Make Some Heaven in 2011

Epiphany 1A – Baptism of Jesus

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Well, the holidays are officially behind us. Almost all of the decorations are packed-away; the stores are still trying desperately to sell-off the last of their overstock; the kids returned to school this past week; and for many, the dreaded Christmas Credit Card bills are beginning to arrive. On New Year’s Day, the world was filled with hope for 2011… now we are beginning to see the dreaded “after Christmas depression” when folks are in to doldrums and dumps. To compound that – It is cold outside; we have had a lot of snow already; and more snow is in the forecast for this week. I can see how folks might feel depressed and have that “let-down” feeling after the holidays.

However, as we enter this New Year, those of us who have truly placed our faith and confidence solely in Jesus Christ, have a real joy and hope that goes beyond the cheap “holiday spirit” or deluded New Year sentiment. This real joy and real hope comes from the fact that we are walking with Jesus each, and every day. Our priorities are guided by his teachings and instructions. Our decisions are guided by prayer and by the Holy Spirit. Our hearts are filled with the promise and assurance that no matter what comes – good, bad, or ugly – Jesus is with us, and will provide for us all that we need.

For the true Christian – for the one who takes seriously their baptismal covenant – this mindset helps us stay focused on what is really important, and can help us live more fully and more joyfully in the “now” and in the “present” instead of living for tomorrow by saying things like – “I can’t wait for this or that…” We live each day, filled with the joys and wonders of each new day; and we recognize that all we are and all that we have comes to us from God.

Then on top of all that, we have a hope that does look beyond the now and the present because once we finish our course here, Heaven awaits us. Therefore, there is no reason to remain depressed and discouraged because when one has Christ – and when one is truly living for Christ, then one has everything and more; and that’s a deal that even Wal-mart can’t beat!

With the arrival of each New Year, I try to come up with some catchy little phrase that captures the focus, goals, and direction for our ministry in the coming year. The handful of you who were here in 2008 will remember “Be Great in 2008.” In 2009, it was “Don’t whine but Shine in 2009”. Last year, it was “Let’s do it again in 2010!” Each of these little slogans were designed to motivate us into being more, doing more, serving more, and allowing more of Jesus into our lives in the New Year. Well, I have come up with one for the New Year that I hope will motivate all of us, and it is “Make Some Heaven in 2011”.

“Make Some Heaven in 2011!” You have heard me say before, that Christianity is more than just a passive belief in God, which makes us comfortably smug as we await our arrival in Heaven. Christianity has to be more than just sitting around waiting for Heaven! Jesus came and taught us so much about life and about what is important in this life. He even said, “I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly…” Too many folks, who warm a pew in Church week after week, are doing little more than existing as they sing songs about Heaven and say “Amen” to the promises of everlasting life. They live each day, essentially wasting their lives as they wait for Heaven or for the Second Coming of Christ. In the mean time, they have no power, no joy, no hope, for today! Their faith is flimsy and weak, based more on feelings that facts, and they ride the emotional roller-coaster of mere existential Christianity. They exist, but they aren’t living.

However, if we see Christianity for what it really is – a way of life and not just a way to escape this life with the nebulous promise of “Heaven” – then everything changes; and empowered by this mindset – we can then set out to change the world around us. We indeed can Make Some Heaven instead of just sitting around waiting for Heaven.

How do we do it? By embracing the Savior and putting his words to work in real and practical ways – each, and every day. Here are just a few examples and ideas:

- First, let us make the Golden Rule OUR Rule! Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If we would treat others – all others – everyone – the way we want to be treated, then we can begin to make some Heaven in 2011. Whether at the grocery store, work, school, home, or wherever we find ourselves, if we implement the Golden Rule in a proactive way, then we will find ourselves less irritable, more tolerant, less impatient, more generous, and less inclined to gossip. Living out the Golden Rule doesn’t just wait to respond or react to others in the way we want others to respond or react to us, but rather, seeks to engage others and interact with others even before they do, in such a way that we want them to interact with us. If you want to “Make Some Heaven in 2011” then make the Golden Rule YOUR Rule each, and every day.

- Second, let us learn to forgive and to forget! Jesus gave us one of the most powerful and dangerous petitions we could ever make to God in prayer, when, in the Lord’s Prayer he said, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive others who trespass against us…” That is a powerful petition to make before the God of the Universe, for it seeks his divine forgiveness and the freedom from guilt that this forgiveness brings; but it is also very dangerous because this forgiveness we seek from God is conditional; for it is based upon our forgiveness of others. Essentially, when we make this prayer, we are saying, “God, please forgive me at the same level and to the same degree that I am forgiving others.” Put that way, it becomes a dangerous prayer, especially if we are carrying grudges, are unwilling to forgive even the most simple and small things, and are content in our contempt of others. If we live that way, then we are essentially asking God to carry a grudge against us, and to be content in His contempt for us. Do we really want to live that way? I think not! So – if we are going to Make Some Heaven in 2011, then we must learn to forgive others when they seek it, and to extend forgiveness and be willing to forgive for those who have yet to seek it.

