Sermon for 9-5-10 "God's Overflowing Hospitality" (Favorite Things Summer Series)

Sermon for 9/5/10

Favorite Things Summer Series

Psalm 23; Matthew 25:31-46

"God's Overflowing Hospitality"

This morning our "A Few of Our Favorite Things" summer sermon series comes to a close with two passages you all chose that are likely familiar in some way or another to many of us.  Matthew's parable of judgment and Psalm 23's images of the shepherd are ones that come up in our lectionary readings from time to time.  Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar passages in all of Scripture, and we often hear it's comforting words in the midst of our grief or journeys through the valley of the shadow death.   As I have examined these two passages and reflected on this summer, perhaps there is another message there to add to a layer of understanding to these passages.

[Communion "Hospitality" Table from May 2nd]

If you remember back with me to May 2nd--for those of you who were here that first Sunday of Craig's Sabbatical--I started our Favorite Things Summer Worship Series with my favorite passage from Scripture--Luke 24's telling of the disciples on the road to Emmaus on the evening of the Resurrection. We were invited to consider the hospitality that Christ offers to the disciples who are journeying along life's road, and at the same time the hospitality the disciples offer to the stranger by welcoming him to their table for a meal. The stranger turns out to be Christ.  As we reexamined Luke's text in light of our upcoming Sabbatical Summer, we were invited to be open to where we might see Christ in our midst?  Where might we share Christ's love and Christ's welcome with those whom we encounter this summer--whether it was in worship here together or in our daily journeys beyond these doors? 

[In Luke 24, Christ was revealed in the breaking of the bread.]

The text nudged us to think about Hospitality--both God's gracious hospitality to us and our hospitality to each other and those we encounter.  As I look back at the summer from today's 20/20 hindsight, I can affirm that hospitality was truly a theme for us this summer. 

Today we find ourselves at the end of this Sabbatical Summer.  And like May 2nd, our texts today invite us to examine Hospitality.  As I look at the passages that we heard this morning, I hear hospitality ring out in them in ways I had not heard before.  The passage from Matthew was chosen for today before the Sabbatical began.  Coincidence--I think not.  Whether you have been around Raleigh Moravian this summer or not, there is an invitation for us in these texts, so let's take a look at these passages.

Psalm 23 is certainly heard in memorial services, and we often focus on our journeys through the valleys of darkness.  It is comforting and reassuring when times are tough!  But think with me for a minute about another setting where this Psalm is also appropriate--a setting at least that I hadn't thought about before, but I really resonate with now.  It is possible that this Psalm was a type of prayer used around the thanksgiving table in worship for all God has provided. [1] Its a Psalm that celebrates God's hospitality toward God's people... people who have survived the journey through the desert, escaped their enemies, and found that God truly does provide all of their basic needs.  The book of Exodus recounts how manna and quail appeared when they were hungry, water overflowed when they were thirsty, and how a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day lead them to the land that was promised.  This Psalm expresses their thanksgiving for God's provisions and food they received--God's hospitality led them through the dark places and welcomed them safely to the promised land. "⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long." (Psalm 23:5-6)

For the author, to dwell in the house of the Lord means they are part of the community of faith.  It takes this psalm from the purely personal to the greater community--a holy community.  God is a gracious host, and we have much to give thanks for!  As we pray this Psalm together, we claim the same hospitality from God--the hospitality of food and drink, shelter and security.  And God follows us each day of our lives--or pursues us, as the text can be translated, with goodness and loving kindness that only God can give. [2] 

The Psalm proclaims our cup overflows.  We have more than enough to go around.  Not only does God provide, but we are given more than we expect or need.  It reminds me of the saying about our outlook on life--is the cup half full or half empty?  Psalm 23 reminds us that not only is our cup half-full... it's full to overflowing.  When we see our lives as full to overflowing with God's love, we are able to share more freely.  We are more likely to offer the hospitality that has been modeled for us by God, because we recognize we have more than we could possibly need.

Taking a look at Matthew 25, it is easy to see the story of judgment on the surface.  But if we look a bit deeper, we see other things going on here too.  The passage is instruction on ways to inherit the kingdom of God.  These verses are instructions on ways to live today that are life-giving and show God's love and care--God's hospitality--to the people we encounter throughout our lives.  The part I find remarkable, as I think about this passage, is the acts of hospitality that are mentioned.  They are small things.  I think sometimes we get bogged down in how to share our faith or live as God calls us to with our neighbors around us.  We think it takes BIG gestures.  BIG events.  BIG whatever--or it doesn't count or isn't important.  Our culture teaches us that it's "GO BIG, or GO HOME".  Matthew's passage reminds us that God is interested in the details-- small things that matter a lot.  In sharing the small things with those around us, we are sharing God's hospitable love.  We are living out God's kingdom in the details of our lives.  We experience God's Kingdom in the details--the small things--as well.

