Sunday, May 26, 2013

Hope in the Trinity

Trinity Sunday
Romans 5:1-5 
26 May 2013                                                                    
Elizabeth M. Deibert                                                        

This is one of a few passages in the Bible which name all three persons of the Trinity.   That’s why Romans 5:1-5 is the epistle lesson for today, but it is our sermon text because it happens to be one of my favorites.  In fact, I was shocked to discover that I have never in seven years here, preached from this text.   I am sure I have quoted it in sermons, that we’ve read in Word-Share-Prayer devotionals at Ministry Team meetings.  It has been especially meaningful to me, as I went to a memorial service of a close friend in Alabama, and saw his wife, struggling with Alzheimer’s.   It has been meaningful to me this week, as we have experienced some exhaustion, thinking that the process of securing this potential new property for Peace might take as long as the last one did to figure out.   I have had the privilege of meditating on this short passage all week, and because I assume you haven’t done that and because I believe you need these verses in your souls as much as I need them in my soul, I am going to lead you through a little exercise to help you get this scripture in your head.   You can reinforce this scripture in your soul by putting the insert of your bulletin on your mirror or in your car this week.   If you want to hear the Spirit more accurately, then it is imperative to build into your psyche some of the significant words of scripture – ones like these.

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we are justified by faith,

 we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand;

and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings,

 knowing that suffering produces endurance,

4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

5 and hope does not disappoint us,

because God's love has been poured into our hearts

 through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

(NRSV)

And now, pray with me as I sing a hymn, remembering those who are suffering greatly this week in the greater Oklahoma City area and in Manatee County and around the world: 

Through cloud and out of chaos
Your people call Your Name
In darkness, God will hold us,
In Christ, the storms are tamed.

Toward hope our hearts are drawn
Your healing Life abounding,
Your Love, our steadfast song.

Let’s think about Romans 5 from the perspective of grief.   The tragic loss of a child in a collapsed building is devastating, but losing all your possessions is another kind of grief.   Suffering of this depth is something few of us have experienced.   Most of us can only think of smaller losses, and then use our imagination to consider the expanse of grief in such a circumstance.    Suffering produces endurance because suffering is hard work.   Suffering takes every ounce of emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual energy we can muster.   Suffering can produce collapse or resignation.   Suffering can produce bitterness and envy, but it can also produce endurance in those who keep doing the hard work of grief and for those, friends, family members, pastors and priests, Stephen Ministers, who do the hard work with them with compassion.   Those who support help with the endurance.

It is clear in a race that the one who quits running is not building endurance.   No, it is the one who keeps going, perhaps pausing, but never stopping.   It is the one who sticks with the new walking regimen, the new morning or evening devotions, that endures, that builds character.   Those who are caught in profound grief just need to keep getting out of bed every day and whatever.   It is the very practice of enduring suffering that builds character.

Character building is something that we all value, but we’d rather be characters instead of build character.   We’d rather have the character without enduring the suffering.   Like thinking you can get an A on a hard test without studying.   Like thinking you can lose weight without experiencing hunger pangs.   No, the suffering for a while (endurance) is what builds character.   It’s funny that sometimes parents try so hard to protect their children from suffering, that they go rushing to the school to complain when their child suffers a hardship.   I’m not saying we should not protect our children from abuse – sexual, physical, emotional – but they do need some suffering along the way to build character.    So let’s not always rush to their defense, especially if they might have made the bed they are in.

Some sufferings seem trivial, like the adjustment of a three year old to a new baby brother or sister, or the challenge of being patient with situations and people who irritate you.  But I say that tiny problems can build character when endured, rather than avoided.   Sufferings, large and small, are opportunities for either endurance or bitterness or resignation.  

If you learn in all the small ways (being patient with bad drivers on the road, being patient with family members who bothering you, being generous-spirited toward all who irritate) then you are enduring the little stuff and growing the character to handle the larger events of life.

