Psalm 25:1-10
1st Sunday of Lent
Elizabeth M. Deibert
Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you; so lead us by your Spirit that in this life we may live to your glory and in the life to come enjoy you forever; through Jesus Christ our Lord who is alive with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
We humans are born with yearnings. We come into the world, yearning to be fed, to be held, to be kept dry and comfortably warm. As we grow and develop, most of us are able to satisfy the simplest of comforts on our own, but our yearnings grow deeper and more complex. We yearn for success – whether it is riding a bicycle, learning to read, or mastery of a new job. We yearn for companionship and intimacy, sometimes sacrificing our values to get intimacy without a serious commitment of companionship. We yearn for consumable things, often abusing those to try to satisfy deeper unsatisfied yearnings. In like manner, we yearn for material products, constantly desiring more, and better, and different. This is related a deeper yearning for significance. We want to be noticed, to be appreciated, to receive attention. Some people will take extreme measures to seek attention, even negative attention, by their behavior or their appearance or by their purchase of material goods. They want to be the best or the most outrageous. We humans are always seeking – seeking more, seeking better, seeking different. We are restless.
I am most restless as the week nears Sunday and a sermon is needed, a good sermon is desired. I know that good sermons are a gift from God, not a gift that drops from the heavens into my lap, but a gift which I have to cultivate by seeking God, by drawing near to God, by the discipline of prayer and study. But despite what I know, I get very restless at the end of the week. I pace around. I water the plants and pull weeds. I read online news. I check my email. I think of all the things I wish I had accomplished that week and try to do a few more of them. I am tempted to overeat by snacking nervously, but I know that a full belly makes a dull mind, so I try to satisfy the oral yearnings with the comforts of tea and coffee. I know what I most need and I resist it, to some degree, every week. The only thing that will truly secure me is to seek the Spirit of Jesus Christ, to call on the Lord for help, to find in God my refuge and strength, my direction and guide. St Augustine said it well at the start of his Confessions, "God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you." This is true, whether we’re talking about the rhythm of my life as a weekly preacher, or whether we’re talking about your family life or your job or your struggle with any problem or lack of discipline you might be having. What you and I most need to seek God with all our yearnful, unsatisfied soul. It is not easy but it is what is most needed.
King David, to whom many of the psalms are attributed, was a flawed man. He did some really bad things, but what made David so beloved by God and the people was his heart seeking after God. Even when he blew it, he was still praying what became Psalm 51, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” And today’s psalm is clearly written from the perspective of one who desires to be close to God.
Psalm 25:1-10
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long. 6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD,
and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
(NRSV)
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. If your soul is weighed down, it must be hard to lift it. Now there’s an honest answer for next person who asks without really meaning it, “And How are you doing today?” My soul is weighing me down today. I’m trying to lift up my soul, but it is awfully heavy – filled with anxieties, with longings for things that will not satisfy, with wounds from the past. The psalmist communicates with his soul as well as with God. Bless the Lord, O my soul. (Psalm 103) Why are you cast down, O my soul? (Psalm) There are over seventy references to soul in the Psalter, the prayer book of the Bible. If you’d like to get in touch with your soul, I recommend reading several psalms each day for the rest of Lent. If you read 3 or 4 each day, you will finish by Easter. When you get to Psalm 119, just read that one because it is soooo long. Reading and pondering all 150 Psalms would be a great Lenten discipline. Give it a try. Read three or four each day and write down one meaningful verse on a piece of paper.
At presbytery the other day, we divided into small groups of elders (ruling- guiding elders) and ministers (teaching elders). I had the responsibility of writing the hour long small group exercise. One of the questions that we discussed is this: In which spiritual discipline do you need to grow most? Bible study, prayer, compassion, and generosity. In my group of eight ministers, do you know that every single person chose Bible study or prayer or both? Now, wouldn’t you think ministers do enough of that? Nope. And if we who have the “job” the professional role and expectation of doing that a lot do not do it enough, what about you, our friends in the congregation? There would not be so much hatred in the world, if Christian and Muslims and other faith groups would be really true to their faith -- in humility, in prayer, in respect for others, and in the kind of steadfast love to which scripture calls us.
The psalmist says, 4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; We cannot know the ways of God without studying the story of God and God’s people in the Holy Scriptures. How often do we pray for God’s help when we really need to simply pray that we will be faithful, lead in truth, following the right paths, like the writer of Psalm 25. Do you have a teachable spirit? Are you, like the psalmist, asking God to lead you and show you the way, or are you too busy telling God what is right and just and fair? The psalmist is straight-forward with God. God, I do not deserve to be put to shame. Why not give grief to those really mean people, wantonly treacherous – now they deserve some consequences. Now there’s another good line for you when you are upset with someone. I am not happy with your wantonly treacherous behavior. I told Richard just the other night to watch out because I was tired and some wantonly treacherous words might just slip out. He said I should pray. I said I should sleep first, then pray.
But seriously, we learn from this psalm that trusting in God means desiring to follow God’s ways, God’s paths, God’s truths, having a teachable spirit. We can all claim that we have those desires, just like someone making D’s and F’s in school can say that they desire B’s and A’s, but unless a little effort is seen, the expressed desire does not seem authentic. It is not really a yearning, a strong desire.
All of us fall into the category of being somewhat dishonest about our longings. Because we don’t act on what we know. It’s kind of like me working on a sermon. I know what makes it better, but I allow myself to be distracted. We are all distracted from faithfulness. We turn on the television or computer, instead of praying or reading the Bible or studying for school. We eat or drink too much instead of tackling the real hunger inside us for something more. We become wantonly treacherous (hateful and mean) toward those closest to us. But the good news is this: God instructs sinners, those of us who fail. Psalm 25 says, 8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 9 God leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. It’s the getting humble part that is hard.
It is admitting that you are a sinner, seeing your own weaknesses, so you have room for growth. I’m convinced being humble is required of those who are truly seeking God. You cannot seek God with a prideful spirit. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
All of us will be humbled some day, if not by our own doing, God will allow circumstances that wittle away our pride, because it is an impediment to being teachable. Anybody who has ever raised a teenager knows that it is the “I know it all. Don’t need your help” attitude that gets teens in more trouble than anything.” I know it all. I can drink and drive. I know it all. I don’t have to study, if I don’t want to. The trouble is many adults carry that attitude for years. I know it all. I don’t need to listen to you when you have a different political or theological perspective. I know it all, and have got things under control. I don’t need a doctor or mental health counselor. I know it all. Went to Sunday school when I was a kid. Don’t have time or need for that now.
And now I’ve “stopped preaching and gone to meddling,” some of you might be saying. Let me tell you the legend of this phrase. There was a country preacher at a revival who kept hammering the congregation about all the commandments they were breaking – lying, cheating, stealing, committing adultery. And a woman in the front kept encouraging him with her “Preach it, my brother.” And “Yes, my Lord.” But as the woman became more and more vocal, the preacher said, and worst of all is the sin of judging others. Seeing the speck in someone else, but not the log in your own eye. And the woman whispered to her pew buddy. Now he’s stopped preaching and gone to meddling.” This your preacher has gone to meddling about adult participation in opportunities like lively learning and Bible studies because I care about your soul. Your soul is yearning to draw closer to God. You cannot buy your soul’s contentment with any toys or i-stuff. You cannot fill your soul to satisfaction with food or drink. You cannot entertain or distract yourself sufficiently to rid yourself of the deep longing for God. It is your most primal need -- a deeper connection with God. This is called sanctification, the process of becoming close to God, more like Christ, more holy.
