God in the silence.

Our Old Testament lesson today is a continuation of the story where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal, and killed them all.  The problem is that those were the prophets favored by Queen Jezebel and she took exception to their deaths.  So she sent the army after Elijah and that's where our lesson picks up today.  

Word gets back to Elijah that Jezebel wants him dead and he takes off – he runs away – and he’s so distraught that he asks God to take his life – not to let him suffer at the hand of Jezebel’s followers.  Elijah lays down under the tree and goes to sleep.  An angel of the Lord comes to him and wakes him up and makes him eat – food and water have miraculously appeared.  He eats and goes back to sleep.  The angel comes a second time and Elijah wakes up and eats again and then he gets up and travels 40 days and nights without food (does this sound familiar?) until he comes to Mount Horeb.  There he finds a cave and spends the night.

When he wakes up, the Lord asks him what he is doing there.  Elijah complains that he is the only one of the prophets of God left  in the land and now Jezebel want to take his life.  The Lord tells him to go stand on the mountain and wait for God to pass by – and we know this part of the story.

A great wind comes – stronger than any other – but God is not in the wind.  Next there is an earthquake, but God is not in the earthquake.  Then there is a fire, but God is not in the fire.  And at last, there is the sound, it says, of sheer silence – and Elijah knew that God was in the silence and he stepped out on the mountain to meet God.   

I think this says something to us.  Our world today is so full of noise – natural and artificial – that it’s hard to find that place of silence.  People seem to think that if there isn’t some kind of noise going on that there’s something wrong.  A few people will drive to work in the mornings using this silence as a time to pray or plan their day – but most people have the radio going – listening to music or to a talk show - or these days maybe talking on the phone.  Radio stations learn to keep that sound going at all times – if a disk jockey or radio commentator allows what is called “dead air” they are most likely fired, because people will change stations.  

I walk in the mornings, everyday except Sunday - I’m a little busy on Sunday.  I started out walking in silence, then I remembered that I had some nice earphones for my cell phone so I started listening to music as I walked - always classical - I can think with a classical music backdrop.  And then it was a great boon to discover that our local library had an app that allows you to download free books to read - or listen to.  So I started listening to books, mystery books mostly.  Then I got tired of the mystery books and wanted something with a little more meat in it - so I started looking at what else they had.  

I found, not a book but a recorded presentation by Brené Brown called “Rising Strong as a Spiritual Practice.”  Brene is the chair of the the graduate school of Social Work at the University of Houston.  She has been described as a Researcer-Story teller. Rising Strong is Brené’s lastest book.  This was excellent, so I listened to it twice - and plan to listen to it a third time because although she is not a religious leader, God speaks very strongly through her.  She is an Episcopalian and has even preached at the Washington National Cathedral.   But in this talk, she recommended “The Book of Forgiving” by Desmond Tutu.  So I downloaded and am listening to it.  I should finish it on my walk tomorrow.”  So while I’m no longer walking in silence, the things I am listening to speak of God, and God’s desire for us.  I have laughed, and cried and pondered so much as I have walked these past couple of months.  I feel like God has been speaking to me in a powerful way through Brené and through Bishop Tutu.  I can’t wait to see what He has to teach me next.  So what I am saying is that silence is sometimes most helpful when it extends out of conversation - as with Elijah, conversation with God.  

I think this lesson also says something else to us.  When we have so called “natural disasters” strike and some city or area is devastated – some media, religious, or political personalities immediately start finding all the reasons why God destroyed that sinful place.  But this scripture says very plainly, God is not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire.  Listen for him in the silence – not the cacophony.  God is there, but you will not find him in the noise.  You will find him in that quiet place that can surround you and cushion you and help protect you – even in the midst of turmoil.  

Look at our gospel lesson – this man in the tombs – he sees Jesus and he comes out yelling – it says that he “shouted at the top of his voice.”  Noise – noise can overpower the silence – can drive away the sound of God.  Jesus spoke softly, but with authority – “What is your name?”  “Legion - my name is Legion – for we are many.”  This name brought up the image of the Roman Legions that had over run the land – it reminded the people of the destruction that followed in their wake.  It brought fear to the hearers.

