sermon in the New Year's service at the Frauenkirche Dresden
Margot Kaessmann
01 January 2010
http://www.ekd.de/predigten/kaessmann/100101_kaessmann_neujahrspredigt.html
Dear community,
"Let not your heart be troubled - believes in God and believe in me" - this is the solution that we for the new year 2010 is given for the journey.
This is a wonderful commitment to a first of January. For we are indeed entering a new year, usually in a tension between the hope that everything will be fine, and the fears that could play heavy on us.
The annual slogan for 2010 is above all an encouragement: do not scare! Do not be afraid! With trust in God we should go in the new year: Believe in God, believe also in me.
Does that not a bit naive, this response to the terror: believe in God? It sounds so simple. It reminds me of a phrase that I have read on many cards that I received last Christmas: "Everything will be fine" This is obviously a good series - edited by a television presenter. "Everything is good!" Is that the Christian message, the solution mitgibt us the years, have I asked myself. A hope that is so. Everything should be good! A new year begins. As do many people that the concerns of our world could somehow be lifted.
And this hope grabs the year in a miraculous way, our whole society, we are so different elsewhere. The mailman called me, "Merry New" The young woman at the counter says: "Happy and" The employee says goodbye cheerfully: "In a new next year." New. Anticipation. Curiosity. The new beginning as an opportunity. We are anxious to see what happens. Full of hope and expectation. All is well. Or as Xavier Naidoo sings in his new song: "Everything can be better!" This is a nice feeling. And we must not allow it.
But - yes, but this has sure been waiting for. Because, unfortunately, not everything is good. We too have every reason to scare you. This is not a fun fun along the lines of oops, I've meant scared! No Halloweenunfug or horror movie or a joke. No, this is about real shock, profound shock, fear of life in an existential dimension.
When our heart is so startled, then our lives are deeply affected. Our heart is in the Bible is the place where man can not hide anything. Since coming together feeling and thinking, our whole Existence is in play when it comes to the heart. It's about the fundamental questions of our Who am I? Makes my life meaning? Where will I go? How will I cope with this situation? My God, I do not know what to do!
terror - because I recognize that there is no future for my life. I will be unable to keep up professionally, at school, in competitive sports.
horror - my marriage is tottering, I am in a hamster wheel, it is more limited.
horror - I have more guilty than me. I can not make up for it because there is no going back.
horror - I'm sick, I will die. Perhaps even this Year. I have to understand: my life is finite.
Dear brethren, if we frightening from the heart, then our whole life is on trial. All too often, we deviate from previous dear. The young person is in front of the computer, the old lady watches TV, the business man gets drunk, shopping, the family's mother. Clichés, yes, I know. But they stand for flight maneuvers that are to replace the alarm.
yourself confronting the big questions of life, with what my life is in question, which takes courage and confidence. Trust in God, as Jesus says to this call: believe in God, believe me. Familiar to you! You can never fall lower than in God's hands. Our God knows something about life, just because he was not in distant celestial worlds, but was in our midst, even suffering, dying and death knows. Believing in him means to hide the tensions of our lives not in the new year, but take courage from God's hand, which is responsible and live your life as best we are capable. When we pray, we take this attitude: confidence and courage to dare ask.
The altarpiece by Johann Christian Feige, which can be seen in the Dresden Frauenkirche, I could look at today morning the wonderful scene, like the movement of the praying Christ is taken up by an angel. The Angels may be the artist thought of the Gospel of Luke have: "It appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him", it says there. His gesture has little blessing, but also a pioneering force. And we hope to begin a new year to blessing and guidance. Praying like Christ, we want to be held and carried through the ups and downs that may come, even when we are frightened. In prayer, we experience the encouragement to bring us into this world.
In reference to this angel strengthened (in the 17th century), the Dresden court preacher Philip Jacob Spener his hearers with the words "lack of people, and we see no support for us, so we should an angel from heaven to comfort, that is, can God will comfort us so unexpectedly come, as if an angel from heaven sent, either from within ourselves, in our souls ... or that he schicket others to us who are our angel. "
No, not yet fully God's kingdom, where every tear will be wiped off, but we can each become angels, messengers of God. God will not fall, do not save to a hard disk, not locked up, even in churches. But God can be experienced in our lives where we find solace, to be accompanied and supported to make reversal possible to experience trust. "Let not your heart be troubled, neither" - that is, so to speak God's calling card. We must be confident that God will accompany us on all our ways - the angel of God never soft. There is a contrast between God's promise and our unfinished, imperfect life. That is obvious. Because a promise is palpable, but the reality is tough .... Because terror is
it is not just in personal life, but also in view of our world.
is not good in terms of climate, if still dominates the mind: After us the deluge! There is dismay announced and courage to act, especially after the climate summit in Copenhagen.