Don’t you see that the ultimate outcome is hope?   We all want to be filled with hope.   But hope comes to those who have built character by enduring hardship.    Later in chapter eight, Paul says, “hope that is seen is not hope.”   Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.   Why is hope able to sustain us?   Because of the peace that is ours in Christ Jesus, because of the love that God gives us through the Spirit.   Because this Triune God of ours, is coming at us, moving through us, transforming our lives in the dance that is grace.   This grace-filled dance we have with the three persons of the Trinity, gives us ample opportunity to be filled with peace and love.   But we sometimes think that avoidance of suffering is the key to happiness.   No, Paul says, we are content, even glad for our sufferings because we know what an opportunity for growth they provide.   We understand that our sharing in Christ’s glory also means we share in Christ’s suffering.  They go together.

I would never say to a grieving person, “Now you should be thankful for all the ways you can grow in character and build hope by enduring this sadness.”   I would not announce that God sent a tornado to build character in Moore, Oklahoma.   I would not claim that it is God’s will for a child to die buried in rubble, or for a poor teenaged girl to get raped in public in Brazil, or for a British soldier to get hacked to death in broad daylight by those who are against the war in which he fought or for a good teacher to lose her job because of poor district management.   No, but in that circumstance, it is God’s will for that suffering to turn to hope.

I reckon God knows we need character more than miraculous protection sometimes   I believe God wants us to suffer with those who suffer, as did Christ, such that we grow together in love and peace, such that we cannot be completely content when we know others are hurting.   So my response to the suffering of others is not to offer platitudes, answers, reasons, but to be a caring nurturing presence, like the Holy Spirit.   

That’s the heart of Stephen Ministry is learning to listen and asking good questions, not offering shallow comments, which pretend to sound like hope, but are not hope because they arise without the suffering endurance and the character-building stuff from which true hope is born.   You cannot provide hope for someone.  You can only provide loving care, which helps them to endure the trial and grow in character toward hope.

The internet and our continuous stream of news can be helpful in letting us know people are suffering, but because it is operating on the principle of keeping you glued, rather than building your character, you might get so much detail on the suffering that you become bitter or defeated, rather than enduring pain with others and growing toward hope.   Watching suffering like a voyeur without providing care for someone does often lead to despair.

But the God who is with us as one and as three, who live and died for us in Jesus Christ, whose presence is always with us in the Holy Spirit, is pouring out love, filling us with peace, and challenging us to endure suffering in a way that builds character and hope.   When that happens, then and only then do we begin to be the people God calls us to be – people glorified with Christ, even as we suffer with him.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Living by the Spirit

     
John 14:25-27;
Romans 8:14-17;22-27 
Pentecost/Confirmation
Elizabeth M. Deibert    
19 May 2013

When I was growing up I had no idea there was a day called Pentecost.   We had Christmas and Easter, and you can be sure we had plenty of Pentecostal churches in rural N. Carolina.   You could go there and possibly be slain in the Spirit, something I didn’t think I wanted to do.   When I got to seminary, I learned about the church year – about Advent and Lent, about All Saints Day and about Pentecost.
   
In the last couple of decades, the Holy Spirit has received more attention from  churches, and that’s good, because otherwise, we’d be worshiping the binity, instead of the Trinity.   Yes, the Holy Spirit is sometimes forgotten by those who pray to God the Father and God the Son.   The Spirit, she got the short shrift – even in the great Apostles’ Creed, which many of us recited weekly in worship.  That’s why I made a Friday afternoon change to the service.  You see, ordinarily for Baptisms and Confirmation, the Apostles’ Creed is recited, but because today is also Pentecost, we will use the other ancient creed of the church universal – the Nicene Creed, because it speaks more about the Holy Spirit.   Emily and Kelsey, I want you to understand that you are not just being baptized and confirmed into Peace Church, but into the Church Universal of all the ages.   So when we use an ancient Creed, remember that we are saying it with all kinds of Christians past and present and future.
 
