January 7, 2024
Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus
"Beloved" Sermon by Rev. Trip Porch
January 7, 2024 Based on Luke 3:15-23a
Theres a choice we make every year on this Sunday, do we read the story of Jesus’ Baptism, a story which is important and meaningful with rich theological implication and a historic feast day for the church that always lands on this Sunday in the lectionary, or do we read the story we typically read on the feast day we call Epiphany, The story about the Magi journeying from afar after studying the stars and choosing to follow them in order to pay homage with expensive gifts to this new born king.
For the past few years on this Sunday we’ve chosen the latter. We’ve remembered the story of the revelation that Jesus is God’s child, a revelation that not just for us but for the world. And for the past few years we have started a new tradition, one that has gained popularity in a lot of churches, where we have stars with random words on them. We flip the stars over and invite each person to prayerfully consider the stars and pick the one you feel led to. You flip the star over, and that is your star word for the year. The word that is supposed to guide you and give you something to reflect on in your spiritual walk with God. I’m not sure how that practice has worked out for you but for me it’s been meaningful. Two years ago, my word was creativity . I taped it above the door handle on my office door and every time I left my office, I was reminded of it. In hindsight I found that year not only full of trying to find creative solutions to problems, but also, because of that word, it was the year I started doing something I had been considering for a long time, watercolor painting, which is an art practice I still do from time to time.
Last year my word was serenity, and to be honest at first it reminded me of that classic Seinfeld episode where an instructional tape advises Frank Costanza to say "serenity now" every time he gets angry in order to keep his blood pressure down, which for him happened a lot. But in hindsight I found myself in a similar boat this last year, maybe not with anger, but certainly with chaotic situations, and having the word serenity as a guiding word for me actually was helpful in reminding me to step back, take a breath, keep boundaries, meditate, and calm down, in a way that I really needed.
This year, I learned something interesting. Apparently, in the eastern church, Epiphany is the name of the feast day where they traditionally read the story of Jesus’ baptism. Because it is also a story where the truth about Jesus is revealed to the world. Jesus enters the waters to be baptized, the heaven’s open up, the spirit of God descends on him and a voice speaks… This is my son, the beloved, who I am so pleased with.
It’s a wonderful message. That God’s first words in the gospels to Jesus and to the world are words of relationship and profound love. It brings to my mind other scriptures, the scripture we read often at baptism and weddings, like 1st John, where the author writes things like:
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! “ ch 3 vs 1
"Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God.” ch. 4 Vs. 7
And, “God is love, and those who remain in love remain in God and God remains in them.” 4 vs. 16
And, “We love because God first loved us.” Vs. 19.
We find it important in our faith at the start of things, at a wedding starting a marriage rooted in love, at a baptism starting a life of faith, to remember the core truth of our faith: that it is all about love, that this is God’s core way of working in the world, and it is our core identity with God: Beloved.
We are loved so deeply by God. It is a critical truth to a life of faith, and it can be a hard truth for us to accept and wrap our brains around.
It reminds me of a story the pastor and author Nadia Bolz Webber tells,
She writes:
“About 12 years ago, I went on a solo, 48-hour silent retreat. It was during a time in my life when I was stretched very thin with work and kids and life. I was “driven”. I was all in all the time. I was a force to be reckoned with. And I was exhausted.
So I went to a Catholic retreat house outside town where I was matched up for spiritual direction with a tiny little nun named Sister Eileen. I remember thinking it an absurd idea to take spiritual direction from someone I just met. Because, you know, I’m complicated….clearly way too complex for someone to “get me” in an hour-long meeting. Ends up I was right. It didn’t take an hour for Sister Eileen to get me. It took like, 5 minutes for her to get me. See, I was hoping she’d give me work to do. You know, spiritual practices…. Stations of the cross, contemplative prayer, saying the Our Father, lectio Divina…instead, she looked me in the eye and said, Nadia. I actually don’t think you should DO anything while you are here. I want you to just walk the grounds and settle into the knowledge that God loves you totally apart from anything you do or don’t do.
I thought, man…that sounds awful. And I was right…because seriously, as soon as I tried, I just started crying.
For some reason, there was something painful for me about the idea of being loved completely apart from what I do or do not do. It’s perhaps the thing we want most in life, and yet the possibility of it, stung. I’m not even sure why. Maybe because it only highlighted how much being loved apart from what we do or don’t do is so rarely something we ever encounter.
