Presentation of Our Lord

The use of personal candles in the church always evokes a child-like wonder response in me.

The way the fire lights up our faces 

and the way we get quiet

and all the special prayers.

Christmas, the Great Easter Vigil, Candlemas, 

there are not a large number of services in which we use personal candles,

so they add a touch of special right away.

The child-like wonder aspect of our relationship with God is so important

and its one we tend to lose in the middle of our lives.

Children are blessed with the ability to wonder,

and it seems to return as one gets older in life, 

spending more time in quiet and reflection,

but the middle years - so full of hustle and bustle and too many concerns,

we complete overwhelm the child inside of us

losing our ability to feel wonder,

and in doing so,

lose some of our wonder at God.

At least, that can happen.

There are ways to retain and practice losing oneself in awe and wonder

most of which require a bit of discipline to stick with them

and a bit of stubbornness to keep with them despite the pressures to get other things done.

The most basic ways are staying mindful and being present in the moment.

God reveals God's self in so many different ways,

but we have to be present and mindful in order to see them.

Mr. Fred Rogers mostly talked to children in his stellar television series,

but in interviews, he did say a few things to adults too.

"You were a child once too." [Mr.] Rogers once told an adult interviewer.

Do you remember what it felt like to be a child?

I think this is something we forget as we get older, 

until we start to head towards end of life, 

when many of the things we associate as adults with childhood come back to us. 

Free time to do whatever you want. 

Someone else taking care of you. 

Not making all your own financial and life decisions.

But the true essence of childhood are things like 

being able to be in wonder at the world,

believing the best of people, 

not feeling dragged down by the cares of the world, 

feeling secure and safe,

being fascinated by the mysteries around us.

Jesus truly started as a child. 

I think that is a miracle in itself. 

There are plenty of pictures and icons of him as a child looking 

well, like no child has ever looked, 

like an adult in a child's body, 

completely aware and in control of the situation.

I can tell you, no forty-day-old baby looks like that!

Yet, I don't think that is the way it would have happened. 

God wanted to experience humanity, 

and one cannot truly be a human being without having had a childhood,

including the experience of learning as you go.

Part of what also goes along with childhood, 

with our early portion of life, and usually our later portion of life, 

is more mindfulness, a better ability to be in the present moment.

Children don't tend to be constantly thinking about the past or future, 

they tend to live right here and now. 

Can I have more food now, Mommy? 

This hurts right now!

Babies are born so present in the moment that they have to learn continuity, 

that is the point of playing peek a boo.

They have to learn that just because they can't see something anymore doesn't mean it doesn't exist. 

They are so present in the moment in those early early stages 

that they believe that only what they can see exists.

While we don't need to lose our understanding of continuity in the world, 

we do need to relearn how to live in the present moment. 

To be mindful of what is really going on right here and now,

so that we can see the reality of God in our world. 

Simeon and Anna are good examples of people who were living in the present, 

especially when Jesus came to visit the temple. 

They were able to immediately see who he was.

Despite all the human trappings of a baby with parents,

they knew he was God's son,

the Messiah. 

Simeon and Anna pass the first test, they recognize Jesus for who he is. 

They see him as the Messiah, even though he is still a baby.

In the book of Malachi, where our Old Testament reading was taken from this morning,

we hear the prophecy about how the Lord will appear in his Temple.

It will be as a refiner's fire. 

Purifying.

Cleaning and reforming and making things straight with God.

The story of Jesus' presentation comes from the Gospel of Luke. 

Luke has Jesus appear in the temple twice before the start of his public ministry, 

this story of his presentation, and the story of Jesus as a twelve year old questioning the teachers,

before all the physical refining takes place later in Jesus' life 

such as in the story of Jesus throwing the money changers out of the Temple.

But even as a baby, Jesus' appearance at the Temple changes those who are at the Temple.

His encounter with Simeon and Anna

not only change them, but also his parents, 

and all those who heard Simeon and Anna speaking about and prophesying about Jesus. 

Before he is even grown, 

Jesus is fulfilling the prophecies about him.

Sadly, not everyone was able to see what God was doing then.

I think the rest of the story would have been much easier

if everyone recognized Jesus as the Messiah as a baby 

and learned to walk in God's way then, 

before all the betrayal and suffering which was to come.

Thankfully, it is not too late for us.

We can learn to be more mindful,

more open to what God is doing in the present moment.

We can learn to open our hearts to wonder again

so that we can see with amazement

the work Jesus is doing in our lives and our community. 

If we open our hearts to the present moment, 

instead of focusing on the past or our future worries,

we may see something wonderful,

as Simeon was able to see the Messiah in a little baby.

In the movie Christopher Robin, near the end, 

Winnie the Pooh asks Christopher Robin what day it is.

Christoper Robin simply replies, Today.

And Pooh, sighs thankfully and says, 

"My favorite day. Yesterday when it was tomorrow, it was too much day for me."

Most of us take on too much day at a time.

We worry about what is going to happen tomorrow, even as we ignore what is happening in the present.

And sadly, the present is being neglected, especially here in the church.

Today we need to become like Jesus,

as a child full of wonder

we need to be fully present to the here and now

recognizing reality for what it is and isn't.

We need to find the wonder again which comes along with realizing how things really are.

We are here together

we live at a time when we have the freedom to go where we wish

to worship the God we know and love

We gather together to uphold all that is good in this world

despite the stresses and malice in our lives

God has given us so much that is good right before our very eyes.

Our church is an anchor and a blessing to so many in our community.

Its value, the value of this community gathered together is priceless.

If we are mindful and present this day,

we will see what God is doing in our midst.

We will see the wonder of our amazing God.

Amen.