You heard earlier the narrative story of the dramatic experience of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost, and now we will read from the Gospel of John, Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit and Paul’s discussion of the Holy Spirit’s power at work in us.   While it is difficult to relate to the first Pentecost – fire, wind, tongues – we can relate to the Spirit who is our Advocate, our support, and the One who works in us to transform our fleshly desires into godly ones, and the One who when we are suffering, prays with us by sighs too deep for words.    
 
This is the Holy Spirit I love, that feminine presence of God, gentle and mysteriously powerful, reminding me of things I should know, guiding me to do the right thing, upholding me in trials, that Spirit who falls fresh, who melts me and molds me, fills me and uses me, even me.   
Prayer… God of power, may the boldness of your Spirit transform us, may the gentleness of your Spirit lead us, may the gifts of your Spirit be our goal and our strength, now and always.

John 14:25-27 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (NRSV)
Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (NRSV)
 Romans 8:22-27 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (NRSV)
What does Jesus say the Holy Spirit will do for us?   Teach us everything and remind us of all he has said to us.   I am convinced that the Holy Spirit is speaking quietly in that still small voice to us all the time.   Let me give you a little taste of what the Spirit is quietly telling me as I walk through the day because I expect the Spirit is saying some similar things to you. “Pray for that one.   Call this person.  Email that one.   Wait.  Do this now and that later.   Are you managing your time well or are you being wasteful?   Get your head thinking about good things.  Dwell on what is pure and right and holy and true.   Bad thoughts are like bad actions.  They are taking you away.   Don’t fill your mind with thoughts that don’t glorify me.”   These are the kinds of things the Spirit says to me.   I think to you also.   Are we listening?
When I am shopping, I hear the Spirit saying, “Do you really need that or do you just want it?    Will having that make you love me more?   Have you thought of the poor?   Have you been generous this week toward those who have less than you?”   These are times when it is easier to ignore the voice of the Spirit, but I am so much better off when I listen.
When relating to others, the Spirit tells me, “Are you reaching out or living in your shell?  Whoah.  Hold your tongue.  What you are about to say you will regret.  Think before you speak.   Listen well.  Ask good questions.   Show that you care.  Encourage your friends and family.  Don’t cut them down.   Watch out.   You are slipping into gossip.   Why are you so negative about your life?   Where’s the gratitude?”   The Spirit helps me with gentleness and patience, if I am open to this self-control.
When I get overly busy and distracted I hear the Spirit saying,  “Have you said midday prayers today?   Why not?   Are you taking care of your soul by stopping to give thanks to me and turn over your burdens to me?”  In the kitchen I often hear, “Why are you eating that junk food?   Does it really taste good or are you comforting yourself with carbs when what you really want is to be closer to me?   Put it away.   Your body is a temple.  Go outside.   Renew yourself with fresh air –breathe in my Spirit.   Be amazed with my glorious flowers and sunshine.   Take a walk.  Get some exercise.  Plant something to remind you of me – of my tongues of fire.”   
As I go through the day, I hear the Spirit saying, “Are you listening to me or just doing whatever you want?   When are you going to forgive that person?   You keep dwelling on the comment that hurt you.   You are replaying it in your head over and over.  Let go of it.   Put it away.   Yes, I know you cannot forget it, but you can actively put it away and stop letting it control your thoughts.   
Have you called your mother?   Have you affirmed your spouse or someone in your family for something today?    Have you prayed for your children?  Are you setting a good example for them and for others who are watching you?   
Where are my fruits in your life today – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. ”   These are the kinds of messages that come from the Holy Spirit dwelling in me.   
The Spirit is described as wind and fire in Acts, but the Spirit is also the still small voice, constantly with us.  The Spirit is speaking to us as often as we are breathing, but like breathing, which we can ignore, so the Spirit can be easily overlooked.
When in Romans Paul speaks of the power of the Spirit he points to our inclusion in God’s family, the covenant with the Jews now open to us in Christ.  The Spirit makes us “children of God” (8:14) and so we now understand God as a Father or even a “Daddy” (as Abba might be translated -- see 8:15). In addition, Paul suggests we are now “heirs” with Christ (8:17). In other words, all that the Son shares with his Father (peace, life, righteousness) has now been given to us as well. (Mark Tranvik – Preach this Week)
The Holy Spirit is at work, overcoming our own desire to be in control, helping us draw nearer to the heart and soul of Christ, the one who forgave his enemies, who loved those who were despised.   Kelsey and Emily, today is your day to commit yourselves to live by the Spirit – to boldly claim your identity as a disciple of Christ, not counting the cost.   The Spirit is descending on your like a dove, reminding you that you belong to God.   I pray that you will cultivate your ability to listen for the Spirit in worship, in scripture, in prayer, in nature, and in those spiritual nudges of which I spoke.  Trust those spiritual nudges when they are consistent with scripture and the teachings of the church.   Even now the Spirit is blowing away all your doubt and fear.   The Spirit is burning away all your complacency, your sin, leaving your heart warm and clean.  The ultimate Truth of Life, this trustworthy Spirit of God, is in fact your Comforter, surrounding you in love and filling you with power and with the grace to live as Christ’s follower.   When you are weak, the Spirit will groan and sigh with you.   When you need prayers, the Spirit will be connecting you to God and God to you.
Emily and Kelsey, live by the Spirit and know that you are adopted as true daughters of God.   Live by the Spirit and know that you are being transformed into the likeness of Christ so that you may lead others to be transformed too.
Live by the Spirit, because you are daily being freed from sin and empowered to be faithful disciples. Live by the Spirit, hear the Spirit’s groaning for the pain of others, and keep responding for the rest of your life, as you are doing today, saying, as did Moses and Mary, Isaiah and Paul, Lydia and Joanna, and as did perfectly our Savior Jesus,   “Here I Am, Lord.   Are you calling me?  I will go, Lord, if you need me.  I will hold your people in my heart.”