In preparing for today's final sermon of the summer, and in beginning to catch up with Craig about this summer, I've had the opportunity to reflect back on many of the events that have gone on since May 2nd.  It's also provided me the chance to begin looking for where Christ has shown up in often-unexpected places, or where we've both experienced God's hospitality and shown God's hospitality to others.  I truly hope we will continue together to reflect on our Sabbatical summer experiences together, as I am sure there are many examples that I am unaware of where you have seen Christ present or God's kingdom at work.  I look forward to hearing all about it!  There are truly too many to list here, but here are a few. 

Many of these involved us gathering together, sharing in food and fellowship, living into the small things of our lives that together show us at least a glimpse of God's hospitality.  We supported the Komen Race for the Cure; won Best Team Spirit for our efforts in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life; and hosted a Bodacious BBQ that quite possibly was our best ever!  We engaged in worship while learning about our liturgies and prayers; told stories about the life of this community of faith; and served in mission with communities Tennessee and our mountains.  We had over 30 people gather for dinner to celebrate our friendships with our sister church in Costa Rica and greet our friends before they had to unexpectedly fly home early.  Our table literally overflowed that evening as we ate, laughed, and formed memories that will remind us of God's kingdom for years to come. 

As I thought about hospitality this summer, there was one other event that occurred that was much smaller and much less planned.  Some are probably not aware it even happened at all.  And yet, for me, it serves as a gigantic example of God's kingdom of hospitality at work in our midst.  One Sunday in June, Joan Burri and I was here getting ready for worship.  A few minutes after Joan arrived, I heard the main door open and the sound of a baby stroller and footsteps in the hall.  Then a family of 4 appeared in my office.  Father, mother, a 3 year-old son, and a less-than-month-old daughter--they looked as though they had spent the night in the ER, and as it was, they had.  They had wandered into our church from Rex Hospital, and were hoping to find somewhere cool to rest and something to eat as well.  Their food and shelter situation was in limbo, and they weren't quite sure what that Sunday held for them. 

I talked with the family for a few minutes, as they shared with me about their current predicament. Then I talked with Joan about what to do. Joan and I shared what was for both of us a moment of grace as we decided that our only option was to show them God's hospitality.  Minutes later others began arriving for worship, and we were able to invite others into the conversation.  While some folks were preparing coffee and finding whatever food we had around, someone else made sure they had enough formula for the baby.  I watched as one by one people began welcoming them to the table, so to speak.  They then joined us for worship.  As more people entered the conversation, it was decided that we would be sure they had lunch afterward.  A group often gathers at the Subway Restaurant after worship, so we pulled up extra tables and shared subs and chips together in a sacramental moment.  As people learned about what was going on, I had a few people stick cash into my hand that morning.  After lunch a group of us helped them get back to the place where they had been staying.  As we were standing at the motel waiting to get them situated, I realized that the cash that people had pushed into my hand was exactly the amount we needed to cover their room--to the penny.  And at some point during that morning, I remember pausing for a breath and wondering, "OK, God--what are you up to here?  Are You the one who is present here, just like you were in the stranger on the road to Emmaus?  I believe I'm in the presence of Christ right now."  After we dropped them off at the motel and made sure they were situated for the night, the group who had gathered to help scattered on to their normal Sunday afternoon routines.  This was such a small thing.  And yet, I believe it is exactly what Matthew is talking about.  We all witnessed God's hospitality overflowing that Sunday morning! 

God's hospitality runs as a theme throughout Scripture. But it doesn't stop there.  We all have the call from God to extend the same fit-another-chair-around-the-table, grab-another-plate and cup, sure---there-is-plenty-to-go-around, overflowing hospitality.  God calls us to recognize the hospitality we receive, and then to pay it forward to those around us.  In sharing it, not only is the table in front of us prepared and our cups overflow, but we have the opportunity to welcome more people to join us in experiencing God's overflowing hospitality.  Who do we have the chance to welcome to the table that might not be there?  Who welcomes us and prepares a place for us to gather?  Where can we offer the small things that can make such a difference? God's generous, overflowing hospitality invites us all.  May we reach out in small ways to share this gift from God with everyone we meet!  Amen.

[1] J. Clinton McCann, Jr.  Psalms.  New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. IV (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1996) 769.

[2] J. Clinton McCann, Jr.  Psalms.  New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. IV (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1996) 768, 770.

