SermonStudio

The Psalms for all three Christmas services celebrate the
kingship of Yahweh. At Christmas they are seen in a new light.
They celebrate God's rule not as an outsider but as the one "born
to be king" and sharing in the life of creation. Some of the
comments on Psalm 96 for Proper 24 A are applicable to the other
Psalms for the Nativity of our Lord as well.


CHRISTMAS EVE (I) and CHRISTMAS DAWN (II)

Isaiah 9:2--7

The royal titles given here to the coming child were seen, in
the time of Isaiah and at that of Jesus' birth, over against the
claims of the political empires of Assyria and Rome. Today and in
the twenty--first century the birth of the Messiah must be
proclaimed in a context of economic and technological imperiums
which determine the disposition of earth's resources and the
energies which science makes available. Faithful preaching at
Christmas on this text will present Jesus as the alternative
power for the powerless, and his birth as the coming of the one
who has the authority to redistribute wealth, reorder care of the
earth, and revise priorities for the use of its resources.

Luke 2:1--20 (RCL gives 2:1--14 [15--20] for Christmas Eve and 2:[1--
7] 8--20 for Christmas Dawn. Here we reflect especially on vv. 8--
14.)

Mention of "the heavenly host" is double--valued. It refers to
the angelic armies, but still carries the ancient idea of the
stars of heaven as well. In a way, the angelic host in Luke's
Christmas story parallels the Star of Bethlehem in Matthew's. The
heavenly bodies and the entire universe join in celebrating the
birth of their king.
The birth of Jesus at Christmas is the fulfillment of the
promise that the creator who made the world out of nothing in the
beginning has power to cause Immanuel, God with us, to be
conceived in the empty womb of a girl newly become a woman. That
empty womb becomes the nothingness out of which God will call the
whole new creation.


CHRISTMAS DAY (III)

Hebrews 1:1--4 [5--12] (LBW has vv. 1--9.)

The words from verse 3, "Upholding the universe by his word of
power" (RSV), are used as a motto by the American Scientific
Affiliation, an organization of Christians in various areas of
scientific work. The Christian understanding of the world is much
more profound than a general theistic belief that "God" made the
world. Jesus Christ, God's full and final revelation (v. 1), is
the One through whom God "created the worlds" and keeps the
universe in being. Christmas is not a time when most people would
expect to hear about creation, but perhaps they can use a
surprise, a cosmic surprise stated very well by Karl Barth:

The world came into being, it was created and sustained by the
little child that was born at Bethlehem, by the man who died on
the cross of Golgotha, and the third day rose again. That is the
Word of creation, by which all things were brought into being.
That is where the meaning of creation comes from, and that is why
it says at the beginning of the Bible: "In the beginning God made
heaven and earth and God said, Let there be ...."1

John 1:1--14

To speak of Christ, the author of the Fourth Gospel used a
term which at that time was broad and transcultural, and which
today has the potential for significant contact with themes of
the science--theology dialogue. "Word," the Greek logos, has its
origin in the "word of the LORD," dabhar YHWH, which came to the
prophets, a weighty and active divine expression (Amos 8:11--12;
Jeremiah 23:29). It is the Word through which God created the
universe: the echoes of Genesis 1 in the prologue of John's
gospel are unmistakable. (The memra or "utterance" of the targums
may be the link between the older biblical usage and that in
John, as the connection between the targum on Numbers and John
3:14 suggests.2) But the Johannine logos also connects up with
the use of the term in Greek philosophy, a use which has
connotations of both "word" and "reason." Thus God's self--
expression ("At the beginning God expressed himself" is J.B.
Phillips' paraphrase of v. 1a) and the divine rationality are
encompassed. While philosophical concepts like the World Reason
of the Stoics do not lie behind the prologue, John makes it
possible for christology to make contact with such ideas.
Christ as logos is thus the source of the world's pattern.
That does not mean that he is something like the laws of nature,
for that would suggest a basically passive and impersonal role.
The laws of nature are contingent ---- they could have been
different, and they are as they are because God so chooses. But
the Word is the source and maintenance of the world's
rationality.
Augustine said that he had found "In the beginning was the
Word" in Plato, but that he had never read there that "the Word
became flesh." The source of the universe's rationality has
chosen to be united personally with the universe. In the modern
description of elementary particles by quantum field theory, the
basic laws of physics which describe the interactions of matter
are indissolubly united with the substance of the world. This can
provide an analogy for the Incarnation

