Genesis 9: 8 - 17 The Rainbow Connection

  

We began our sermon time looking at these images and listening to a short selection of each of these songs I had purchased.

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“Look, Look, Look to the Rainbow”  (from Finian's Rainbow)  (the part with Petula Clark singing these words:  Look, Look, Look to the rainbow, follow it over the hill and the stream. Look, look, look to the rainbow.)

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“Somewhere over the rainbow” (from The Wizard of Oz)  (the part with Judy Garland singing these words:  "Somewhere over the rainbow way up high. There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.  Somewhere over the rainbow.)

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“Rainbow Connection” (from The Muppets)  (the part with Kermit the Frog singing "Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what’s on the other side.  Rainbows are visions but only illusions and rainbows have nothing to hide.”)

            Why are there so many songs about rainbows? 

            What is a rainbow?  It’s a magical treasure map leading to a pot of gold, guarded by a leprechaun. How many of you have heard something like this legend about a rainbow?  Although there was a time when I searched the sky for the “end” of the rainbow, hoping to spy the pot of gold, this is not the first thing I think of when I see a rainbow. What about you?

            What is a rainbow? A rainbow is an optical and meterological phenomenon.  We see it when the sun shines on droplets of moisture (rain, mist, spray, dew) in the earth’s atmosphere.  What we see is the spectrum of light shining through and reflected by these moisture droplets.  We have to be at a certain angle to the sun to see a rainbow, so it’s not a physical object that you can walk up to.   How many of you have heard something similar to this scientific definition of a rainbow?  Although I am a woman of science—I did after all teach mathematics for 15 years—this is not the first thing I think of when I see a rainbow.  What about you?

            What is a rainbow?  According to today’s text, it’s the symbol of God’s covenant with Noah and his sons and their descendants and all living things that never again will God destroy the earth.  Although I am a child of the faith who grew up learning and internalizing the Bible stories, this is not the first thing I think of when I see a rainbow.  What about you?  

            You see, my initial response to a rainbow is not intellectual—not a thinking response.                

                        **What about you?  What is your initial response to a rainbow?  Do you want to share it with others, perhaps like Petula Clark singing something like “Look!  Look! Look at the rainbow!”  Does a rainbow draw you into a relationship of sorts with those around you—ooing and aahhing together? 

                        **What is your initial response to a rainbow?  Do you stop what you’re doing so you can drink in the beauty and majesty of the colors in the sky before you?   Do you take a mental visual or emotional snapshot to capture the mystery and power of the moment?

                        **What is your initial response to a rainbow?  Do you wonder if it’s a sign from God—an enigmatic answer to a concern you’ve been wrestling with?  Do you wonder if it’s a sign from God—an invitation to slow down your busy pace and just be in God’s presence and enjoy God’s creation for a few minutes?  

                        **What is your initial response to a rainbow?  Is it intellectual, spiritual, emotional, or physical?  Do you admire and wonder from a distance or are you pulled into some deeply-rooted mystery and beauty?

            Why are there so many songs about rainbows?  Maybe it’s because rainbows can speak to us on many different levels and reach us in the very core of our being.

            My friend Connie is a master English teacher.  Referring to literature, she says “That which is repeated is important.”  Let’s look at today’s scripture in the bulletin insert and note what is repeated and therefore what is important.  What is repeated?

Covenant—and every time we see covenant, there is something with it—what’s with covenant?  God is speaking, and there is some variation on “my covenant with you and your descendants” or  “covenant between me and every living thing” And how many verses are there in today’s passage?  10.  In 8 of the 10 verses we see covenant between God and all of life?  “That which is repeated is important.”   The covenant between God and every living being is so important in this passage that God emphasizes it—repeating it 8 times. 

            Covenant—Webster’s dictionary says a covenant is usually a formal, solemn, and binding agreement.  It may be written and it’s often understood to be a promise between 2 parties, sometimes as a quid pro quo—something in exchange for another.  Wikipedia adds “sacred” to the definition—a solemn and sacred agreement.

            What is the covenant here? That’s right.  It’s God’s promise never again to destroy the earth. In this covenant, God emphasizes his enduring love for his creation.

Through Noah and his family, God saved creation from the destruction he had originally planned in the flood.  The life that Noah cared for on the ark—this life represents redeemed creation.  This life represents a renewal of God’s creation activity first seen at the beginning of the book of Genesis—at the beginning of the story of God’s activity in the world.  Here God promises not to destroy this renewed, redeemed life.

            We humans may inflict destruction on each other and on the rest of creation.  Thinking and acting on our behalf first and foremost often does result in harm to ourselves, to each other and to the rest of creation.  While God does not promise here to clean up our messes, God does promise not to react to our destructive rebellion by purging the world of all life.