Sermon for 6-13-10 "Remembering the LORD" Jonah, Favorite Things Summer Worship Series

"Remembering the Lord"

Jonah 1:17-2:10 (Preaching Text-Favorite Passage); Romans 8:31-39

Favorite Things Summer Worship Series

There are many stories out there.  Stories surround us every day.  Sometimes they are called news.  Sometimes memories.  Sometimes fairy tales. Sometimes fiction.  Sometimes nonfiction. Sometimes narrative.  Whatever we call them, we live surrounded by stories. One of the themes of our summer during this sabbatical time is narrative--stories.  And not just any narratives, but especially the stories we tell about ourselves.  Who are we as a congregation?  What stories do we tell about ourselves and remember about our past, and how will these stories lead us into the future?

On August 15th we will have a Narrative Workshop, and I hope everyone will make an effort to be here as we look at our congregation's story.  Kelli Walker-Jones and her coworker Dick Hester will be here for worship and the workshop after lunch, and it promises to be a fun time of remembering who we are and what our story is as a congregation. They remind us, "Our personal or self stories hold together the past, present, and future.  Our memories come to us in stories.  And in the present moment we extend that story.  That unfolding story of past and present takes us into the future." [1]

As we think about the unfolding stories that surround us, we see the summer blockbusters--Shrek and Toy Story to name a few.  Why do we like these stories so much?  I believe one reason is because they connect with our own unfolding stories on some level, often in ways we might not even be aware.  How many of us have that green ogre inside us that we don't want anyone to see?  How many of us want to be Andy's favorite toy and be the most popular toy in the toy chest? How many of us want to live "Far, Far Away" or at least vacation there for a week?  These stories connect with our own stories and form the narrative of our lives.  Many of the stories we find in Scripture are the same.  The characters sound familiar.  The situations seem recognizable. They connect with our own lives, and we see ourselves in them as the stories unfold before us in the pages of Scripture.  And through it all we see how we become part of God's story.

The story we are exploring today, I believe, is the same.  In fact the opening word of the first chapter of Jonah is the Hebrew equivalent to the way our fairy tales open.[2]  So let us venture into the story of Jonah... Once upon a time, in a land far, far, away, there lived an unlikely prophet named Jonah. 

Jonah is unique among the Old Testament prophets.  Unlike all of the other Prophets, this book tells about Jonah. It's a narrative of a portion of his life.  The book doesn't mention much at all about his prophetic voice or his preaching.  It is a narrative about Jonah himself and his attempts to run away from God.  NOT YOUR TYPICAL PROPHET for sure!  And yet, God worked through Jonah despite himself... and I find real comfort in that!  This book consists of 4 chapters--44 verses in total, and references the Lord, God, or Lord God 39 times. [3] In the Sunday Preview email this week that went out Friday, I invited you to read the whole book--all 44 verses of Jonah before worship today to reacquaint yourself with this great story from Scripture. I hope many of you took the opportunity to do that.  Despite the short length, the book of Jonah is packed FULL of good stuff!

Have you ever thought about how stories can be viewed through different lenses based on your perspective?  Kelli and Dick, in their research, remind us, "Any situation can be understood through more than one story, because no single account can tell everything that happened."[4] I heard a story recently about this passage from Jonah.  The pastor asked the children during the children's message to tell the story of Jonah from the whale's perspective.  One little boy, known for volunteering answers, raised his hand.  The pastor invited him to step into the pulpit and share the whale's tale with the whole congregation.  He stood up, and much to this pastor's and the congregations surprise, and BURPED into the mic, and sat back down.[5]  It certainly is a different view of the story we read this morning. 

Today's Favorite Passage comes from chapter 2--Jonah's prayer.  We overhear Jonah's prayer from inside the belly of the fish.  We don't get all the details we might want here when it comes to what kind of fish?  Was it a whale, a shark, a leviathan, or some other form of sea monster?  We don't know.  All we know is that God used this sea creature for good. 

Our passage opens with Jonah, perhaps seated on a kidney, singing the blues.[6]  He's been swallowed up by a fish and has time to kill during the three days and nights he is in the smelly darkness.  Though he's been running from God, for whatever reason, he finally decided to call out to God.  But did you notice the tone of this prayer?  Though it first appears to have been prayed from inside the belly of the fish, it comes from the viewpoint Jonah must have had AFTER the fact.  I believe there is no doubt Jonah prayed and PRAYED HARD while he was inside that belly.  Crisis situations as big as a whale would tend to lead anyone to prayer.  But I imagine that Jonah's prayer received some editing between the first draft and final publishing. 

Let's think back for just a moment before we look forward.  Chapter one of Jonah finds this prophet boarding a ship heading in the exact OPPOSITE direction from where God asked him to go.  Jonah is running from God's call.  A horrible storm ends up causing the sailors to reluctantly throw Jonah overboard to try to stop the storm.  To their amazement the storm stops, Jonah begins to sink, and the sailors decide that Jonah's God must be the best God to worship, and so they convert.  Just when Jonah must be thinking he's really escaped God's call for sure now, God has a different plan, and the fish enters the scene.  Jonah became lunch for some fish cruising by.

