June 30, 2013
Psalm 77, 2 Kings 2:1-14, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Luke 9:51-62
You know what an earworm is? That song that sticks with you and you can't get it out of your head? I’ve had one this week, a song which I recently heard, I’ll share the lyrics with you and you can hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuJWQzjfU3o
"Hello, My Name Is" by Matthew West
lyrics found here: http://www.klove.com/music/artists/matthew-west/songs/hello,-my-name-is-lyrics.aspx
Hello, my name is regret
I’m pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life
I’m the whisper inside
That won’t let you forget
Hello, my name is defeat
I know you recognize me
Just when you think you can win
I’ll drag you right back down again
‘Til you’ve lost all belief
These are the voices, these are the lies
And I have believed them, for the very last time
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free
“Amazing Grace” is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I am no longer defined
By all the wreckage behind
The one who makes all things new
Has proven it’s true
Just take a look at my life
What love the Father has lavished upon us
That we should be called His children
I am a child of the one true King
There’s a ring of familiarity to these lyrics, which sound a little like introductions in a 12-step group. However, this is not just a song for people who have been through the nightmare of addictions and recovery. Really, I think, it’s for all of us. I believe all of us have known regrets or defeats in life, at least at some point, that still plague us--maybe not for a long time while things are going good, but they can sneak up, heap up, and even bury us at later points in life when we are hurting or down.
And yet we are children of God and heirs with Christ as this song and the scriptures are bold to proclaim today. And that’s great, except I always feel a little hesitant in proclaiming that. Perhaps it’s because of a term you may have heard: “Trust-fund babies.” At the risk of offending anyone for whom the term may apply, it means that if you are born into a fortune which you didn’t earn, you tend not to act in very kind and mature ways. And perhaps we as Christians, who have not earned our great fortune, could be described this way sometimes as well.
But Paul sets us straight in Galatians this morning, saying that “For freedom we are set free.” We are not set free to destroy ourselves, but to live abundantly and share that goodness with others. (5:1, 13-25)
You know, we live ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’ here on earth, often enough, sometimes not of our own doing..as with tragedies or being the victim of others’ violence...but also we do so through the choices we make--which in turn make us miserable. God sets us free for better things.
I also think maybe when a lot of us hear that Galatians passage, we can feel mixed emotions, maybe confusion, especially about the ‘works of the flesh’ checklist: “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.” (5:19-21) Or maybe some of us treat it like a checklist: “no, no, no, yes, no, maybe? no, I dunno, and ‘I think they warned us about that one in confirmation...’”
But really these days, probably most of us here struggle most not with the wilder ones but with the everyday ones: jealousy, anger, and quarrels, “and things like these.” as Paul writes. But then it’s hard to imagine it’s the same: “I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Really? Seriously? Not inherit the Kingdom of God, just over a little jealousy and anger? Well, maybe...I have some thoughts about that too...
After all, the fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (vv.22-23). And I’d like to think I come close to the mark reasonably often. And the Kingdom of God, as we know, is already and not yet, it’s in this world, and also beyond. Well, I think, when we are living the fruits of the spirit, we are more likely to feel like Children of God and heirs with Christ. And likewise, when we’re all wrapped up with anger and quarrels, well, then, it’s pretty hard to feel the Kingdom.
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Let’s talk about that part where Jesus tells his presumed volunteers, “Don’t look back (9:62).”
Really? Is the guy really not supposed to bury his own father? What about meeting family obligations? Or the Ten Commandments? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments
Well here’s the thing: Dad isn’t dead yet. (Monty Python fans, think of that scene in the Quest for the Holy Grail) Jewish people bury their dead quickly, usually within 24 hours unless it’s the Sabbath. Dad might even outlive him, given that being a disciple is a dangerous business. I tend to think he may have stood to inherit the family business. Anyway, if his father was dead, then he wouldn’t have the time to be hanging out talking to wandering prophets.
Then there’s the guy who says, “Let me say farewell to my family.” That seems decent, no? However, I think it’s like when I’m feeling pressured to say yes, but also can’t quite say no. I say, “Let me check with my husband.” Now, I am about as feminist and modern as they come and so is Jorge, but this is my way out when feeling pressured to accept something I don’t want. Likewise, I believe this guy is hoping to be talked out of it while also saving face: “Oh, about that. Something came up. Sorry.”
By contrast, Elijah and Elisha, a mentor and protege deeply devoted to one another, are demonstrating the kind of devotion that is being asked. Elijah is offering his student numerous opportunities to turn back, since the road ahead will be so difficult and painful. However, out of love for God and for his teacher, he follows Elijah to the very end--keeping his eyes fixed until he can see no longer. (2 Kings 2:1-14)
Freedom doesn’t mean a lack of adversity ahead, but a path on which we are not alone or abandoned. Could it be a freedom to fail more? To go boldly? Or to walk forward into the future instead of always looking back on the past--we can be proud of where we came from, as individuals or as a church, but we can’t stay there and expect to do any more good. The future might be painful, but the past is no more. http://pres-outlook.com/insights-opinions/outpost-blog/18472-making-better-mistakes.html
The Presbyterian Outlook posted an article recently about needing to train pastors for future, in which nothing is certain, rather than training pastors for the church of fifty years ago, where we knew what we were doing, but only in retrospect. To do otherwise, they write, is to guarantee the death of today’s congregations. http://pres-outlook.org/insights-opinions/faith-matters-by-bill-tammeaus/18486-we-should-close-some-seminaries-and-refocus-the-ones-we-have-left.html
Yes, we can look back for right reasons: to learn from them, to see how far we’ve come. But not to let our own guilt or regrets cause us harm again and again; we’ve been set free from them, and to clobber ourselves is to commit an act of abuse against a child of God.
For freedom, we have been set free. Let us be ready to follow Christ, as forgiven and redeemed children of God. Amen.
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Here’s a ‘Fun Fact’ about the ‘Foxes have holes...’ verse, Luke 9:58...it’s a commentary on ethnic/religious tension between Samaritans and Jews--Jesus is headed to Jerusalem (where Jews go to worship God at the Temple), when Samaritans worship God on top a mountain in Nablus. It’s a poignant point because Jesus (the Son of God) then says he has nowhere to lay his head--not in God’s presumed home of the Jerusalem temple and not on the mountaintop home either. God is everywhere, and contained by nowhere.
I also liked this top-40 pop hit for a twist on this week’s scriptures: 'Carry On,' by Fun.
Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7yCLn-O-Y0