Legion begged to not be sent back to the abyss, but to be allowed to go and Jesus said, “Go.”  This legion had driven the man mad – the many voices telling him to do different things – fighting and arguing in his head.  And once the noise was gone – in the silence that followed – the man was healed of all that troubled him and he became a normal person once again.

When we allow those voices to take over our lives – allow the demons of addiction or self-gratification or self-pity or self-glorification to become the rulers of our life – then we no longer have control, or silence, or any place where God can come in and abide in us.  

But when we allow the silence to overcome those voices – to silence them, then God is there and he can be heard and our lives can be made whole.  Open up your heart and mind to the silence and hear the voice of God for your own self.  I’m going to ask you to sit in silence for a time – and listen – and abide – be still and know that God is here and that he can be found in those quiet moments that occasionally steal into our lives.

 

Mountaintop and Valleys

Listen to the sermon .      

Today is August 6 the day set aside for the reading of the transfiguration story, the day that Jesus is revealed as the Son of God.  The disciples have been following this man, knowing in their hearts that he was something special.  But here, they can’t escape the fact that Jesus is the chosen son of God.

At this point, they are all overshadowed by a cloud.  The cloud in many ways represents the darkness that might surround us at various times in our life.  There is a small book, written by an English Monk called the Cloud of Unknowing.  It is sometimes referred to as Christianity with a Zen outlook.  It encourages its readers to seek God, not through knowledge, but through love.  It has been derided by many as being anti-intellectual and therefore not worthy of serious consideration.

Long before I went to seminary, I began to discover that there two different approaches to God, one was experiential and the other was intellectual – and for the intellectual, these two paths never cross.  Any personal experience of God was derided as bunk, unworthy of God, and yet, - that was exactly how the disciples experienced Jesus Christ.  Yes, his words may have thrilled them at times, but more often than not, they were confused by his words, asking him over and over to explain what he meant.  It was their experience of the living God that drew them in over and over.  

But to get back to the cloud, the cloud scares the disciples – not unlike the cloud that covered the mountain where Moses met with God.  The Israelites were scared by the thunder and lightening and the darkness that overshadowed them.  I think often we find ourselves in darkness and it scares us, too.  

But from the darkness experienced by the Israelites, they received the Ten Commandments, a light to live by, a way to walk in God’s favor.  

For the disciples, out of the darkness came a voice – assuring them of God’s love in the presence of Jesus Christ – “This is my Son, listen to him.”  This is a reassurance to all of us that even when things seem darkest, there is always hope when God is at the center of your life. 

We are human and being human, we can go through types of transfiguring events, but just as with the Israelites and with the disciples, when the transfiguring events are ended, things seem not so different from before.  The Israelites still sinned – that’s why they spent 40 years wandering in the desert.  

Even Peter, who was so enthusiastic about this mountaintop experience, is the same Peter who later would deny Jesus in the face of the cross.  I used to have a sign on my door that started out, “Being Christian doesn’t mean we are perfect.  It just means we’re forgiven.”

We can rejoice in an exalted passage of scripture, be moved by emotion during the singing of a hymn, find great joy in receiving the sacrament, marvel at the goodness of God in our midst, and then go out and live no differently than before.

A primary symbol for Cursillo is a rooster.  There was a song written for the Cursillo movement that goes something like this – “The rooster crows reminding me who I am and what I believe.  Hello rooster, you know me inside, faces I wear and love that I hide.”  We forget at times, through fear, or distraction, or negligence…  We need that reminder from time to time that God is with us, even in the darkness, even when we turn away, even when we forget him.  

We have a monthly meeting of clergy the first Wednesday of each month.  One of the things we have started doing is an experiential study of the upcoming Gospel lesson based on the Bible study method introduced by the African bishops at Lambeth Conference 16 years ago.   Imagine a room full of 10 or more clergy bouncing ideas around concerning this transfiguration.   

This kind of study starts with three readings of the passage from three different translations and after each reading everyone shares a word that stood out to them, next an idea that strikes them and finally what they believe God is calling them to change or do based on the scripture.

In this lesson, it was the contrast between dark and light that stood out for most.  Someone brought up a idea thrown out by Bishop N.T. Wright, bishop of Durham.  Bishop Wright is a popular author around the Anglican communion.  Writing under the name N. T. Wright for scholars and under Tom Wright for everyone else.  In one of his commentaries on the Transfiguration, he put forth the contrast between the mountaintop experience and the cross that was being discussed by Jesus, Moses and Elijah.