Sunday, May 12, 2013

All the Marys in Jesus’ Life

   
7th Easter, Mother’s Day
Multiple Scriptures    
12 May 2013
Elizabeth M. Deibert    

Did you know that until the 1960’s the most popular girls’ name in the USA in every decade was Mary?   Now I must confess I did not check earlier than the 1800’s. But apparently, it was a strong name in the 1st century Israel/Palestine too.   Just to satisfy your curiosity about what happened to girls names after 1960… Lisa was number one in the 60s, Jennifer in the 70s, Jessica the 80s and 90s and Emily has reigned in the first decade of this century, while Mary has fallen to 65th place.  

When I was growing up, I had three very important Peggys in my life.  My mom was Peggy.    My neighbor piano teacher and mentor was Peggy.   My aunt was Peggy.  Without those Peggys, especially my mom and my piano teacher and mentor I would not be who I am today.   Many of you could name a mom or grandmother or aunt or close friend who has shaped your life in profound ways.

In Jesus’ case, when it comes to important women in his life, he would be naming this Mary and that.   I thought it would be interesting for us to read together the stories of the Marys in Jesus’ Life.   One reason to read them is that we often get confused about which Mary is which.   Another more important reason to read them is to be inspired by their devotion – whether they were playing the maternal role or the role of a friend, each of these women served Christ and his ministry well.  
 
First we read about the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.   The Theokokos, she is called, which in Greek means “Mother of God.”    Hear the story of Mary’s openness to the Spirit of God, her willingness to bear the Son of God.   No human being has more perfectly fulfilled God’s will than Mary, whose very self participated in the Incarnation, the coming of God to be one of us.   She is our best example of faithfulness.   Would that all of us might contain in our bodies the fullness of God as did Mary. 
 
