First Presbyterian Church – Lafayette, Louisiana
August 28, 2011 – Ordinary (22A)
Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm 105:23-26
Matthew 16:21-28
Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head? It’s not so
bad if it’s a song you like. Somehow it seems to me that it is more likely to
happen with a song I don’t like. I must admit that I take a certain pride in
dropping a line or phrase from a song that will make another person continue to
think about the song until it gets stuck in their head. Do you know what that’s
called? Earworming.
An earworm is a word or phrase intentionally planted in your
mind in a way that compels your thoughts to center on a given topic. It works
best when the bigger idea is simple and connected to experiences and emotions.
Why, all I have do is say something like The Lord of the Dance or AmazingGrace, and some of you will be off to the
races!
For me, one of the biggies is the hymn, Here I Am, Lord. I’ll admit that over the years I have had a love/hate
relationship with this hymn. I think that is because this hymn is so beloved by
an institution that is both very human and very divine at the same time. I
think it is because, when I am truly honest with myself, I realize that there
are times when I have sung these words sincerely and failed to back them up
with my life. I think it is because I know that I have had times when I have
denied God’s voice because I did not see a burning bush, or because I did not
think I was good enough, smart enough, or worthy enough.
I’ve asked a few friends to help me reflect on these types
of experiences with you. They are going to share with you now a Reader’s
Theater piece from the book, The Next Voice You Hear: Sermons We PreachTogether. This story is called, Here
I Am, Send Claude.
Reader 1:
The thing about burning bushes is –
they get our
attention!
It’s
not that Yahweh God
Loves
showing off,
Or
anything like that.
Reader 2: “For
my next trick, I present – a burning bush!”
Reader 1: Burning
bushes come in many forms,
In
all sizes and shapes.
We
are going about our own business,
Like
Moses there at Horeb,
And
suddenly our attention is captured…
Reader 2: By
the number of homeless ones in town,
Or
the treatment of the misfit at work,
Or
the weeds in the church garden,
Or
the suffering of a good friend,
Or
whatever…
Reader 1: We
see a need,
By
George, someone ought to do something!
Golly,
someone has got to start caring!
We
can stand it no longer;
The
problem cannot be ignored.
It
will not go away by itself.
Something must be done.
And
lo and behold, we are there,
Standing
at our burning bush.
God
has captured our attention,
Pinpointed
a particular need,
At
work… in the neighborhood… at church
In
the family... in the world…
Someone
has to start doing something!
That
is clear at burning bushes.
But who is going
to do it?
That is not so clear.
Who
will tackle the job?
This
is the part of the message
We
have trouble understanding.
The
need is clear,
But the name we
keep hearing
As
we stand by that bush,
The
name of the doer God has in mind,
Must
be a mistake.
It
is our own name.
Reader 2: Moses!
Moses!
Reader 1:
Here
I am.
Reader 2:
Moses, go down to Egypt Land;
Tell
old Pharaoh,
To
let my people go.
Reader 1:
Right, Lord, something must be done in Egypt;
Someone
must help your people there.
Thank
goodness you see the need.
It
is about time you got around to acting.
Congratulations,
Lord. I am all for the project.
Here
I am, Lord,
But
send Dottie.
Dottie: Here I am, Lord,
But
I am already serving on three important committees;
Send
Gladene.
Gladene: Here
I am, Lord,
But
I have a house full of reweaving to finish;
Send
Carol.
Carol: Here
I am, Lord,
But
working full time, and running a hotel for relatives,
Is
all I can do;
Send
Dave.
Dave: Here
I am, Lord,
But
I’m completely tied up in the World Wide Web;
Send
Sue.
Sue: Here
I am, Lord,
But
I’ve got to find a job;
Send
Bill.
Bill: Here
I am, Lord,
But
it is not in my job description;
Send
Claude.
All: Who’s
Claude?
Reader 2: Here
I am…Send Claude!
It
is natural, one supposes, to feel somewhat inadequate
When
confronting burning bushes.
It
is natural, one supposes,
When
we really have our attention
Directed
to a crucial need in human life,
To
feel our own resources are not sufficient.
Reader 1: At
burning bushes, we empathize with Moses,
As
he shouts out…
Reader 2: I
am not religious enough for this job, Lord.
I
can’t go to Egypt; I am a wanted man there.
I
am not a public speaker.
Here
I am, but
Dottie
is friendlier;
Send
her.
Dottie: Gladene
is more conscientious;
Send
her.
Gladene: Carol
has been a member longer;
Send
her.
Carol: Dave
is taller;
Send
him.
Dave: Sue
has seminary training;
Send
her.
Sue: Bill
has more experience;
Send
him.
Bill: Here
I am, Lord;
Send
Claude.
All: Who’s
Claude?
