The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Durrell Watkins at the
Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, January 4, 2009.
The staff was thinking about putting on a talent show. As we were
discussing it, I asked Todd, “What should I do? Comedy or singing?” He said,
“In your case, what’s the difference?”
I know, right? I get no respect. I’m the Rodney Dangerfield of ministry.
But I had no chance with the family I had. If you were here on Christmas Eve,
you heard the story about my great-aunt Gladys who joined a gym to get back in
shape after the holidays and it didn’t really work out. Well, since she didn’t
really have a good experience with the Jazzercise class, I suggested that we
go on a diet together. I thought we could support each other, so I said,
“Whenever I get a craving for a burger and fries, I’ll call you.” She said,
“Great. I’ll drive.”
About half a millennium before our gospel writer pens what we now call the
Gospel of John, a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus hypothesized that there
was a divine unity connecting everything in the universe.
Heraclitus had a name for this unity in or meaning of life. He called it an
everlasting Word. The Greek is Logos. The Logos, the Perfect Idea, the
divine Word is the law of life, the process that includes all life, that
expresses as all life.
Interestingly, Heraclitus used fire as a symbol of the Logos. And our
gospel writer uses images of brightness and light, similar to fire, when he
says, “[The life of the Word/Logos] was the LIGHT of the human race; the light
shines in darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it” (Jn 1.3b-5).
He also says, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the
world” (Jn 1.9).
And, “We have seen [the Word’s] glory…” (Jn. 1.14).
The Word of God is an interconnecting Web of Existence which excludes no
one, It is the light of ALL humanity, and It enlightens everyone.
John takes the philosophical concept of Logos and even borrows the symbol
of light which comes from fire to suggest that the divine light is with us,
within us, connecting us to all life, leaving no one out for any reason.
But, of course, our gospel writer need not limit himself to the high minded
musings of the ancient learned philosophers.
In the Hebrew bible, Lady Sophia is a mythological figure who is known as
God’s companion, some translations will say God’s play mate, and She is an
agent of creation.
Sophia means “Wisdom,” so even in the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible), the
Wisdom of God, the Word of God, the Divine Idea, is personified to demonstrate
God’s accessibility. The Wisdom of God is part of God’s creation, She calls
out to human hearts, and She promises to be found by those who seek after her.
We find Sophia, Ms. Wisdom in such deuterocanonical books as Sirach and the
Wisdom of Solomon. But even if we didn’t grow up having access to those texts,
we can’t easily dismiss Sophia, because She is also found in the book of
Proverbs (she is featured in Proverbs 8).
Of course, Sophia/Logos, the Wisdom of God, the Word of God pops up in
other places, such as when Luke has Jesus say that Wisdom is vindicated by ALL
her children (Lk 7.35).
Over and over, the concept reappears… the Word of God lives among us: as
Sophia in the Hebrew bible; as the Logos of ancient Greek philosophy; as the
Word made flesh symbolized by John’s understanding of Jesus.
Now remember, John is using Jesus to symbolize God’s presence within us. He
isn’t suggesting that God’s presence was limited to Jesus. Jesus symbolizes
the light for John, but he will go on to refer to those who are enlightened by
that light who abide in the Divine Nature represented by Jesus and who will
carry within them the light of Christ. Jesus, then, is the Example, not the
Exception. He represents the divine Presence that is already a part of each of
us. It has become flesh and dwells among us/within us/as us.
The writer of John’s gospel uses the songs and poems of Wisdom as a prelude
to his gospel. He masterfully pulls together an early Christian hymn, an
ancient pagan Greek philosophy, and the Hebrew scriptures to set the scene for
his understanding of good news. And the good news is this: God longs to be in
relationship with us. God is available to all people, without exception,
regardless of our ethnicity, our social location, our gender, our sexual
orientation, our dogmas, doctrines, or even our doubts. The Word of God
becomes flesh and dwells among us…expressing in, through, and as us.