Mary, Mother of Jesus (Theotokos)  Luke 1:30-38 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God." 38 Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. (NRSV)
Mary Magdalene traveled with Jesus as one of his followers. She was present at Jesus' two most important moments: the crucifixion and the resurrection.  In the four Gospels, she is named at least 12 times, more than most of the apostles.   She is described in the Gospels as courageous -- brave enough to stand by Jesus in his hours of suffering, death and beyond.  She is the only person to be listed in all four Gospels as first to realize that Jesus had risen and to testify to that central teaching of faith.  She was the "Apostle to the Apostles", an honor that fourth-century orthodox theologian St. Augustine gave her and that others earlier had possibly conferred on her.
Despite her centuries-old disreputable depiction in religion, art, literature, and in recent prominent fictional books and movies, such as The Da Vinci Code, it is largely agreed today that "not a shred of solid biblical or extrabiblical evidence suggests she played the role of harlot, wife, mother, or secret lover".[
Mary Magdalene    Luke 8:1-3   Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2 as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources. (NRSV)
In Roman Catholic tradition, Mary of Bethany is identified as Mary Magdalene,  while in Eastern Orthodox and Protestant traditions they are considered separate persons.    Mary of Bethany is sister to Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, a story we won’t have time to read.   She is also sister to Martha, the industrious one, who is distracted by her many tasks and frustrated that her younger sister, Mary, is not helping.   Would that all of us might take more time, especially in this fast paced, multi-tasking culture, to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen.   For Mary to sit at Jesus' feet, and for him to allow her to do so, was itself controversial. In doing so, as one commentator notes, Mary took "the place of a disciple by sitting at the feet of the teacher. It was unusual for a woman in first-century Judaism to be accepted by a teacher as a disciple."  But Jesus was not just a first-century teacher.
Mary of Bethany, Sister of Martha Luke 10:38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."  (NRSV)
We move now to the story of the anointing of Jesus’ feet with perfumed oil.   Massage oils, aromatherapy has made a resurgence in our time.  I expect in the days of few opportunities for cleaning and lots of walking on dusty roads, it was quite a luxury to have one’s feet anointed.  John’s Gospel names the woman as Mary of Bethany.   Other Gospels do not name her or describe her as a sinful woman.   Many think there were two different anointings.   Others speculate that the woman anointing was Mary Magdalene.   But clearly, in the John text, we are talking about Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus.   The point of the story seems to be the extravagant expression of devotion on Mary’s part, something that is considered wasteful by Judas.   The timeless tension between spending extravagantly to worship Christ, versus spending to care the poor is played out in this text.
Mary of Bethany   John 12:1-8 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." (NRSV)
 We assume that women of Biblical times were meek and mild, never asserting themselves in the patriarchal culture.   But the mother of James and John (Zebedee’s wife) approached Jesus confidently to ask for favoritism.   Like any good mother, she assumed her kids deserved the best spots.   Here’s to all moms who look out for the best opportunities for their children and stick their necks out to get it.   And here’s to the lesson learned in this passage – to be the greatest is to be the servant of all.
Mary, Mother of James and John  Matthew 20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. 21 And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." 22 But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 23 He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." (NRSV)
There were many women who followed Jesus and more than three women who went to the cross.  But the three we have named in our reading are Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of James and wife of Alpheus (not Zebedee) along with Salome, whose name comes from the Hebrew word Shalom, meaning peace.  When I consider these women, the word that comes to mind is courage.   To follow to the cross and to the tomb is to get yourself identified with the “troublemaker” the one whom they crucified.    I admire these women for their chutzpah and their willingness to suffer.   To remain with the dying, as they die a horribly painful death is difficult.  To anoint a dead body, dead for three days they thought, would have been unpleasant.   But they went, as soon as Sabbath rules allowed.
 Mark 15:40-41 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. 42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. 45 When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.   16:1 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. (NRSV)
And now the question for each of us, whether our name is Mary or Elizabeth, or John or James, whether we are mothers or fathers, or siblings or friends:   What are we doing to live a life of devotion to Christ?   What are we doing to nurture people in the ways of Christ?   What are we doing to give birth to Christ’s undying love for the world?