Chapter one ends inside the fish, and we see Jonah's prayer in Chapter two. The prophet who was running from God ends up singing God's praise and thanksgiving.  Jonah's perspective changes from the time he gets swallowed up and he ends up sunbathing on some Mediterranean beach somewhere.  What caused that shift in perspective?  Why did his language and story shift?  Look again at verse 7: "As my life was ebbing away, I remembered the Lord."  He remembered that he wasn't alone, and that God was indeed with him in the belly of the fish.  God was present and was listening.  Even somewhere so dark and so deep and so full of muck, God was there.  The very God Jonah was trying to flee from was still willing to journey down with him into the bowels of death.  He tried to flee from God, but his action toward God hadn't turned God away.  Now there's a reason to sing! 

This prayer or Psalm of Jonah consists of Thanksgiving.  I doubt the first words out of Jonah's mouth were thanksgiving, but when he remembered the Lord, he was led to praise and thanksgiving.  His anger, his frustration, his sorrow--all of these emotions, no matter how dark and despairing, were no match for God.  God is bigger and more capable of handling our emotions--all of them.  And Jonah was able to share these feelings without God running away.  The prophet who had run from God remembered the Lord.  Jonah realized that despite his efforts, God hadn't abandoned him.  What a reason to give Thanks.  It wasn't that God just showed up at that point, but Jonah realized in looking back at his situation, that God had been there all along.

I believe Jonah looked back at his situation once he was sitting on the beach, and perhaps edited his prayer to reflect this changed perspective.  His remembering the Lord changed everything. Now, to be fair to the story, Jonah doesn't go about the rest of his mission with no problems, and doesn't become this perfect prophet... far from it.  But in the moment, he realized something important, and it changed his thinking and his words.  His faith in God grew because he realized if God will listen from the belly of death, then God will hear me no matter where I am.

I also don't think it is coincidence that this Psalm of Jonah sounds like so many of the Psalms we find in Scripture.  I imagine Jonah grew up like most Jewish boys at the time who memorized the Torah and Psalms.  They knew the Scriptures by heart and recited them day after day.  They became a part of who they were as people.  Through practice and prayer, these words become a part of us.  As Ellen Davis says, "We understand [the psalms] also as God's word to us--or better, the Psalms are God's word in us."[7]  Jonah didn't have a Bible or Prayer book or Hymnal with him inside the fish.  But he had his memory.  He had the stories of his faith from childhood.  He had the words that were written on his heart, and he carried those with him into the belly, and they became his own words.

Ellen Davis goes on to say, "As we take the Psalms on our lips one by one, we eventually claim each of those experiences and feelings as our own, and thus we enter fully into the life of all those who call themselves Israel.  What is distinctive about Israel's religious perception is this very knowledge that we are called into fully intimate relationship with the God who created the heavens and the earth, a relationship that is both probing and transformative.  It begins with honest confession of our thoughts and feelings; yet the terms of the relationship are that we must always be willing to grow and change profoundly.  So the Psalms honor our immediate personal experience, yet at the same time they keep us from becoming mired in it"[8]

This is where Worship and Scripture and Liturgy and Story ALL connect.  It's one of the main reasons we are having both a Liturgy Workshop on June 27th and a Story Narrative Workshop on August 15th.  Our hymns, our songs, our Scripture--as we worship together and practice sharing these words and learning them together, we are writing them on our own hearts.  We are remembering the Lord and entering into the story of Faith--God's story.  We are a part of God's story, and we carry these things with us wherever we go.  As we look back at our own stories, we see where God is present, even when we didn't see it at first, and we can give thanks!  When we can't see God at work in our lives, we have a community standing with us reminding us to "Remember the Lord" and helping sing the words when we forget.  We write these words on our hearts and the hearts of our children through practicing together, praying together, singing together, and living together.  So then when we, like Jonah, find ourselves in a dark belly, we can remember that God is there and hears our prayers and doesn't leave us alone.

God is at work in our story and is calling us to places yet unknown, and God is equipping us to do the ministry and mission to which we are called, both individually and as a congregation. As we tell our tales, and sing our stories, and remember the Lord, we will be able to give thanks together for all God has done and all God is doing, even with unlikely prophets like us.  Amen.

[1]Richard L. Hester and Kelli Walker-Jones, Know Your Story and Lead With It: The Power of Narrative in Clergy Leadership (Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2009) 1.

[2] James Limburg, Hosea-Micah.  Interpretation Series (Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1988) 137.

[3] James Limburg, Hosea-Micah.  Interpretation Series (Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1988) 138.