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
We don’t really like the condition placed at the end of that verse. We want all the paths of the Lord to be steadfast love and faithfulness, no matter what – unconditionally. We like talking about justification. We like know that we are all forgiven in Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is a gift, which we celebrate, but growth toward holiness is gift coupled with effort. Committed Christians put some effort into this new life in Christ, which is a gift. Paul says to the Philippians, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phi 2:12-13) We work with God in becoming faithful disciples who have disciplined lives . We are souls seeking God, resisting the temptation to get our satisfaction in all the wrong places. God knows our souls need to be centered, focused, single-minded, with one chief purpose – glorifying and enjoying God forever.
Our souls are yearning for you, our God. (Psalm 42) We know that ultimate rest and satisfaction comes only from you. So teach us this Lent to return again and again to you, to learn your ways, to follow your paths, to listen for your voice, to build in ourselves through prayer and sacrifice, a humble and teachable spirit.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Called to Pass the Torch
2 Kings 2:1-15
Transfiguration Sunday
Elizabeth M. Deibert
On Transfiguration Sunday, the Gospel lesson and our opening scripture in this worship service is the story of Jesus Christ being transformed on the mountaintop while being visited by Moses and Elijah, who had lived at least 1200 and 800 years before him. If the appearance of these long dead prophets and Jesus shining in all glory is not strange enough for you, we then have the Old Testament story of Elijah’s death, which is not exactly a death, but more like an ascension. There are only two people in the Bible who seemed to be taken alive into heaven – Enoch in the fifth chapter of Genesis and Elijah who has chariots of fire swinging low while a whirlwind separates him from Elisha.
Have you ever thought about how your own death will go? Most people want to live a long life, then lie down one night and never wake up. Essentially, most of want to be like Elijah – no suffering, just departure. But that is a rare, especially in our highly medicalized end of life. No, usually, you progress toward death for some period of time. Days, weeks, months, and often years. The good thing about dying without warning is that you don’t have to worry about it. The bad thing about dying suddenly is that you and your loved ones don’t have the chance to say “good-bye.” Good-byes are hard work emotionally, but they can be meaningful.
That’s what happens in our story today – Elijah and Elisha say good-bye, as it seems clear to both of them and to many others that Elijah is leaving the earth. Perhaps he had been sick or growing obviously weak. The text does not tell us.
But it is clear everyone knows he’s leaving.
Both the transfiguration story of Jesus and the story of Elijah’s exodus into
heaven are ones that make us think about the spiritual realms of living and dead.
How close are our loved ones after they’ve gone? Probably much closer than we
think. What power do they still offer us? Notice how much this story focuses on the relationship of Elijah and Elisha. This story is as much about the passing of the mantle, the torch, the spirit, the power of Elijah to Elisha as it is about Elijah’s unusual departure from the earth.
NRS 2 Kings 2:1-15 Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.
3 The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent." 4 Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. 5 The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be silent." 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on.
7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." 10 He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not."
11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. 15 When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
This story makes me want to ask three questions. The first is “Whose mantle, whose torch are you carrying?” Maybe you’ve lost a spouse who you loved and you are carrying the torch for them. It’s a way of not losing them completely because you still embody part of who they were, you value much of what they valued. Maybe your parents have died and you see things in your own life that remind you of your mom or dad. You have mannerisms or ways of saying things that first belonged to them. You use their favorite recipe or a tool that belonged to them. It could have been a sibling you lost, whose perspective you share. Sometimes there’s a grandparent, a close friend, a mentor, a boss, a teacher, coach or pastor who is the one whose spirit you want to emulate. Whose mantle or torch are you carrying? As followers of Jesus, our job is carry the torch of Jesus Christ, along with any other torches we might be carrying.
The second question this Elijah-Elisha story makes me ask is “With whom are you walking this earth now? And who then will carry your mantle, your torch when you are gone? Are you, like Elijah, aware that your days on earth are numbered? If so, where will you journey and with whom? Will you try to be independent –as Elijah did? Will someone step in like Elisha saying, “No, I’m staying with you until you go.” The church can play that role for you, whether you have close relatives or not. Friends at Church and Stephen Ministers can stand with you until the end. Elijah dismissed Elisha again and again, but Elisha was determined to remain. The other prophets encouraged Elisha to stop following, but he silenced them, and carried on. Are others learning to do what you do in the church? Rather than resisting a companion in the faith, can you encourage co-operation, such that others learn to carry your torch. There’s a gift in working together with others.
The final question that this Elijah-Elisha story begs is this: “What is that mantle, torch, power, talent, spirit you will impart to your successors?” Will people want to emulate you? Do they see the power of God at work in your life, such that they might want a double portion of your spirit?
Elisha was simply asking from Elijah what was a typical inheritance of the firstborn son – a double portion. Elijah knew it was not in his hands to determine that outcome.
I’m guessing that your old coat and your scarf are not going to have special powers. Those who come after you will likely not be able to part any waters with your clothing, but what power will your spirit give to others when you are gone? The ability to communicate the truth in love? A spirit of compassion and generosity? An appreciation of beauty or hard work? The witness of a life of faithfulness to God? Will you be remembered more for your negative traits or your positive ones? Are you imparting the power of resiliency, patience, trustworthiness, gentleness, imagination, unconditional love, peace, hopefulness, or joy? Is the Spirit of God evident in your life? If not, why not?
The season of the church year which begins this Wednesday, Lent, is a forty day period prior to Easter that in the early church was a time of preparation for adult baptisms which usually happened during the Easter vigil from Saturday night-Sunday morning on Easter week-end. Lent is a time to renew your commitment to building the kind of spiritual life that others might want to emulate. Lent is a time to recommit to building a life which is pleasing to God, which demonstrates the power and love of God. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, this Wednesday, is a time to remember that you yourself will not be here forever. To dust we will all return, so the charge of Lent is to recall the heart of our faith, being like Jesus, carrying his torch, remembering the purpose of this our life is to love as he did.
Jesus said the great commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love your neighbor as you love yourself, so I challenge you to begin Lent by coming to our Ash Wednesday service and prayerfully considering your need to grow in your love of God, working on the spiritual disciples of worship, prayer, Bible study. You can do that by attending Lively learning classes or by stepping up your personal devotions at home. You could commit to attending the Men’s Prayer Breakfast or the Women’s Prayer and Walk.
If you are weak in your love of neighbor, then the Mission Team has all kinds of opportunities for you to grow by giving to others. Some of you participated in the Habitat workday yesterday. Others of you will be generous in giving to this year’s Lenten challenge to meet the most basic of needs or to the One Great Hour of Sharing on Easter. In addition to generosity of giving through mission activities, we have several ministry teams at Peace which could use some new members. Look at the list of meetings and consider visiting one or more teams to fit your niche.
If you are weak in loving yourself, then you should commit to getting more sleep and more exercise, eating less sugar and fewer carbs, giving up red meat or desserts or alcohol. Taking time for Sabbath rest, pace yourself. Love yourself enough to sacrifice overworking, laziness, and gluttony for your own good health and peace.