            Unlike the implication from the dictionary definition—that 2 parties will establish and share responsibility of the promise, here it’s one-sided.  Acting unilaterally and unconditionally, “God initiates and establishes this covenant.[1]” “Humans can just rest in the arms of this promise[2]” like an infant sleeping peacefully in the arms of her loving parent.

            And what is the symbol of this long-lasting promise? The rainbow is the sign of this covenant—this ancient and enduring covenant of God’s care for all of creation; this ancient and enduring covenant of God’s care for each one of us individuals.  Perhaps this is why our primary and initial experience with each rainbow we see is not in our heads.  Perhaps we experience rainbows in a deep-seated, ancient place within ourselves because it is a sign of the deeply-rooted, ancient covenant between our creator God and each one of us.

            Isn’t it interesting that God says the rainbow is primarily a reminder to him of this covenant?  The rainbow is set in the sky to remind the all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal, loving God—that God’s love and only God’s love can redeem creation.  But the rainbow can also remind us of this good news.  Our salvation does not depend on us.  Our salvation does not depend anything we can or must or should do.  Our salvation depends on God alone—the only one who can be depended upon. 

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            Kermit the Frog asks, “Why are there so many songs about rainbows?” Maybe it’s because we experience rainbows—not with just our minds, not even with just our hearts.  Rainbows connect with us at every level of our being because they are a symbol of the covenant between God and every living thing—the covenant in which human beings can rest in the firm and certain assurance of God’s eternal, powerful, loving, and saving presence.   Praise be to God!

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[1] Terence E. Fretheim, “The Book of Genesis,” New Interpreter’s Bible series, vol. 1.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 1994. p. 400.

[2] Terence E. Fretheim, “The Book of Genesis,” New Interpreter’s Bible series, vol. 1.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 1994. p. 400.

Glimpses of Jesus Mark 9: 2 - 9

             One December morning, during a trip to my hometown, I set out to visit someone in the hospital.  Backing out of the garage, I was met by a thick blanket of fog, and I was a little concerned about driving 40 miles in low visibility.  But these were my stomping grounds; I had grown up here; I knew the route.  I found that if I moderated my speed, I could see far enough to brake for cars slowing down ahead.  And I knew the roads well enough to anticipate intersections where cars might pull out in front of me. As I drove on, the visibility deteriorated.  Even slowing down to 30 mph I could see only 2 or 3 stripes ahead on the road.  Fear began to outweigh the disappointment of a missed visit with a sick friend.  Reluctantly, I found a place to turn around and headed back to my Mom’s house. 

            Sometimes, along my faith journey, I feel like I’m traveling in a fog.  There are times in my life when I set out with a clear vision of the path God has laid out for me.  But somehow, somewhere along the way, the clouds of doubt and fear, busyness and fatigue, misunderstandings and misplaced priorities settle around me.  The fog rolls in, and I can’t even see 2 stripes on the road ahead of me.  All I hear are the voices of naysayers.  And I wonder—am I still traveling the route God is planning for my life? Or did I miss a turn? I pray for the clouds to lift. I pray for revelation. I pray for a glimpse of Jesus.

            Peter, James, and John experience a revelation in today’s text. Inviting them away from the crowds and from the other disciples, Jesus leads them up a mountain.  Reaching the top, he is transfigured—changed in appearance, clothed in dazzling white robes, and flanked by Moses, the law-giver and Elijah the prophet. The disciples realize something important is happening, but they don’t fully understand.  How many of us ever do truly understand when we experience a God-moment?  A thick fog envelops the mountain.  The disciples cannot even see their hands in front of them.  They are paralyzed with fear.  Then they hear God speaking.  “This is my beloved Son.  Listen to him.”  The fog lifts. They see Jesus, only Jesus.  “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

            The disciples get a glimpse of Jesus on the mountaintop. He is revealed as God’s son. But the disciples have to piece this glimpse together with all the other glimpses they get during Jesus’ ministry in order to really know who he is.  What other glimpses have they had of him?  Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law; Jesus restoring the leper to cleanliness and community; Jesus releasing the man paralyzed by his sins; Jesus feeding the hungry crowds; Jesus calming the storm’s waves and wind.  What glimpses are they yet to see? Jesus the suffering servant, not the military or political hero. Jesus crucified.  For the evangelist Mark, all of these glimpses are necessary to know who Jesus is.  And for Mark, who Jesus is—his identity—reveals the good news.

            Peter, James, and John accompanied Jesus to the mountaintop and there beheld his glory in this transfiguration experience.  They lived with him for the 3 years of his ministry—seeing with their own eyes his acts of healing; hearing with their own ears his words of forgiveness; smelling with their own noses and tasting with their own tongues the food he miraculously provided and shared; and touching with their own hands his body that had been transfigured —clothed in heavenly, dazzling white up there on that mountain.  With their own senses they experienced revelation. 

