“The Decision to Become an Angel”

Sermon Delivered By Rev. Dick Stetler – January 10, 2021

Centenary United Methodist Church

Psalm 29; Mark 1:1-11

     

    Have you ever wondered about the need of some people to become a major politician? If they are elected to an office of leadership, they instantly become a target of those who disagree with their policies or want the position for themselves. Why would anyone spend a considerable amount of money campaigning to become a public dart board for half the people of any given society?  Not everyone can handle public rejection that comes on such a massive scale.

    In our Gospel lesson today, we find the thunderous voice of John, the Baptist, preaching in a manner and style that attracted people from all levels of his society. (Mark 1:5) In fact, during the first century, hindsight caused the Hebrew historian Flavius Josephus to declare that "The word of God had not been heard in Israel for over 400 years until the arrival of a man known as 'John, the Baptizer.'" 

    The message of John, the Baptist, was that people needed to change their attitudes, their priorities, seek forgiveness from God for missing the mark with their responses, and be baptized in the River Jordan. 

    In our lesson, John told his listeners that someone was going to come after him. John baptized with water, but the one who is coming will baptize with spiritual energy.  (Mark 1:8) Readers of Mark's Gospel are given no clues about what John's listeners were hearing. 

    With even a casual knowledge of what history has given us, we recognize plenty of titles of those who ruled their societies, e.g., Pharaohs, Caesars, Kings, Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Premiers.  Among them, how many names can we remember as being leaders of their people?

    John had no title or label that elevated him to a position of a leader, yet people were attracted to him.  When his cousin arrived, Jesus taught, "A person is born physically by human parents, but he or she must awaken to the invisible world of spirit."  (John 3:6) This awareness of spiritual energy had never before been revealed until Jesus defined its presence and power. The Apostle Paul wrote:

In the past, people were not told of this source of power that inspired and motivated the apostles and prophets until now.  This secret source of power is within everyone. (Romans 3:5-6)

    This morning we are going to explore the power of those who were and are the spiritual leaders found all over the world.  We may be surprised to learn that such people have become successful leaders without becoming an elected official, without seizing power by a military insurrection, and without becoming appointed to a position of power.  We choose the people who spiritually influence us. 

    What is intriguing is the style of leadership that John and Jesus used during their ministries. This power that Jesus possessed has caused him to remain a central figure in our lives because he was teaching us how to live. 

    Think of it.  Jesus has survived the turmoil and changes of the Dark Ages, religious wars, genocidal holocausts, and plagues.  He and his message has survived times when the Church was feared and ruled societies with an iron fist. The Church and its pastors had tribunals that had the power to sentence people to be burned at the stake, accuse women of being witches, and murder men who were judged as heretics.

    There was only one narrative and variations were not tolerated.  Would you believe that in 1992, Pope John offered the first Papal apology for the way Galileo was threatened with excommunication in 1633?

    It is ironic that Jesus was labeled, branded, and murdered because he did not fit into the narrative of the religious elite and yet his name and message continued to influence the world for thousands of years.  How come?

    This is not so difficult to understand when we remember that the mysterious, invisible Creator has a design for human evolution that is unfolding before our eyes and we are part of it.  What people think and feel about human evolution does not matter. The process of spiritual growth is happening in spite of the visible barriers.

    Jesus gave humanity a road map, a moral compass, and insight into a world within themselves by awakening people to their spiritual nature.  People can take it or leave it. This is what John meant when he said rather cryptically that the one who comes after me will baptize by the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that our lives are controlled by our inner world whether we believe in that world's existence or not.

    There are people in our day that are so clever that they have made a comfortable living by gaining great wealth and power from swindling people, from Ponzi schemes, from nations stealing trade secrets from the geniuses of other nations, from brainwashing the public with lies, by suppressing truth, and by demanding conformity to the correct narrative. While this list reads like what could appear in our newspapers, such activities as we have mentioned were practiced in the Church prior to a wide sweeping rebellion called The Reformation.  

    Jesus taught that no one gets away with anything in this life. Hidden consequences are built into creation.  Our bodies become a printout of what is happening within us.  Jesus said: 

Your cleverness may get you everything that you believe you have always wanted. But so what? You could even gain control over all the entire world, but again, so what?span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  You have invested your life's energy in drilling a dry well and you will have nothing at the end of your life to show for it but a spirit that knows how to manipulate reality for selfish purposes. (Matthew16:26) 

 

You could be learning skills that would endear you to people and serve you well in your future. What you have gained materially from this world will be left behind. You must remember that where your spirit was focused during your life, will communicate what you treasured.  (Matthew 6:19f)

    In all honesty not everyone desires to be an angel-in-the-flesh.  When people enter our world, they are reared to want all the goodies that tell the world of their successes. Everyone, including Church leaders, is vulnerable.  However, the leaders that guide people in this world are angels who are living among us. They have one desire and that is to help others to mature in spirit.

