The Psalm: Psalm 19
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens God has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
The Old Testament Lesson: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
The Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts.
The Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:14-21
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, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He 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." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
"Building Inner Strength"
The Christian gospel is a dangerous gospel, and has always been so. It requires those with courage to live it and to pass it on, retelling the story anew to each generation. They must retell the story in such a way so that it is not some pleasant tale from long ago which enables its listeners to feel comfortable inside, but in a way that relates to real life.
Those with such courage, who feel compelled to live the gospel and retell the story aren't necessarily the fearless. In fact they are often very frightened, not least of the disgrace and stigma often forced upon them by their own people, their own hometowns.
Today’s "stories" from scripture confront us with both readers and hearers. In the Old Testament and Gospel lessons we have Nehemiah and Jesus respectively "reading" sacred texts to a congregation, and both accounts record the effect of those words upon the hearers. One is a "sermon" that goes on all day and has people in tears, and the other may be one of the shortest sermons in recorded history.
Paul on the other hand gives an accounting of the variety of "types" that can be found in any congregation with reference to the fact that some are better at speaking than they are at hearing and vice versa.
When I hear this passage from Luke 4, there are a lot of memories that come to me. About a year ago now, there was a rather quiet moment at the beginning of our tour of Israel. We were in Nazareth, where one will find the Church of the Annunciation that dominates the city. It is large building, decorated with wall panels from churches from around the world. It stands over the spot where Mary and Joseph lived in the city, with their family, including their eldest son Jesus. It is a great and impressive building, relatively new, built in the late 1960’s. On the way to that church our tour guide led us through the winding, narrow streets of the old town to a small, nondescript gate in the wall, marked by a simple white sign that read in part: The Church of the Synagogue.
By contrast to the great, expansive church we were headed to, this was a small, dark building, actually a very simple, stone room. On either side of the room, there were seats carved where worshippers would sit and take in the services. At the front of the room, opposite the door, there was a small, raised platform, where the leader of the service would be. To this platform, the sacred writings would have been brought, written painstakingly by scribes in the Hebrew language. They would be unrolled and read to the congregation and discussion would follow among the men.
It was dark and quiet in this little church, where the words of Luke 4 may well have taken place: When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim [forgiveness] 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."
The "Nazareth pericope," the technical short-title of the passage, was a touchstone for ordered ministry. Jesus, in his hometown, before a congregation of neighbors and friends begins his ministry, reaching back to a passage of scripture he had memorized as a boy. The appeal of this passage, from Luke is the "good news" of the year of Jubilee, a time of starting over with a clean slate, easily embraced by anyone who needs to begin again, but there was much more to come.
This passage is telling us that Jesus is not the exclusive property of any one group. It is a word to us all as to who our Lord is, of what his ministry consists of, and what we as his church in this time and place should be and do.
Here is the message of respect, of compassion, of justice, and of hope. It is a message of respect for Jesus’ own people the Jews recorded by Luke the Gentile, who never tires of telling us that everything Jesus does and says is within the traditions and beliefs of Judaism. By his faithfulness, Jesus affirms the Sabbath, the Scriptures and the synagogue. He not only attends synagogue services regularly, but he participates as all male adults were permitted to do, by reading scripture and commenting on it. The synagogue services were rather informal, consisting mainly of prayers, reading of Scripture, comments and offerings for the poor. Wherever ten adult men wished to constitute themselves, there would be a synagogue. The synagogue was not only an assembly for worship, but also a school, a community center and a place for administering justice. Among relatives and friends, in the synagogue, Jesus is at "home."
WHERE IS THE CHURCH TODAY?
The church of Jesus Christ is where a child of God brings a balloon, is where old women come to dance, is where young men see visions and old men dream dreams. The church of Jesus Christ is where lepers come to be touched, is where the blind see and the deaf hear, is where the lame run and the dying live. The church of Jesus Christ is where daisies bloom out of barren land, is where children lead and wise men follow, is where mountains are moved and walls come tumbling down. The church of Jesus Christ is where loaves of bread are stacked in the sanctuary to feed the hungry, is where coats are taken off and put on the backs of the naked, is where shackles are discarded and kings and shepherds sit down to life together. The church of Jesus Christ is where barefoot children run giggling in procession, is where the minister is ministered unto, is where the anthem is the laughter of the congregation and the offering plates are full of people. The church of Jesus Christ is where people go when they skin their knees or their hearts, is where frogs become princes and Cinderella dances beyond midnight, is where judges don't judge and each child of God is beautiful and precious. The church of Jesus Christ is where the sea divides for the exiles, is where the ark floats and the lamb lies down with the lion, is where people can disagree and hold hands at the same time. The church of Jesus Christ is where night is day, is where trumpets and drums and tambourines declare God's goodness, is where lost lambs are found. The church of Jesus Christ is where people write thank you notes to God, is where work is a holiday, is where seeds are scattered and miracles are grown. The church of Jesus Christ is where home is, is where heaven is, is where a picnic is communion and people break bread together on their knees. The church of Jesus Christ is where we live responsively toward God's coming, and we take time to stop and listen to a 5 year old announce the Band-Aid remedy to injured toes....(Ann Weems, REACHING FOR RAINBOWS, Westminster Press, 1980)
The Pastoral Prayer:
Most wonderful God, you have sent Jesus, a brother who is one of us yet also at one with you. With him your Spirit was truly at home, inspiring him to preach good news to the poor and help for the needy. Please let his Spirit and words enthuse the church we find today. Draw us close into one body, and propel us to be agents of liberation, healing, peace and undying goodwill and joy. Spirit of Christ Jesus, into the poverty of our minds and the coldness of our hearts, come with your wisdom and great mercy. Create in us clean hearts, loving God, and renew the true spirit within us. Spirit of Christ Jesus, cut through the tight cords that have bound us to recurring sins and disabling anxieties. Open our eyes to the painful truths from which we have been hiding, and enable us to recognize your costly grace. We thank you that we are forgiven to a depth we cannot see, and renewed for a future which as yet we only dimly comprehend. Through Christ Jesus , the strongest and most grace-full of them all. Amen!