Elijah was a powerful prophet , who challenged kings for the worship of false
gods. Scholars figure Elijah lived in the 9th Century BC – nearly 3000 years ago.
But here we are still talking about his life. He left a legacy for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. His legacy was enlarged by passing the torch (or in this case, the mantle) to Elisha. The stories of these two prophet-friends and their miraculous faith have empowered generations after them. Elijah’s name means “Yahweh is God” while Elisha’s name means “God is my salvation.” The chariots, by the way, were a symbol of the power of Baal, the false god of the clouds being worshiped by many people in Elijah’s time. So it is no small matter that the Lord came to Elijah as the power in the storm and the rider of the chariot, out-doing Baal, the false god.
Elisha’s prophetic ministry was different from Elijah’s, but Elijah’s influence made Elisha the prophet he became. Elijah had already been alerted back in chapter 19 of I Kings that Elisha would be his successor, but he seems to want to be sure of Elisha’s loyalty and Elisha’s vision before he passes the mantle. Elisha was determined not to be left behind each place Elijah went near the end of his life, places of significance to the Israelites: Gilgal, Beth-El, Jericho, and the Jordan River. And after Elijah is gone, Elisha returns to each of those places.
Faith is caught more than taught. We learn more by the relationships we have than by the content message of a teacher. We learn by spending time together. The youth at Peace learn more from watching you adults, how you interact with one another and with them, by what you value, than by anything you say.
Are you intentionally shaping the faith of those younger than you in this church? Are you thinking about the witness of your involvement, your spirit? Jesus said, “Who are my mother and my brothers but those who do the will of God my father.” There is a kinship here in this church, which runs deeper than any familial relationship.
Elisha called out to Elijah, “Father, Father” You are fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers to one another in the faith. And as you are preparing to leave this earth, and we should all be preparing because we never know when, but one day you too will be called to pass the torch. Will the torch of your faith be burning brightly enough when you die that someone else will find it helpful in guiding them through the dark places in life? Will your mantle be something worth keeping?
On this day of the Transfiguration of Christ, let me remind you that because of Christ, you have been given enormous power to live faithfully in the Spirit of Christ which has been given you. This power is not exercised accidently, but by an active faith and will to live according to that Spirit.
With the love of God poured into your heart and intentionally embraced, you powerfully shape those around you. I have a mentor in the Christian faith who still powerfully shapes my life, even though she’s been too sick for years with chronic fatigue syndrome to do more than pray for me, occasionally write me, or have an hour’s visit with me when I travel there. But there a bond – there’s spiritual cord that ties us together over time and distance.
Paul challenges us to “Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” He says, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” Be the kind of person others want to follow. Be the kind of person who has the radiance of Christ’s spirit shining in your face, in your eyes. Be such a powerfully faithful person that others want to receive a double portion of your spirit. Be ready for God’s sweet chariot to carry you home one day.
Many of you have heard me talk about Virginia Durr, civil rights worker, the prophetic voice always calling for justice, who was a member of our church in Montgomery, AL. When we buried her, the group of friends and family who wanted a piece of her mantle of courage gathered at her graveside on the hillside of that cold day and spontaneously broke out in singing, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” the spiritual we will sing to close this service.
Transfiguration Sunday
Elizabeth M. Deibert
On Transfiguration Sunday, the Gospel lesson and our opening scripture in this worship service is the story of Jesus Christ being transformed on the mountaintop while being visited by Moses and Elijah, who had lived at least 1200 and 800 years before him. If the appearance of these long dead prophets and Jesus shining in all glory is not strange enough for you, we then have the Old Testament story of Elijah’s death, which is not exactly a death, but more like an ascension. There are only two people in the Bible who seemed to be taken alive into heaven – Enoch in the fifth chapter of Genesis and Elijah who has chariots of fire swinging low while a whirlwind separates him from Elisha.
Have you ever thought about how your own death will go? Most people want to live a long life, then lie down one night and never wake up. Essentially, most of want to be like Elijah – no suffering, just departure. But that is a rare, especially in our highly medicalized end of life. No, usually, you progress toward death for some period of time. Days, weeks, months, and often years. The good thing about dying without warning is that you don’t have to worry about it. The bad thing about dying suddenly is that you and your loved ones don’t have the chance to say “good-bye.” Good-byes are hard work emotionally, but they can be meaningful.
That’s what happens in our story today – Elijah and Elisha say good-bye, as it seems clear to both of them and to many others that Elijah is leaving the earth. Perhaps he had been sick or growing obviously weak. The text does not tell us.
But it is clear everyone knows he’s leaving.
Both the transfiguration story of Jesus and the story of Elijah’s exodus into
heaven are ones that make us think about the spiritual realms of living and dead.
How close are our loved ones after they’ve gone? Probably much closer than we
think. What power do they still offer us? Notice how much this story focuses on the relationship of Elijah and Elisha. This story is as much about the passing of the mantle, the torch, the spirit, the power of Elijah to Elisha as it is about Elijah’s unusual departure from the earth.
NRS 2 Kings 2:1-15 Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.
3 The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent." 4 Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. 5 The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be silent." 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on.
7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." 10 He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not."
11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. 15 When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
This story makes me want to ask three questions. The first is “Whose mantle, whose torch are you carrying?” Maybe you’ve lost a spouse who you loved and you are carrying the torch for them. It’s a way of not losing them completely because you still embody part of who they were, you value much of what they valued. Maybe your parents have died and you see things in your own life that remind you of your mom or dad. You have mannerisms or ways of saying things that first belonged to them. You use their favorite recipe or a tool that belonged to them. It could have been a sibling you lost, whose perspective you share. Sometimes there’s a grandparent, a close friend, a mentor, a boss, a teacher, coach or pastor who is the one whose spirit you want to emulate. Whose mantle or torch are you carrying? As followers of Jesus, our job is carry the torch of Jesus Christ, along with any other torches we might be carrying.
The second question this Elijah-Elisha story makes me ask is “With whom are you walking this earth now? And who then will carry your mantle, your torch when you are gone? Are you, like Elijah, aware that your days on earth are numbered? If so, where will you journey and with whom? Will you try to be independent –as Elijah did? Will someone step in like Elisha saying, “No, I’m staying with you until you go.” The church can play that role for you, whether you have close relatives or not. Friends at Church and Stephen Ministers can stand with you until the end. Elijah dismissed Elisha again and again, but Elisha was determined to remain. The other prophets encouraged Elisha to stop following, but he silenced them, and carried on. Are others learning to do what you do in the church? Rather than resisting a companion in the faith, can you encourage co-operation, such that others learn to carry your torch. There’s a gift in working together with others.
The final question that this Elijah-Elisha story begs is this: “What is that mantle, torch, power, talent, spirit you will impart to your successors?” Will people want to emulate you? Do they see the power of God at work in your life, such that they might want a double portion of your spirit?
Elisha was simply asking from Elijah what was a typical inheritance of the firstborn son – a double portion. Elijah knew it was not in his hands to determine that outcome.