            But what about us—2000 years later?  Where is our revelation?  Here—in the Bible.  Noted 20^th century Reformed theologian, Karl Barth said that Jesus is the Word of God (That’s Word with a capital W.) and we encounter him in the word of God (That’s word with a lower case w).  Jesus is revealed to us in the Bible.  How?—in our daily Bible reading—listening to the words and the way they speak to us in our quiet, alone time.  And Jesus is revealed in our group Bible study.  On Sunday mornings we are discussing a book—Why Jesus Matters.  The author weaves scripture, tradition, and the history of the church to reveal Jesus to us.  Reflecting on what the author says and listening to the others in the Sunday School class, I find myself challenged to articulate what I know and what I believe about Jesus.  And articulating it in the safety of our Sunday School class with people who love each other prepares us to articulate it Monday through Saturday with people we work among and play with and live next door to.

            Jesus is revealed in group Bible study.  On Wednesday mornings, about 13 of us have been gathering to read and discuss a different parable each week. These parables are very familiar to me.  I preached on one them recently.  I gave talks at spiritual renewal retreats on another of them.  I have studied these parables forward and backward and yet—every week, I experience a new revelation as I listen to and participate in the discussion. 

              Group Bible study—Our Presbyterian Women meet monthly—this year studying the Beatitudes.  Because this group of women have been studying together for several years, they have developed a relationship of trust among each other. They feel safe and free to ask deep, probing questions—of the text and of the written study.  Group Bible study—I look forward to our Lenten study of the gospel of Mark and how Jesus will be revealed to us through Mark’s lens. We experience revelation of the good news of Jesus the Christ through Bible study—individual and group.

            Jesus can also be revealed through our relationships with others.  We see Jesus shining through the actions and interactions of family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers.  But you know what, when those interactions reveal Jesus, it’s generally because they grow out of the study of God’s word—familiarity with the stories of God’s activity in human history; familiarity with the the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection; familiarity with the story of the early church learning to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  When those interactions reveal Jesus, they generally grow out of the study of God’s word—familiarity with its language—language of love and forgiveness, language of love and justice, language of love and service. 

            Another avenue through which Jesus is revealed is through our conversation with God—our time of prayer—of talking to, of listening for, and of sitting in the presence of God.  And we experience revelation of Jesus through worship, for our time of worship combines Bible study, fellowship, and prayer.

            When the fog settles in—when the clouds of doubt and fear, busyness and fatigue, misunderstandings and misplaced priorities settle around us, we need to see Jesus.

We need revelation—revelation that comes in the glimpses of God’s reign breaking in the here and now—through healing and reconciliation, through feeding and clothing, through teaching and learning and inviting. The fog does lift. We can and do and will see Jesus.  For he is here among us, and nothing can separate us from his love.  

Speaking Up--2 Kings 5: 1 - 14; Mark 1: 40 - 45

            Friends, today is Sunday, Feburary 12—Sunday, February 12.  What does that make Tuesday?  February 14—Valentine’s Day!  Husbands, boyfriends—did you hear that?  Tuesday is Valentines Day!  Wives, girlfriends—Tuesday is Valentines’ Day. 

            During the 1^st years of our marriage, two of Kevin’s officemates became engaged. 

Kevin’s first piece of advice for each of them was this:  On Valentines’ Day and on her birthday, if your wife says she doesn’t want a gift, don’t believe her.  If you listen to her and just get her a card, she’ll get mad at you.  I am ashamed to admit, Kevin spoke from experience—with me.  You see I had been brought up not to ask for anything from anyone. So when Kevin asked me what I wanted for Valentine’s Day, I replied, “Nothing. Oh, you can just get me a card.”  But I also had these cultural expectations—fueled by FTD—“when you care enough to send the very best” and jewelry store advertisements—“nothing says love like a diamond.” So I thought he would know I really wanted jewelry or flowers or something.  Kevin, on the other hand grew up with 4 brothers who said what they meant and meant what they said.  Coming from those 2 different perspectives, our couple communication could have been disastrous.

            Family systems theory tells us that people engaged in healthy communication are in tune with their own feelings.  They choose how they will respond to—not react—but respond to those feelings.  And they honestly and kindly say what they need.  In other words, people engaged in healthy communication don’t expect others to read their mind.  Instead, they speak up—using non-judgmental language.  Speaking up—in healthy family systems means naming a need and identifying how your spouse, your child, your parent can help you meet that need. 