The phrase “lived among us” could be more literally translated as, “pitched
a tent or tabernacle among us.” The tent of meeting or tabernacle in the bible
is where God’s presence was experienced. And yet, John says the glory of God
isn’t limited to a place (he’ll make that argument again in chapter 4 when he
says God isn’t bound to a location but is spirit and must be worshiped in
spirit and truth).
John is writing at least two decades after the Temple of Jerusalem has been
destroyed, and yet he says its not about the building. It’s not about the
altar. It’s not about the decorations. It’s not about the furniture. The
presence of God is within us, living among us, pitching the divine Tent not in
our buildings but in our hearts.
We love our windows and our organ and our candles and our vestments and our
power point slides and our beautiful cross that we process in every single
Sunday, reverence, and place in the front with a spot light on it… but guess
what? All of that is for us. God doesn’t need those things! We have these
things because they suit our tastes; we hope those things will invite more
people in. But that’s what it’s all for… to bring people in to have their own
experience of the divine; for them to discover the presence of God dwelling
within them. The Divine Idea has already pitched a tent of dwelling in every
heart.
We worship not with things, but with relationship… by experiencing God in
our own lives as the people we are. To worship in spirit and truth is to never
limit the spirit to any place, thing, or single understanding.
In 2008 we experienced growth at Sunshine Cathedral. In 2008 we achieved a
new level of fiscal health, transparency, and responsibility. In 2008 we
extended our outreach even as we tightened our belts. In 2008 we increased our
educational efforts. We increased our publications and we expanded our
internet presence. We had to become a bit leaner but in doing so we also
became stronger and more effective. We had a good year and we ended 2008
healthy, strong, dynamic and full of hope and joy. But that was foundation
building. That was a beginning, not an end.
For 2009, I want us to focus on the Word… the divine Principle, the divine
Idea, the everlasting Presence that is within and among us. I want us to
commit to doing even more to reach out in unprecedented ways so that more and
more people will know that the Light of God already dwells within them and is
expressing as them. I want us to beef up our efforts to let more people know
that there is a divine spark in every person; every person has sacred value.
We are all part of the creation God calls very good. We are all made in God’s
image, filled with God’s spirit. More people need to know that. We have a
mission to continue Sharing the Light with the World.
Jesus said, “YOU are the light of the world. A city set on a hilltop cannot
be hidden” (Mt. 5.14). We’ve built a good foundation, and now its time to
build on it. I’m asking you to help us Share the Light in the following ways:
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Pray. Simply ask God as you understand God to bless the Sunshine
Cathedral so that Sunshine Cathedral can continue to be a blessing to
others.
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Show up. Your very presence consecrates our worship space. And the light
of God within you will be a beacon of hope to someone else.
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Invite a friend. We have a good time around here. Let’s offer that joy
to someone new this year.
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Keep a positive attitude. Churches sometimes get in the sad habit of
gossiping and complaining… none of which ever builds up the church or any
individual. We’ve done a pretty good job of avoiding that trap. Let’s keep
up the good work by keeping our thoughts and our speech positive. The Word
lives among us… let the word that we share always be a good one.
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And finally, continue to support the ministries of your church with your
financial generosity. Make a pledge to your church later this month, and
then make keeping that pledge a priority in 2009. You were given today a
brochure about how you can support the mission and ministry of Sunshine
Cathedral in 2009. Take that brochure home. Read it. And in a few weeks,
make a pledge to help us continue Sharing the Light with the world.
Pray for your church. Attend your church. Invite someone to church. Keep a
positive attitude about your church. And contribute to your church. If we each
will do those simple five things, then 2009 will be even better than 2008 was.
And what that will mean is that even more people will come to understand that
God’s Light and Love is available to them, wishing simply to be expressed in
their own lives. The Word dwells among us, and we have the opportunity to
share that good word with the world. This is the good news. Amen.