On this mountain, Jesus’ clothes are bright and shining, 

at Calvary, he is stripped naked.

On this mountain, Jesus is flanked by Moses and Elijah, 

at Calvary he is flanked by two criminals. 

On this mountain, Jesus is surrounded by his friends, 

at Calvary, he has been deserted by them.

John Newton, Bishop Doyle’s chief of staff, added in a sermon that it is not on the mountain of transfiguration that we are saved - it is on the cross in that valley of darkness that Jesus saves us.

Mountaintop experiences are wonderful, inspiring and life giving.  And we sometimes go through periods of darkness in the gullies of this world.  But it is somewhere in between that we are called to live and minister.  It is in going to that mountain that we are inspired to go back down into the gentle slopes or planes to live out our lives and to share and minister to those around us.  When the mundane world gets you down, or your life seems to be overshadowed by the worldly worries, listen for the voice of God coming out of the darkness.

For Sam and I, Cursillo was something of a mountaintop adventure that sent us back fired up and ready to see where God was leading us.  I wouldn’t trade that experience or what has happened since then for any other possible variation of life.  

God reveals himself to us over and over, reminding us of who he is, of his great love for us, and of his place in our lives. 

Two thousand years ago, the disciples experienced Jesus walking beside them and teaching them.  Three questions:  

Have you been aware of Jesus walking with you somewhere in this life?  

Where has God spoken to you out of a cloud that has over-shadowed you?   

Where have you been inspired by God’s glorious presence? 

I invite you to sit now quietly for a few moments, and contemplate where God has made his presence known in your life.

(Silence)

Amen.

Christ, the image of God

Today is the last Sunday of the church year.  It seems strange this time of year to read this lesson of Jesus being mocked and crucified; very much out of season.  After all, this Thursday is Thanksgiving and next Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent, which begins a new church year.  Our church year always begins its celebration with the expectant birth of a baby, and concludes with the celebration of his reign as King of Kings.  And for today's reading, it is not so much the cruelty we focus on, but the sign hanging over his head.

Although we worship the God of the Jews, our focus as Christians is his son Jesus Christ.  Jesus is hung on a tree like a common criminal, but over his head is a designation, "King of the Jews."  Some protested at the proclamation.  Those who knew Jesus simply thought it was ironic if they noticed it at all.  But those who took offense thought it made a mockery of all they believed, and if it were true, -- then that meant they were very, very wrong.

This view of Jesus is not a view of power and authority.  It is a view of submission and of obedience.  Maybe this view helps us understand that what we see, the way things appear, may not in fact be true.  When we feel most powerless may be when God is working in us most strongly.

When I read only one interpretation of events or circumstances, that is most often when I misinterpret what is happening.  And when I get angry, and am filled with (what in my view is) righteous indignation – that is when I most likely will do something stupid like back my car into a tree.  Because I get caught up in my own perception of right and wrong, or worse yet, my sense of entitlement to some particular thing; when I try to be too assertive and take control of a situation, that’s when God so graciously brings me back down to earth.

During the time of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, the church is being persecuted.  And even in the face of pain and suffering, people of faith could say that Jesus Christ was the image of the invisible God.  In the Greek language, Jesus is "the icon" of God.  He is the God who suffers with us, the one who cares for us, the one who cries with us.

Paul tells us - "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created. . .  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, in heaven and on earth. . ."   Colossians 1

In Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God is with us now, in this present day and age.  We don’t have to wait until some glorious future.  We have to look behind the power and glamour. God is here with us in the nitty-gritty of everyday life. All through the gospels Jesus reminds us of the great reversals – the paradoxes of our faith:  the first shall be last; the master shall be servant; - - a king who is born in a stable.

In this day and age, especially in our current political climate, we can look at the political and professional mess of our leaders and remember that there is another kingdom where things are done differently.  When there is so little we can do to change the world, we can proclaim that God is sovereign and holds the world in his outstretched arms.

When we look around and see pain and suffering, from people hit by earthquakes in the Oklahoma around the world, from people who are held prisoner, indentured slaves right here in America to those who are living in refugee camps, from those who find themselves ravaged by cancer to those who find themselves without jobs or means of support, we can know that Christ understands and carries us during our deepest need.  In Christ we can seek comfort and strength when we lose someone we love, and we can look forward to seeing them again.