            Speaking up—naming the problem and identifying who can help solve it and how—is healthy Christian disciple communication as well.  In today’s scriptures, we encounter people speaking up.  Let’s start with Naaman’s story.  A captive foreign girl slave—the very bottom of the household hierarchy—summons her courage and speaks up.  She names her master’s problem—leprosy.  And she offers a solution—there is a prophet in her home country who can cure him.  Naaman, the heavily decorated war hero of Aram, needs diplomatic introduction to the king of Israel.  So he speaks up—“outing” himself as a leper to his own sovereign. And when Naaman blows his stack, furious with the prophet Elisha’s insulting prescription for his leprosy—go wash in the Jordan river—

his servant speaks up, reminding Naaman why he came to Israel—not to save face but to be cured.  Speaking up—naming the problem and facing the one who can help solve it—is not easy or comfortable. 

            Set in 1^st century, Roman-occupied Palestine, 800 years after Naaman’s story, today’s gospel text offers more speaking up.  Lepers in the Jewish state of Palestine were cast out from family, from friends, and from society.  Exiled to the countryside, they were to stay away from the roads and to shout “unclean” if anyone ventured near their dwellings.  Instead the leper in Mark’s gospel approaches Jesus.  Getting right up there in Jesus’ face, he speaks up.  Look at me.  I’m a leper. “If you choose, you can make me clean.”(Mark 1:40)  And Jesus speaks up—“I do chose.  Be made clean.” (Mark 1: 41)  Jesus heals him, then sends him to the priest—the one who can confirm his cleansing and restore him to community—allowing him to rejoin his family and friends.

            Two lepers—separated by 800 years; from different cultures; one privileged, the other destitute.  Each one of them, in his own way, speaks up saying, “I need help.”  And pointing at those who can assist, “You can help me.  So help me.” 

            I wonder if, like me, you were brought up not to ask for anything from anyone.  If so, are you as uncomfortable as I am in naming my problems and seeking the help of others?  Why the discomfort?  Is it because we don’t want anyone to know we don’t really “have it all together”—we aren’t truly in control of everything about our lives?  Newsflash—we aren’t supposed to be in control—God is.  Why the discomfort?  Is it because we worry others will think less of us knowing we have a need?  Is our pride binding us to our problem like Naaman’s pride almost kept him bound to his leprosy?  Speaking up—naming our problem and asking for help—is Christian disciple behavior.  After all, Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God with our whole being and to love others as we love ourselves.  Speaking up about our problem opens the door for Christian brothers and sisters to show us their love.  It opens the door for them to minister to us as Christ commands.

            Have you thought about that?  When we keep silent about a need we have that someone else can help us with , we are denying them an opportunity for Christian ministry. 

            Our scriptures today also offer examples of speaking up on behalf of others.  Remember Naaman’s foreign slave girl? She was the first to name his disease.  Remember Naaman’s servants? They convinced him to try the Jordan River cure.  Perhaps Naaman’s servants are models for us—Christ’s servants.  We, too, are called to speak up on behalf of those in need. Perhaps naming a problem our friend does not want to acknowledge . . . perhaps calling out a family member on his destructive behavior. 

            The examples in today’s texts don’t stop with speaking up.  Elisha knew “the cure” for Naaman, and he shared it with him.  Jesus had the power to heal the leper near Capernaum, so he healed him.  When we have the wherewithal to help, we are expected to help.  Unlike the king of Israel who was suspicious of Naaman’s motives—we are expected to hear the request, accept it in good faith and help solve the problem. So when a young man comes to the church asking for enough gas to get him to a job interview in Ottawa, what should my response be?  “Follow me to Casey’s, and I’ll put a few gallons of gas in your car.”  Hear the request, accept it in good faith, help solve the problem. 

            But sometimes we don’t have the means to solve the problem.  Then what?  We follow Jesus’ example.  Remember Jesus told the leper to “show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded.” (Mark 1:44)  Only the priest could restore the leper to his friends and family.  Jesus referred the now-healed leper to the one who could complete the solution to his problem—the one who could proclaim him “officially” clean.  Sometimes, we need to refer a problem to someone else.  Because this church does not have an on-site food pantry, we refer people who are hungry to the PACA food pantry.  And this congregation faithfully and generously gives to keep food on PACA pantry shelves.  That was an institutional example.  What about an individual example?   When a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or acquaintance needs to talk, we can listen.  We can help them think through possible responses to the situation that is troubling them, and pray with them.  And if our conversation indicates a need for more help, we can refer them to professional counseling.  Such a need will come to light in our conversation—as we communicate with one another. 

