Friday, December 21, 2018

“Is Love All You Need?” Sermon based on Micah5:2-5 and Luke 1:46-55 Advent 4 “Advent in Narnia” - Love




Hebrew Scripture                                                       Micah 5:2-5

You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. He shall stand and feed his flock in the strength and majesty of the name of God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.

 

Gospel                                                                        Luke 1:46-55

Mary said, "My soul magnifies God, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
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Play “Love is All You Need”

Love, love, love. love, love, love
Love, love, love

There's nothing you can do that can't be done, nothing you can sing that can't be sung
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game, it's easy
There's nothing you can make that can't be made, no one you can save that can't be saved, Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
, it's easy
 
All you need is love, all you need is love, all you need is love, love
Love is all you need (Love, love, love)
(Love, love, love)
(Love, love, love)
All you need is love
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love, love is all you need

There's nothing you can know that isn't known,
Nothing you can see that isn't shown, there's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be - it's easy
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love, love is all you need
All you need is love, all together now
All you need is love, everybody
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Love is all you need
Love is all you need
Love is all you need...

Let’s go back through the wardrobe again….

Throughout the story, one person has shaped the course of events because of his anger and hurt – and a desire to hurt back. Edmund, the one who somehow never gets it right; Edmund, the third of four – who feels like he’s invisible and not needed. The one who feels like everyone else is loved more than he is. The one who is weakest when tempted with those things which others can resist; the one who can’t really tell what’s good and what isn’t. Yet he loves his siblings. Way down at the bottom of his lonely and hurting heart, he loves them. And somewhere in that little heart he knows he’s wrong.

But Aslan is coming – Aslan whom the others now know, and who somehow knows all about them. Aslan who holds in his heart all the beings in Narnia. Father Christmas has come, winter is fast fading, and even Edmund  realises the power of the White Witch can no longer hold him.

The Witch is losing her power because of the return of Aslan and his power, but it’s not just that; slowly, through the faith and tenacity of the inhabitants of Narnia, her power weakens. The many creatures have held up the prophecy that when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve come to Narnia, her power will be broken and Aslan will come. And they labour away quietly to prepare the way for the King, Aslan, to return and bring new life to Narnia. The four children didn’t really know what they were doing in Narnia or what they could do – but they became part of the community. They had faith, they were open to learning to see the world differently, to change and adapt; they learned to care about the creation around them and everything and everyone in it.

What they learned was the capacity to love, and how it can overcome so many things.

In the story Chronicles of Narnia – a little further on than where we have been, Aslan has been resurrected, and clashes with the White Witch – finally winning. How is he resurrected?

There is a magic deeper than the Deep Magic of the world – a magic beyond the dawn of time, when everything was still dark. When someone who has committed no treachery willingly gives his life in the stead of a traitor, the great stone table will crack and time would begin to move backwards.

But even then, even with Aslan’s power – there was one more thing – Edmund.

“It was all Edmund’s doing, Aslan.” Peter was saying. “We’d have been beaten if it hadn’t been for him. The witch was turning our troops into stone right and left, But nothing would stop him. He fought his way through three ogres to where she was just turning one of your leopards into a statue. And when he reached her he had the sense to bring his sword down on her wand instead of trying to go for her directly and simply getting made a statue himself for his pains. Once her wand was broken we began to have some chance – if we hadn’t lost so many already. He was terribly wounded.”

Edmund – the one who felt unloved, useless, put upon. Edmund has grown, through the unshakeable power of the love others offered – the other creatures, his family, and the understanding and love of Aslan. Love.

The first Christmas came because of the power of God, but not just that; it was because of the willingness of completely ordinary people to prepare the way. Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, maybe some shepherds, and even an innkeeper – watching and waiting, preparing the way, each having a part to play – and each bearing love – each not quite sure what they’re doing where they are, or what they’re going to do.

One of my favourite preachers is Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the US, and preacher at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In that sermon, he said this: “Jesus of Nazareth on one occasion was asked by a lawyer to sum up the essence of the teachings of Moses. He reached back into the Hebrew Scriptures, to Deuteronomy and Leviticus , and said “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like it: love your neighbour as yourself.”

This is found in Matthew, Mark and Luke. But, says Bishop Curry, in Matthew’s version Jesus added something:  “On these two, love of God and of neighbour, hang all the law and all the prophets, everything that Moses wrote, everything that God has been trying to tell the world….Love God, love your neighbours, and while you’re at it, love yourself.”  

And now, put these words of Bishop Curry into the Narnia story, and into our world: “That’s what love is. Love is not selfish and self-centered, Love can be sacrificial, and in so doing, become redemptive. And that way of unselfish, sacrificial, redemptive love changes lives, and it can change the world.

If you don’t believe me, just stop and imagine. Think and imagine a world where love is the way.
Imagine our homes and families where love is the way. Imagine neighbourhoods and communities where love is the way.

Imagine governments and nations where love is the way. Imagine business and commerce where love is the way.

Imagine this tired, old world where love is the way.

When love is the way – unselfish, sacrificial, redemptive  love – then no child will go to bed hungry in this world ever again.

When love is the way we will see justice roll down like a mighty stream and righteousness like and ever-flowing brook.

When love is the way then poverty will become history.

When love is the way the earth will be a sanctuary.

When love is the way, we will lay down our swords and shields, down by the riverside, to study war no more.

When love is the way, there’s plenty good room – plenty good room – for all God’s children.”

And a baby is born, born from an incredible love. Every baby born is born from this incredible love. In this world, our Narnia, this baby brings the power to melt anger, hurt, pain – and bring new life to a world living in winter.

All you need is love.  May it be so.


Sources: 1. Haverkamp, Heidi. Advent in Narnia. Westminster John Knox Press; Louisville, Kentucky 2015.
               2. Lewis, C. S, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. HarperCollins Children’s Books; New York, NY. 1956.
              3. Curry, Bishop Michael. The Power of Love. Avery (Penguin Random House) New York, 2018.




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