Last week we talked about the invitation of Jesus to abide with us. We looked at the call of discipleship from the lens of John’s gospel and we talked about the way that we, as the body of Christ, may become the lens through which someone else may see the Kingdom of Heaven as though it were right here in our midst. As beautiful as that sounds, that’s some heavy stuff.
As we try to reconcile life and faith and all the institutional stuff that goes with being a congregation with a building and a staff – and members who each have their own deep spiritual longing – the call of discipleship can be a little overwhelming. Most of us just want to go to church, hear the good news, and be encouraged so that we can get through all the other stuff that we have to deal with from day to day.
I wonder how many of us feel like that – like you have too much on your plate? Sometimes life can be like this pile of rocks (picking them up one at a time and placing them in a plastic pitcher). Work… School… Healthcare… Retirement savings… Friends… Social Commitments… Bills… Taking care of your house… Taking care of your children… Taking care of your parents… Taking care of your spouse… Time to play…
Sometimes that last one doesn't even fit in. I haven't even mentioned church. For a lot of folks, the church has become one thing in a long list of things, and there just isn't any room for it anymore. That can make those of us who do not see the church that way feel sad and resentful. It can even call into question our own feelings of commitment at times.
The problem is not the other stuff that we compete with. The problem is that the church is not what it used to be. In many ways, for many people, the church has become one of those rocks, and you just can't fit it in. What if the church were different? What if the church was never supposed to be the way we have treated it? What if the church was less like a rock and more like water (picking up and displaying a pitcher of water). Perhaps instead of asking where is the church in all of this, a better question is: Where is God in all of this?
The Apostle Paul told a crowd of spiritual seekers in Acts 17:28 that “God is the ground of all existence, in whom we live and move and have our being.” The children’s classic, Old Turtle, describes God as spinning the farthest star and yet as close as a butterfly sneezes, and Isaiah attempts to say the same to a people who had been conquered, abused, and neglected and yet needed to believe in the promises of God to make it through to the next day, and the next, and the next.
As their spiritual descendants we receive this text in the time following Epiphany, the celebration of enlightenment – the awareness of God's active presence – brought on by the person, work, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For us, light has come; and this is the light that offers freedom. Given the connection with Matthew's gospel, many have said that this text is about liberation.
For some, the idea of liberation is the central purpose of the gospel. Liberation theology – which was born primarily out of the experience of black Americans – is based on the idea that God is concerned only with the poor, for the rich already take care of themselves. The most confronting aspect of liberation theology for me is not about a God who chooses sides. It is about the fact that we do.
Maybe not you and me as individuals, but the unfortunate reality is that human trafficking is more alive than it has ever been, the rule of law is not applied evenly to all, the gap between rich and poor continues to increase, and our planet continues to show signs of mismanagement that disproportionately affect those in poverty.
Now, I imagine some of you are thinking, “Where’s the encouragement, Pastor?! Where’s the liberation and good news? I didn’t come here to feel bad!”
Well, I didn’t come here to make anyone feel bad either. I came here to reflect with you on the word of God, and what we find in scripture today, is Paul telling the Corinthian church not to be divided by race, creed, or social class. Paul also seems pretty absent-minded about baptism, which seems odd as divided as the church has become about it today. His point is not to take it lightly, given that he later describes baptism as dying to the self and rising with Christ. His point is the opposite, to raise the severity of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Paul is lifting up the reality of God's presence over and above the practice of Christian faith and the tradition of discipleship – even as that tradition was beginning.
Then, sometime later, as the stories of the experience of Jesus began to be written down, we find this story of calling. First, it is Jesus, called into action by the arrest of John. Jesus is preaching the good news of repentance that John "the baptizer" began. Yet, Jesus adds something to it. The Kingdom of Heaven has come near.
Next Peter and Andrew, then James and John drop their nets and follow him. We do not know if it was a bad month for fishing if they had heard him preach before, or anything else but the fact that they dropped their nets, their security, their livelihood, and even their father to follow this man. Something in their souls heard, in his invitation, their identity as God's children being proclaimed, and they let go of everything and followed him.
Now, this is the point that always gets me. This is one of those points where the bar is set so high that it becomes a deterrent to putting faith into action. Sure, there are plenty of examples of people who dropped everything and started up ministries of healing and wholeness in the world, but not everyone can and not everyone should. So, how do we, with our pitcher full of rocks, hear this call to be fishers of people?
How do we… in this land of promise and prejudice… this society based on the rule of law that profits from outsourcing to countries with little or no standards… this place of grace and punishment… how do we drop our nets and participate in the foolishness of the cross?
You probably already know the answer. The first step is to repent, to turn from our desire to control and manage and turn toward the desires of the heart of God. Before we can do anything about the poverty and oppression of this world we must attend to the poverty of our own souls. Then, and only then, do we see others as God's own, holy and beloved. Once we find our place before God we can see our place in the systems that create oppression and reform them or replace them to offer empowerment.
