Some Thoughts at the Turning of the Year
Luke 2:22-40
January 3, 2021
Emmanuel Baptist Church; Rev. Kathy Donley
A recording of the worship service in which this sermon was preached may be found here: https://youtu.be/nyB1dzw3IdQ
What if around this time last year someone had told us that 2020 was going to be the most unusual year of our lives? What would we have done with that information? Would we have believed them? Or might we have thought that it was the kind of thing people sometimes say when they want to sound wise?
What does Mary think when old man Simeon, a stranger to her, takes her baby and says “I can die now. I’ve held the hope of the world in my arms.” When he tells her that a sword will pierce her soul, what exactly is she supposed to be with that information? We could think that after the angel Gabriel made his announcement and after the shepherds showed up, she might just take Simeon’s proclamation in stride, but Luke tells us that she and Joseph are amazed.
I suspect they believe Simeon and Anna. I mean, what brand-new parents don’t believe every good word uttered about their child? But I suspect they believe because of what has already happened – with the angels and the shepherds. I suspect they believe because of who Anna and Simeon are, because of the conviction with which they speak.
Somehow Anna and Simeon recognize this baby for who he is. They have been waiting a long time for him. Every year, during Advent, churches talk about waiting for Jesus to be born. We pay lip-service to the idea that waiting is an important spiritual discipline, but this year, we have all learned how hard and heavy, how boring and lonely, waiting really is. The poet John Milton said, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” Standing and waiting has been the vocation of Anna and Simeon for decades.
I wonder why they are expecting a baby. I wonder why they don’t hang out in the youth or young adult area of the Temple, listening to the conversations, wondering about the passion in that voice or the edgy theology in that one. Somehow they know. Somehow after a lifetime of prayer and waiting and paying attention, they just know.
I have a couple of books of pictures of Jesus. One is a collection of the ways that Jesus has been portrayed by artists through history. The other is a book of photographs of people named Hesus, taken by photographer Sean Hawkey. These are men and women who are called by the name of Jesus, but the world mostly does not recognize anything special about them. In fact, what many of them have in common with Jesus is that they are rejected by the rich and powerful, seen as trouble-makers. So, I just have to wonder again, how it was that Simeon and Anna knew who Jesus was. I have to wonder again how many times Jesus be right in front of me and I might be clueless.
* * *
I asked you this week to think of an older person in your life who taught you something important. Or someone you remember because they were patient and waited a long time for a dream to come true. I heard from many of you and I appreciate all of your stories. Many of you told me about a parent or a parent-in-law. Some got good advice from a mentor or a boss. You named people who were passionate about a cause, people who kept on advocating for justice.
I was reminded of three people who were finally able to marry their true love at mid-life or later. You named Roy, Elisabeth, Audrey, Jennie and Lillian and Carl among the Annas and Simeons of Emmanuel. They inspired you with their good humor and steadfastness and faith, even in hard times, especially in hard times. They kept you going because they kept showing up, showing up for church, showing up for other people, showing up for life.
What older people often know better than younger people is about change. The oldest people among us have seen incredible change across their lifetimes. Change in their own families and communities, change in technology and political systems. We are fortunate that Emmanuel has been enlivened with those who embrace the opportunities for transformation and growth to be found in every stage of their personal and spiritual lives. We can be grateful and lean on the courage and sense of adventure of our companions on this journey.
* * *
I notice one more thing about Simeon – he knew the balance of holding on and letting go. He had held on, waiting to see the Messiah for decades, but now when he has the baby Jesus in his arms, he says “Let your servant now depart in peace . . . for my eyes have seen thy salvation.” This is the prayer offered every evening in monasteries around the world. A prayer of relinquishment, of acceptance. Simeon has a sense of completeness and is willing to let go. He might have asked for more time, more time to stay connected to Mary and Joseph, more time to see this child grow up. He has held on this long, why not longer? But the wisdom he offers us is in knowing when to let go.
We have let go of many things this year. Perhaps we will be required to let go of even more in 2021. Who can say? We have also held on to much. We have held to our faith in Jesus as Lord. We have held to the discipline of gathering together. Your church leaders have endured, continuing to guide and care for this congregation. And beyond that, the vision committee has done the faithful work of discernment, pondering together what is essential to hold onto and what we need to let go, as we seek to follow Jesus, to recognize Jesus among our neighbors.
Friends, at the turning of the year, I am aware that many of us are weary. We may be ready for 2020 to end, but we do not carry much excitement for a new year. The fatigue of the last 9 months has accumulated. The stress of isolation is taking its toll.
More than ever, we know that we are all in this together. And so, I encourage us to remember the wisdom of Anna and Simeon, who endured and knew the joy of faithful waiting. I encourage us to lean on the Simeons and Annas among us, some of blessed memory, some as close as the telephone. Recognize that perhaps you are the current Simeon, the contemporary Anna for someone else. Hold on, beloved ones, even if the waiting seems endless. Because they also serve who only stand and wait.
Thanks be to God. Amen.