Loading...This is one of those sermons where I give you time to take inventory. It’s the time of year for reflecting upon the past 12 months. Some moments might feel warm and fuzzy, other memories cold and prickly.
This sermon time is an opportunity to prayerfully reflect. Take a moment, can you, and replay 2018 in your mind’s eye. Nationally, Locally, Personally. Who was a companion along the journey? Did you say goodbye to someone? Did you welcome others? When you reflect upon 2018, what feeling do you feel? Strength? Hope? Weariness?
I’m going to give us about 20 breaths or 60 heartbeats to reflect and listen to where our heart beat is the heartiest to ponder the question: If 2018 preached a sermon to you what would you hear it say?
[pause for reflection]
So much of Psalm 147 resonates with my memories of 2018 especially verse 15 - Worship the Lord for…. He has established peace on your borders. Peace on borders.
I’ve been personally touched by the national news and reports from friends living on the the US border with Mexico where there is danger, straining of resources, disagreement over resource allocation, and many many tears.
I’ve been personally touched by the national news and reports from friends in schools where children and teachers have been shot. The border between innocence and violence has been broken and in the broken space flow many many tears.
My friend Hannah became a mother to a daughter who safely crossed the border from the womb to Hannah’s arms. Tears of relief.
Last night I watched a documentary of the rescue of the 12 young soccer players and their coach from two miles deep out of a flooded cave. They crossed the border from captivity to freedom. I was struck by all the busy rescue divers at the mouth of the cave and how next to their equipment people kneeling in silent prayers too exhausted from waiting to cry.
Personally, I have crossed the border from one faith community into this one, leaving behind Calvary and entering St James. I shed tears of Joy at this border crossing.
I like borders. They can be helpful boundaries to measure time and distance. They can gather together what needs uniting and separate what needs separation. When they are peaceful it’s as if they are not even there. Borders can be drawn and redrawn, defended and breached, created and torn down. All except one…
…the border between life and death. That is a border which, until recently, could only be crossed in one direction. Until Easter. Good Friday is when Jesus tears apart the border between forgiveness and sin. Easter Sunday is when God opens the border between death and life eternal.
Here at the border of a new year there is no going back to 2018. Farewell to it and may its memories serve as keys opening gates to 2019.
I hope the new year contains yet-to-be discovered borders like that Jesus created upon his Incarnation by gathering earth into heaven.
