What to wear in Colossae…and Wanaka?

Christmas 1 year C 12 Sermon

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Now that summer’s truly here…whatever to wear in Wanaka? Especially when it’s been so hot.

Well that’s hardly ever a problem is it…
because there actually is a way to dress in Wanaka…
there’s a Wanaka clothing identity!

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It’s smart but casual. You could go golfing or rock climbing or to a café... and you wouldn’t look out of place.

Of course Hawea’s a little different...more alternative ...more greenie maybe...unless you’ve been farming there for generations. But here in Wanaka its

Montage of brands

Ice breaker… Rodd and Gunn... McKensie Country ...perhaps... a Janice Jones scarf...47 Frocks if you’ve got some bread or maybe something sunny from Ezybuy or the op shop at Wastebusters if you don’t. [pause]

...what we wear identifies us... what you wear identifies you ...where you fit in to the local culture...where you live...
what you like to do ... whether your old or young...

and here in Wanaka... we like to relax.

...what we wear in this town…identifies us as relaxed people...even when we’re doing business…even at church.

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We’d look twice and probably stare... if we saw someone walking down Ardmore street in a three piece suit.
Or shopping at New World… dressed up to the nines.

But there are towns where it’s very important
to dress like that. And establishments you’d be asked to leave... if you were wearing... your tramping boots and your gortex jacket…or your jandals.

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How we dress…sends a signal to the world
about who we are ...or who we aren’t.

How we dress… communicates a great deal...
about our identity.

Colossae

And it was true even in Biblical times...
even in Colossae west of Ephesus in the Lycus River Valley.

Looks a lot like Wanaka don’t you think?
This is where the Colossian Christians lived when Paul wrote his letter to them… today it’s part of Turkey.

How people dressed then… said as much as it does today... about where they fit into the scheme of things. And that’s probably why the prophet Isaiah... and the apostle Paul they loved to use dressing up... as a metaphor. Like when you’re depressed …put on the garments of praise. Or ‘put on the armour of God’ to be spiritually safe....  

and that’s why in his letter to the Colossians... Paul writes

if you’re gonna be a community of Jesus’ followers...
you’re going to have to dress right.
You’ve got to put on your Jesus clothes…

if you’re going to have any show
of carrying on Jesus’ work as a community…
all of you are going to have to clothe yourselves in Christ...

And what do these Jesus clothes look like?

Well…Paul tells them…in private and public

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you’ve got to clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience...tolerance, forgiveness.’ Disciples of Jesus don’t just put on any scungy old gear
And at no time... are you to take off our Jesus clothes...
and never ever... parade around without them!

Why is that so important to for the Colossian’s?
Because there’s far too much at stake...like their survival and their ability to hold the Christian community together.
Unless you clothe yourselves in Christ...Paul tells them…
you’re too vulnerable and if you don’t well...
there’ll be no recognizable followers of Jesus. [pause]

Paul long shot

Back in prison in Rome…though he’s never met them… Paul’s worried because he’s heard through the Christian grapevine...they’re in strife and conflict with each other

old habits die hard... pressure to conform to the surrounding culture is strong…

and while some Colossian’s had become baptized followers of Jesus ... their families and friends and their community are still up to their eyeballs in......
well...other stuff

Some worship angels…some are trying to control the elements through witchcraft and wizardry...still others were followers of the great Greek secular philosophies...

And they had all these complicated rules...
about what you could eat and what you should wear...

every culture has them... regulations like "Don’t handle those thing! Don’t taste that! Definitely don’t touch that!" [pause]

So Paul knew it was hard for the new Christian’s in Colossae... to figure out just how to separate...
their culture from their faith.

In fact they’d argue about it all the time...

About what identifies a person.... or a community...

as truly Christian…

These conflicts were threatening the peace and unity of the new congregation.

So of course Paul is worried for them...
and he doesn’t want to confuse them even further...
so Paul uses the kiss principle... you know what that is…?

Paul writes…Dear Colossians just so you’re not sucked in
by any phony arguments...just keep it simple...
because it’s actually quite simple...

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‘just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord...

walk in him, be rooted in him... and built upon him... and established in the faith as you were taught... abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one captivates you... with an empty seductive philosophy... according to human tradition... or elemental powers. Paul tells them...all these are only shadows...

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And Paul doesn’t debate the existence of angels...
instead he says...Christians don’t have to worry about placating spirits... or fret about defiling themselves through food and drink...because Jesus Christ and his teaching....

offer everything necessary for life.

And as they make their way in such a complex cultural environment... they’re gonna have to go easy on each other...instead of arguing all the time... for heaven sake… keep it simple...‘just clothe yourself in Christ’.
just trust God’s new covenant... and

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‘as God's chosen people... holy and dearly loved,

clothe yourselves with compassion...kindness...humility ...gentleness and patience.

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Bear with each other... forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

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And right over all these virtues… put... on... love,

which binds them all together... in perfect unity.

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In other words take off forever –– coldness, cruelty and indifference, arrogance, harshness, irritability, blaming, intolerance…and the hate and the conflict that destroys...

absolutely every community.  

And there’s one more thing…Paul says…
don’t pretend it doesn’t matter if a fellow Christian
parades around in unloving clothes...it does matter...

so you’ve got to point it out to them...but gently and with wisdom...that they might like to change their clothes.
Take off those old stinky rags…
that are so contrary to Jesus’ teaching…and instead of wearing chaos and turmoil...around all the time…

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‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts... [pause]

since as members of one body... you were called to peace...

And be thankful.’

Just stick with Jesus way… and put on an attitude of gratitude while you’re at it? [pause]

And how do we do it?

Well... Paul tells the Colossians…
here’s the only way I know…first

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‘Let the word of Christ... dwell in you... richly...’

Especially when you’re tempted to criticize each other.

[pause]

In other words...absorb Jesus word...

into your very being...let his word and his Shalom....

his peace...[pause] live in you. [pause]

Step out of those old stinky rags... and put on some new ones. Because, if Jesus’ good news

is gonna be spread to every creature under heaven...

then Christians had better be clothed in his gospel of peace. [pause]

Reveal number two

and second…when you worship together...

do it all in the name of Jesus... giving thanks to God the Father... through him.’ [pause]

In other words…the strength and the discipline to clothe yourselves at all times…in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience...tolerance, forgiveness…come from Christ… and his word
and from worship with thanksgiving in his name. [pause]

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A few days ago on Christmas morning... in the noise and distraction of 21^st century Wanaka…

we discovered we could learn a lot about God...in the babe dressed in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

And I think exactly in this way…
the apostle Paul is hoping

people at Colossae will learn about God…
from the new community there
which clothes itself in Christ.