Sunday, May 5, 2013

"Live The Question"



6th Sunday of Easter
Matthew 16:13-26
Romans 12:1-8
William J. Kemp
5, May 2013
Earl Pickles is a retiree with way too much time on his hands. His main hobbies are teaching his grandson, Nelson, important things, such as the best way to find something you’ve lost is to buy another one.  Earl also enjoys driving his wife Opal crazy.  Nelson likes staying with them because they have the same bedtime as he does.
In one of the more profound episodes from this comic strip, Nelson asks, “Grandpa, how come it’s colder on top of mountains, even though it’s closer to the sun there?”  “Good question,” replies Earl.  “I don’t know the answer, but the important thing is to not stop asking questions.”  “Why?” Nelson asks.  “Yeah, that’s the way!” Grandpa replies.

 
That’s the way it usually is with our children and grandchildren.  They’re always asking questions.  That's how they learn.  Isn't that how we all learn?   
Followers of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion will know Guy Noir as the one man who is still trying to find the answer to life's persistent question.  We're never told, however, what the persistent question is.  As members of a Christian community, our persistent question is:  Who do you say that Jesus is?  Who do YOU say?  Not what somebody else says!  Not what the church says!  But who do YOU say that Jesus is?

Too ften we Christians don't want to think for ourselves.  We want to be spoon-fed answers.  We want answers to be unambiguously black or white, right or wrong.  We're reluctant to ask questions lest we be judged as unfaithful.  We hide our doubts lest we appear weak.  Yet, writes Frederich Buechner, "Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don't have any doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep.  Doubts are ants in the pants of faith.  They keep it alive and moving."
If you watch the TV quiz show, Jeopardy, you know that the question is more important than the answer. Indeed, the question is the answer. When an answer is revealed, contestants are challenged to come up with the appropriate question. Alex Trabeck issues the warning: "Remember to put your answer in the form of a question!"
I'm suggesting this morning that even in matters of Christian faith, the question is at least as, if not more, important than the answer. At Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked his disciples to report what others are saying about him.  “Some think you are John the Baptist, others say Elijah, still others say Jeremiah.”  "But who do you say that I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Messiah (the Christ), the Son of the living God."
I believe that the question is as important as the answer because even though Peter's answer is now recognized as orthodoxy, it soon becomes apparent that it did not mean Peter had Jesus all figured out.  In his next breath, he tries to dissuade Jesus from entertaining any notions about moving toward the cross.  Peter simply didn't get it.  He was thinking human thoughts, not divine thoughts.  And how different the two are -- radically different. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
That's why even our best answers to the great questions of faith and life can never be final answers.  Peter's answer, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," is not the last word. It's foundational. It's the rock upon which Christ builds the church. It's the springboard to other questions. It’s not enough for us to confess that Jesus is the Christ.  What does that mean to us?  Yes, I can find passages in the Book of Confessions and tell you how our tradition has answered. But what does it mean for you? What difference does it make in your life? Who do YOU say that Jesus is?
There is no more important question for us. To live it will transform your life. The question sends us on a life-long pilgrimage with other seekers to search for ways to understand and serve the Lord of Life. Led by God's Spirit which blows where it chooses, each new understanding becomes a new birth and leads to new questions.
Answers don't send us on a pilgrimage. Answers deceive us into thinking we have arrived at our destination. When we think we have found the "right" answer, we cease to be conversant and become dogmatic, condemning anyone who may disagree.
Answers can make us arrogant and stand in the way of a deeper awareness of God.  Perhaps that's why St. Paul, in the midst of a theological controversy with the Corinthians, wrote, "We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions -- but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds.  We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all."

In her book, Called to Question, Benedictine sister Joan Chittister tells about her conversion from religion to spirituality.  The only child of a Roman Catholic mother and a Presbyterian stepfather, Joan had an unusual interest in religion for a young girl.  It troubled her that her good and faithful stepfather was judged by some to be undeserving of salvation because he was a Protestant.  "Early on I knew that life was not really the way the church said it was," she writes.  However she pushed her questions away.

I went from church to church, smelling the cool, damp air of their high vaulted caverns.  I lit candles in every candle stand along the way.  Then I dropped to my knees at the marble altar rails next to each flickering bank of flames to draw God's attention to the petition they represented.  Most of all, I studied my catechism.  Correction:  No, I did not "study" it ... I swallowed it whole.  I memorized every word of it ... I would recount every feast day.  I could recite every gift of the Holy Spirit.  I could list every capital sin.