She goes on:
I was in a 12 step meeting the other day when one of the old guys, a guy who has been sober for like, 45 years said something so simple and so casual but something that made me shake my head and wonder what it would be like if we all really believed it.
As we were all discussing what our “higher power” is like, what the “God of our understanding” is like, he said
“I don’t know about you, but my God is crazy about me”.
I couldn’t stop thinking about that. For most of my life I’ve heard the saying “God loves you”. But it always feels more like an empty slogan like, don’t worry, be happy, or something. For someone to say, Nadia, God loves you, feels almost compulsory. Like God loves me kinda because he has to since I’m one of his kids. But to say my God is crazy about me. I don't know. That’s different.
That feels like the kind of pure Gospel love the heavens could not contain and it just kind of has to spill out all over everything. The kind of love you can walk around a Catholic retreat house being aware of, and maybe crying a little bit because of it. A love that is yours quite apart from what you do or don’t do. The kind of love that breaks your heart and then makes it bigger, A love that creates belovedness in the one it rests upon." [From Nadia Bolz Weber's "The Corners" Newsletter, January 7, 2023]
Friends, today we remember, that our first identity in God, the identity we also receive at our baptism is beloved.
We don’t have to earn anything
We don’t have to prove ourselves
We know we are worthy just by being
All of our striving and accomplishments and proving ourselves is counterbalanced by this profound affirmation that we are beloved.
In a moment, we will celebrate communion, Christ’s love feast, where we come to be filled up with God’s mercy, and remember the grace that God lavishes on the world.
As you come up to receive, I invite you take a star word from the basket in hopes that this word is revelatory to you, that it helps to guide you in your faith journey over the next year, and remember who you are…
For you are Beloved…
Amen.
WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE
PRELUDE Ella Bryan
WELCOME Rev. Trip Porch
One: This is the day that the Lord has made
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it
*CALL TO WORSHIP
One: There are some days when I need the reminder that I belong to God. Do you ever
feel that way?
All: Yes. We do. The world can be a harsh place; we often need that reminder.
One: Well then, let us care for one another. Let us speak the truth we each need to
hear. Church, you belong to God. You are God’s beloved.
All: Friend, you belong to God. You are God’s beloved.
One: Let us worship the God who knows our names.
All: Let us worship the God who calls us beloved. Amen.
*HYMN NO. 401 “Gather Us In” GATHER US IN
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION Chris Dent
Loving God,
From the very beginning, you breathed life into us and called us good. However, somewhere along the way we replaced “good” with “not enough.” Somewhere along the way we turned the volume up on that phrase and began to doubt our own self-worth. Forgive us, for this is not what you have taught us. For when the world tells us we are not enough, you call us beloved. Show us how to return to that truth. Show us how to let go of our weariness and rest in that good news. Amen.
*ASSDURANCE OF PARDON
Family of faith, God’s grace and understanding is deeper and wider than we could possibly imagine. So say these words of grace with me:
Our story begins with belovedness.
Even when we lose our way,
even if we stumble and fall,
God never stops breaking through the clouds to claim us. We are known. We are forgiven. We are beloved.
Thanks be to God! Amen
*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE 575 “Lord, Have Mercy” KYRIE ELEISON
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
One: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
All: And also with you.
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
ANTHEM “A New Year Carol” Benjamin Britten
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Trip Porch
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE: Luke 3:15-23a
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, my beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.
SERMON Rev. Trip Porch WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD
*HYMN– insert “From the Waters of Creation” HELMSLEY
TIME OF OFFERING
COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
GREAT PRAYER
SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP “Feed Us Lord” FEED US
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
God of open horizons and open roads, like the Magi so many years ago, we are here, seeking you. Step by step, we have wandered into this space with the hope of feeling you in our midst. Step by step, you have seen us, claimed us, and called us beloved. Today we have drawn star words. For some, these words are full of meaning, challenge, and invitation already. For others, these words are a blank canvas—inviting you into our lives. So as a new year dawns, we pray that just as you have spoken to the generations before us, you would speak to us again. Allow us to use these star words as a tool that might help us hear you more clearly. May they guide us, as the star guided the Magi. And in a year, may we find ourselves here, together again, with mouths full of praise for the ways in which you have been present with us. Together we pray, with joy in our hearts. Amen.
*HYMN NO. 547 “Go My Children with My Blessing” ARD HYDY NOS
TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452