This
Sunday two years ago I stood in this pulpit the first time to preach my call
sermon and I am really glad it was not three years ago because these would have
been the lessons. They are full of challenge, but also good news. To get at
that I’d like to start by telling you about our 21 year old. When Catherine was
little she watched a lot of a show called Barney where a large purple dinosaur
sang a syrupy song- “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family with a great
big hug and a kiss from me to you, Won’t you say you love me too?” I think that
perhaps that’s what we really want to hear on Sundays. Not today’s lessons.
Catherine
could sing with Barney over and over. But she’d fall victim to what I call the
“Barney Effect” which was whenever she needed to grow as a person- taking on a
new chore or deepening responsibility, she’d whine and complain that we didn’t “love”
her. We could see it was time for new growth but she just wanted to have
everything stay peacefully, comfortably the same. Oddly enough, usually the
much maligned new thing was actually something that would open up new life. I
can remember it going all the way back to when she was learning to crawl and
walk. That late great saint, her grandfather tried everything to get her to
move, buying different toys, getting down on his hands and knees. He got to see
her crawl but not walk before he died. But he persevered because he knew it was
good for her even though she wasn’t buying it.
Today
in lots of people I meet I hear the adult variation of that complaint “Can’t
you just love me the way I am?” or “meet me where I am?” If the answer is no,
what follows is what one person I know calls “catastrophizing.” Everything is blown
out of proportion. Our desire for pleasant news and our fear of what we are
sure is unpleasant are exaggerated. There are catastrophes for some, like we
hear of in Hebrews, especially for people like our Christian brothers and
sisters in Egypt this week. I watched with heartache and horror the images and
stories of Christians attacked for their faith. Most of us only face catastrophes of our own emotions.
We assume the worst, allow the race to seem too big, or the time to not seem
right or act like no one is with us or has ever faced such times as a way to
not act.
If
Jesus spoke today, he’d probably compare our incessant focus upon the catastrophizing
of the Weather Channel or even reality TV while avoiding the real world around
us seeing it for what it is. Our gospel seems scary, even catastrophic. But Delmer
Chilton says that when we read it, we usually assume that all the talk about
fire and rain is Jesus’ referring to a dark omen of evil times. But that’s not necessarily
the case. After all, many times rain is
good news, and fire is the process the molds or shapes something beautiful and new.
Jesus
says nothing about looking out for evil times; he merely suggests we should pay
more attention to what God is up to than the clouds. And frankly, I’m not so
sure we’re afraid God is coming to unleash some huge punishment. I think it’s
that “good news” that makes us uncomfortable.
Jesus
is not always “pleasant news.” And it’s often the duty of the church of “the good
news” to speak about things that are neither gentle nor welcome. For us or
others. It disturbs our priorities and comfort. That’s what all that family
division stuff is getting at.
What
Catherine meant when she said “you don’t love me” in those change moments was-
if you loved me I wouldn’t have to change. In the midst of the uncertainty or even
misery we want to be told that God is love and forgives us and nothing needs to
change. But God’s love moves, and God means that all those things God says
about widows, aliens, prisoners and marginalized people. And relationships that
honor these things matter. Jesus’ message and mission are love, but that kind
of love that can be jarring. While God loves us as we are, God also loves us
too much to let us stay that way. And that’s disruptive.
Yet,
the opposite of love isn’t hate, or anger. The opposite of love is not caring. Keeping
things peaceful but distant. God’s love is noisy and nosy and involved. It
won’t let us slip away unchallenged into failure. This message disturbed because
it called upon people to get beyond roles and to get into relationships; real,
messy, involved relationships; that kind of love is disruptive, breaking what
isn’t working in order to create a new family, a new community of truth and
love. God loves us enough to continue to refine and reshape and reform us to
become more and more who God created us to be. People who more and more live
out in flesh God’s love for the whole world. God will always seek to change and
transform us from sinners into saints, out
of love. For God’s sake and ours. And in this process sometimes we have to let
go or move on. We do not wish to be told this but it’s true. And that’s what is
scary. But at the same time it is joyful and life giving.
Perhaps
this was most evident as our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America gathered this past week at our national assembly. Lutherans from all
across the country gathered, and were visited by religious leaders from around
God’s world under the theme “Always Being Made New.” And some important things
happened. Our church elected a new bishop. The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton,
bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod, is our first female presiding bishop. I
am delighted that as someone who was once told that women do not do this, to
see such a day, but that is not the most important thing. In the 1970's, the church
approved women to become ordained pastors. For some it was joyful good news;
for others they were perhaps sure it was a catastrophe in the making. But God’s
reshaping over the last 40 years has now led something new but I believe
life-giving that is more important. And Bishop Eaton is more importantly a strong evangelist, even inviting
someone who interviewed her for the Huffington Post to church, and saying we should “welcome the gifts
of those who come from different places-that is a conversation we need to have
as a church.” Amen!
Our
church also adopted a written statement about the Criminal Justice system in
this country out of concern for the “massive levels of incarceration in the
United States.” Pastor Fred Opalinski has been a part of this project that affirms
positive aspects of the system, but speaks dissatisfaction with what is urgently
in need of reform as building and running prisons has become corporate big
business and we rank in the top 3 countries in the world in percentage of
people under control of a criminal justice system -- one out of 31 adults and,
for people of color, as high as one out of 11. Fundamental principles such as
due process of law and the presumption of legal innocence are sound. Overly
harsh sentencing and persistent inequalities based on race and class need to
change. God is calling us to ministry and compassion- to hear the cries of
those affected, and walk with all-victims, prisoners, parolees, law
enforcement, and their families, welcoming and advocating and putting new lives
together. It is challenging but God is calling us to something new.
We
also voted to advocate adoption of comprehensive immigration reform legislation
supporting an earned pathway to lawful permanent residency and eventual
citizenship; to ensure humane and just enforcement of immigration laws; protect
families from separation; provide resources and protections to refugees, U.S.
citizens and migrant workers. To welcome and pray and educate about
immigration. We must hold Scripture and the times together even when they
challenge our views. God is calling.
We
voted to undertake a five-year campaign, to increase this church’s capacity to
renew and start new congregations, educate and develop leaders, bolster global
mission efforts and expand the impact of relief and development work. Stepping
forward boldly to reach more communities with the good news of Jesus Christ,
training missionaries, pastors and lay leaders. Working to alleviate hunger and
poverty. More money? More money? These are tough times. Life is already
difficult. We cannot do more. Yes, we can.
If we say that the Word is a word
for our lives, in faith we are called upon to trust Jesus to lead us in the
midst of the unknown in all these times. And when in doubt to remember we are
not the first or last to wonder about the future or even predict catastrophe
but to persevere. Our new bishop said something else I think is helpful as we
ponder how on earth we can be the church that lives into the places God is
calling. She said that many people look for THE thing that is the FUTURE of the
church. Many think the answer is youth.
Interestingly
1 in 8 voting delegates at the Assembly were under 25. Even more under 40. Good
news! And initiatives we feel stretch us come in part from God’s voice in them.
But Bishop Eaton said that while many believe youth are the future of the
church they are not.
“Jesus Christ is the future of the church.” That's how much God loves us. Yes,
this is the disrupting and beautiful and loving truth for us all. God in Christ
loves us yet is leading and perfecting. May God continue to enable us to see
our world and meaningfully respond. May we look to Jesus on the way to the
cross, becoming ever more the people God intends as we reach farther into God’s
future. May it be so!note- Delmer Chilton had some fine words at Two Bubbas and a Bible, aka Lectionary Lab