With this wonderful view of Christ on the cross – who, even through his suffering, reaches out to another – the thief who cries out, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”  (There was no hesitance, no “If you are who you say you are…”;  no “If you are a king…”; and no expectation for this life.)

And the wonderful assurance Jesus gives him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”  It was a little late for this guy to turn his life around or to make amends…  but Jesus still accepts him – as is.  This is an assurance that there is no one who can go so far that they are outside the reach of his saving embrace.  There is no piece of our human experience which cannot be redeemed.

In Christ we find a god who views the world from a different perspective.  In Christ we can live in the middle of a world that measures everything by power and popularity, and the lives of the rich and famous – and we can see a God who judges by a different measure.  His love is all encompassing – reaching out to those in need, who have no power, no authority, those who are not beautiful or popular.

With this coming season of Advent, I think the greatest gift we can give ourselves is the gift of not having to always be in control, not always having to be on top.  If we sit back and allow God room to work, we have more freedom to be ourselves and to live into his plan for our lives.  (The last few days, I have been overwhelmed by everything I saw that needed doing, so I'm in need of this message as much as everyone.  I had gotten the feeling that it was all up to me and leaving God out in the equation.)

During Advent, I invite you to ponder a god who comes to us, not as a powerful king, but as a little child.  Advent allows us to give Jesus "gestation time" - time to grow in us - before being born anew in our hearts. During Advent, ponder that this little child will grow and take on the cares of the world.  This little child will one day offer himself up to be a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.  And that one day, he will come again - in glory - to rule the world in perfect peace.  This is a victory he has already won – that glorious day many years ago on a hill called Calvary.   Amen.

Creating all things new

Listen to the sermon.

We live in a changing world.  Nationally a new president will soon take office.  Locally, Grace church will soon begin the process of searching for a new rector.  As much as we would like to hold on to the familiar, we have to acknowledge that things change.  Jesus addresses this same idea of a changing world in today's gospel.

The thing that reached out and grabbed me was the statement, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”  It just seemed to cry out to me.  The things of man, of this world -- these things that we have made; they are all passing away.

The things that people make today are all eventually being torn down and new things built in their place.  I think of old hotels and large department stores that have been imploded to make way for new buildings, new projects – not one stone left on top of stone. Even the twin towers of the World Trade Center that were brought down by two airplanes - and not one stone left on stone.

I ran across a picture of the old church the other day - the one that Tommy and I grew up in.  The only things left from that church are the window above us here, and the altar in the children's chapel.

Things made in this day and age seem to be easy to get rid of.  Many of the ancients built things to last – I'm awed by things like the pyramids, Stonehenge, and Easter Island - the huge stones that have lasted for centuries..   Even the old western wall of Herod’s temple – if you take the tour down underneath the Western Wall, you will see these massive stones, still one on top of another – not complete by any means, but you wonder how people of old could have moved stones as massive as these stones are.  They were as long as this building and almost as tall.  No wonder the disciples were impressed.

For the Jews, this temple was considered to be God’s dwelling place on earth.  That is where you would go to be near God’s presence - to make sacrifices to him.  The synagogues were where you went to learn about God and to worship him.  But his presence was at the temple in Jerusalem according to the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Now Jesus uses this discussion of the temple adornments as a springboard to launch into an eschatological discussion – that is a discussion about the end times.  And the disciples take off with it, wanting to know when these things were going to take place.

They missed the point - the point that things do not stay the same.  Everything is subject to change.  They wanted to be able to pinpoint it so that they could have some modicum of control or at least inside knowledge – so that they can be prepared.  And Jesus lets them know that it’s not going to be tomorrow – not anytime in the near future.

There’s danger in thinking that Jesus is coming back tomorrow.  Some of the people of Thessalonica were convinced that Jesus was coming back within days.  So they quit living for the future – they quit working and started meddling in other people’s business and living off the handouts of the others in the community. They are reminded in today’s lesson that Paul set them an example while he was among them – working and earning his keep and he encourages them to do the same.  We can't just give up because change is coming.  We have to stay engaged.