of the Word which is perhaps more helpful today than older images
like the union of "fire" and "iron" in glowing iron.
The Word has come to "dwell" among us (v. 14). The destiny of
the universe is the embodied Word, a theme which parallels the
anthropic principles of modern cosmology which speak of a central
role for intelligent life in the universe. (See the discussion of
Colossians 1:13--20 for Christ the King C.)


2 CHRISTMAS

Sirach [Ecclesiasticus] 24:1--12 is suggested as an alternate
First Lesson by RCL. This speech of Holy Wisdom provides some of
the biblical background for the logos concept of the Fourth
Gospel.

Ephesians 1:3--14 (LBW has 1:3--6, 15--18. See the discussion for
Proper 10 B.)

John 1:[1--9] 10--18 (See the discussion of vv. 1--14 for Christmas
Day.)


EPIPHANY

Ephesians 3:1--12 (LBW has vv. 2--12.)

This festival celebrates the revelation of Christ to the
nations, and thus throughout the world. Ephesians tells us that
God's plan does not even end with the proclamation of the gospel
in all the earth. The Church has an even greater mission, to
proclaim God's wisdom "in the heavenly places" (v. 10).
We think first of Christ's ascension in that connection, as
Ephesians 1:19--23 (discussed for Ascension Day) suggests. But the
proclamation of the gospel on earth takes place through human
witnesses, and perhaps its announcement in the heavenly

places does as well. We don't usually think of space exploration
as having much to do with evangelism, and we should be careful
about making such a connection in simplistic ways. But we also
should not be too shy of some imaginative thought along that
line. In a time when science fiction films and television series
like Star Trek are very popular, a preacher might want to develop
a science fiction story sermon to address texts like this one.

Matthew 2:1--12

The magi were the scholars of ancient Persia, trained in the
Zoroastrian religious tradition, in astrology and other mystical
ideas of the time, and in the natural sciences of the period.
Persian ideas influenced the later writings of the Old Testament
and the intertestamental period. Ignatius of Antioch saw the
coming of the magi as a submission of the powers of magic and the
demons to the rule of Christ.3 That analysis may have been too
optimistic: astrology was taken seriously by educated people for
another sixteen hundred years after the magi were led by the
star, and the resurgence of it and other forms of pseudo--science
in the New Age movement shows that it still retains some power.
But it still does not work. Christianity (as long as it isn't
tempted to try to be simply a newer and better magic) should
stand firmly with real science against the cheap imitation
sciences of popular culture.
Astrology has no scientific basis, but it is still a big
business. People pay good money to call 900 numbers and get
advice from a "psychic astrologer." Preachers need to be aware
that they may have people in their congregations who engage in
this and other New Age practices and see no tension between them
and Christianity. As with all deeply--held beliefs, acceptance of
astrology should be approached with care and sensitivity, but it
should not be ignored.
And in view of this, how astonishing it is that God meets the
magi within their own understanding, employing a vision which
makes sense within their limited view of the world

to lead them to the Christ child! What has this to say about
bridging gaps between religion and science/technology?
Seeking help from human power and authority on their quest,
the magi stir up opposition that threatens the life of the infant
Immanuel. What parallels to this story of the consultation with
Herod are evoked as we seek a vision for the best uses for
science and technology? What opposition from the powerful is
stirred to prevent implementation or co--opt it so that it poses
no threat to those in control?


