A lost Draft

People do not know the worst thing or the best thing they have done

Eat Static

When people think about Christianity they seldom remember that it took 400 years to agree on a Bible.  Another 1000 years before people would be generally able to read it.  Much of the history of religion is tangled up in power even as our church untangles.  They tried everything they could to leverage their size.  Strength of presence and policies of division.  Little changes until it does this yoke of our savior which is not burdensome.

The Bible stories have been gathering for more that 3000 years.  The New testament most scholars agree was written up until the time of the Byzantines in a real sense.  Translations evolved in ways we really can't document.  There are many ways we can document.  The Church wouldn't let the bible be translated to local languages for most of its history.  The most translated book in the world today it is hard to imagine the past as it is to imagine the future.  By some counts the Bible has been translated into more than 3000 languages.  There are more than 7000 languages spoken today.

My mother was a bit disappointed my daughter's name Sara didn't have a H like in the bible.  Like her daughter Deborah.  I told her the Bible wasn't written in English and I was pretty sure Abraham's had no H.  On the Balkans this would be a good place for a joke.  

1384 was the year we would finally have an English Bible.  Just in time for the printing press in 1455.  What other book would they choose to print.  Gutenberg invented not only a machine, but a new age we still live.  Printed bibles all around.  Many things are not clear in the past, but it is clear before this age people were only told what is in the Bible.  There are some who still miss this passed age.  They want to wield scripture for there own use, but there is a simple reason why the ministry of Jesus' endures.  If you agree with my message today or not you must agree it endures. 

1539 the First English bible authorized for public use the "Great Bible."  1821 almost half way there.  We are apart of this new discovery today.  We need to wake up to the fact that the world changes as we make it.  We need to realize Religion isn't finished.  When people complain they always assume organized religion has an answer for everything.  There is only an answer for one thing: who's will is important.  Organized Religion an oxymoron really.  When my sister voiced her displeasure at organized religion I told her she should surely return to Nottingham then.  It's not just us.  Most not talking at cross-purpose but no purpose.  

Religion has done more by the will of men then God's and it is also true of Christianity.  But even in the worst of times there is the will of God.  Kind of comes along with creation.  A mess to be true.

1560 is when we first got our numbered verses that seem to us older than the world.  462 years in many ways is a long time, but brings us nowhere near the life of Jesus.  In many ways it was yesterday.  These section titles are not as set as these verse numbers but in 500 years I can imagine children thinking they were first written in stone.  Our scripture today is often titled the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. 

1609 the first King James Bible the version the many still think of as the Bible.  Ye to mention for one.  The famous musician said he changed his name to Ye because it was the most common word in the bible.  Seems he had a King James version.

1808 was the year a woman first printed the Bible.  About 400 years it took.  400 years of oppressions makes things.  Not the largest sign post in the history of the Bible, but as important.  There is interesting research in K-6 education that kids will learn things wrong just as likely as they will learn things right.  What that research is missing is me.  The passion I bring to teaching what is right.  In the end it is not about the passion of Christ and blame, but our passion for God's will and progress.  Part of the process.

1971 The New American Standard Version purporting to be the best English translation. Genesis 20:2 New American Standard Bible 2 And Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent men and took Sarah.  To my mother's point the H was there in the Bible as I arrive in 1971.

Jesus gives us examples and teaches us in large and small ways.  There are no contradictions in our savior's actions.  The saving is the thing.  We will look at a small piece here today.  Pull it apart and see it a piece of all.   Error correcting is what his ministry is at the smallest level.

I will read our scripture Luke 4:14-21 from the amplified Bible

14 Then Jesus went back to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread through the entire region. 15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised and glorified and honored by all.

So at the beginning of his public Ministry Jesus went home.  Now where we are in the story Jesus had been just tempted by the devil.   Jesus replied to him, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’”  I believe it is informative that Jesus began at home.  We need to get our house in order.  That could be your own skin if you do not feel comfortable in it.  We put on the oxygen mask first so we can help others.  I know this well even as I have had a happy life.  We feel comfortable in ourselves and then comfortable we will find ourselves in our homes.  Comfortable we will be in our communities.

Words mean many things and to me comfortable is more related to peace than any other word.  The stability of the last 3000 years we often undervalue.  It is what we often miss in the climate change debate.  We have had it good for long.  Things are difficult to begin and I think this is what was praised and glorified and honored by all.  Often in our community things exist because of the monumental effort of one person.  Sometimes these things are good.  We all honor getting something started.  Here begun.

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

As was his custom he came to Nazareth.  We can rely on custom at times.  The last year of my as it is public ministry I have followed a big fan of Isaiah.  Almost feels like going home.  She even calls him her boyfriend.  We can respect some custom as we reject others.  I have a similar feeling when I lead the 2nd graders in discussion and simply state people in the past were wrong as much as they were right.

People leave more things undone than they do.  I leave more things undone than I do.  Not a lack of things I have been doing these last 50 years.  There is more to be done by the will of God.

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah),

Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor.

He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives,

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy),

19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].”

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.  This had been done before.  People still declare jubilee, but never before or since was it done with more truth or humility.  There would be more hard years than easy.    Cannot lose more than is created.

20 Then He rolled up the scroll [having stopped in the middle of the verse], gave it back to the attendant and sat down [to teach]; and the eyes of all those in the synagogue were [attentively] fixed on Him. 21 He began speaking to them: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing and in your presence.”

I recall my second grade class room.  Eyes of all those fixed on Him.  I have taught in public schools for eight years.  I have had that feeling maybe eight times.  There is a feel to it.  When you see them all they see that too or does it just seem.  This lingering sense of had been somewhere.   Research say the young will equally learn right things or wrong things.  Sometimes it is the first things.  In this smallest big way we have a reminder.

Begin with yourself.  Begin with your home.  Join with community and help create peace.

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 we read, such useful verse numbers: 

12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life].

Let Us Pray

Creator of all things

Bring us home to your will

Help us to serve our role

We ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ

Benediction

Go out in your love

Go out in your grief

Go out in your wins

Go out in your loses

Go out in the will of God

Just go

Return home and begin again

Nottingham UMC 1/23/2022