Our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah starts off telling us that God is about to do a new thing – create new heavens and a new earth – and the former things shall not be remembered.  Maybe each generation needs to have something to look forward to.  Isaiah is writing this after the Babylonian exile.  The people are coming back to Jerusalem and looking at the ruins of the former glory.  They are lamenting the ruin and rubble of the destroyed temple.

And they wonder if it will ever be the same.  God tells them “no” it won’t be the same – God will recreate in a different way, and so should they.  He encourages them to build a better world – and gives them an image of the perfect world – where all live together peacefully.

And so they began to build - and the new temple is the same one that Jesus and the disciples are looking at in our gospel lesson - the very one that Jesus says is going to be torn down.  (And it is only seventy years later, when the temple is torn down.)

These scriptures carry a message for us today.  Not only as a nation, but for us here at Grace.  We are in transition, just as the Israelites were as they returned from Babylon.  Each person is expected to do their part in preparing a place for your new rector.  Paul tells us that we are not to be idle and let others do the work if we want to succeed.  Everyone has a part to play to make this church a success.

You can’t say, I’m too old and feeble.  Moses was 80 when he was asked to bring the people out of Egypt and he spent 40 years doing just that.  Don’t say I’m just a kid – what can I do?  The Bible tells us very plainly that a little child shall lead them.  Don’t say I’m not smart enough. . .

There is a story told about a young man named Johnny with downs syndrome.  He worked as a sacker at a neighborhood grocery store.  One day the vice president gave a speech about how each employee could make a difference at the store.  Johnny thought and thought how he could make a difference.  He finally happened on an idea of finding a “thought of the day.”  He and his dad searched for a thought and when they found one, his dad helped him set it up on the computer and they printed out multiple copies and cut them into individual cards.  Johnny would put a card in the grocery bag of each customer and tell them to “have a good day” and “thanks for shopping with us.”

The number of customers grew as people found themselves drawn back to the store even when they only had a few items to get.  There came a day when the store manager noticed a long line at one check out stand – the one where Johnny was.  The manager had employees open up other counters, but the people would not move to the other counters. They wanted to get Johnny’s thought for the day.

Other employees, inspired by Johnny, began to find ways to make a difference also.  Each of you can make a difference, too.  I invite you to use your imagination to find your contribution.  The success of Grace is the responsibility of each member working together with every other member.

Those of you who are Daughters of the King are familiar with the motto:
I am but one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
What I can do, I ought to do.
What I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do.
Lord, what will you have me do?

No one person can do everything.  But each person has something they can contribute.  I invite you to entertain this idea – take the bulletin home, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the scriptures for the day – and pray for the future of the church.  Plan what you can do – what God calls you to do.  Where is it that God is calling you to make a difference today?

All the Saints

Listen to the sermon.

Today we come together to celebrate All Saints Day.  Our gospel reading today is a funny little story about heaven.  The Sadducees come to Jesus with a hypothetical question about resurrection and heaven.  Now you have to understand that the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection, so their question is outrageous in order to demonstrate how absolutely ridiculous the idea of resurrection is.  Jesus just tells them that they don't understand what resurrection is or what heaven is going to be like.

But he also makes a statement that we need to remember; one that should affirm our belief in resurrection.  Jesus said, "Moses speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

Today, we turn our focus on those who have gone on before us, from this life on to the greater life that awaits all of us someday.  Today we remember, not only those special Saints that have been canonized by the church, but also those saints (little "s") who have touched our own lives in very tangible ways.  One of my favorite songs growing up in the church was the one we opened with this morning, "I sing a song of the saints of God" . . .   This song reminds us that we all go in to make up the body of Christ -  we are all saints of God.

We are all sorts of people, we are all different.  One congregation described themselves to be "demanding, intelligent, eccentric, crazy, sad, muddled, confused and sometimes part of the holy people of God - but never boring."  Paul called all followers of Christ - Saints.  It was the term that he used to identify those who had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Those of us who try to live according to the teachings of Jesus - we are the saints of God.

The saints of God are people just like you and me.  Many of them have gone on to be with Christ in heaven.  And those who have had a positive impact on our life, we miss them greatly and we remember them fondly.  We are still left here.  It is part of the life circle that we all are born, we live, and we die.  But those of us who have accepted our Lord Jesus Christ  have something more to look forward to.  I see God as giving us two promises:  In life, God will be with us - and in death, we will be with God.

