Beyond Things

Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21

What This Message Is Not About

It would be so easy to preach this week’s Scriptures as a pointed stewardship lesson, that God blesses us with so many things that we should be ready to give everything to God, and by the way, we have a mortgage on the building, so, you know, be generous....right.  Give as you feel led, but that’s not what I’m going to talk about today.

Instead, let me talk a bit about parenting.  After all, the Gospel story starts off with a sibling dispute over the inheritance--something that causes a great deal of pain in families.  And you can definitely hear the parent in God’s voice speaking throughout the passage in Isaiah.

Let’s Talk About The Kids

My family and I went back to our old neighborhood this week, and pretty soon all the parents were hanging out talking about our kids--sharing both the joys and the frustrations.  Many of you know that banter.  And I wonder, what if God talked about us the way we talked about our kids?  How would that sound?  “Oh, you know, Adam and Eve, they were so cute and agreeable at first, but then they made a total mess out of my garden--so I put up a gate to keep them out of there--but then they just went out and made even bigger messes, I can barely keep up with it all!”

Well, God does often talk about us as though we were God’s children, because we are.  And we really hear that today in the reading from Hosea.  We hear how God raised us up like a child, and such vivid imagery:  I taught them to walk, I held them in my arms, I healed their injuries, I lifted them like infants to my cheek, I fed them.  Can’t you just see that?

And yet, that relationship was mired in pain.  For as much as God tended and nurtured the children, they ran away from God, and found themselves increasingly mired in trouble, and wouldn’t turn back and seek help, they put their trust in powers, like powerful political alliances (aka “friends”) that would ultimately betray and destroy them.

Hosea:  The Perfectly Dysfunctional Family

I noticed that several folks commented (but nobody complained!) that some of the usual Bible readings were absent last week while I was away.  Part of the reason for that was they were kind of doozies.  The upshot of the story was that God commanded the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute, and then have a couple of kids which he was supposed to name, “Not My People” and “No Pity.”  Well, ouch.  God’s point in this was to create a totally dysfunctional family, where there is no love, no mercy, and no fidelity, to serve as a metaphor for what had gone wrong in the relationship between God and God’s people.  Granted, this didn’t go over well: mostly because it was weird, and also, as far as God’s people knew, it was a time of relative prosperity.  Everything was going great, so, what’s the big deal?  In reality, things were about to go horribly wrong in ways even they could see: As the scripture reads, the sword rages in their cities and they are in danger of returning to captivity and repression.

When Things Go Horribly Wrong

I think most of us have known situations where a child has been raised lovingly, and still somehow ends up down a wrong path that leads to their destruction.  Perhaps the most frequent metaphor today would be drug addiction [CBS This Morning 8/5/13 reported on the new heroin epidemic].  But there’s any number of things that could happen, that are truly frightening.  And for those of us who are parents, we may wonder if there is any reason we would ever abandon one of our children, or even kick them out of the house.  Perhaps ultimately, and realistically speaking, if the child was endangering the others who lived there, to protect the rest of the family, we might have to say, “you can’t come home right now.”  Now, I don’t want to ever think about any of that happening to my kids--who are rascals, but they’re also so young and innocent right now--but it might.  I can parent to the best of my ability, but I realize that even as a pastor, my family and my children are not immune to the ills of this world.

And that’s where we hear and understand God speaking through the prophet Hosea in today’s reading.  [Insert your own children’s names here] and you begin to get the picture of God, this brokenhearted parent, worried sick:

“How can I give you up, ____________?  How can I hand you over, ________?  

[Insert your own name here] and you begin to get the picture of God, this brokenhearted parent, worried sick.

Insert the name of anyone whom you love deeply, and you begin to get the picture....yes, I think we can begin to tap into those feelings and relate.

The good news is, even when we have done things to break God’s heart, God doesn’t write us off.  God instead chooses compassion and continues to invite the rebellious child home.

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It’s Not About the Little Things

Sometimes, our relationships are painful, but nothing huge and tragic has caused it.  Sometimes, things just ‘get in the way’ of our relationships.  Not just material things, like the inheritance dispute between the brothers in the Gospel story, but things, you know, stuff that happens, and builds up, and forms into walls and barriers between us that are so hard to tear down, without tearing each other down in the process.

Granted, it’s easiest not to let those walls get built up in the first place--to handle the issues while they’re small, and not let them blow up into big things.  When those little things get blown up, then we know the relationship is in trouble.  After all, even churches die, not because they ran out of people to invite, but because they got caught up fighting over little things like the carpet and blew all their energy, and pffft, there they went.

Who among us doesn’t have a relationship we wish could be better?  Who among us doesn’t have words or mistakes we wish we could take back?  

All these human divisions, God seeks to break down, bridge, or transform.  We’ve talked in the past few weeks about those walls of animosity between Jews and Samaritans--folks who were really two sides of the same coin; and today Paul speaks to us of Greek and Jew, slave and free, barbarian and Scythian (and who are those guys anyway--we’ve forgotten, because the division didn’t really matter)!  God is inviting us to not let those little things--and they are really little things, that we make into big things--stand in the way of love.

Beyond Things

So let’s talk about that Gospel verse again, but in a non-traditional way.  Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to build bigger barns--or churches, for that matter.  Really it’s hoarding, or at least not sharing, that is the problem.  We have a beautiful new facility, and God does call us to share it--to share our sanctuary, share our classroom space, even our lawn, and not keep it to ourselves.  Things will probably get dinged up a bit in the process, and we’re going to need two things:  a good-sized can of touch-up paint, and a load of graciousness.  After all, it isn’t really our building, but God’s.  When we can overlook the little things, and use wisely the big things we have been given, all of our relationships, and all of us individually, are deeply blessed.  God wants for us far more than we can imagine.  Thanks be to God!