ASH WEDNESDAY

2 Corinthians 5:20b----6:10 (LBW ends with 6:2.)

Greek has two words for time. Chronos is approximately our
everyday concept, a measure of duration. Kairos, on the other
hand, is time as an occasion, giving a sense of the quality of
time. The "day of salvation," when there is the opportunity to
respond to God's offer, differs from other days. Our digital
watches, molecular clocks, and measurements of astronomical
movements determine chronos but are blind to kairos.
God's saving work does not abolish time. In fact, the
Incarnation is God's choice to participate fully in the space--
time relationships of our world. And because of the Incarnation,
time is made salvific. Its saving quality is not restricted to
our past, but is shared by the moments when the risen Christ is
encountered in proclamation, when people are baptized into the
death and resurrection of Jesus, and by his anamnesis in the
Supper. It is "the acceptable time" as long as God leaves the
offer open. (See also Hebrews 4 here.)
The church year is not an essential part of Christianity, but
it can be very useful. If nothing else, it can illustrate the
concepts of chronos and kairos. The secular calendar helps us to
keep track of intervals of time. That is not the main purpose of
the church's calendar. That is a representation of

God's kairoi, a way of keeping in touch with unique times of
salvation history. Now, whatever the world may be doing this
February or March, it is Ash Wednesday. It is time to remember
that we are dust, time to start on the way to the desert with the
Lord, time again to take with renewed seriousness his call to be
disciples. The acceptable time may come in July or November too,
but we emphasize that kairos liturgically today.
There is a common experience in our technological world which
can illustrate the distinction between the two ideas of time. As
you sit in an airport waiting area, you hear departures of
different flights being announced. For you, most of them simply
correspond to different entries in a timetable. But when the
departure of your flight comes over the PA system, that is the
kairos for you. It's time to get on board or be left behind.


SUNDAY OF THE PASSION

Philippians 2:5--11

When the full passion narrative is read on this day, there may
be little appetite for a lengthy sermon. But this text, which
speaks of the kenosis, the emptying, of the Son of God, of his
death, and of cosmic obeisance to the exalted crucified One, can
keep our understanding of the effects of his passion from being
too limited. Every creature in the universe will worship him, and
this will mean the ordering of all nature in justice and peace.


TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK

John 12:20--36 (See the discussion for 5 Lent B.)


WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK

Romans 5:6--11 is LBW's Second Lesson. See the discussion for
Proper 6 A.

EASTER VIGIL

The Song of the Three Jews 35--65.

The proclamation of the Word for the vigil comes with a number
of rather lengthy readings, and a sermon, if any, will probably
be brief. A number of the Old Testament readings focus on
creation (e.g., Genesis 1:1----3:24 or the shorter alternative 1:1--
--2:2) or provide anticipations of the supreme act of new creation
in the resurrection of Jesus (e.g., Ezekiel 37:1--14).4 The story
of the Flood, concluding with God's covenant with all living
things, is especially noteworthy for our concerns. (See the
discussion for 1 Lent B.)
The canticle Benedicite, Omnia Opera (Lutheran Book of Worship
Canticle #18), a selection from The Canticle of Azariah and the
Song of the Three Jews in the Apocrypha, is the response to the
final reading from Daniel 3. It is a wonderful praise of God by
the whole creation, sung out of the fire of persecution. This
expands upon the theme of Psalm 148 (upon which we comment for 1
Christmas A), and in fact can be thought of as a biblical
commentary on that Psalm.
The universe is God's, and though the world may destroy God's
faithful people, God remembers and vindicates them. Therefore
God's people can have courage to persevere in their covenant
responsibilities of caring for the earth and of voicing
creation's worship of God.

Exodus 15:1--11, part of the response to the fourth reading, is
discussed for Easter C, where it is LBW's First Lesson.


EASTER EVENING

Isaiah 25:6--9 (See the discussion for Proper 23 A.)