In this life, we are not promised happiness, riches, health, love, or any other thing that many people desire in this life.  The promise we have from God is that regardless of what happens to us, regardless of what state we find ourselves in – God will be there with us!  God will be with us – to encourage us, to strengthen us, to comfort us, to fill us, and to love us.  That is his promise for our life here on earth.  When we are going through tough times – when we are in pain, when we are alone, when we grieve, God is there with us.  He is there with us in both the good times and the bad times.  He laughs with us, he cries with us, he rejoices with us, he grieves with us.  He is there to share with us.  We don’t see him, but we can feel his presence.  We are never alone.

That’s the first promise and the second is like it… in death, we will be with him.  Jesus tells the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise."  A lifelong follower or a last minute conversion, "today you will be with me in paradise."  In the first letter of John we hear, “we will be like him – for we will see him as he is.”  Even Genesis says that we are made in his image – and that means we will see ourselves as we are – the spirit of God that lives within us.  This is the pledge of our inheritance as the family of God - Life everlasting - to be with God in heaven - Saints now and forever.

So today we honor all those who have gone before, all those Saints, who for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ have left their mark on the world.  And we know that one day, we will join them in that place "where there is no mourning or crying or pain, for God himself will be with us and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes."   Amen.

Little Man, Generous Heart

Listen to the sermon.

In today's lesson Jesus is traveling.  He is making a purposeful move from the area of Galilee to Jerusalem.  He has a date with destiny.  He has come down the Jordan river valley – a wide valley with cliffs on the western side.  Our text says he entered Jericho and was passing through.  The way it is written indicates that Jesus was not intending to stop in Jericho.

The entourage that followed him was greatly enlarged as the town folk wrestled for an opportunity to see this miracle worker.  You may have noticed that healings do not play a prominent role in the lessons we’ve had the past couple of months.  The focus here is on his teaching.  Jesus is trying to leave his disciples with a firm foundation, for the time is quickly approaching when they will no longer have him with them.  And a lot of his teaching is done by example.  Today is one of those days.  

During his trip, there have been two things that have been prominent in his teachings – wealth and relationship.  The point Jesus has been making about wealth is not that the rich are condemned, but that what you do with what you have is more important than how much you have.  He is concerned about having a right attitude toward both your money and your possessions – not holding on with a closed fist, but ready to use it where and when it is needed.

And the point about relationship is that there are things more important than who you are and what position you hold.  What he offers to Zacchaeus – in way of example to his disciples – is a no-strings attached relationship.  One of the things that Jesus says is that he was sent to the lost sheep of Israel – and Zacchaeus is one of those lost sheep.  Zacchaeus is a big man if we count his worth in riches, power and position – but he is small in stature, and he is small in the eyes of his fellow Jews.

What is so unusual in this story is that when Zacchaeus could over the crowd, he “ran ahead and climbed a tree” in order to see Jesus.  Those are two things that no self-respecting male would do in that society.  This tells us how very important it was to Zacchaeus that he be able to see Jesus – to step out of character so far.

It would be wonderful if each one of us could be that desperate to see Jesus as he draws near to our lives.  One of the things that I fully believe is that God will draw us to that place or event where we can see Jesus.  He will draw us to the place we need to be in order to receive God’s word or his healing.

I remember back in the mid-eighties there was going to be a spiritual formation workshop at Camp Allen.  It was during the summer and Fr. Fred encouraged me to go, but I didn’t really feel like I could leave my family for a whole week during the summer to attend.

But each time I passed the poster on the church bulletin board it called out to me.  One of the two presenters was a Sister Barbara – a former Roman Catholic nun turned Episcopalian – and every time I saw her name, I felt a deep, deep longing.  It was a pulling of the Holy Spirit – to put me in a place where I could receive healing.

I finally couldn’t stand it any longer – I signed up to go.  And that week brought, not only a deepening spirituality, but also the beginning of a healing process for me.  Another thing that happened that week was a vision (one that I refused to openly acknowledge until 15 years later) - of me, at an altar, celebrating the Eucharist.

I think that Zacchaeus must have had an experience not unlike mine – a deep longing, not even sure why or what it was for – but knowing that this was something he had to do – to see Jesus.  It was an urging of the Holy Spirit.  And Jesus sees him in the tree – and Jesus knows in an instant that he will be making another stop on his journey. “Zacchaeus, come down – I want to go to your house.”