- Third, we as Christians must work for justice and work for peace. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peace makers, for they will be called the Children of God…” As I said in my Christmas Homily, the world needs to see and experience some peace; and we who have embraced the Prince of Peace need to work for that peace each, and every day. Fighting wars and killing others in order to export Democracy at the point of a gun, is not a Christian ethic, no matter how tightly one wraps in the flag. Harboring racism, prejudice, and bigotry towards those who are different and those who look different and those who live differently, is not a Christian ethic. If we as followers of the Prince of Peace cannot work for peace, and work for justice, then why bother calling ourselves Christians. Charlatan would be a more appropriate label, Chameleon would also be an appropriate label, for we pretend to be one thing whilst indeed we are something else. So if we want to Make Some Heaven in 2011, let us become the Peacemakers that Jesus asked us to be.

- Fourth, the world is lost in sin and despair. We have the answer – it is Jesus. He said, “Go into all the world, and preach my Gospel to every creature, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you…” These words are often called the “Great Commission,” and with these words, we are instructed to bring others into this way of thinking, this Way of Living. It is our responsibility to share the Good News of Jesus – not only in words but in deeds. We are to make more disciples. We are to bring others into this fellowship, this household of God that we call the Church. In a practical way, this is a call to the Sacramental Life – that begins for each one of us in Baptism, and continues through the Eucharist and through Reconciliation. It will be the focus of this Church to extend and offer the Sacraments to everyone, and then to teach them how to live in the power of these blessed Means of Grace. We’ve already started the year off right – with the Baptism of Logan last Sunday, and another Baptism today of Tammi’s baby; but we cannot and will not stop there. There are hundreds of folks right here in our part of the world who need to know, see, and experience Jesus; and we are to be that Jesus for others to see. We must also remember, that Baptism is only the beginning! Jesus said, “baptize them” AND “teach them.” We can’t be content simply with getting people wet in the waters of Baptism; we must become the teachers as well! That can only happen when we become students first. We do this by our faithful participation in Sunday School, and by our faithful, diligent, consistent participation in the Sacramental Life of the Church. Yes, this is a call for revival, a call to the basics, a call for renewal, a call to get serious about our attendance and participation in Church and at Mass! In fact, this morning at the Food Lion when I went to buy the biscuits and breakfast stuff, the checkout clerk said, “Bribing the folks to come to Church with biscuits?” I responded, “Yeah, well, if you feed them, they will come… sometimes!” She laughed and said, “Well, if that’s what it takes to fill the Church, then I suppose it’s worth it!” “I said, “Yeah, this is the modern face of Christianity.” She said, “whatever happened to the days when people loved God enough to go to Church and spend the entire day, every week, without complaints and without biscuits?” I responded by saying that it would take far too long to explain the social and psychological aspects of that questions, but that, in short, many Church folks aren’t disciples – they are consumers of religious goods and services. When life is good, they don’t need God; and when things turn bad, instead of turning back to God, they turn on God and blame him for everything. So God is optional, and Church is just another activity to fit into our lives – when we can, when there’s nothing else to do.” She remarked that it was sad. My friends, when we allow “life” and our excuses of “life” to keep us from receiving “real life” each week in the Eucharist, we rob ourselves of the power and very presence of Christ that makes it possible for us to get through life, and to “Make Some Heaven in 2011” or in any other year for that matter. So let’s “Make Some Heaven in 2011” by getting ourselves more ready for Heaven by committing ourselves to living Sacramental Life each day. And in so doing, we will also be Getting other folks ready for Heaven in 2011, because we will be the disciples, the conduit through, whom folks all around us will discover this same Jesus who gives us life, His Life, and then promises us eternal life as the bonus.

- Fifth, James writes in his Epistle, that “Faith without works is dead…” and “…show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works…” As I said at the outset of this Homily, too many Christians who warm a pew, do little more than that… warm a pew… and even then, only marginally. That is the sad extent of their Christian expression, their Christian “faith.” If we truly believe, then we will be busy demonstrating that belief – not only with words, but with deeds, making a difference in the world around us. Jesus said, “Let your light shine, so that others may see the deeds that you do and give glory to your Father in Heaven!” “Deeds” is the key word here. Anyone can talk about faith, talk about God, talk even about Church… but when one DOES the work, and lets their light shine – through their deeds, then others will see our Faith, see our God, and even see our Church – in US.

There are hundreds of other things that Jesus said for us to do in this life and in this world that make it possible for us to “Make Some Heaven in 2011” – but I will summarize them all in this last point: “Love God with all your heart, and love others as much as you love yourself!” This Great Commandment is the very heartbeat of Christianity! We are to live this Commandment and make it part of our total expression. By so doing, we move from being mere consumers of religious goods and services, to becoming effective, serious disciples of Christ. We become world changers, peacemakers, justice seekers, and students as well as teachers of all Jesus came to share with us and teach us. By loving God with all our hearts, and loving others as much as we love ourselves, we have the platform from which we can indeed “Make Some Heaven in 2011.”

This year, let me invite you to embrace Christianity in a way you may never have done so heretofore. Let me encourage you to make 2011 the most spiritual, most powerful, most hopeful, and most joyful year of your life – no matter what life throws at you, by committing yourself to follow the Golden Rule as Your Rule; to Forgive others as you want God to forgive you; to work for Justice and Peace; to participate faithfully in the Sacramental Life and offer this Sacramental Life to other around you; to let your actions and deeds demonstrate your faith; and finally to fall in love with God all over again and learn to love others like never before! If we together can do all this, in Jesus’ Name, then we will, right here in Central Virginia, “Make Some Heaven in 2011.”