[4] Richard L. Hester and Kelli Walker-Jones, Know Your Story and Lead With It: The Power of Narrative in Clergy Leadership (Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2009) 2.

[5] Susan Sparks, Workshop, Festival of Homiletics, Nashville, TN, May 2010.

[6] Referencing Aldous Huxley's "Jonah" in The Cherry Tree.  Quoted in James Limburg, Hosea-Micah.  Interpretation Series (Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1988) 146.

[7] Ellen Davis, Getting Involved With God: Rediscovering the Old Testament (Cambridge, MA: Cowley Publications, 2001) 9.

[8]Ellen Davis, Getting Involved With God: Rediscovering the Old Testament (Cambridge, MA: Cowley Publications, 2001) 12.

Ash Wednesday: "Create In Me A Clean Heart, O God"

On February 17th, we celebrated Ash Wednesday.  This day marks the beginning of Lent, which lasts 40 days and ends on Easter Sunday. Psalm 51, the traditional Psalm for the day, gave us the theme for our worship gathering: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10, NRSV).   Here are some images from our worship gathering at Raleigh Moravian.

 

The cover from the Bulletin for the evening.  

 

The entrance to the Sanctuary and the candles we used at the end of Worship to burn anything we wanted to put on the slip of paper in order to enter Lent with clean hearts.

The front of the Sanctuary before worship.

The candles in the tub after we burned our confessions.

The front communion table in the Sanctuary.

The front communion table with the candles and palm branches reminding us of the palms from Palm Sunday last year which are then traditionally used to create the ashes for Ash Wednesday.

"Teach Me How To Be Good." Psalm 34 Sermon

Sermon for August 9, 2009
(Lectionary passage for Proper 14B for August 16, 2009)
Psalm Series: Part 2 of 3 on Psalm 34 (verses 9-14)

"Teach me how to be good."

Last weekend Steve and I took some much needed vacation time to visit with our family in Pennsylvania. Steve's immediate family all live there, and 2 of his cousins also flew in from out of state, so there were lots of us around the whole weekend spending time together. Or should I say, spending time with the kids. It's amazing isn't it, when there is a new baby, or babies in our family's case, how they become the center of attention. Between Steve's brother and sister, we now have 4 nieces and a nephew who are all under 4 years of age. Our newest 2 nieces are 4 months and 2 weeks old. Let's just say they are not lacking in attention--especially last weekend with everyone visiting! It was great to see them, and it was hard to leave, knowing how fast they grow up. The 2 week old will probably be walking and talking by the time we see her again at Christmas--or at least trying to do both!

[My nieces and nephew (aged 2.5 yr, 3 yr, 4 mo., 4 yr, 1 wk), August 09, Philadelphia, PA]

Last weekend in the midst of diaper changes, feedings, naps, and other infant, toddler, and preschooler activities, I spent quite a bit of time reflecting on the innocence and wisdom of children and all that I have to learn from them. My nieces and nephew are constantly amazing me with their newest accomplishments and achievements. Rolling over, walking, talking, and potty-training are among the big accomplishments of these first few years. But there were other things I saw happening. Helping hold a younger sibling and tenderly kiss her cheek. Making a sister laugh just by making silly faces. Helping mom or dad retrieve any number of needed items for the two babies. These children are not unusual in these activities, and they have their moments too. All children, I imagine, push their parents button just when they have the least patience to deal with it. But as an aunt, I was able to step back and just love these kids and watch in amazement how they are growing and maturing into cute, helpful, and good kids.

During the trip, I found one of my sister-in-law's parenting magazines and picked it up to read. One article struck me as profound and wise. It was an article that asked children "What's the best tip you have for your parents?" As you might guess, some of the advice centered around what you might expect: a three-year-old's suggestion, "Give more marshmallows" and a four-year-old's idea, "Take me to Disney World to see all the princesses." But some of the others left me amazed at the wisdom from the mouth of babes as the saying goes. A five-year-old said, "Listen when I am talking" and one twelve-year-old expounded on that by saying, "Let me speak. Sometimes when I say something, my mom doesn't let me finish my sentence." One five-year-old child said, "Give me a million hugs every day" and yet another, age ten, said, "Always give your kids enough attention and the love they deserve." All of these are wise, but one struck me as true wisdom. Six-year-old Delaina from Connecticut, said, "Teach me how to be good." [1] Teach me how to be good. Truly, out of the mouth of babes...

The psalmist in today's Psalm 34 text is dealing with this same question of how to be good and offers some wisdom to aid in the teaching. Last week Craig talked about the experience of tasting and seeing that the Lord is good from verse 8. As you might remember, this Psalm is written in the Hebrew as an acrostic, where each line begins with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order. It's also a Psalm of Thanksgiving, but in addition to that, it's a Psalm that offers wise council and teaching, much like the book of Proverbs.

