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“When Our Beliefs Are
Confirmed” Sermon
Delivered By Rev. Dick Stetler – January 3, 2021
Centenary United Methodist Church 1ST
Samuel 3:1-10; Luke 2:41-52
Epiphany The liturgical use of the word Epiphany marks the first Sunday in
the New Year and it is always referring to the arrival of the three
kings. However, this morning I am leaving that theme and migrating
toward what happens when we have an epiphany. This occurs when a person
suddenly has an insight that is so powerful that it can change how he or
she orders their lives. These
experiences occur quite frequently at the present time.
We can hardly imagine the joy and the sense of accomplishment that was
experienced last year when teams of researchers had an epiphany on what
would unmask COVID-19, a virus that no one had ever encountered.
As a result, a number of vaccines are on their way to the nations
of the world. Epiphanies are happening because people are following the trail of clues
and beliefs that will lead to major discoveries. This was true for Elon
Musk and his creation of an electric car. All the new products that have
occurred in recent years, from the cell phone to ZOOM, have been
stimulated from our curiosity and our desire to find solutions that will
enhance our knowledge and the quality of our lives. Nothing appears to stop humanity's desire to unlock the mysteries of
something that they believe is present but they are still searching for
the solution. Our spiritual lives are no exception. What happens to us
when we have an epiphany, an experience that is ours alone yet it
changes our lives completely? A woman in my past was almost inconsolable when her mother died.
The two were inseparable. Betty Ann’s husband was away on business
many weekends. His absence
provided her with the opportunity to pal around with her mother.
They both enjoyed numerous adventures together. One week, with absolutely no warning, her mother had a massive cerebral
hemorrhage and never regained consciousness. Since her
mother was in her mid-60's and was as energetic as her 43-year-old
daughter, the possibility of her dying never entered either of their
minds. The preparation for her mother's memorial service was difficult because
Betty Ann was angry with God. She felt robbed of her best friend.
Her entire future appeared to be shattered because she could not see
anything hopeful or positive about life now that her mother was gone.
Her husband was fearful that his
wife might do something foolish.
She had spoken several times of wanting to join her mother.
He asked me to do something to help Betty Ann. I began to see Betty Ann once a week but all I could do was remain a
listening ear as she worked through her period of grieving.
On her last visit with me, she told me that her grieving had
suddenly ended. She had an
epiphany, a powerful break-through.
She had help from an unexpected source. She had a visit from her
deceased mother. Betty Ann wanted to tell me about those moments.
Her mother awakened her from sleep one night by shaking her feet. Her
husband was in Singapore at the time. She was seated at the edge of her
bed radiating enough light to fill the room. The two had a running
conversation. Her mother assured her that she was fine. She
told Betty Ann that there was no pain involved during the process of her
death. She described her transition as going from one room into
another. Her mother told her about her last minutes of life and then
talked about her current experience. Let me quote Betty Ann's own words.
Her mother said, We can look the
same as you remember us, however, there is no need to do that unless the
occasion is like this one. I am here to tell you that all is well with
me and to please get rid of your thoughts of wanting to join me. Death
is no different from being born. Where I am, God is still a concept.
Here, God remains an invisible loving presence just like God was for us.
I have not encountered Jesus, Buddha, or Confucius.
There isn't the need to do so. We are all the same but we are
also different in a way that is beyond description. Betty Ann asked,
"Why don't other deceased people come back and talk to their families as
you are doing now? That would make going on with life much easier
for those of us left behind." Her mother said: You will have all
your questions answered when you leave your present life. I came back to
tell you not to hold on to me. Doing so is making your life miserable.
What is important is that you
have confidence that you will always be surrounded by love even when
your fears are telling you that certain events are your darkest moments.
They are not once you learn their meaning. Trust life. Bring to
each moment the love you have and you will be guided by an energy that
you cannot see or understand. I will leave you now.
Please trust me. Death is a process that everyone will eventually
experience from stillborn babies to those who have reached the century
mark. Bye for now.
I love you. Betty Ann told me
that their communication was telepathic. Betty Ann spoke with her voice
but her mother's words came to her mind not her ears. Everyone who has
discussed such encounters with me has said the same thing.
