nine::ten

(A Holimly for Morning Eucharist)

It may be difficult for some to believe, but it is easy for me to become discouraged with things around us. A penchant to point out the negative? No way! And I'm sure no one else here is inclined to such a view of the wortl, either. We're hip to our rose colored glasses, right?

Well, forgive me for joking in a sermon, but this morning, for some mysterious reason, it seems as though the mood should be one that encourages us. Hear the Psalmnist: "In God, our hope, our souls can be at rest." Hear the Apostle Paul: "The myster, Christ Jesus, the hope of glory has been revealed among us." Hear, you with limp limbs, spirits, and discouraged thoughts, hear Christ's word: "Stretch out your hand." These statements, these revelations of mystery, are encouraging and they present to us a reality deeper than the sad story narrated in the news. They even shape us in such a way that we can face the sadness.

See, we are to be tellers of truth. We, like Paul, are to encourage our brothers and sisters, even those we haven't had the blessing to be in the physical presence of. Our lives in Christ are being reshaped--our hearts are encouraged, our very beings are being transformed by and into the mysterious light of Christ. Yes, that light will expose darkness, those things liable to discourage us, but we must continually remember how it is we are seeing them: by the light of Christ.

See, now we are preparing to gather around a table, and on that table we will see mystery. We will see simple bread and wine transformed into food for our whole beings. And we will be in communion with Christ, in the Holy Spirit, and with one another, and with the entirety of the body of Christ through whom the mystery is proclaimed. Let us prepare. Let us be encouraged. Let us encourage. In the face of opposition, mistrust and doubt, let us glory in Christ's love, together walking in the way of the knowledge of the mystery of God, in God's wisdom and knowledge. Be not affraid to be joyous. I'll remind you, and please remind me, that what we are doing here is an encouraging thing.

(Colossians 1:24-2:3, Psalm 62, Luke 6:6-11)