ASCENSION DAY

Acts 1:1--11; Ephesians 1:15--23 (LBW begins with v. 16.)

Today we celebrate both the ascension of Christ and his
"session" at the right hand of the Father. The First Lesson may
suggest an incredible pre--scientific picture of Jesus rising a
few miles above the clouds and sitting on a throne in the sky.
The Second Lesson says that "God ... seated him at his right hand
in the heavenly places" (v. 20). But Christ is also the One "who
fills all in all" (v. 23). The picture in Ephesians is not of
Jesus localized in heaven, but of him as the cosmic ruler who is
immediately present to the entire universe. God's "right hand" is
not a single place but the power with which God rules, so that
Luther said simply that the right hand of God is everywhere.
In order to make sense of this message in relation to
scientific views of the universe, remember that modern science
has already moved well beyond common sense ideas of space and
time. Einstein's relativity theories have made us realize that
the real geometry of the universe has to be determined from
experience, and not from an analysis of what is supposed to be
intrinsic to our thought about the world, as Kant believed.
Space--time is inextricably linked with the material of the world
and its behavior. And the Christian claim is that the cross,
resurrection, and ascension of Jesus make up the most fundamental
happening in the history of the universe.


VIGIL OF PENTECOST

Romans 8:14--17, 22--27 (See the discussion for Proper 11 A.)


SAINT ANDREW

Psalm 19:1--6 (See the discussion for 3 Lent B.)

SAINT JOHN

Genesis 1:1--5, 26--31 (See the discussion for Trinity A.)


THE NAME OF JESUS

Psalm 8 (See the discussion for Trinity C.)


SAINT MARK

Psalm 57

The superscription calls this a psalm of David "when he fled
from Saul, in the cave." It is thus typologically a Psalm of the
resurrection of Christ. Verse 8 invites us to think of the moment
of Christ's resurrection as an awakening, and the refrain in
verses 6 and 11 invites us to see that as the awakening of the
whole creation.


NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

Malachi 3:1--4 (See the discussion for 2 Advent C.)


SAINT BARTHOLOMEW

1 Corinthians 12:27--31a (See the discussion for 3 Epiphany C.)

John 1:43--51

In Genesis 28:12, in the story of Jacob's dream at Bethel, it
is possible to see the angels ascending and descending on Jacob.
(Grammatically, bo could be "on him" as well as "on it.") Some of
the rabbis did read the passage in this way, and saw Israel as
the bridge between earth and heaven. In John 1:51 it is not
Israel's ancestor but its "King" who is that bridge. The
connection between God and God's creation is the incarnate Word.

HOLY CROSS DAY

Psalm 98 (See the discussion for Christmas.)

Isaiah 45:21--25 is LBW's First Lesson for this festival.

Every knee shall bow to the God of Israel (v. 23), a thought
which is transferred to Christ in Philippians 2:11. (See the
discussion for Passion Sunday.) In a trinitarian understanding,
there is no substantial difference. If every knee bows to God,
then every shred of knowledge shall be used at God's command and
every exercise of power consider God's will. The ethic which
gives priority to justice to the neighbor and praise to God "the
Almighty" is valid wherever in the universe we might travel, in
whatever kind of work we may be employed. Bowing the knee to God
is not a matter of proper court ritual but is to happen in each
word we speak and each deed we do. Those of us engaged in
science, engineering, and medicine are to see those activities
also as part of our homage.

1 Corinthians 1:18--24 (See the discussion for 4 Epiphany A.)

John 12:20--33 (See the discussion for 5 Lent B.)