I’m guessing that your old coat and your scarf are not going to have special powers. Those who come after you will likely not be able to part any waters with your clothing, but what power will your spirit give to others when you are gone? The ability to communicate the truth in love? A spirit of compassion and generosity? An appreciation of beauty or hard work? The witness of a life of faithfulness to God? Will you be remembered more for your negative traits or your positive ones? Are you imparting the power of resiliency, patience, trustworthiness, gentleness, imagination, unconditional love, peace, hopefulness, or joy? Is the Spirit of God evident in your life? If not, why not?
The season of the church year which begins this Wednesday, Lent, is a forty day period prior to Easter that in the early church was a time of preparation for adult baptisms which usually happened during the Easter vigil from Saturday night-Sunday morning on Easter week-end. Lent is a time to renew your commitment to building the kind of spiritual life that others might want to emulate. Lent is a time to recommit to building a life which is pleasing to God, which demonstrates the power and love of God. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, this Wednesday, is a time to remember that you yourself will not be here forever. To dust we will all return, so the charge of Lent is to recall the heart of our faith, being like Jesus, carrying his torch, remembering the purpose of this our life is to love as he did.
Jesus said the great commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love your neighbor as you love yourself, so I challenge you to begin Lent by coming to our Ash Wednesday service and prayerfully considering your need to grow in your love of God, working on the spiritual disciples of worship, prayer, Bible study. You can do that by attending Lively learning classes or by stepping up your personal devotions at home. You could commit to attending the Men’s Prayer Breakfast or the Women’s Prayer and Walk.
If you are weak in your love of neighbor, then the Mission Team has all kinds of opportunities for you to grow by giving to others. Some of you participated in the Habitat workday yesterday. Others of you will be generous in giving to this year’s Lenten challenge to meet the most basic of needs or to the One Great Hour of Sharing on Easter. In addition to generosity of giving through mission activities, we have several ministry teams at Peace which could use some new members. Look at the list of meetings and consider visiting one or more teams to fit your niche.
If you are weak in loving yourself, then you should commit to getting more sleep and more exercise, eating less sugar and fewer carbs, giving up red meat or desserts or alcohol. Taking time for Sabbath rest, pace yourself. Love yourself enough to sacrifice overworking, laziness, and gluttony for your own good health and peace.
Elijah was a powerful prophet , who challenged kings for the worship of false
gods. Scholars figure Elijah lived in the 9th Century BC – nearly 3000 years ago.
But here we are still talking about his life. He left a legacy for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. His legacy was enlarged by passing the torch (or in this case, the mantle) to Elisha. The stories of these two prophet-friends and their miraculous faith have empowered generations after them. Elijah’s name means “Yahweh is God” while Elisha’s name means “God is my salvation.” The chariots, by the way, were a symbol of the power of Baal, the false god of the clouds being worshiped by many people in Elijah’s time. So it is no small matter that the Lord came to Elijah as the power in the storm and the rider of the chariot, out-doing Baal, the false god.
Elisha’s prophetic ministry was different from Elijah’s, but Elijah’s influence made Elisha the prophet he became. Elijah had already been alerted back in chapter 19 of I Kings that Elisha would be his successor, but he seems to want to be sure of Elisha’s loyalty and Elisha’s vision before he passes the mantle. Elisha was determined not to be left behind each place Elijah went near the end of his life, places of significance to the Israelites: Gilgal, Beth-El, Jericho, and the Jordan River. And after Elijah is gone, Elisha returns to each of those places.
Faith is caught more than taught. We learn more by the relationships we have than by the content message of a teacher. We learn by spending time together. The youth at Peace learn more from watching you adults, how you interact with one another and with them, by what you value, than by anything you say.
Are you intentionally shaping the faith of those younger than you in this church? Are you thinking about the witness of your involvement, your spirit? Jesus said, “Who are my mother and my brothers but those who do the will of God my father.” There is a kinship here in this church, which runs deeper than any familial relationship.
Elisha called out to Elijah, “Father, Father” You are fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers to one another in the faith. And as you are preparing to leave this earth, and we should all be preparing because we never know when, but one day you too will be called to pass the torch. Will the torch of your faith be burning brightly enough when you die that someone else will find it helpful in guiding them through the dark places in life? Will your mantle be something worth keeping?
On this day of the Transfiguration of Christ, let me remind you that because of Christ, you have been given enormous power to live faithfully in the Spirit of Christ which has been given you. This power is not exercised accidently, but by an active faith and will to live according to that Spirit.
With the love of God poured into your heart and intentionally embraced, you powerfully shape those around you. I have a mentor in the Christian faith who still powerfully shapes my life, even though she’s been too sick for years with chronic fatigue syndrome to do more than pray for me, occasionally write me, or have an hour’s visit with me when I travel there. But there a bond – there’s spiritual cord that ties us together over time and distance.
Paul challenges us to “Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” He says, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” Be the kind of person others want to follow. Be the kind of person who has the radiance of Christ’s spirit shining in your face, in your eyes. Be such a powerfully faithful person that others want to receive a double portion of your spirit. Be ready for God’s sweet chariot to carry you home one day.
Many of you have heard me talk about Virginia Durr, civil rights worker, the prophetic voice always calling for justice, who was a member of our church in Montgomery, AL. When we buried her, the group of friends and family who wanted a piece of her mantle of courage gathered at her graveside on the hillside of that cold day and spontaneously broke out in singing, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” the spiritual we will sing to close this service.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Called to Proclaim
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Series on the Church as Called
Elizabeth M. Deibert
In two days it will be Valentine’s Day, a day set apart for expressing love. School children will share candies and cute cards with classmates. Lovers will exchange flowers and chocolates, and share dinner by candlelight. Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate romance, but the saints who are responsible for a Valentine’s Day are Christian martyrs, killed for their faith. They are not such much hopeless romantics, but deeply committed Christians, who understand sacrificial love. But as the Valentine’s Day legend goes, one of the young Christian martyrs healed the jailer’s daughter before going to his death. As he went, he handed her a love note saying “from your Valentine.”
The Greek word “martyr” means literally witness, but then it came to be known in English as one who died testifying to the Christian faith. The apostle Paul, like both the famous St Valentines of the early church, went to his death proclaiming Christ to all the world. There is no Biblical story of Paul’s death, but scholars agree he was martyred, probably beheaded Rome in the year 67 after an attempted missionary journey to Spain. For about thirty years, Paul traveled the Mediterranean world proclaiming the Gospel. And remember this is the apostle, who was born a blue-blood Jew among Jews, as to the law, a Pharisee. Paul had persecuted Christians before he became one. He did not meet Jesus, face-to-face, except in a mysterious encounter, after the resurrection and ascension. He did not know Jesus during his life on earth, but he had that dramatic, blinding experience on the way to Damascus that forever changed him into a Christ-follower, a Christ-proclaimer. It was probably twenty years later, he wrote the these words to the church in Corinth, explaining to them why he proclaims the Gospel as he does, why remuneration or no remuneration is not the issue, and why he changes his ways of proclaiming and his ways of living, depending on whom he is with. You see, for Paul, the issue is getting the good news out, no matter the cost. That’s why in chapter 8 he insists that while the eating of food sacrificed to idols is a non-issue for him, he will abstain for the sake of sharing the Gospel with those for whom it is an issue. He does not want to be a stumbling block to anyone. It’s not about rights and freedoms but about being responsible to the other person. Now that’s a Valentine’s lesson for all seeking to love. It’s not about what you think you rightly deserve and what you are free to do, but about being responsible and helpful to the other person. Listen for the word of God to us today:
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting,
for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!