She entered the convent at sixteen.  She fulfilled all the requirements, followed all the rules, took all the vows.  She later became active in the Civil Rights and women's movements, wrote dozens of books, traveled widely on the lecture circuit, taught courses on spirituality, and accumulated many honorary degrees.  But a moment came when something shifted.

She describes the ensuing journey as one "from the certainties of dogma to that long, slow personal journey into God ... I began my own wrestling match with God, which no catechism, no creed, could mediate.  From then on ... I would have to dare to ask the questions no one had ever wanted me to ask."  She adopted what she called a "spirituality of search" in which openness to other ideas is not considered as infidelity, but rather the beginning of spiritual maturity.

Mary Ann Grantham and her family came to Peace from a tradition where the teachings of the church felt more like wearing a straight jacket.  A few months ago she, along with some others, gave a short testimony as to what drew her to this congregation.  She said something like this:  "Here at Peace you aren't put down if you have questions about the faith.  Indeed, you are encouraged to ask questions and to search together for answers.  That spirit continues to sustain me, and I am grateful that my kids likely will take this for granted."

St. Paul urges, "Do not be 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 ... For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment ..." Minds locked into answers that claim to know the mysteries of God and God's will for all time are not renewable. Such minds are rigid and closed. To be renewable, our minds need to be open to new understanding.
Human life is so fragmented these days because we think our answers are more important than the questions. That's real jeopardy. Everybody has an answer for everything -- whether it's how to fix the economy; or how to raise the quality of education for our children; or how  Presbyterians could grow in numbers; or whether the Roman Church should allow priests to be married, or ordain women as priests.  
We are invited to the Lord's Table every Lord's Day.  Every time we come forward, I think about how the Table has become so divisive among Christians when Christ gave it to us as a place for hospitality and welcome.  Is Jesus really present in the Sacrament and, if so, how?  Catholics talk about transubstantiation.  Lutherans talk about consubstantiation.  Personally, I lean towards unsubstantiation.  Everybody thinks his or her answer is the right answer. As a result, we are polarized and torn apart as a nation, as a society and as a church.
Wouldn't we find more unity of spirit, if not unanimity of thought, by giving up some of our sacred answers and, instead, concentrated on sacred questions?   Somewhere there's a church that displays this poster–Why is it churches that claim to have all the answers, don’t allow any questions.
Henri Nouwen writes,

It is not difficult to see how those ‘who know it all’ can kill a conversation and prevent an interchange of ideas. Poverty of mind as a spiritual attitude is a growing willingness to recognize the incomprehensibility of the mystery of life. The more mature we become the more we will be able to give up our inclination to grasp, catch, and comprehend the fullness of life and the more we will be ready to let life enter into us.
That is, the more mature we become the more we will "live the question" and the less we will
cling to our answers.  That's when our answers become little gods that we worship.  By "living
the question," I mean that it is more important to try to live Christ-like lives than it is to try to understand the mystery of faith:

Christ has died
Christ has risen
Christ will come again.
Isn't that the wisdom attested to in the Book of Proverbs? "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body." How counter-cultural is that! The world is always trying to squeeze us into its mold. It’s always telling us “trust your own insight;” “be wise in your own eyes;” “go with your feelings.” You can’t do that and, at the same time, “be transformed by the renewing of your minds.”
Are there no absolutes, then? Is nothing certain? Of course there is! Jesus is the Christ. He is the absolute claim on our lives. Loving God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves is the solid foundation for living out our faith. But how we build on that foundation will vary for there are as many ways of being Christian as there are Christians
The Lord of life wants each one of us to answer for ourselves, "who do you say that I am?" I believe the best way to answer that question is to live it.  Any words we offer as answers are feeble at best and can never be a final answer because "the love of Christ surpasses knowledge."  So whatever question is put before you, if you don't want to lean on your own understanding, if you want to keep your mind open to the transforming power of God's Spirit, remember to put your answer in the form of a question!