I told her to write down everything she could remember while all
the details are still fresh in her memory. She had already done that the
following morning and later sent me a copy from which I quoted.
From that moment
on, Betty Ann’s life was never the same. She had experienced an
epiphany, a remarkable insight, that was somewhat similar to the
resurrection experiences of the disciples.
What we have in
today's lessons is an epiphany by the child Samuel whose life was
completely changed by his experience. He became a priest, prophet, and a
Judge of Israel. We also have the Gospel story of Jesus at the age of
12. He was a mature spirit
that was confident and fearless as he engaged the Temple Elite in
a question-and-answer period. Something happened
to Jesus that caused him to become curious about the world of spirit.
The source of Jesus' spiritual strength remains a mystery, but we know
that he had an epiphany about his own identity. It could have been his
parents telling him what Simeon said about him at his ceremony of
purification 40 days after his birth. It could have come from words
spoken by the three Persian astrologists who told Mary and Joseph who
Jesus was destined to become. Throughout Jesus' childhood, he had been
fed thoughts of the role he would play in the world. Jesus had become so intrigued by matters of spirit that his
preoccupation with spirit had distracted him to a point that he
neglected to inform his parents where he was. After a day's
journey, his parents learned that Jesus was not among the other
children. Mary and Joseph turned back to Jerusalem to find him. On the third day of their searching, they found him in the Temple
engaged in a question-and-answer period with the elite staff of the
Temple. The priests and teachers were dealing with a very precocious
mind of this 12-year-old that was beyond anyone they had ever
encountered. No doubt, they were highly complementary of their son. Jesus continued to suspect that there was a world that no one can
see. We have to assume that Jesus never stopped dwelling on the
possibility that God's plan for humanity was different from being
obedient to a set of Laws. He
spent a great deal of time refining that understanding until he had an
epiphany at his baptism.
(Matthew 3:17) In the New Year we need to remember that people who seek will find and
for the people who knock, the door will be opened. Once that door
opens by some insight into a world that no one can see, a person's
appetite to connect more dots is accelerated. All of us need more training on how we perceive, how we interpret our
experiences, how we detach from and understand painful episodes, and how
we learn to stand on higher ground during the parade of life's
never-ending drama of changes. However, more central to the quality of
our lives is how we learn to forgive the behavior and attitudes of
others. Why be judgmental
when others will never be on the same level of spiritual maturity as
anyone else? This is why
each of us is one-of-a-kind. Not everyone is hungry to find the answers that feed their spirits.
They settle for the pleasantries found in the world.
As long as people reverence the things of this world,
the answers embedded in the world of spirit will elude them. Countless people sacrifice having real power for the temporary illusions
that come from the fleeting pleasures that are here today and gone
tomorrow. The world has always been filled with people like this. And,
why not? For most people, this is the only experience they have.
Betty Ann had an experience that pierced the bubble that this
world had provided and entered a reality that no one else could see.
Once an epiphany occurs for a people, their appetite for the things of
this world is no longer as satisfying. The experiences of Jesus after
his death is what energized the disciples to carry on his ministry. Saul of Tarsus had everything that money and pedigree could bring
to him. Then Saul had an epiphany and that experience turned his world
upside down. (Acts 9:3) After his epiphany, nothing found in this world
was worth pursuing. Saul's life was dedicated and focused on matters of
spirit. As a result of his
experience, he became the Apostle Paul whose letters make up much of the
New Testament. All of us, humble or famous, can influence the material world when our
spirits awaken. We can understand life more clearly as we gather more
strength to live by trust.
Our lives will change when our spiritual beliefs become the reality that
we experience. Happy New Year!
Merciful
God, as we approach the dawning of the New Year, guide us to become a
more effective influence on the lives of others. Jesus warned us
not to look back, but we do. The vision of our past is much
clearer than the present and our future. We are painfully aware of
the promises we made and did not keep, of relationships that we were
going to mend, of habits we had hoped to change, and of attitudes we
were going to discard. A part of us longs for living faithfully a
life that has learned how to make your presence visible. Yet
another part of us knows we are living exactly how we want to live in
the world. Guide us to unite our hearts, minds, and spirits so
that we allow others to see your presence in the people we have become.
Amen.
PASTORAL
PRAYER |