Nothing is going well in Afghanistan. All of these strategies, they have long away disappointed about the fact that soldiers after all weapons and user-level civilians are killed. The people in Dresden know very well! We need people to scare, not before the logic of war, but give a clear witness to peace in the world to protest against violence and war and say that the hope of God's future gives me even here and now to talk about the courage of alternatives and take care of me use. Some find the naive. An army officer wrote me a little cynical, I probably thought I could convince Taliban with feminine charm of peace. I'm not naive. But creating weapons obviously be no peace in Afghanistan. We need more imagination for peace, for all other forms to manage conflicts. This can sometimes more effect than anything unexplained joining in the supposedly pragmatic call to arms. Just over twenty years, many people have the candles and prayers also ridiculed in Dresden ....
No, it's not all good, when so many children are poor in their own country. This child poverty is often found quietly in the background. As a mother tells me that the class of her 15-year-old son had planned to go abroad. She could not raise the money needed. The class wanted to have him here, and together they must have distended the necessary money. But the son wanted to ride because he has become very ashamed that others pay for him. Even when the teacher called to let her son not persuaded. He was the only one at home.
Nothing is good, horror is here, if it so difficult in a community, it is shameful to seek help for young and old, in poor, sick and disabled. Since it needs a vigorous faith that advocates the dignity of every human being.
It is not good, no, it's terribly sad when a top athlete is afraid to treat his depression can officially. But let's not kid ourselves: if his illness had become public knowledge, he could hardly continue to remain goalkeeper. That his death has touched so many people is probably the fact that Robert Sink representing the fears of many stands. They were reminded of the depths of their own fear. The fear that is keeping up no more and no longer maintain a facade of size, beauty and strength.
Nothing is good, we are horrified when we see how our atmosphere at such a merciless and all the must always be strong - such as inhuman! Since we have to bear witness to the charity that springs to our faith.
No, it's not all good. But still we do not have to go with head bowed down or the new year. "Look up and lift up your heads," it says in the Bible. But yes! We believe in the risen Christ and not to a dead man. We have hope for this world and beyond this world. Therefore we can not stand the tension between fear and trust in God, between fear and courage to improve the world. We can celebrate freely without facades. Because our faith hidden suffering and sorrow in the world is not out! This is crucial for me. Even in the stable of Bethlehem was really not all good. Jesus was born in poverty. The father suspects that an escape is imminent, the young mother is alone in a strange land. But Christians believe that was in the child in the manger God becoming man - with diapers and wraps, body and soul, with joy and Sorry.
God is not a lonely sky ruler, but among us as a friend or a sister, like a man who knows something about the ups and downs of life, love and happiness, but also from fears and worries. This faith will certainly not cause any troubles and fears, all the horrors and all issues of our world are repealed. As Christians, we simply do not unrealistic or out of this world! But we believe that the promise of life God can transform this world with its many worries. You are encouraged to compete against the horror in this world. By visiting the lonely old neighbor to take the boy's shame and speak openly about what poverty means. When we play against an enemy. Or practice a sustainable lifestyle. Many small steps are possible every day. So not win terror upper hand, but trust in God.
Yes, we all would like to know personally and for the whole world, that life can be healed. After that hearing this message on it: "Let not your heart be troubled." Jesus Christ wants to be savior for us. The reality, however, is the everyday. And the experience: much achieved, much fails. The world remains unredeemed, it will not heal everything. God is a better world not through violence and weapons. We hope to continue God's future, much as we here and now sign of justice and want to put peace. Maybe at least better.
We know it all: There is no perfect or flawless life. Breakthroughs in our lives we all know. It is therefore important to be quiet once to come to rest. Nice if one company can at least turn of the year yet.
Wolfgang Dietrich writes:
It's a song in the world. But listening!
listen Even the stars down.
The song sings to life.
He takes wings and flies to the extreme end of the earth.
Since lift the disconsolate her head.
woes are at home.
orphans who have royal crowns.
And even from parched trees evokes the song unfading leaves.
When the uprooted us and we are rooted.
When the withering and we drive the sheet.
When the juice and we get lots of the fruit.
As the erring about us and greet the star. "
we listen, then! Let our way of faith in God carried. Even where we are bare or withers, we can push roots and bear fruit. For our life is under the pledge: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither!" Or: "God's angels never soft" - that we celebrate that we live like we sing, we trust also at the beginning of a new year. This is a unique melody for our lives, we listen and build our hope on us.
nice when we are happy. Then we can be grateful. But we know how vulnerable is our happiness, our relationships are, but we are at the beginning of a new year is particularly sensitive. Since there can be changes, illness, failure and death. "Everything is good" is far too banal. As Christians, we say instead: we are not alarmed! Everything has been lifted by God. I can trust God with me in the ups and downs of my life. Whether I'm alone or in community, happy or anxious, successful or failed, in a quiet car or at a turning point. I can really trust! And I should know encouraged to act by itself to play my part so that the shock is lower in this world. If many people, many small steps that can transform the face of the earth ....
Let us go therefore with confidence in God and courage in this new year. Our hearts must not be frightened, we are bound and we can deliver, we are encouraged and can encourage others, we must by faith and changed people can change things so that others are not scared anymore.
can assume this means listening, be blessed. Grateful, happy, but also held, carried in the Time of issues, conflict and internal unrest.
So I wish you all a blessed New Year.
Amen.
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