Paul is right that it does not matter who baptizes us; what matters is who we follow. As the disciples followed Jesus into Galilee, healing followed repentance. So it can be for us when the church is like the water between the rocks!
When the church becomes to us as water, then it is no longer a question of fitting it in. It simply becomes a part of who we are. When the water of the church is the same as the baptism we have received, then this building is no longer simply a place to seek God's presence. This place is instead a rallying point that moves us into the world to demonstrate the fact that our limitations do not stop God – and God is active and present everywhere!
Need I remind you that although we average 50 in the pews and another 15-20 online, this congregation has been willing to say that there are things we cannot do alone but can do through the grace of God and participation in the Body of Christ. Out of the things we do, you name it and there is a partner to it: Westley United Campus Ministries, Campus Cupboard Food Pantry, United Christian Outreach Food Pantry, Living Waters in Cuba, Meals On Wheels, the Pollinator Garden, housing disaster recovery teams, standing as one of four safe and welcoming congregations in the Pride event, and that doesn’t even count the non-profit boards that members serve and random acts of kindness that I hear about in your conversations on a regular basis.
As we try to reconcile life and faith and all the institutional stuff that goes with being a congregation with a building and a staff – and members who each have their own deep spiritual longing – the call of discipleship can be a little overwhelming. Most of us just want to go to church, hear the good news, and be encouraged so that we can get through all the other stuff that we have to deal with from day to day.
I wonder how many of us feel like that – like you have too much on your plate? Sometimes life can be like this pile of rocks (picking them up one at a time and placing them in a plastic pitcher). Work… School… Healthcare… Retirement savings… Friends… Social Commitments… Bills… Taking care of your house… Taking care of your children… Taking care of your parents… Taking care of your spouse… Time to play…
Sometimes that last one doesn't even fit in. I haven't even mentioned church. For a lot of folks, the church has become one thing in a long list of things, and there just isn't any room for it anymore. That can make those of us who do not see the church that way feel sad and resentful. It can even call into question our own feelings of commitment at times.
The problem is not the other stuff that we compete with. The problem is that the church is not what it used to be. In many ways, for many people, the church has become one of those rocks, and you just can't fit it in. What if the church were different? What if the church was never supposed to be the way we have treated it? What if the church was less like a rock and more like water (picking up and displaying a pitcher of water). Perhaps instead of asking where is the church in all of this, a better question is: Where is God in all of this?
The Apostle Paul told a crowd of spiritual seekers in Acts 17:28 that “God is the ground of all existence, in whom we live and move and have our being.” The children’s classic, Old Turtle, describes God as spinning the farthest star and yet as close as a butterfly sneezes, and Isaiah attempts to say the same to a people who had been conquered, abused, and neglected and yet needed to believe in the promises of God to make it through to the next day, and the next, and the next.
As their spiritual descendants we receive this text in the time following Epiphany, the celebration of enlightenment – the awareness of God's active presence – brought on by the person, work, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For us, light has come; and this is the light that offers freedom. Given the connection with Matthew's gospel, many have said that this text is about liberation.
For some, the idea of liberation is the central purpose of the gospel. Liberation theology – which was born primarily out of the experience of black Americans – is based on the idea that God is concerned only with the poor, for the rich already take care of themselves. The most confronting aspect of liberation theology for me is not about a God who chooses sides. It is about the fact that we do.
Maybe not you and me as individuals, but the unfortunate reality is that human trafficking is more alive than it has ever been, the rule of law is not applied evenly to all, the gap between rich and poor continues to increase, and our planet continues to show signs of mismanagement that disproportionately affect those in poverty.
Now, I imagine some of you are thinking, “Where’s the encouragement, Pastor?! Where’s the liberation and good news? I didn’t come here to feel bad!”
Well, I didn’t come here to make anyone feel bad either. I came here to reflect with you on the word of God, and what we find in scripture today, is Paul telling the Corinthian church not to be divided by race, creed, or social class. Paul also seems pretty absent-minded about baptism, which seems odd as divided as the church has become about it today. His point is not to take it lightly, given that he later describes baptism as dying to the self and rising with Christ. His point is the opposite, to raise the severity of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Paul is lifting up the reality of God's presence over and above the practice of Christian faith and the tradition of discipleship – even as that tradition was beginning.
Then, sometime later, as the stories of the experience of Jesus began to be written down, we find this story of calling. First, it is Jesus, called into action by the arrest of John. Jesus is preaching the good news of repentance that John "the baptizer" began. Yet, Jesus adds something to it. The Kingdom of Heaven has come near.
Next Peter and Andrew, then James and John drop their nets and follow him. We do not know if it was a bad month for fishing if they had heard him preach before, or anything else but the fact that they dropped their nets, their security, their livelihood, and even their father to follow this man. Something in their souls heard, in his invitation, their identity as God's children being proclaimed, and they let go of everything and followed him.