17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will,
I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward?
Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge,
so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all,
so that I might win more of them.
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews.
To those under the law I became as one under the law
(though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law.
21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law
(though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law)
so that I might win those outside the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak.
I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.
23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete,
but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.
25 Athletes exercise self-control in all things;
they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one.
26 So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air;
27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others
I myself should not be disqualified. (NRSV)
Paul makes it clear that his relationship with Christ makes a total claim on his life.
He expresses his willingness to do whatever it takes to communicate this good news to others.19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
You might think Paul sounds like a politician, trying to be all things to all people, in order to win more votes, but his motive is much purer than that. He hopes to help them by means of good news, the gospel. This is the mission of the church – to live out this pattern of self-giving, in order to be a sign of God’s grace and love. For too many years, the church’s message has come from Christians interested in self-promotion, not Gospel proclamation. For too many years, the church’s message has been tainted by those who believed, like the Corinthians, they were free to do as they pleased, disrespecting the people with whom they were hoping to share good news. The imperialism of missionary work in which cultural differences were not appreciated did damage to the Gospel message. The hypocrisy of self-absorbed, sexually abusive priests and those who protected them did damage to the Gospel message. The shallowness of wealthy televangelists, using the message of the Gospel to satisfy their own selfish gains did damage. And the disunity of the church today continues to do damage.
For Paul, how the community orders its life and how members relate to each other are part and parcel of the proclamation of God’s reconciliation of the world. The church is a community that God calls into existence to incarnate, live out, and proclaim this new reality. But this requires that in Christ people find the radical freedom to identify fully with others, to become as they are, and thus to experience a genuine transformation of the self. This is what Paul means when he describes his own freedom to be a Jew among Jews, to be a Gentile among Gentiles, to be weak among the weak, in short, to be all things to all people….
And here’s the really counter-cultural message: that those on each side identify with those on the other side, in order to become as if they were the ones with whom they disagreed. This will not involve a change in conviction, at least not at first, but it means that they are to recognize what it would mean to act in behalf of those to whom they are opposed. What an intriguing strategy for people in conflict, the more so because it is grounded in Paul’s understanding of what God is doing in the world. What would happen if congregations were to attempt this in the pastoral life of the church? Perhaps it would help to set new terms for the conflict itself. Unimagined possibilities might appear, creating greater flexibility and new diversity in place of the increasing hardening of positions. People might learn new ways to speak and listen to one another, thus changing the character of the conflict. Indeed, such an experience might help American Christians in particular, given our culture of individualism, to rediscover Paul’s point that the
gospel envisions freedom as the right of individuals, not to do as they choose, but rather to relinquish their rights for the sake of others. True Christian freedom therefore expresses itself in service. (Bruce Rigdon, Feasting on the Word)
True Christian love expresses itself in service. So to proclaim Gospel becomes service, not in your face, insensitive arrogance. It is time to transform our understanding of what it means to proclaim. If you are for something, you are pro not con. To pro-claim Gospel is to be for claiming the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“The Gospel is never preached at people; it is preached for them.” (Vernon K Robbins, Feasting on the Word) It is self-giving, not self-promoting. Paul wants his efforts to match the content of the Gospel, so he uses this metaphor of the contest, which the Corinthians would understand well because they were so near the famous Isthmian Games, similar to the Olympics. His analogy is clear: just as winning athletes require both proper training and total commitment to compete, so too the Christian must discipline him or herself to live in a manner consistent with the goal of salvation.
“Christianity is a series of ideas to be held in the mind, analyzed in the classroom, or defended in the marketplace. Christianity is, above all else, a life to be lived.” (Bruce Rigdon) It is the disciplined Christian life that people notice. When you are living by the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – your proclamation of good news is real. When you care enough about the people different from you that you are willing to accommodate to their needs, to see from their perspective, then you are living the Gospel such that your proclamation has authenticity.
I love this quote, often attributed to St Francis of Assisi, reminding us that actions speak louder than words. But I am aware also that a focus entirely on deeds can lead us to be lazy about words. Sure, if your life does not witness, you have no witness. But words matter too. The man who told his wife that he loved her once thinks he never needs to say it again because she should know by the way he treats her that he still loves her – that guy has missed the value and opportunity of proclamation.
The last thing I want to say about proclaiming Gospel is that you yourself must be captured by it to proclaim it. So preach it to yourself first. Yes, there is the “scandal of particularity” that we proclaim something about Jesus Christ that no other faith claims. We claim that Jesus Christ does not just point us to God, but that he was God in the flesh, that he is the bread of life, the one in whom we live, the One who shows us not just that God loves but that God IS love. We are not claiming that there is no truth to be found in any other religion. We who claim Jesus Christ have much to learn from other faiths and cultures, but we are proclaiming the truth that in Jesus Christ, God is loving the whole world. Try to get over your fear that Christian faith is too narrow or exclusive, making you strive to be only mildly, only a little bit Christian. Don’t run this race half-heartedly. Have an open-minded, but confident faith Like Paul, be accommodating and respectful toward others, but keep affirming the truth you know about this person Jesus, God with us. Remember the One you serve was a servant, who washed his disciples’ feet, who served Judas his betrayer, who dared to keep proclaiming the truth, even though it took him to his death. In him, we live.
Series on the Church as Called
Elizabeth M. Deibert
In two days it will be Valentine’s Day, a day set apart for expressing love. School children will share candies and cute cards with classmates. Lovers will exchange flowers and chocolates, and share dinner by candlelight. Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate romance, but the saints who are responsible for a Valentine’s Day are Christian martyrs, killed for their faith. They are not such much hopeless romantics, but deeply committed Christians, who understand sacrificial love. But as the Valentine’s Day legend goes, one of the young Christian martyrs healed the jailer’s daughter before going to his death. As he went, he handed her a love note saying “from your Valentine.”
The Greek word “martyr” means literally witness, but then it came to be known in English as one who died testifying to the Christian faith. The apostle Paul, like both the famous St Valentines of the early church, went to his death proclaiming Christ to all the world. There is no Biblical story of Paul’s death, but scholars agree he was martyred, probably beheaded Rome in the year 67 after an attempted missionary journey to Spain. For about thirty years, Paul traveled the Mediterranean world proclaiming the Gospel. And remember this is the apostle, who was born a blue-blood Jew among Jews, as to the law, a Pharisee. Paul had persecuted Christians before he became one. He did not meet Jesus, face-to-face, except in a mysterious encounter, after the resurrection and ascension. He did not know Jesus during his life on earth, but he had that dramatic, blinding experience on the way to Damascus that forever changed him into a Christ-follower, a Christ-proclaimer. It was probably twenty years later, he wrote the these words to the church in Corinth, explaining to them why he proclaims the Gospel as he does, why remuneration or no remuneration is not the issue, and why he changes his ways of proclaiming and his ways of living, depending on whom he is with. You see, for Paul, the issue is getting the good news out, no matter the cost. That’s why in chapter 8 he insists that while the eating of food sacrificed to idols is a non-issue for him, he will abstain for the sake of sharing the Gospel with those for whom it is an issue. He does not want to be a stumbling block to anyone. It’s not about rights and freedoms but about being responsible to the other person. Now that’s a Valentine’s lesson for all seeking to love. It’s not about what you think you rightly deserve and what you are free to do, but about being responsible and helpful to the other person. Listen for the word of God to us today:
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting,
for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!