Join me, if you are able, in reading aloud the section of today's focus--starting at verse 9 and finishing with verse 14.

"9 O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want. 10The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good? 13Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. 14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." (Psalm 34:9-14, NRSV)

As we look at this specific section, we see that it is dealing with the six-year-old's advice, "Teach me how to be good." The Psalmist asks the rhetorical question of the "children" which includes anyone wanting and able to learn. We can substitute disciple or learner for children, or we can recognize how we are Children of God and the Psalmist is speaking to us the question: "Which of you desire life, and covets many days to enjoy good?" (verse 12) Then the advice and wisdom follows for anyone who fears the Lord.

As a youngster and even more recently too, I struggled with the phrase "fear of the Lord". Why should I be afraid of the Lord, when the Lord is the one providing for my needs and helping me to lack no good thing, as the Psalmist says in verse 10? We see fear used two different ways in the Psalm: one way is in verse 4 of the Psalm where the Psalmist experienced God's delivering him of all his fears. And we must recognize that fears can sometimes be a good thing. We teach children to be cautious of stoves, stairs, and streets, because having a “healthy respect” or fears for some things are life-giving for basic survival. [2]

But the other uses of fear in this Psalm are a different word in the Hebrew that means something completely different. Our typical use of the word fear in English involves being afraid, but in verse 7, 9, and 11 “fear” is not being afraid. Instead fear means here to revere, or trust, or depend upon the Lord. Around the time this Psalm was likely composed, Near Eastern cultures used the phrase "fearing the Lord" to mean claiming ONE God to worship. [3] It involved singling out a specific God--in this case The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--The Lord God Almighty, so we might translate it instead to say "Revere the Lord God Almighty".

The psalmist is making a connection between this fear of the Lord and enjoying good. The instructions that follow are in response to the HOW question--how is one to be good? Delaina's question is answered with two verses of instructions that lead to the good life that the Psalmist is experiencing because of his relationship with God Almighty, and so he provides this wisdom to others who want to know HOW to be good too.

This list of ideals is just that--ideals for behavior and action. It's the suggestion of an ethic to live by that places one in line with God's Kingdom. On one hand these ideals don't sound too hard. They aren't extraordinary. Yet, as we all know, these ideals are much tougher to follow day in and day out. "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit"—like gossip; lies; worry; using harsh words. "Depart from evil"—in the form of hatred; envy; lust; greed. "Do good"—by loving your neighbor; feeding and clothing the homeless; visiting the imprisoned. "Seek peace, and pursue it"-- bring wholeness and healing; dig wells for clean water; provide vaccinations; lobby for justice. The evils are part of our culture and are often hard to avoid. At the same time the good ideals are countercultural and are often hard to pursue.

I see this as one of those passages that is there to help motivate us to keep trying to live up to the ideals, while at the same time forgive us for when we don't quite hit the mark. We can't continually go around beating ourselves up for when we miss the mark, and yet we can't live as though God’s Kingdom is out of reach completely so why try to live at all. It reminds me of the quote by W. Clement Stone that reads, "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star." [4] Or better yet, C. S. Lewis, the famed English Christian writer said, "Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither." [5]

Aiming for heaven. That idea reminds me of the Lord's Prayer. If you were here during Lent, you recall we spent the six weeks before Easter exploring the Lord's Prayer and what it means for us today. Jesus taught us to pray, "Your Kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven." Bringing heaven to earth. "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it." They have a very similar ring to them.

Modeling how to be good and live these Psalmist’s ideals teaches the all the Children around us, in the most general sense, how we can all help bring heaven to earth and live into God’s Kingdom. It's just like we try to model right behavior and being good for children. Parents, and anyone involved in raising children, model how to be good to these children to help them live life to the fullest and enjoy good. The Psalmist is offering these ideals to us to help enjoy and share the good that comes from God alone. Jesus modeled these ideals when he walked the earth as our ultimate model and teacher. They are counter cultural, kingdom of Heaven practices, and they help teach us how to be good.

Just as parents model to their children, sometimes it's the children that model goodness back to us. At dinner one evening, our three-year-old nephew offered the blessing for the family. His little voice led us to pray, "God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. By his hands we all are fed. Give us Lord our daily bread. AMEN." I stood in awe as he knew every word. My pride and excitement in that moment was evident as I stood beaming from ear to ear. It is likely that he doesn't yet know what all the words mean, but that didn't stop him from modeling the practice of giving thanks and celebrating God's bounteous goodness back to us.