Reader 1: The trouble with burning bushes is
They
don’t go away.
At
burning bushes, we see a need.
We
may feel inadequate.
We
may be sure someone else could do it better.
We
may not want to be bothered.
We
wish the bush would go away.
But
burning bushes are very personal;
That
burning bush is for me.
Reader 2:
Not Dottie, Not Gladene, Not Carol, Not Dave,
Not
Sue, Not Bill, Not Claude…
Reader 1:
The
burning bush I meet is my own.
It
is my name I hear called.
There
God calls me
To
meet the particular human need I see.
No
matter how I try to escape,
The
name that is called remains the same.
Reader 2: Moses! Moses!
Reader 1: It is my name.
Reader 2: Moses! Moses!
Reader 1: Here I am; send Dottie.
Dottie: Send
Gladene.
Gladene: Send Carol.
Carol: Send Dave.
Dave:
Send Sue.
Sue: Send
Bill.
Bill: Send
Claude.
All: Who’s
Claude?
Reader 1: But
the burning bush is not for Claude;
It
is for me.
Claude
has his own bush.
The
bush I see,
The
need God puts before my eyes,
In
my mind, on my heart,
Has
my name written on it,
And
my name alone.
Reader 2: “And
I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
‘Whom
shall I send, and who will go for us?’
Then
I said, ‘Here I am! Send me!’”
Yeah! That feels good. Here I am, Lord! Send me! It is good,
and right, and important to know and to understand that we are called by God.
It is good, and right, and important to find some way to respond to that
calling. It is also very normal and very human for us to immediately disregard
a calling that tells us to let go of our need to define and control so that we
can be open to God’s will for our lives. It is very normal and very human to
hear God’s calling to a life that involves constant death and resurrection and
to look Jesus in the eye and say, “Get outa’ here! You gotta be kiddin’ me!”
And for that Jesus calls Peter, Satan. Peter – the one to
whom Jesus just said he would give the keys to the kingdom and on who’s faith
he said would build his church – this
Peter has become Satan to him?!
And so do we – we become Satan to Jesus in those times when
we focus on our desires rather than the will of God. And what is the will of
God? As we have it today, the will of God is to be known as the God who was,
who is, and who always shall be. The will of God is to be known through the
story of a particular people. The will of God is to be known through our
willingness to let go of our needs in service of God’s needs, and it is the
will of God to offer the opportunity of experiencing heaven here and now
through our attention and response to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ!
Now, I realize that all that sounds great. I also realize
that it can be as comforting as an old song that reminds us of the glories of
days past. Not only that, the idea of experiencing heaven here and now, well,
it just doesn’t sound very practical. I mean – how do you do that, anyway? Let me give you an example.
In 2008 the Faith Christian Lions of Grapevine, Texas had
secured their spot in the state playoffs for their division – private schools.
It was the last game of the season, and they were playing a throw away game
against the Gainsville State Tornados. Gainsville State is a youth penitentiary
school, and the team was filled with players that had about as much hope in
their lives as they had chances of winning that game – none.
The Tornados players were incarcerated students who had
earned the right to play football. They did not have a field and always played
as visitors. Their only fans were the few staff members that accompanied them,
most of whom were on security detail. They entered the locker room under tight
security with their heads down, and they emerged that night to find something
they had never experienced and never expected.
The Faith Lions fans divided. Men, women, and children
formed a spirit tunnel stretching 30 yards, complete with a banner for them to
tear through at the end! The JV Cheerleaders cheered for them on their side! Programs were made just for their team. Lions Parents were given the
names and jersey numbers of Tornados players, and they sat on the visitor’s
side and cheered for the Tornados players by name as they crashed into their
own children in the fiercest night of competition the Tornados had ever
participated in. Afterward, both teams joined for prayer – and members of both
teams prayed for and with one another.
It wasn’t that big a deal to the Faith Lions fans and
players, but it was the first time many of the Tornados players had ever been
given something to hope for. More than that, it was a particularly Christian
witness of hope from a particular people of God.
It is my hope, it is my prayer, it is my belief that we are
a particular people who are responding faithfully to that call. When I tell
people that this little congregation of just over 100 members (and a few
friends from other congregations) made over 500 gift baskets for Christmas last
year, their jaws drop. I cannot wait to tell them that this year we will make
1,000!
We have a lot to be hopeful about, even in the limited programming and
outreach of this small, intimate, welcoming, and vital congregation –
especially when we remember the risk we are taking by following Jesus. All of
us long for resurrection, but none of us want to die. Yet God’s calling is
clear. Moses, the murderer, is being sent back to the scene of the crime to
proclaim release. And so it is with you and with me.
May God add an even more particular understanding to all who
have received these words, as we continue to seek new ways to respond as
individuals and as God’s chosen people, holy and beloved. Amen!
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