COMMEMORATION OF SAINTS

1 Corinthians 1:26--31 (See the discussion for 4 Epiphany A.)


COMMEMORATION OF THEOLOGIANS

Wisdom 7:7--14

The work of the theologian differs from that of the scientist
because their "texts" are different. The theologian reads
Scripture while the natural scientist reads the world. (The idea

of the cosmos as sefer, text, goes back to medieval Jewish
thinkers, and the concept of Scripture and nature as God's "two
books" was used by, for example, Galileo.) This does not mean
that there is no commonality between theology and natural
science, for the "author" of both books is the triune God. One
way of expressing this commonality is in terms of the Wisdom
which is the subject of the book by that name in the Apocrypha.
The world was created in God's wisdom (Psalm 104:24), which is
the secret of creation.5 This Wisdom could be understood by Jews
in the intertestamental period as something to be found in Torah
(Sirach 24, Baruch 3:9--37), and by early Christians as incarnate
in Jesus. (See 1 Corinthians 1:18--31 and the chiasmus of Matthew
11:2 and 19.) Thus one answer to the question, "What do
scientists and theologians have in common?" is "The study of
Wisdom."

1 Corinthians 2:6--10, 13--16 (See the discussion for 5 Epiphany
A.)

Matthew 13:47--52 (See the discussion for Proper 12 A.)


COMMEMORATION OF ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS

Psalm 96 (See the discussion for Proper 24 A.)

Matthew 13:44--52 (See the discussion for Proper 12 A.)

Christians commemorated in the Church's calendar have usually
been those notable for some specifically "religious" reason. It
is right that we remember and honor apostles and evangelists,
martyrs and missionaries, pastors and theologians. But "church
work" does not exhaust the list of avenues of service to which
God calls us. Since many people have the idea that there is some
incompatibility between Christianity and science, it can be
helpful to call attention to Christians whose vocation has been
science, engineering, or medicine. The

Lutheran Book of Worship lists commemorations of the scientists
Nicolaus Copernicus and Leonhard Euler for 24 May, and the nurses
Florence Nightingale and Clara Maass on 13 August, and the Book
of Common Prayer commemorates the medieval scientist Robert
Grosseteste on 9 October. The traditional festival of Saint Luke
the physician on 18 October might also be noted. Other
commemorations ---- for example, of Louis Pasteur or James Clerk
Maxwell ---- would also be appropriate. Some attention to the lives
of such Christians would help to bring out the possibility of
consonance between Christianity and science. (Clara Maass died as
a volunteer for experiments to determine the cause and cure for
yellow fever in 1901. There can be an element of martyrdom
involved in scientific work.)


DEDICATION AND ANNIVERSARY

1 Kings 8:22--30 (See the discussion for Proper 4 C.)


HARVEST

Psalm 65

This speaks vividly of God's maintenance of the world, and of
harvest as the gift of God. God "visits" the earth and waters it
(v. 9). The grain is "prepared" (v. 10), almost as if we were to
picture God working on each individual stalk. But of course
Israel, though not having a concept of an independent natural
order, recognized the regularities of the processes which bring
the harvest. And we can understand those processes, from the
nuclear reactions at the sun's core which provide solar energy
through weather to the botanical processes by which the grain
ripens, in scientific terms. We don't have to say anything about
God's involvement in the process, but faith in God as creator
will lead us to do so.
This was formalized in traditional doctrines of providence as
concurrence, the idea that in everything that happens in the
world God is at work through natural processes. We look

ultimately to God to provide for us because God is also the
creator of those natural processes and the laws which govern
them. (Those laws are contingent: they might have been different
had God so chosen.) Our scientific comprehension of the bounty of
harvest does not give us less cause to thank God than Israel had.
If anything, we have more to be grateful for because we can thank
God for the rationality of nature.

Deuteronomy 26:1--11 (See the discussion for 1 Lent C.)


NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Psalm 20

This forms with Psalm 21 a pair of royal Psalms. Psalm 20 is
the king before battle, and Psalm 21 is a thanksgiving after
victory. They are not pacifist hymns: the nation is going to
fight, and asks God for aid. Yet a clear distinction is
maintained between going to war and trusting in one's own
military might. Verses 7--8 here reject confidence in horses and
chariots, the state--of--the--art weapons systems of the nations, as
idolatry which will lead to failure.
Much of the Christian tradition has spoken of a possibility of
"just war" (perhaps "justifiable war" is better), an idea
different from either pacifism or "holy war." War may, in some
situations, be a regrettable necessity. In no situation, however,
are we to put our final trust in military might. This warning
needs to be heard today when science--based technology gives us
weapons and defenses which so easily give the illusion of supreme
security. But the only ultimate security, in war or peace, is to
"call upon the name of the LORD our God."


PEACE

Micah 4:1--5

Verses 1--3 duplicate Isaiah 2:2--4, which is assigned for 1
Advent A. (The discussion there gives a general explication

of technological themes raised by Isaiah 2.) The beating of
swords into plowshares has been taken as a profound symbol of the
hope for peace, as in the statue which stands outside the United
Nations building in New York. It is sometimes forgotten that this
hope is not unambiguous within the canon: Joel 3:10 calls for
plowshares to be beaten into swords and pruning hooks into
spears. A straightforward proof--texting approach cannot settle
the war--peace question in any given situation, though the fact
that "swords into plowshares" outnumbers "plowshares into swords"
two to one in the Bible may be significant!
In the just war tradition, one of the criteria for going to
war is that the goal of the war must be peace. Shalom is the
eschatological goal, but in our time before the eschaton, war may
be the more appropriate choice in some circumstances and peace in
others. The imagery used by the prophets points out that the same
technology can be used for either peace or war. The same
metallurgy can be used for plowshares or swords. The effects of
technology, and the question of its morality, depend on the human
wills which choose how that technology will be used.


STEWARDSHIP OF CREATION

Psalm 104:1, 13--24 or 25--37 (See the discussion for Pentecost A.)

Job 39:1--11, 16--18

The physicist Victor Weisskopf wrote a popular book about the
scientific understanding of the world titled Knowledge and
Wonder.6 "Knowledge" is usually emphasized when we talk about
science as an objective compilation of facts and their
relationships. A science that didn't give us real knowledge of
the world wouldn't be worth much. But "wonder" is also important
if one is to be a really good scientist, or even if one is simply
to appreciate science. Those who don't believe in

God as the creator experience this wonder, as British cosmologist
Fred Hoyle's statement about the fineness of the universe "in
concept and design" shows. In the closing chapters of Job, God
appeals to this sense of wonder and says, "I'm behind it." The
world is wonderful because God made and makes it so. As stewards
of creation, part of our calling is to have such a sense of
wonder and to help preserve the marvels of creation.


NEW YEAR'S EVE

Psalm 102:24--28

The decades of life or the centuries of history can present a
depressing vista because we are aware of the shortness of our
lives, and especially of the healthy and useful parts of our
lives. This is exacerbated for us today, with our knowledge that
the universe has been in existence for ten or fifteen billion
years, and the earth for about four and a half billion. Even the
whole history of the human race has covered only a small fraction
of the age of the earth. (If the age of the earth is taken as one
day, humanity would be in existence for a fraction of a minute
before midnight.) It is all the more important for us to remember
the psalmist's confidence that God endures.



Endnotes
1. Karl Barth, Dogmatics in Outline (Harper & Row, New York,
1959), p. 58.

2. Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John (i--xii), The
Anchor Bible 29 (Doubleday, Garden City NY, 1966), Appendix II
and p. 133.

3. "The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians" in The Ante--Nicene
Fathers, Vol. I, (Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids MI, 1979), Ch.
XIX, p. 57.


4. A chart showing the vigil readings in several different rites
is on pp. 80--81 of Gabe Huck and Mary Ann Simcoe (ed.), Triduum
Sourcebook (Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago, 1983).

5. von Rad, Wisdom in Israel, Chapter 9.

6. Victor F. Weisskopf, Knowledge and Wonder, revised ed.
(Doubleday, Garden City, NY, 1966).