. Discard your own confidence in earthly institutions and instead place your confidence in the hands of the One who has come to save; to be Emmanuel - God amongst us!

                                Happy New Year in the Name of Our Lord!

                              Pastor Harry