That provided instant elevation for Zacchaeus – made him someone special – because this Jesus not only knew his name, but wanted to go to his house.  Jesus doesn’t use any of the formulas that he has used in the past – “Your sins are forgiven,” or “Go and sell all your possessions,” or “Go and sin no more…”  No, he simply says, “I want to stay with you.”  -  I want to be in relationship with you.  I will be your friend, no strings attached.

And Jesus says that same thing to each one of us.  He wants to stay with us.  He wants to be in relationship with us.  No strings attached - even if we do nothing, the relationship is there for our pleasure, for our benefit.  We can live into it or not.

Perfect love will eventually bring about perfect response.  When Zacchaeus heard his neighbors grumbling – he voluntarily offered to give up half his possessions.  It was not something he was coerced into doing.  It was not a requirement to relationship.  It was a gift freely offered – in response to the pure love of God through Jesus Christ.  And with it, not only did Zacchaeus received vindication, but his whole household with him.

We don’t know what kind of healing Zacchaeus might have received from this experience – but we do know his response to it.  He did not give away everything he had – he did not sell all his possessions – but he exemplified a right attitude toward all he had amassed.  And in response, Jesus declares that he had received salvation and that he, too, was restored as a son of Abraham.

We are all children of God, regardless of who we are or what we believe.  Being made in his image, all people can claim that relationship.  But many people don’t – God calls, we respond.  Zacchaeus didn’t have to come down and take Jesus home, but he answered the call of God.  We are all called in the same way – and Jesus wants to come be a guest in our house.  He wants to come live, not only in our house, but in our whole life, and he calls, "Come down for I want to stay with you."

It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you have done – Jesus calls out – come down, I must come to your house.  No one is so far above his call that they don’t need Jesus.  No one is so far below his call that they cannot receive him.

When we answer his call, there is a response that we have to make to Jesus.  Just as Zacchaeus turned his life around, we often have to make adjustments in our own lives.  Jesus will be our guide.  Consider this as you fill out your pledge card, if you haven't already done so.  Think about what Jesus would have you do in response to your relationship with him.  If he is going to live in you, how do you go about living in him?


Let us pray:  Lord, when you send your son, Jesus, to live in our hearts and minds, -  guide us, we pray, to understand the response you would have us make to honor that relationship.  Make us faithful stewards of time, talent and treasure in all we do or undertake.  Amen.

Finding Our Own Path

Listen to the sermon.

A number of years ago a science fiction movie came out called "2001," based on a novel of the same name by Arthur Clarke.  In this movie there is a computer whose name is Hal.  Hal talks and reasons and eventually decided to take over from his human operator.  Even before that book, Robert Heinlein wrote a novel called “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.”  In this novel a super computer was put together to connect all the colonies of the moon.

Parts and links had been added until the computer finally grew intricate enough to become self aware – and it developed a sense of humor.  As a joke it printed a check to pay a worker his normal salary plus 10 million dollars.  This meant the technician (Manny) had to come fix the computer.  Fixing the computer in this case meant sitting down and talking to it - reasoning with it.  Max, the computer, was trying to learn what made a joke funny and the difference between when a joke was funny always and when it would only be funny once.

You see, I’m still convinced that Jesus is telling jokes – you know, two cowboys walked into a bar,.. Two people died and went to heaven…  Two men went into the temple to pray…. And every time, he attacks the current value system with his punch line.  What makes a joke funny?  It’s turning the table upside down.  It's the unexpected that makes a joke funny.  I also am convinced that we don't really know what's going on until we understand something about the culture during the time of Jesus.  So, with that in mind – let’s look at this joke – sorry - parable.

Two men went to the temple to pray – a Pharisee and a tax collector.  Unfortunately, we have been preconditioned to see the Pharisee as the evil person and the tax collector as the good person.  But that is not the way a Jew in Jesus' time would have understood this.

We have to understand – both men are Jews – only Jews were allowed inside the temple.  The Pharisee and the tax collector are about as far apart on the social ladder as you can get in the Jewish world.