17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will,
I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward?
Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge,
so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all,
so that I might win more of them.
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews.
To those under the law I became as one under the law
(though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law.
21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law
(though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law)
so that I might win those outside the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak.
I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.
23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete,
but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.
25 Athletes exercise self-control in all things;
they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one.
26 So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air;
27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others
I myself should not be disqualified. (NRSV)
Paul makes it clear that his relationship with Christ makes a total claim on his life.
He expresses his willingness to do whatever it takes to communicate this good news to others.19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
You might think Paul sounds like a politician, trying to be all things to all people, in order to win more votes, but his motive is much purer than that. He hopes to help them by means of good news, the gospel. This is the mission of the church – to live out this pattern of self-giving, in order to be a sign of God’s grace and love. For too many years, the church’s message has come from Christians interested in self-promotion, not Gospel proclamation. For too many years, the church’s message has been tainted by those who believed, like the Corinthians, they were free to do as they pleased, disrespecting the people with whom they were hoping to share good news. The imperialism of missionary work in which cultural differences were not appreciated did damage to the Gospel message. The hypocrisy of self-absorbed, sexually abusive priests and those who protected them did damage to the Gospel message. The shallowness of wealthy televangelists, using the message of the Gospel to satisfy their own selfish gains did damage. And the disunity of the church today continues to do damage.
For Paul, how the community orders its life and how members relate to each other are part and parcel of the proclamation of God’s reconciliation of the world. The church is a community that God calls into existence to incarnate, live out, and proclaim this new reality. But this requires that in Christ people find the radical freedom to identify fully with others, to become as they are, and thus to experience a genuine transformation of the self. This is what Paul means when he describes his own freedom to be a Jew among Jews, to be a Gentile among Gentiles, to be weak among the weak, in short, to be all things to all people….
And here’s the really counter-cultural message: that those on each side identify with those on the other side, in order to become as if they were the ones with whom they disagreed. This will not involve a change in conviction, at least not at first, but it means that they are to recognize what it would mean to act in behalf of those to whom they are opposed. What an intriguing strategy for people in conflict, the more so because it is grounded in Paul’s understanding of what God is doing in the world. What would happen if congregations were to attempt this in the pastoral life of the church? Perhaps it would help to set new terms for the conflict itself. Unimagined possibilities might appear, creating greater flexibility and new diversity in place of the increasing hardening of positions. People might learn new ways to speak and listen to one another, thus changing the character of the conflict. Indeed, such an experience might help American Christians in particular, given our culture of individualism, to rediscover Paul’s point that the
gospel envisions freedom as the right of individuals, not to do as they choose, but rather to relinquish their rights for the sake of others. True Christian freedom therefore expresses itself in service. (Bruce Rigdon, Feasting on the Word)
True Christian love expresses itself in service. So to proclaim Gospel becomes service, not in your face, insensitive arrogance. It is time to transform our understanding of what it means to proclaim. If you are for something, you are pro not con. To pro-claim Gospel is to be for claiming the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“The Gospel is never preached at people; it is preached for them.” (Vernon K Robbins, Feasting on the Word) It is self-giving, not self-promoting. Paul wants his efforts to match the content of the Gospel, so he uses this metaphor of the contest, which the Corinthians would understand well because they were so near the famous Isthmian Games, similar to the Olympics. His analogy is clear: just as winning athletes require both proper training and total commitment to compete, so too the Christian must discipline him or herself to live in a manner consistent with the goal of salvation.
“Christianity is a series of ideas to be held in the mind, analyzed in the classroom, or defended in the marketplace. Christianity is, above all else, a life to be lived.” (Bruce Rigdon) It is the disciplined Christian life that people notice. When you are living by the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – your proclamation of good news is real. When you care enough about the people different from you that you are willing to accommodate to their needs, to see from their perspective, then you are living the Gospel such that your proclamation has authenticity.
I love this quote, often attributed to St Francis of Assisi, reminding us that actions speak louder than words. But I am aware also that a focus entirely on deeds can lead us to be lazy about words. Sure, if your life does not witness, you have no witness. But words matter too. The man who told his wife that he loved her once thinks he never needs to say it again because she should know by the way he treats her that he still loves her – that guy has missed the value and opportunity of proclamation.
The last thing I want to say about proclaiming Gospel is that you yourself must be captured by it to proclaim it. So preach it to yourself first. Yes, there is the “scandal of particularity” that we proclaim something about Jesus Christ that no other faith claims. We claim that Jesus Christ does not just point us to God, but that he was God in the flesh, that he is the bread of life, the one in whom we live, the One who shows us not just that God loves but that God IS love. We are not claiming that there is no truth to be found in any other religion. We who claim Jesus Christ have much to learn from other faiths and cultures, but we are proclaiming the truth that in Jesus Christ, God is loving the whole world. Try to get over your fear that Christian faith is too narrow or exclusive, making you strive to be only mildly, only a little bit Christian. Don’t run this race half-heartedly. Have an open-minded, but confident faith Like Paul, be accommodating and respectful toward others, but keep affirming the truth you know about this person Jesus, God with us. Remember the One you serve was a servant, who washed his disciples’ feet, who served Judas his betrayer, who dared to keep proclaiming the truth, even though it took him to his death. In him, we live.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Trust
Isaiah 40:25-31
Series on the Church as Called
Elizabeth M. Deibert
Prayer: God, we honor you. We wait for you. We trust in you. We need reminding of your greatness when we struggle. Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening, We are trying to listen and obey, follow and trust.
In this series of sermons about the church being called, we began with the story of the boy Samuel learning to listen for the voice of God speaking to him in the night. Then we laughed at ourselves and Jonah for getting stuck in slimy prisons of our own making because we do not listen and obey God. In fact, sometimes we run in the opposite direction. We were amazed at the story of the fishermen, how they dropped their nets and followed Jesus, immediately. God’s people are called to listen, obey, and follow. But what about those dark times when it seems like you’ve done your part and God seems far away? What about those seasons of life when you’ve prayed hard for something and you begin to wonder if God has forgotten you? Those are the challenging times of waiting….waiting.
In those times the Bible and our forebears in the faith give us two faithful alternatives. First of all, we can complain to God. The psalms are full of lament. There’s a whole book called Lamentations. We can pour out all our grief and know that God hears us and cares. And secondly, the message of scripture and of the saints who have gone before us is that God is worthy of our trust, even when circumstances make us doubt either God’s goodness or God’s power.
So today’s word from Isaiah is one of encouragement for the tough times. It is not making light of suffering, but is reminding us of the hope we have in the character, the nature of God who is worthy of our trust.