            Communication—speaking up, honestly, and openly about our needs and opening ourselves to the care of others is healthy disciple behavior.  Communication—listening—opening our ears, our hearts, and our eyes to recognize a need presented then responding to what we hear and see with our own resources and skills; or referring the problem to people or agencies who have the needed resources is healthy disciple behavior.  Communication—speaking up, listening and responding in love is key to healthy relationships—healthy families, healthy congregations, and healthy communities. So, to our health, let us speak up, listen, and respond in love. 

When God Calls . . . Come away to a quiet place in prayer, alone with God" Mark 1: 29 - 39

          Since the beginning of this new year, we have been reflecting on When God Calls ... We have learned that because God wants us to experience transformation, God persists in calling us.  That transformation may be intended for us personally or for our community of faith.  We have learned that to help us discern God’s call, people within the congregation are raised up—as leaders for the church and as mentors for individuals.  And we have learned that when we respond to God’s call—we are enlivened and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Today we continue to reflect on When God calls . . .

            Last week, I received the winter volume of my seminary’s magazine for pastors.  The connecting theme for the articles in this volume—is “Being Alive in a Crazybusy World.”  Crazybusy—I remember how crazybusy my life was in seminary—but that wasn’t even close to the crazybusy I lived as a full-time teacher-librarian while parenting children. The pace of life here in Paola seems slower than it did for me in Round Rock or in Austin.  So when I received this magazine, I wondered how many people here in Paola know what crazybusy is.  What about our parents of young children? Balancing their own professional responsibilities and the commitments they have made here in our church as well as their children’s sports and art and music lessons—I thought, our parents of young children know what crazybusy is.  Tuesday evening, Gail Bell was reminiscing about her life.  As she talked about Pete’s karate school and their involvement in planning many tournaments, she reflected, “Not only do I wonder how we did all of that back then, I get tired just thinking about it now.”  I thought to myself, Gail knows what crazybusy is.  As I thought some more, I realize I have seen crazybusy in this congregation when one or two people take on a myriad responsibilities. I wonder if our troop or pack leaders ever try to do a lot of things . . . on your own .  . . without asking for help.  That will make you crazybusy.  

            I wonder when crazybusy has been an accurate description of a day, a week, a month, a year in your life.  Thinking about our scouts—some of whom got up early today to worship in their homes churches before coming here to worship with us—I know that most of them will leavet this service and go straight to Sunflower Elementary to prepare for the Pinewood Derby.  Hmmm, does crazybusy describe your life right now? 

            Jesus experiences crazybusy in today’s text.  Finishing his first Sabbath teaching in the synagogue, Jesus and his disciples head to Simon’s home where they find Simon’s mother-in-law sick in bed.  Jesus heals her, then she gets up to serve all the guests Simon has brought home with him.  Doesn’t that sound crazybusy?  And I’ll bet some of you have lived this scenario.  Rushing your recovery from flu or surgery because you just have too much to do, and it can not wait.  At sundown, when the Sabbath is officially ended, “the whole town gathered at Simon’s door,” and Jesus is crazybusy healing them of their physical, emotional, and mental illnesses. I’ll bet it was late when Simon finally told the people still hanging around to go home and offered Jesus a pallet in a corner of the room to sleep on. 

            While it was still dark—so you know he has not had a full night’s sleep— While it was still dark, Jesus steals away to a quiet, deserted place.  Steals away—those are my words because—when you’re crazybusy doesn’t it feel like you are committing a crime to get some peace and quiet?  Jesus goes off to be in prayer—alone. 

He takes some time—time from his sleep, time from work, time from friends—Jesus takes some time to be alone in prayer.  He takes time to center himself in the presence of God—the One who called him to this ministry, the One who empowers him for it, the One who will renew him when all is crazybusy. 

            Of course, those of you who know what crazybusy is, know time away won’t last for long.  When her daughter was 2, my friend Diane said—I can’t even go to the bathroom to be alone.  For little Erica would tap at the door—Mommy, Mommy, Mommy—until Diane would let her in. The disciples, like little Erica, track Jesus down.  What are you doing here?  More sick people have shown up.  Come on, “we’ve got to get back.”    

            And how does Jesus respond?  Does he hide from his disciples—hanging onto a little more time alone?  No.  Does he succumb to their demands?  No.  Re-focused from his time of prayer, Jesus does not allow his disciples to define his call from God.  He will not return to Simon’s home.  He will not be limited by the comfort of the known—what he’s already done.  Refreshed by his time of solitude, he invites his disciples to join him in expanding the boundaries of his ministry.  He does not leave them behind.  He does remain true to God’s call for his ministry—to spread the good news, and he stays connected with those he has come to prepare to carry on that ministry.