Prayers this Week:

For all who struggle with addictions; mental health concerns; and for all who are facing abuse of any kind.

For those who come to harm when working in far-off places.

For our Sikh brothers and sisters as they remember the shootings in their sacred space one year ago.

For our PCUSA friends who are gathered at the Big Tent conference in Louisville, KY this weekend.

For all who are traveling

For all who are ill or injured

For those who are dying, and for those who are grieving

For peace in our world

Lyrics for the Lectionary:

When reading the Scriptures this week, consider the following:

A Thousand Years, Christina Perri (Hosea)

Somebody That I Used to Know, Gotiye (Hosea)

Paradise, Coldplay (Hosea, Luke)

How To Save A Life, Fray (Hosea)

Feel the Tide, Mumford and Sons (Psalm)

Mary, Martha, and Malala

Mary, Martha, and Malala

Luke 10:38-42

Usually when I read the Gospel story about Mary and Martha, I think about the ‘Mommy Wars,’ you know, stay at home mother vs. career woman, and the animosity between women in the two roles over the past several decades.  Or I think of slightly burnt-out volunteers in churches, wondering why nobody will help them.  Or I think about a devaluing of women’s work in general, perhaps even by Jesus, if you read the story that way.  After all, Jesus, supper isn’t going to fix itself.

Ah, but a series of events this past week changed how I see this scripture verse.

First, I happened upon an article talking about AIDS education in Africa.  The missionary health worker arranged a training and invited the community.  The chiefs and important men of the area sat on the benches to one side, in places in honor.  Most of the women opted to stay towards the back and chat during the presentation.  The missionary concluded that the women had not heard much of presentation and commented, “perhaps this is what Paul meant by saying women should be silent in churches.”  They needed to be able to hear the literally life-giving words being shared at the front of the room.  [I’ll link it here when I find the article again].

Well, perhaps.  I wasn’t in the room, so I don’t know how much the women heard.  Or maybe they’d heard it all before. Who knows.  But it reminded me of my time working throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, and particularly of public space and private space, and especially women’s space, and men’s space, and the roles and actions that each one plays.

Much like in Bible times, when guests come, a feast is prepared out of anything the family has on hand.  The table is set and the men of the family and the guests are seated.  Once the guests have had their fill, the women and children of the family are fed, always in a space separate from where the guests are.

My years of human rights work took me to many family homes in those regions, and after a while, I realized, we rarely saw the women of the family when we were visiting, especially if we brought male colleagues along with us.  The men of the family hosted us in the front room or parlor.  This was partly a protective measure, in cases where the guests were not well-known to the family.  There was also the practical measure that someone needed to get dinner on the table.  However, as a foreigner, even though I was a woman, I was granted space to be in the room, and at the table, and participate in the conversation.

At first, it was exciting to be at the table, because the conversations were always political and often radical--I always learned something I didn’t know before.  But after a while, I tired of the conversation and wondered what the other women were doing.

Eventually I’d excuse myself to go in the back with the women.  In doing so I learned how to cook some amazing food, and I made several friends.  I also got to see real life in so many homes, since the best was put into the room where guests would be received.  I also got to see women truly ‘at home,’ with their heads uncovered and their hair down, and able to relax in private family space.

In Bible times, most women didn’t get to go to school.  Granted, many families couldn’t afford to send any children to school; and many boys apprenticed with their fathers to learn the family trade.  Wealthy families may have privately instructed their daughters, but most education for girls was in-home domestic and religious education. Boys who went to yeshiva, or religious school, would have become literate in Biblical languages in order to read Torah, and would have been encouraged to debate religious ideas with the rabbis.  Girls would not have this opportunity.

Yet even today, in many places around the world, women face major obstacles in getting a complete education, especially outside the home. In places where families don’t have enough money to pay for the books, clothes, and supplies needed to send kids to school, the boys are usually sent and the girls kept at home.  Sometimes the obstacle is not just economic, but political: the recent story of Malala, the girl who was shot for being a vocal activist for girls’ education--who not only survived her injuries but also gave a speech at the UN for her 16th birthday, reminds us painfully of this today.  

Speaking of pain, let’s go back to Martha, in her kitchen, apparently fuming. It’s not that Martha’s wrong.  She may be bitter, but that’s understandable.  It’s that Martha is doing exactly what the world expects of her, which is good in its own right, but she’s also feeling left out, and perhaps nervous at what’s happening in the next room.

After all, Jesus breaks barriers by talking to Mary in the front room.  Mary breaks barriers by participating in the discussion. And Jesus gets that someone has to put dinner on the table, because elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus is out there washing his disciples’ feet and breaking bread and pouring cups and then even after the crucifixion and resurrection, he’s out on the beach grilling up fish for breakfast.  

I think, more often than not, Jesus got it, and still gets it.  Jesus gets that women and men need to have equal access to the table, to the conversation, and equal responsibility to the chores at hand.  

So let’s not pit one sister against the other.  I believe Jesus is saying both sisters have a place at the table.  Sure, we all have our responsibilities, but in our life of faith, we look for ways that all may share the responsibilities--men and women, young and old, everyone together--so that we all may not only have but enjoy a place at the table, together with the Teacher.

May it indeed be so.

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Two recent pop songs for Mary and Martha:

“What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJO3ROT-A4E

“She Will Be Loved” by Maroon5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIjVuRTm-dc

(disclaimer--these are songs that come to mind and seem to resonate when studying passages for the week.  Not all parts of all songs fit; I try to preview and prevent explicit content, but there may be in the lyrics or videos content which may be either graphic or triggering for some viewers.  I’m always willing to discuss these further, either online, or in person at church).

Don’t Look Back...?

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

Lyrics here: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/fun/carry+on_20989899.html