Isaiah 40:25-31
To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
(NRSV)
“We are theological amnesiacs. When life deals us blows, it is easy to forget that God really is still God. Theological amnesia is the kind of problem that
causes us to fall apart every time crisis comes. Some of us whine. Others of us worry in desperate silence. Like the returning exiles, we wonder whether God hasn’t gone off and left us altogether. The real problem is that we have forgotten who we are. There is a kind of theological identity crisis in the church today. We do not know who we are as Christians anymore. We do not remember what we believe or why we believe it. No wonder we feel lostand alone. No wonder we have no idea how to talk with the world about our faith. “ (WILLIAM CARL, III, Feasting on the Word)
Theological amnesia is even worse when life goes well. How easily we forget God when everything is smooth sailing! We forget God’s love. We forget to praise and thank God for all our blessings. This was Israel’s perennial problem. No wonder prophets like Isaiah kept reminding Israel who God was and is. What happens when we forget the God who is Creator and Sustainer, Redeemer and Friend? The moment we confront trouble we collapse with anxiety and stress. Too many people are “stressed out” these days because of their lack of trust in God. (Wm Carl)
This text brings a word of hope and challenge. Remember what you have known. Remember what you have heard. Remember that God is God, and we are people, without the ability to comprehend as God does.
For the exiles, captivity in Babylon was a painful reality (in varying degrees). They were forced from their homes, scattered as the temple was laid to waste, and became refugees from the very land that held promise. They are a people who longed for Jerusalem and wept by the rivers of Babylon (Ps. 137:1); they are the faint and powerless and even observe their youths grow weary and fall exhausted (Isa. 40:29–30). Did you hear this about the twenty Afghan children, refugees, who froze to death due to the harshness winter? One mother of an infant who died was quoted, “My son was never warm – not once in his life.” Imagine the helplessness of such a situation.
The refugee Israelites express their grief this way: My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God” (v. 27). They could have concluded that the gods of Babylon were stronger than their God or that God really does not exist at all. But their conclusion is that they are simply “disregarded” by the One who sits above the circle of the earth.
With God located at this remote and powerful distance, we may conclude that God is only transcendent—beyond all of humanity’s care and struggles. The great twentieth-century theologian Karl Barth challenges us in saying that if we believe God “can and must be only the ‘Wholly Other’ . . . such beliefs are shown to be quite untenable, and corrupt and pagan,” because God is equally immanent (existing close and within). As Isaiah recites, the Lord God who sits above the circle of the earth is, at the very same time, the Shepherd who gently claims, gathers, and carries us, as Isaiah 40:10-11 claims. When the poet bids us to lift up our eyes on high, we see that the One who is Wholly Other is also the One who numbers and names us all because, in God’s sovereignty, not one thing in creation can go missing or lost.
In the utter absorption, the blindness of our own suffering, we can forget who God is. “God’s transcendence and immanence are, at the end of the poem, the word of hope for all who believe their plight to be hidden and disregarded. In Isaiah’s contemplation of God in relation to humanity, we see a tapestry of good news that shows the way the exhausted, faint, powerless, and weary renew their strength, mount up with wings like eagles, run without growing weary, walk without fainting (v. 31).” (DAVID FORNEY, Feasting on the Word)
But that happens only when we are waiting for the Lord. And we do not like to wait. Grieving, struggling, finding our way through the challenges, the losses, the agonies of life takes time, takes lots of waiting and trusting that life will get better, or that we will deal with it better. Isaiah challenges us to remember when we are waiting that there are other witnesses to the goodness of power of God – that our present circumstances do not tell the whole story of God, and that our own perspective is limited by the fact that we are not God and cannot see as God sees. Only when we truly grasp God’s power and our powerlessness does this word of hope emerge.
The issue we are getting at here is the centuries-old problem of theodicy, the problem of defending both the goodness and the power of God in the face of an evil world. The question goes like this: If God is good and all-powerful, then why does evil persist? Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? Is another way it is expressed. As the digital information age shrinks the global community and increases our awareness of suffering both far and near, this issue rears its head even more.
The work of God in Christ is not over. We are called to hope for more than we can see. We cannot rationally explain all suffering, as the direct or indirect result of sin. We cannot see any good from suffering, except on the other side of it, when we recognize that the position of weakness was part of our growth and trust in God. We have a God whose suffering with us, while remaining beyond us, never forgets us. Though we sometimes feel abandoned, we never are. It is okay to complain to God, but not forever. In the end, we must recognize with Job and with Isaiah, that God’s understanding is “unsearchable,” Isaiah tells us (v. 28); we will never fully understand how God works in the world, why suffering continues and evil reigns in so many places.
And God’s understanding is not likely to be revealed to us instantaneously. Learning to trust God in the tough times is just that – tough.
Just as building muscle requires the tearing of muscle in order to build it up, so the building of trust requires hardship. Like the age-old trust exercise in youth groups – until you’re falling backwards blindfolded, you will not know what it feels like to be caught or rescued. Resilient trust is built over time. “We come to know how God works in the world through years of living with God and God’s people.” (VERITY A. JONES, Feasting on the Word) Years of listening, obeying, following, and trusting lead us to the place of hope and faith, even in difficult times.
The purpose of worship is to keep reminding us of these truths which help us to trust God and give us space to complain to God. When one of us is weeping, mired down in grief or despair, the others of us are called to provide that space where complaint can be heard. This is the purpose of Stephen Ministry, to give a hurting person a caregiver, who spends an hour each week to the voice of struggle, of lament, of grief. But a good Stephen Minister also brings a word of hope and challenge like Isaiah from at the right time. “No, God has not forgotten you. God still loves you.” In the ministry of caregiving, we all are called to listen well and long and sympathetically to the complaints of those who suffer, but we are also called to carefully and sensitively articulate the faith which gives us hope, when all lessor hopes have failed us. “Yes, despite this circumstance, we believe God is still powerful and good, and until you can believe that, let the church believe it for you. “ It’s like the grieving woman who could not sing hymns after her great loss, but as she keep pushing herself out of the house to worship with her congregation, the messages of hope were sung for her, by the faithful around her, until she got her own voice of faith back, until she could believe again, until she could walk through life again without fainting.
God of our life, through all the circling years, we trust in you. Remind us that you will give us strength when we are weak or weary, and help us to see that weakness is not so bad, because we learn your strength. Remind us that you will lift us up out of the pit and lead us to walk and not faint. We wait for you. Yes we wait patiently and sometimes impatiently, because we trust that one day we will soar like eagles through Christ our Savior. Amen.
The four commentators, Verity Jones, William Carl, Richard Puckett, and David Forney (Feasting on the Word) deserve much credit for the middle of this sermon.
Series on the Church as Called
Elizabeth M. Deibert
Prayer: God, we honor you. We wait for you. We trust in you. We need reminding of your greatness when we struggle. Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening, We are trying to listen and obey, follow and trust.
In this series of sermons about the church being called, we began with the story of the boy Samuel learning to listen for the voice of God speaking to him in the night. Then we laughed at ourselves and Jonah for getting stuck in slimy prisons of our own making because we do not listen and obey God. In fact, sometimes we run in the opposite direction. We were amazed at the story of the fishermen, how they dropped their nets and followed Jesus, immediately. God’s people are called to listen, obey, and follow. But what about those dark times when it seems like you’ve done your part and God seems far away? What about those seasons of life when you’ve prayed hard for something and you begin to wonder if God has forgotten you? Those are the challenging times of waiting….waiting.