            Crazybusy—later in Mark’s gospel, the disciples will find themselves crazybusy.  Sent out in pairs to proclaim the good news and to heal—kind of like an internship—they will return to Jesus physically tired yet mentally and emotionally wired.  In their wake will be a multitude following them back to Jesus.  The disciples will be so crazybusy that “they [will] have no leisure even to eat.” (Mark 6: 31)  And Jesus will say to them, “Come away to a deserted place, all by yourselves.”  (Mark 6: 31)  You see, he’s modeling it here in today’s text.  And later, he’ll help his disciples practice it themselves.  The prescription for the crazybusy sickness is time, alone, in prayer.  Solitude, quiet, still heart and still mind—in multiple doses, throughout your lifetime—that will heal the crazybusy sickness.

            It can be done—stealing away time and centering yourself in God’s presence.  Your deserted place may be a special chair in your home.  It may be the swing in your backyard.  It may be the park where you walk or the track where you run or the countryside where you bicycle.  Yes, your centering prayer may take the form of physical movement.

            It can be done—stealing away time and centering yourself in God’s presence—it just takes practice . . . like learning to play the piano or basketball or karate . . .  When you do—come away, alone, in prayer—you will hear God’s voice.  Oh, it may not be audible to your ears . . . but it will be perceptible in your heart.  You will begin to know God’s call for you and God’s direction for your life.  It probably will not happen the first or second or third time you come away in solitude. But, as resting in God’s presence becomes a habit, God will direct you, God will renew you, and God will help you re-focus.

            Throughout this sermon series, we have considered not only how God’s call affects us personally but also how it impacts the community of faith.  When we, as a congregation, intentionally center ourselves in God’s word through prayer, God re-energizes us, reviving our congregational life, fine-tuning our mission.  Here we are on the brink of Lent— a season of introspection.  I cannot help but wonder how God might speak to us as a congregation if we all “come away to a deserted place” for time in prayer this Lent.  I cannot help but imagine what wonders God will reveal to us during the 40 days—wonders of God’s call for this church—God’s plan for our future, wonders of who God is preparing to raise up among us—Holy Spirit wonders of empowerment and renewal.  I cannot help but imagine.

            When God calls . . . come away with God to a deserted place and enter into God’s presence.  And when the crazybusy world encroaches on your solitude—and it will—you will be able to face it with new energy and your eyes will be focused on the path God is laying before you. Please stand and sing affirming God’s presence with us—even in the crazybusy. 

  

When God calls . . . God raises up prophets from among the people: Deuteronomy 18: 15 - 22

          What’s going to happen to us when you’re gone? What’s going to happen to us when you’re gone?  This was the refrain sung by Westwood High School teachers in the spring of 1992 when Norman Sansom announced his upcoming retirement.  Mr. Sansom had been the principal since Westwood opened 11 years earlier.  He had hired each and every one of us who taught there. Low-key, he easily formed relationships with the staff, students, parents, and people from the community.  A former coach, he emphasized teamwork.  Norman was respected and loved by the faculty.  What’s going to happen to us when you’re gone?  Does it sound like we were anxious, maybe even a little fearful?  Well, we were.

            What’s going to happen to us when you’re gone?  That’s the question lurking behind the book of Deuteronomy.  That’s the question Moses addresses in his farewell speech—all 33 chapters of it.  Forty years before, Moses had led Jacob’s descendants out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom.  Moses brought them to the same mountain where he had first encountered God in the burning bush.  There, at Mt. Sinai God promised them: 5 . . . If you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. . . .6 . . . you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.[1]  There God provided the 10 commandments —the foundation for faithful living—living faithfully to God and living faithfully with one another.  From Mt. Sinai, Moses had led the people to the Jordan River and prepared them to cross over into the land promised by God.  But fearing the land’s inhabitants and displaying what would become their characteristic lack of trust in God, the people refused to cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land.  So, for the next 40 years, they had wandered in the Sinai wilderness until the last of that generation died.  The people Moses addresses in today’s text are the 2^nd and 3^rd generations of the Exodus—those who were born and grew to adulthood in the wilderness.  They have known no other life but this nomadic life.  They have known no other leader but Moses.  And now, he has come to the end of his years.

            What’s is going to happen to us when you are gone, Moses?  To answer, he summarizes the last 40 years—retelling the story of the flight from Egypt, reviewing the 10 commandments, and reminding the people of God’s provision and promise.  Yet they are still fearful.  In the chapter and verses immediately preceding our text, Moses reminds the people of how through judges in each family group and through priests like Aaron, God has provided them with legal and worship leadership. In answer to the people’s continued refrain, “What’s going to happen to us when you are gone?  Moses assures them that God will raise up prophets from among them.  Not seers who tell the future—but faithful listeners who speak God’s word to the people.  Prophets who will call the people back to God when they forget to whom they belong. Prophets who will refocus the people’s vision on the mission God calls them into.  God will provide for the visionary leadership of the people just as God will provide for their legal, political, and worship leadership.