    God has worked through such beings through the ages to influence others to search for their inner treasure and create from what they find. They are engineers, architects, scientists, artists, doctors, custodians, or a slave as was Jacob and Rachel's son, Joseph, who was sold to a passing caravan that carried him into Egypt.

    As we have said many times about what makes a quality life -- attitude is everything. Angels possess a unique power that comes from an invisible, selfless source of energy. The Apostle Paul described the characteristics of such a life in one of his letters: "Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22)

    These observations are included in the lessons that Jesus taught.  However, displaying these qualities is not always satisfying for Jesus' followers. They pray for God to intervene to help with a circumstance that they feel powerless to resolve.

    God's will is the same for every prayer request. Contrary to what many of the faithful believe, God's will is to allow people to be their own problem solver. God does not do our homework for us. Growing old is mandatory.  Growing up and taking total responsibility for who we become is optional. 

    When we choose to become an angel here, we have to remember that if God did not step in to save Jesus' life, God will not step in to save ours.  What God guarantees for everyone is that all of us are safe and protected even when our bodies can easily be destroyed.  (Matthew 10:28) We are not our bodies.

    Blaming God for anything is a useless exercise.  God will never abandon any of us. When we doubt that, it is an illusion that we have created when the Heavens appear silent. (Matthew 27:46) We may assume, "If God really loves me, God will respond to my humble request." Really? Think again.

    There is a wide difference between the rulers of this world and the leaders who come here as angels disguised in very humble clothing. (Mark 1:6) Angels spend their time pointing to what many people cannot see.  People become blind because the physical world initially brainwashes everyone.  Jesus taught:

Go through the narrow gate.  The road to spiritual blindness is wide and is easy to navigate.  Most people travel this road because that is all they know. The way to a well-balanced life is difficult to find and very few people find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

    When a person chooses to be an angel, they are seldom found among the heroes or the popular leaders.  They are often misunderstood.  Their roles are seldom defined. They are not what we would expect.  

    What frequently influences our spiritual growth are the alternatives that our circumstances are pointing to as well as from the angels that surround us.  When the student is ready, an angel will come. A poem by Edger Guest describes this process:

I would rather see a sermon than hear one any day.  I would rather one walk with me than merely tell me the way.   The eye is a better student and more willing than the ear; fine counsel can be confusing, but example is always clear.  I can soon learn how to do it, if I only see it done; I can watch your life in action, while you're serious or having fun.  The greatest of all my friends are the ones who live their creeds; for to see the good in action, is what everybody needs.

      Our role is to live as best we can while knowing that creation happens because God takes care of the fine print. 

     

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Merciful God, as the weeks continue to unfold in the New Year, we are not surprised that our faithfulness is always being tested.  The voices of routine, habit, and compromise are always inviting us to stay as we are.  Moments come when it is safer to trust our own judgment rather than feeling less secure by praying, "Thy will be done."  Life would never be the adventure that it is, if trust and faith were never required of us.  Heal many of our perceptions so that our minds become flooded with more wholesome thoughts.  Amen.

     

PASTORAL PRAYER

Loving Creator of life, thank you for giving us the capacity to learn.  We are fascinated by mystery.  We enjoy studying the aspects of life that excite our imagination.  Our curiosity attracts us to people who have an uncommon mastery of unique skills. Yet we remain curious of the meaning when Jesus said that many are called but only a few are chosen. 

Loving God, we often think of discipleship as a quality of life that is a decision away.  How often we neglect remembering that it is a journey and not simply a single choice.  We can stand out in our witness as did Peter, only to be humbled by circumstances that evoke our fear.  We can talk about our gifts, our sacrifices, and our righteous deeds, bypassing the nameless woman who gave two copper coins, and, in doing so, gave away everything she had.  We can remain confident in the radiance of our spirit but hide it under a basket of emotions the moment life hurts us, demeans us, or destroys the outcome we so patiently wanted.

We can never see your creative brush strokes when it is our turn to shine.  Strengthen us to become doers of the word rather than always turning to you to help us get through a rough patch.  May we inspire others because of the beauty of our spirits. Jesus sent us forth to change the world and yet, if we do so, you hide our successes from us lest we see those and become proud. Help us to store our successes in Heaven rather than have them feed our egos.

Together and individually, may we make your Kingdom more visible to others.  We pray these thoughts through the spirit of Jesus, the Christ, who taught us to say when we pray . . .