2 September 2007
Lorna McKendry
Scripture
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Psalm 81: 10-16
Colossians 3:1-11
“Sisters and brothers, if you are serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with things right in front of you. Look up and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that’s where the action is! See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life--even though invisible to spectators--is with Christ in God. Christ is your real life. When Christ shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up too--the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. That means killing off everything connected with the way of death -- promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But, you know better now. So make sure it’s all gone for good--bad temper, irritability, meanness and profanity. Don’t lie to one another. You are done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom made by the Creator. It has God’s label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete, Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, civilized and uncouth, slave and free mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ. Everyone is included in Christ. So, dressed by God for this new life of love, put on the wardrobe God picked out for you.” (from “The Message”, emphasis mine)
“ Happy New Year ” ???
Sears “Back-to-School” television commercial has been on since early August. It’s the one that promotes back-to-school and the month of September as the beginning of a new year. The kids in the commercial all say “This year, I’m going to… get a new skateboard… be in the school band… take flying lessons…” Whatever. According to Sears, this morning we should all be wishing each other a “Happy New Year” back to school and back to work.
A few years ago, another television commercial for a big-name office supply store used the catchy little Christmas jingle, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” I thought Christmas was the most wonderful time of the year. It’s a indication that back-to-school has become a “season” all its own now, with all the commercialism and hype and pressures to go with it.
Yes, my friends, it’s time for our children to be making a list, and checking it twice. Time again to shop ‘til we drop! Only this time it’s for pencils and erasers and lined paper and duo-tang folders, whether they really need them or not.
The authors of A Greener Planet: 2 Minutes a Day at Home and Work have some comments to make about this new season of spending and accumulating. We’ve made a ritual of purchasing everything new every September. We need to get past the idea that new means better. We need to ask ourselves and our children “What happened to last year’s leftovers?” Does starting this new year with new school supplies also mean that our children are making a fresh start in thoughts, ideas, philosophies and ideals?
Life seems to be a continual round of wanting things. Voices advise, advertise, and entice us to pay homage to commercial gods. All too often, and especially in September (and December), they win our attention and allegiance. Dare I say that we are raising a generation whose pride seems to be in what they have rather than in what they can do and who they are. We need to break out of consumerism and the accumulation of possessions. As followers of Christ, we are called to pay homage to a different voice that sounds in our hearts.
In this morning’s New Testament reading, Paul writes to new followers of Christ in Colossia. He explains how the world’s teachings are empty when compared with God’s plan. He describes how those who call themselves “Christian” ought to think and behave. “Set your mind on things that are above”, he writes. “Clothe yourselves with the new self,” he tells them.
I like the old clothes/new clothes imagery. In reality, before we can put on new clothes we usually get rid of our old clothes, (or at least we should). But before we can even do that, we have to decide that it’s time for new clothes! And we have to decide what kind of new clothes we’re looking for.
As a young child, part of my morning ritual of getting ready for school included calling out to my mother from my bedroom, “What will I wear?” And I remember the exasperation in her voice as she would tell me which skirt or slacks to put with which sweater or blouse. I think maybe I was in Grade 4 or 5, and the point was that I hadn’t yet learned how to co-ordinate everything, but I was learning that it was important. As a ten year old, I was starting to get the message that what I wore to school mattered. Looking back on that time in my life, I can see now that along with fashion advise, my mother, and my father, were also tucking things like kindness, sharing, and caring into my pockets and I didn’t even know it.
In faith terms, to become new people in Christ, we have to get rid of old ways and put on God’s ways. Paul listed bad habits and behaviours like anger, greed, deception, anything that goes against God’s will. We are to be loving and kind, helpful, obedient. We are called to become more like Jesus.
It is the things that are not seen that are important, more important than what we wear, or what we eat, or what we put in our children’s back-to-school backpacks. As followers of Jesus, it’s about filling our minds with something else, something different, something lasting. We can harbour thoughts of envy, bitterness, competitiveness, and fear. Or we can fill our minds with what is good and peaceful and life-affirming. We can embrace thoughts of love, kindness, patience, courage and contentment. How we fill our minds shapes our lives.
It reminds me of those three verses from Micah 6 -- What does the Lord require of us? “…to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.” Oh, that those qualities were on our children’s back-to-school list.
As responsible, conscientious Christians perhaps it’s time again to take a look at what’s essential, what’s vital, what will really make a difference in our lives and the lives of our children. Thinking of this time of year as the beginning of a new year is a good idea, I think. It’s a fine time to make a list and check it twice. It’s a fine time to consider what we would like to change about ourselves and make it a resolution. As worshipping Christians, every day, and certainly every Sunday, is a good day to review and resolve to be better people; to set our minds on things that are above, that are lasting.
And so, my friends, I say to you
“Happy New Year”
“Happy New You” !!