            The book of Deuteronomy is a reminder to listeners throughout the ages of God’s provision for and promise to his people.  Recalling God’s presence with them throughout their wilderness wanderings, Moses encourages his audience to embrace a hopeful future there at the edge of the promised land.   Six hundred fifty years later—at the time of King Josiah, this book was discovered during a temple remodel project.  Hearing the history and the law as if for the 1^st time, King Josiah, the priests, and the people re-dedicate themselves to the God who had promised to make their ancestors and thus them his treasured people.   One hundred forty years after King Josiah, the Jews exiled in Babylon encounter the book of Deuteronomy.  Listening to the words of Moses, they find hope for their own reconciliation with God. Reminded of God’s faithful provision of manna and water in the wilderness, of God’s promise of homes and land in Canaan, and of God’s direction for leaders in Israel to come, they find hope for their own return to Jerusalem. The book of Deuteronomy reminds us who we are and whose we are.  We are God’s treasured people—set apart by God to do his work.  Deuteronomy encourages us to reflect on our past—the past God has guided us through.  And it invites us to look to our future—the hopeful future God has planned for us, a future in which we continue to live and work for our God.

               Reflecting on the past and looking to the future . . . hmm . . .   In the past, who has God called as prophets in this congregation?  Sharing your stories with me, several of you talked about Miss Berenice Boyd Wallace.  In 1937, she was asked to teach the junior high Sunday school class—which she did until 1962. 

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[1] Exodus 19: 5 – 6 NRSV

Listening to your recollections of Miss Berenice and of your experiences in her class, and reading her own written recollection of that time, I concluded she was a prophet, raised up by God to speak God’s word—to her students and through them generations to come.  For you see Miss Berenice did not just come to church on Sunday morning and teach a lesson from her leader’s guide.  Instead, she put together a Bible study which was developmentally and intellectually appropriate for her particular students here. 

Recognizing that our faith is deepened through worship, Miss Berenice led her

class using elements of worship, and she arranged the space in which they met to look like a worship space.  

           

  Miss Berenice also connected what her students learned in the Bible with how they were called to live their lives.  She gave them opportunities to serve and she shared with them a pledge to guide their daily lives:

I pledge to do for others such work as Jesus would do if he were here in person.  Anything, however simple, that brightens even an hour of another’s life; that relieves pain or poverty, or sickness or distress; that makes the world a happier place to live in; that teaches others to know more; and especially to love more.  That is my pledge.

Miss Berenice was a prophet.  She spoke and acted on God’s word—how important it is to develop our faith and to deepen our discipleship.

            About the same time Miss Berenice handed over the junior high Sunday School class to a new generation of teachers—a generation she had prepared—God raised up another prophet in this church.  Actually it was a group of 5 people speaking as 1 prophetic voice.  5 women in our Presbyterian Women’s group began to wonder about people in this community who needed clothes but who could not afford to buy them.  Realizing they shared a common concern, these 5 came together.  Having no local model to emulate, they consulted a Presbyterian Women’s group in Lawrence which had successfully begun a Thrift Shop.  Modifying their ideas and practices, this group of 5—with the support of the PW leadership—presented their thrift shop idea to the Session.  Patiently the 5 listened to and addressed concerns that were expressed.  And there were concerns expressed—selling in the church building? people we don’t know, people we don’t know anything about—wandering in our space?  This group of 5—these prophets—spoke God’s word calling this church to a new mission.  Then they prayed and waited for God to make the way clear.  Over 40 years later, this mission continues.  During these 40 years, not only has our PW Thrift Shop provided clothes to people in this community and this county, but it has also provided funds with which other missions in Paola, in Heartland Presbytery, in the United States, and in the world have benefited.  

            Reflecting on our church’s past, we see God indeed raised up prophets to speak God’s word and to offer visionary leadership.  From this perspective, we look for the prophets God will raise up in this generation.  Through them God will speak a word about reclaiming our rich tradition of faith development through Bible study and worship.  Through them God will speak a word about deepening our discipleship through mission. 

            Unlike the people Moses addressed, unlike the teachers at Westwood High School, we need not be anxious or fearful crying out “What’s going to happen to us?”  Reflecting on our church’s past, we see God’s provision in every generation.  God has a good track record.  So let us move forward into 2012—prayerfully listening for God’s word— confident that He will raise up prophets from among us—and courageously and faithfully stepping out to do God’s will. 

"When God calls . . . transformation can occur" (the book of Jonah)

            In the weeks between the New Year and the beginning of Lent, we are examining “call stories.”  What happened to people in the Bible when God called them and how does that translate to God’s call in our lives. 