In the same way, we don't have to fully understand God's Kingdom to aim for heaven to bring it to earth. In that moment I got but a mere glimpse of the pride and love God must have when we model to others these practices that indeed teach us how to be good... when we keep our tongues from evil and our lips from deceit. When we depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it. It is in these small glimpses of God's Kingdom of heaven come to earth that I pause and thank God for the children in my life. It is in these times that I realize that the ideals of the Psalmist are not impossibilities, but they instead provide the target goal. Aim for heaven and you get earth thrown in. When we practice how to be good together as a community of Children of God, we model for each other the good in life. We walk together in the fear and reverence of the Lord, and proclaim it with our lives. "Come, O children of God, listen to us; we will teach you how to be good." Amen.

[1] Real Simple: Family Magazine, 2007, Their Words: "What's the Best Tip You Have For Your Parents?", page 16. [All children's quotes mentioned here are from this article.]
[2] Matthew Myer Boulton, "Pastoral Perspective" for Proper 15 in Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 3, eds. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009) 348.
[3] Richard Clifford, "Exegetical Perspective" for Proper 15 in Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 3, eds. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009) 347.
[4] http://www.quotesdaddy.com/quote/232056/w-clement-stone/aim-for-the-moon-if-you-miss-you-may-hit-a-star
[5] http://www.quotesdaddy.com/quote/232056/w-clement-stone/aim-for-the-moon-if-you-miss-you-may-hit-a-star

"Go In Peace" Sermon for 6/28/09

Sermon for 6/28/09
Pentecost +4, Proper 8B, Ordinary 13
Mark 5:21-43; Psalm 30
"Go in Peace"

So often when we hear "Peace" in our culture, I believe we often hear "absence of conflict" or we associate it with the 1960s and 70s, Woodstock, and Flower children. Maybe you hear John Lennon telling us to "Give Peace a Chance." It's commonly used in various capacities, so much so that I think we sometimes forget the power that the word really has. Peace means so much more than just absence of war or lack of conflict. We hear Jesus bidding the woman in today's Scripture passage to "Go in Peace." Jesus is referring to Shalom, the Hebrew word translated as peace. Shalom is peace in a holistic sense that is much broader than many of us likely imagine. The peace that the woman is given literally changes her whole world, and her life would never be the same. But to better understand how her life changed, it might be best to let her tell her own story.

[Sermon continues in 1st person w/ shawl wrapped over shoulders as 'Hannah']

"Shalom. Thank you for letting me speak. My story is so remarkable, I must continue telling it. I cannot help but share the good news of my being made well. You see, I am the woman who bled for 12 years straight. Well, I was her. Now I am Hannah, and my story is a miracle. Before I was a nobody, but now I am someone with a name and a future and hope. It all starts over 12 years ago when my illness began. And if it wasn't bad enough, it just kept going. I went to physicians, priests, healers, medicine men, just about anyone in this whole region who claimed to heal. I kept going to these doctors until I had no more money to spend. I was broke. My illness ruined my life.

Living in a Jewish town in a Jewish region, everyone was Jewish. Everyone lived by the Torah. Everyone knew the laws about cleanliness, everyone including me. I have heard many teachings on Leviticus and what is clean and unclean (Leviticus 15). I also knew how to perform the needed sacrifices and washing to become clean after the bleeding was over. But it never ended, at least until that one remarkable day when everything changed. You see because of the bleeding, I was unclean. No one could come near me. No one would come near me. Even being around me at all would render them unclean as well. No one would have anything to do with me. Not my friends, not my family, not the merchants in the marketplace. I was an outcast. It was like being a leper. So like I said, I tried everything. I visited everyone I could find until I was penniless and homeless. My family abandoned me, and I was left living on the street.

Once I become of marrying age, no one would even consider me. They wouldn't come near me, much less ask me to marry them--are you kidding. I was cursed. No husband meant no children. No children meant no legacy. Without heirs I would continue to be poor and destitute, because I would have no children to care for me later in life. I was worthless. I was hopeless. I had no power and no means to help myself. Being someone's daughter or wife or mother allowed me to have power that I couldn't have on my own. Without a husband or son, I couldn't think about owning property or having future income.

And then there's my spiritual life. I longed to be allowed back in the outer courts of the temple where the other women gathered. I longed to bring my sacrifices to the priest to be deemed clean and well. I had faith and my faith endured, but it was certainly challenged. I clung to the verses I remembered from childhood. "Sing praises to the Lord, and give thanks to his holy name." I knew my weeping would only last for a night and joy would come in the morning, but I waited so long to see the dawn. Now, finally, I can proclaim with my loudest voice, God has turned my mourning into dancing; God has taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever" (referencing Psalm 30). Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!