In those times the Bible and our forebears in the faith give us two faithful alternatives. First of all, we can complain to God. The psalms are full of lament. There’s a whole book called Lamentations. We can pour out all our grief and know that God hears us and cares. And secondly, the message of scripture and of the saints who have gone before us is that God is worthy of our trust, even when circumstances make us doubt either God’s goodness or God’s power.
So today’s word from Isaiah is one of encouragement for the tough times. It is not making light of suffering, but is reminding us of the hope we have in the character, the nature of God who is worthy of our trust.
Isaiah 40:25-31
To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
(NRSV)
“We are theological amnesiacs. When life deals us blows, it is easy to forget that God really is still God. Theological amnesia is the kind of problem that
causes us to fall apart every time crisis comes. Some of us whine. Others of us worry in desperate silence. Like the returning exiles, we wonder whether God hasn’t gone off and left us altogether. The real problem is that we have forgotten who we are. There is a kind of theological identity crisis in the church today. We do not know who we are as Christians anymore. We do not remember what we believe or why we believe it. No wonder we feel lostand alone. No wonder we have no idea how to talk with the world about our faith. “ (WILLIAM CARL, III, Feasting on the Word)
Theological amnesia is even worse when life goes well. How easily we forget God when everything is smooth sailing! We forget God’s love. We forget to praise and thank God for all our blessings. This was Israel’s perennial problem. No wonder prophets like Isaiah kept reminding Israel who God was and is. What happens when we forget the God who is Creator and Sustainer, Redeemer and Friend? The moment we confront trouble we collapse with anxiety and stress. Too many people are “stressed out” these days because of their lack of trust in God. (Wm Carl)
This text brings a word of hope and challenge. Remember what you have known. Remember what you have heard. Remember that God is God, and we are people, without the ability to comprehend as God does.
For the exiles, captivity in Babylon was a painful reality (in varying degrees). They were forced from their homes, scattered as the temple was laid to waste, and became refugees from the very land that held promise. They are a people who longed for Jerusalem and wept by the rivers of Babylon (Ps. 137:1); they are the faint and powerless and even observe their youths grow weary and fall exhausted (Isa. 40:29–30). Did you hear this about the twenty Afghan children, refugees, who froze to death due to the harshness winter? One mother of an infant who died was quoted, “My son was never warm – not once in his life.” Imagine the helplessness of such a situation.
The refugee Israelites express their grief this way: My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God” (v. 27). They could have concluded that the gods of Babylon were stronger than their God or that God really does not exist at all. But their conclusion is that they are simply “disregarded” by the One who sits above the circle of the earth.
With God located at this remote and powerful distance, we may conclude that God is only transcendent—beyond all of humanity’s care and struggles. The great twentieth-century theologian Karl Barth challenges us in saying that if we believe God “can and must be only the ‘Wholly Other’ . . . such beliefs are shown to be quite untenable, and corrupt and pagan,” because God is equally immanent (existing close and within). As Isaiah recites, the Lord God who sits above the circle of the earth is, at the very same time, the Shepherd who gently claims, gathers, and carries us, as Isaiah 40:10-11 claims. When the poet bids us to lift up our eyes on high, we see that the One who is Wholly Other is also the One who numbers and names us all because, in God’s sovereignty, not one thing in creation can go missing or lost.
In the utter absorption, the blindness of our own suffering, we can forget who God is. “God’s transcendence and immanence are, at the end of the poem, the word of hope for all who believe their plight to be hidden and disregarded. In Isaiah’s contemplation of God in relation to humanity, we see a tapestry of good news that shows the way the exhausted, faint, powerless, and weary renew their strength, mount up with wings like eagles, run without growing weary, walk without fainting (v. 31).” (DAVID FORNEY, Feasting on the Word)
But that happens only when we are waiting for the Lord. And we do not like to wait. Grieving, struggling, finding our way through the challenges, the losses, the agonies of life takes time, takes lots of waiting and trusting that life will get better, or that we will deal with it better. Isaiah challenges us to remember when we are waiting that there are other witnesses to the goodness of power of God – that our present circumstances do not tell the whole story of God, and that our own perspective is limited by the fact that we are not God and cannot see as God sees. Only when we truly grasp God’s power and our powerlessness does this word of hope emerge.
The issue we are getting at here is the centuries-old problem of theodicy, the problem of defending both the goodness and the power of God in the face of an evil world. The question goes like this: If God is good and all-powerful, then why does evil persist? Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? Is another way it is expressed. As the digital information age shrinks the global community and increases our awareness of suffering both far and near, this issue rears its head even more.
The work of God in Christ is not over. We are called to hope for more than we can see. We cannot rationally explain all suffering, as the direct or indirect result of sin. We cannot see any good from suffering, except on the other side of it, when we recognize that the position of weakness was part of our growth and trust in God. We have a God whose suffering with us, while remaining beyond us, never forgets us. Though we sometimes feel abandoned, we never are. It is okay to complain to God, but not forever. In the end, we must recognize with Job and with Isaiah, that God’s understanding is “unsearchable,” Isaiah tells us (v. 28); we will never fully understand how God works in the world, why suffering continues and evil reigns in so many places.
And God’s understanding is not likely to be revealed to us instantaneously. Learning to trust God in the tough times is just that – tough.
Just as building muscle requires the tearing of muscle in order to build it up, so the building of trust requires hardship. Like the age-old trust exercise in youth groups – until you’re falling backwards blindfolded, you will not know what it feels like to be caught or rescued. Resilient trust is built over time. “We come to know how God works in the world through years of living with God and God’s people.” (VERITY A. JONES, Feasting on the Word) Years of listening, obeying, following, and trusting lead us to the place of hope and faith, even in difficult times.
The purpose of worship is to keep reminding us of these truths which help us to trust God and give us space to complain to God. When one of us is weeping, mired down in grief or despair, the others of us are called to provide that space where complaint can be heard. This is the purpose of Stephen Ministry, to give a hurting person a caregiver, who spends an hour each week to the voice of struggle, of lament, of grief. But a good Stephen Minister also brings a word of hope and challenge like Isaiah from at the right time. “No, God has not forgotten you. God still loves you.” In the ministry of caregiving, we all are called to listen well and long and sympathetically to the complaints of those who suffer, but we are also called to carefully and sensitively articulate the faith which gives us hope, when all lessor hopes have failed us. “Yes, despite this circumstance, we believe God is still powerful and good, and until you can believe that, let the church believe it for you. “ It’s like the grieving woman who could not sing hymns after her great loss, but as she keep pushing herself out of the house to worship with her congregation, the messages of hope were sung for her, by the faithful around her, until she got her own voice of faith back, until she could believe again, until she could walk through life again without fainting.
God of our life, through all the circling years, we trust in you. Remind us that you will give us strength when we are weak or weary, and help us to see that weakness is not so bad, because we learn your strength. Remind us that you will lift us up out of the pit and lead us to walk and not faint. We wait for you. Yes we wait patiently and sometimes impatiently, because we trust that one day we will soar like eagles through Christ our Savior. Amen.
The four commentators, Verity Jones, William Carl, Richard Puckett, and David Forney (Feasting on the Word) deserve much credit for the middle of this sermon.
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