Now, this is the point that always gets me. This is one of those points where the bar is set so high that it becomes a deterrent to putting faith into action. Sure, there are plenty of examples of people who dropped everything and started up ministries of healing and wholeness in the world, but not everyone can and not everyone should. So, how do we, with our pitcher full of rocks, hear this call to be fishers of people?
How do we… in this land of promise and prejudice… this society based on the rule of law that profits from outsourcing to countries with little or no standards… this place of grace and punishment… how do we drop our nets and participate in the foolishness of the cross?
You probably already know the answer. The first step is to repent, to turn from our desire to control and manage and turn toward the desires of the heart of God. Before we can do anything about the poverty and oppression of this world we must attend to the poverty of our own souls. Then, and only then, do we see others as God's own, holy and beloved. Once we find our place before God we can see our place in the systems that create oppression and reform them or replace them to offer empowerment.
Paul is right that it does not matter who baptizes us; what matters is who we follow. As the disciples followed Jesus into Galilee, healing followed repentance. So it can be for us when the church is like the water between the rocks!
When the church becomes to us as water, then it is no longer a question of fitting it in. It simply becomes a part of who we are. When the water of the church is the same as the baptism we have received, then this building is no longer simply a place to seek God's presence. This place is instead a rallying point that moves us into the world to demonstrate the fact that our limitations do not stop God – and God is active and present everywhere!
Need I remind you that although we average 50 in the pews and another 15-20 online, this congregation has been willing to say that there are things we cannot do alone but can do through the grace of God and participation in the Body of Christ. Out of the things we do, you name it and there is a partner to it: Westley United Campus Ministries, Campus Cupboard Food Pantry, United Christian Outreach Food Pantry, Living Waters in Cuba, Meals On Wheels, the Pollinator Garden, housing disaster recovery teams, standing as one of four safe and welcoming congregations in the Pride event, and that doesn’t even count the non-profit boards that members serve and random acts of kindness that I hear about in your conversations on a regular basis.
Friends, I know of 500-member congregations that are not able to impact the world in the way that we do! I’m not boasting about our perfection. I’m boasting about our weaknesses. Neither am I boasting in what you do following my direction, because you did much of this long before I got here and you do it because you are not my disciples but rather because we are Christ’s!
You see, with all our imperfections, we know this: The Kingdom of Heaven has come near. That means that we are not waiting for eternity to experience God's presence! We are not allowing our limitations to define our witness, and we are offering a unified proclamation to the world that Jesus Christ is the liberator we seek!
As we embrace and extend this witness in our words and deeds, we may find that there are some nets we have to set down. We may decide that some of the rocks don’t actually fit anymore, and that’s ok. It’s also ok if we want to keep the ones we got, as long as we remember that the water is what fills the space between us and truly makes us whole.
The water is the presence of God, in whom we live and move and have our being, and the community of faith that seeks to bear witness to God is the church – not the building or the institution – the fellowship of believers, seekers, and forgiven sinners who demonstrate love and grace and mercy.
To be a disciple of Jesus is not to be a zealot who leaves all. It is to be a part of a fellowship of believers, seekers, and forgiven sinners who demonstrate love and grace, and mercy. You can, of course, follow the way of Jesus by yourself - and some things will always be between you and God alone - but we do it better together. We do it better together because we have accountability and encouragement and because something in our souls hears our identity as God's children being proclaimed by one another. Together we have this hope that “we and they” may become “just us,” and healing and wholeness will follow in the wake of our common union with God.
At least I pray it may be so with me, and with you, and to God be the glory both now and always. Amen!
You see, with all our imperfections, we know this: The Kingdom of Heaven has come near. That means that we are not waiting for eternity to experience God's presence! We are not allowing our limitations to define our witness, and we are offering a unified proclamation to the world that Jesus Christ is the liberator we seek!
As we embrace and extend this witness in our words and deeds, we may find that there are some nets we have to set down. We may decide that some of the rocks don’t actually fit anymore, and that’s ok. It’s also ok if we want to keep the ones we got, as long as we remember that the water is what fills the space between us and truly makes us whole.
The water is the presence of God, in whom we live and move and have our being, and the community of faith that seeks to bear witness to God is the church – not the building or the institution – the fellowship of believers, seekers, and forgiven sinners who demonstrate love and grace and mercy.
To be a disciple of Jesus is not to be a zealot who leaves all. It is to be a part of a fellowship of believers, seekers, and forgiven sinners who demonstrate love and grace, and mercy. You can, of course, follow the way of Jesus by yourself - and some things will always be between you and God alone - but we do it better together. We do it better together because we have accountability and encouragement and because something in our souls hears our identity as God's children being proclaimed by one another. Together we have this hope that “we and they” may become “just us,” and healing and wholeness will follow in the wake of our common union with God.
At least I pray it may be so with me, and with you, and to God be the glory both now and always. Amen!
Comments