Yes, my faith wavered, but it never failed. So that's what led me into the crowd that one day when I heard Jesus was in town. This new rabbi was well known in my region because of the miracles he had done. Just before my encounter he had calmed the waves on the sea and made the demons leave the man. Despite his disciples' best efforts, word still spread about the wonders Jesus did. He brought peace to these people, and he did the same for me. That day, I remember hearing that he was coming, so I decided that I had to go see him. I knew that my being in the crowd was problematic, being unclean, but I could not stop myself. He was my last resort. Everyone else had tried and failed, and the stories about this Jesus were almost too good to be true. I remembered the words from the prophet Malachi (Malachi 4:2) that some rabbis interpreted that even the Messiah's robe would bring healing, so I thought surely I can get close enough to touch his robe. "If I but touch his clothes, I would be made well" (Mark 5:28).

I didn't mean to interrupt him that day. Jesus was busy and was needed at Jarius' home because his daughter was ill. I had heard the commotion at this synagogue official's house and time was running short. I was a nobody, so how dare I interrupt him. There were so many people surrounding him, I thought there would be no way he would notice my light touch on the tassel of his rob given all the hands reaching out to him. The tassels hung down from the corners of his prayer shawl that he, like many men in my town, wore over their shoulders (Number 15). God commanded that we wear these as a reminder of our covenant. The tassels hung low enough that I thought there was a chance I could reach them through the huge crowd. So I did it. I sometimes still can't believe I did it. I reached down, touched only the tassel, and my bleeding stopped. It was a miracle. But then he turned and asked who had touched him. He felt himself healing. It wasn't the tassel that healed me it was Jesus himself. I was able to sneak away, but he wanted to meet the person who touched him. Could he mean me?

I was shaking. I have never been so scared in my life. How would he react? I had violated his cleanliness and made him unclean, and he and I both knew it. But I had to step forward to face him; he was waiting. My knees buckled in fear, and I fell to the ground in front of him. The crowd surrounded us as I poured out my heart and my whole story. The years of illness, the attempts at healing, being lonely and ritually unclean. That's when the real miracle happened. He wasn't angry. He didn't send me away to be completely banished from society. He didn't order me stoned. Instead Jesus offered me a blessing. I will never forget those words, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." "Shalom." He blessed me and called me his daughter. I was now a somebody. I was Hannah, and I was whole. No longer unclean. No longer without family or friends or a future. I was God's daughter and part of God's Kingdom.

Jesus offered me shalom--peace. Jesus offered me salvation--being made well. Jesus offered me health and wholeness in more ways than I had dreamed of. It's been a few years since that encounter and yet, it still feels like yesterday. I shall never forget that feeling when Jesus offered me shalom. A few weeks later after this encounter my family heard of my healing and reached out to me. Cousins, nieces and nephews, family I had never even met were now welcoming me into their homes like a lost daughter. Parties were thrown in my honor. It was though I was dead and was alive again.

Soon after my encounter with Jesus I even received an offer for marriage. One of the men in the crowd that day took notice. Now my future looked promising after all of the struggles I had over those twelve years. He has property and a house, and there is food on the table each evening. I no longer have to search for food in the trash. My cup runneth over. God is so good.

And you might be asking about the daughter that I took Jesus away from when I interrupted him in the crowd. Because of my interruption that day, she died. But, like my story, Jesus healed her as well and she received new life through him. Jesus turned her family's mourning into dancing. He made her well too, and I see her around town every once in a while. She's well and someone would never know she had been so sick--Jesus brought her wholeness too. We both received the greatest gift--shalom. There were many miracles that day--what a day it was. We must not forget. It is up to all of us to tell the story of Jesus' gift of shalom--of peace--of wholeness and healing. It is surly a day people will remember for years to come. "O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever." (Psalm 30)


[Hannah's story is historical fiction based on research about the passage from Mark 5]
Resources Consulted
-Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005) 105-107.
-William Barclay, The Gospel of Mark, rev. Ed from The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1975) 126-137.
-Lamar Williamson, Jr. Mark: Interpretation Series (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1983) 108-113.
-Michaela Bruzzese, “June 28” in “Living the Word, Reflections on the Revised Common Lectionary, Cycle B;” Sojourners Magazine (June 2009, page 49).
-Pheme Perkins, “Mark” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. VIII (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995) 586-591.
-Mark D. W. Edington; Michael L. Lindvall; Efrain Agosto; and Beverly Zink-Sawyer; “Proper 8: Mark 5:21-43” in Feasting on the Word, Year B, Vol. 3 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009) 188-193.
-James J.H. Price; Frederick J. Parrella; Christie Cozad Neuger; Susan Langhauser; Keith Hohly; Martin Kich; Kenneth H. Carter, Jr.; and Brett Younger; “Proper 8, Ordinary 13, Pentecost 4 for Mark 5:21-43” in Lectionary Homiletics, Vol. XX, Number 4 (June-July 2009) 28-36.