The Pharisee is the leader who is looked up to – the perfect example of what it means to revere and follow their God whom they call Adonai.  They are the teachers of religion and the law.  They spend their whole life studying the scriptures and discussing the things of God.  They pray, they tithe, they fast – and they did this so as to cover the sins of the ordinary people - so that the Jewish people (as a whole) would be found acceptable before their God.  The Pharisees, along with the priests and Sadducees were the ones who stood in the gap to mediate between God and man – they were the heroes of the faith.

The tax collector on the other hand is seen as a traitor – the lowest of the low.  The tax collector had to be rich enough to buy his position.  They have consorted with the occupying forces and have gone over to the enemy.  They collect the taxes from their own people for the Romans, and most of them collected more than is owed to the governors.  If they could collect more, they got to keep the difference.  Some of them got even richer that way, and they were all despised by their fellow Jews.

So the listening crowd would be thinking “yea Pharisees!” - “boo tax collectors!”  And the Pharisee stands up and prays a typical formula prayer.  “God, I thank you that I am not like other people; thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.”  Yep, he’s saying, “Hey God, look at me - I’m better than all these low-lifes."

Then he recites a list of all the things that he does – he fasts twice a week – that’s more often than is required by the law or tradition.  He gives a tithe of all his income, not just the required portions. In other words, he goes the extra mile – he does more than he is required to do.  This is no more than is expected by the people hearing the story, but he is also boastful, prideful and to make sure God understands, he compares himself to someone he considers less worthy.

Then we see the tax collector – he doesn’t even approach God closely…  He stands apart – far off – and he doesn’t really know how to pray.  He doesn’t dare to lift his eyes to heaven, but beats his breast as he prays.  This prayer is a simple plea for God to have mercy on him – and Jesus says, “and he went home justified rather than the other.”  This was a man who knew his sin, and who was humble before God.

How much of this is human nature – this need to compare ourselves to others?  People do it all the time.  It seems to bear out of our need to have something visible to measure ourselves against – so that we can know how well we are doing.  This is something that we learn early because it’s fostered by our school system.

There is a particular mark that is considered good enough – and if you don’t attain that mark, then you have to repeat that grade until you do.

The minute we attach grades to our learning process and reward those who make better grades, we foster a competitive nature in children.  When we evaluate schools and grade the school according to how well their students do on standardized tests, then we foster competition between institutions – just as if it were a football game.

I have a friend, call her June, who has come to me for counsel from time to time. She was estranged from her spouse and they were rather at odds with each other about any number of things.  She did not respect him because his behavior did not inspire respect.  She would say things like, ‘well, at least I don’t do so-in-so like Jim does.’ and various other statements along the same vein.  My question to her was why are you comparing yourself to someone you don’t respect?

That’s exactly what the Pharisee was doing.  Do people do that (compare themselves to others) because they are insecure and it is the only way they can feel good about themselves?  Most often it doesn’t work – it gives a false sense or illusion about who and what we are.  It is born out of pride – and from any angle – positive or negative - pride is destructive.

One preacher said don’t go out of here glad you aren’t like the Pharisee, because if you do, you’ve just become the Pharisee.  And don’t go out glad you are like the tax collector – same problem, you’ve just compared yourself to someone else – and that is borne out of pride - a desire to be better than someone else.

Each and every one of us has a path to follow – one designed by God.  And each path is as individual as we are – no two are alike.  Our path is tailored for us by God.  We can choose to walk in our own path, or we can try other paths - but other paths will never fit as well.

When I started my journey with the Lord, I had no idea where he would take me.  But I walked out in faith and I told God that I would step through any door he opened.  The flip side of that is – if the door doesn’t open, I can’t force it, and I can't regret it; it is not intended for me.  I am simply called to move on to find the door God does want me to take.  No comparisons – just walking out in faith, to do the job He wants me to do and to be the person He wants me to be.

I would encourage each of you to take a look at the path that God has placed before you and without regret or gloating to fulfill that responsibility.  And without comparing yourself to others, past, present or future, just step out in faith, to be the best person you can be.  That is all God asks of any of us.  Where is God leading you today?

Pray with me:  Lord, increase my faith.  Open my eyes to see the road before me and to walk the path you have chosen for me.  Keep me mindful that I am unique in your eyes and you have created me for your delight.  Remind me that I never have to live up to someone else's idea of who I should be, and I do not have to comparing myself to anyone else.  You alone, Lord, know what it is that you have planned - help me to walk into that your plan for my life.

Amen.