            Two Sundays ago, reflecting on Mark’s account of Jesus’s call story, we noted that at the moment of God’s call, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus—not only empowering him for his ministry but also filling him with God’s presence.  That same day we recognized the presence and claimed the power of the Holy Spirit within this church as we ordained and installed our new group of elders and deacons.  “When God calls, the Holy Spirit follows up.” 

            Last week as we encountered Samuel hearing a voice and Eli discerning it was God’s, we were reminded that God uses mentors and friends to help us recognize God’s call and direction for our lives.  And we acknowledged God uses our whole community of faith in determining what God is leading our church to do. “When God calls, others help us discern.”

            Today, we read and reflect on a very familiar Bible story—the story of Jonah.  But, we go beyond the tale of Jonah and the whale, for we consider why God is so persistent in calling Jonah.  

  

Let us pray:  Oh, God, your steadfast love pursues us.  You are our rock and our salvation.  May we hear the message you want us to hear today, and may we follow your Son all the days of our lives.  Amen.

            When Kevin interned as a hospital chaplain he rotated “on call” hours with the other chaplain interns and residents.  When he was on call, we had to make some changes in our routines.  For example:  If he was on call on a Sunday, we drove to church in separate cars—so that if he got called out, I still had a ride home.  If his on-call was Friday evening, our weekly date-night changed to Saturday. A call from the hospital would change whatever we were doing—it would postpone a family game or would shorten our evening walk around the neighborhood. When Kevin was on call, we had to be ready for change.

            Change . . . we see it here in the story of Jonah. “The LORD’s word came to Jonah, 2 ‘Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their evil has come to my attention.’ 3 So Jonah got up—to flee from the Lord[1]”— 

                                                           

                                     http://visualunit.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/jonah_map.jpg

Jonah goes to the port city of Joppa—labeled A—and hops on the first ship he can find heading to Tarshish (labeled C) which was as far to the west as he could travel in those days. God calls and Jonah goes—in the opposite direction!

            The ship is not long at sea before it is engulfed by a great storm—so terrible that the captain and crew pray to their pagan gods for deliverance. Because the storm continues, Jonah finally fesses up he is running away from his God—“the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.[2]”  He tells the sailors the only way to save themselves is to throw him overboard—which they do reluctantly.  And what do you know? Once he’s off the ship, the storm abates—the ship and crew are safe. Recognizing the God of Jonah as the Lord God Almighty, the crew worships and offers sacrifices to God.  They are changed—transformed from non-believers into people who know and worship the one true God. 

            Tossed into the storm’s tempest, Jonah goes down into the depths of the sea where God sends a big fish to swallow him up until, after 3 days and 3 nights, Jonah prays to God—and the fish spits him out.  “The LORD’s word came to Jonah a second time: 2 ‘Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and declare against it the proclamation that I am commanding you.’ 3 And Jonah got up and went to Nineveh[3]” preaching “40 more days is all you have before God destroys this city because of its wickedness.”  (my paraphrase)  And the people of the city—from the servants in the plainest household to the king in his palace—the people of the city change.  They repent from their wickedness, and God relents—choosing not to destroy the city after all.  Twice in this story, we meet people with no previous knowledge of or relationship with the creator of the universe.  And both times, these people are transformed and worship the great “I Am,” the Lord God Almighty.

            Change—all the characters in this story—God, the sailors, the Ninehvites—all except Jonah—experience some kind of change.  God, a change of heart—deciding not to destroy Nineveh.  The sailors and the Ninevites—a change of faith—reckoning with and worshiping the one true God.

            But what about Jonah?  As the story begins, Jonah—mind and heart closed—refuses to prophesy God’s judgment against Nineveh because they may listen and repent.  He does not want his God to forgive them.  The story ends with Jonah bitter because God has shown towards Jonah’s enemies the very mercy and steadfast love that characterize God.  Perhaps God was so persistent in calling Jonah because God hoped Jonah would experience transformation—transformation of his heart. Maybe God hoped that as Jonah walked through the streets of Nineveh, he would look into the eyes of the people he met and begin to see them as individuals—not a collective “the enemy.”  Maybe God hoped Jonah would see the inhabitants of Nineveh as people like him, created in the image of God. Do you remember the Grinch in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas?  Perhaps God hoped that Jonah’s heart—like that of the Grinch—would grow 3 sizes. 

Maybe that was the transformation God hoped for Jonah. Maybe that’s a transformation God hopes for each of us—that our hearts will be full of love and mercy towards each and every person we encounter.    

            When God calls, transformation occurs. It may be individual transformation— a relationship with God begins; a talent—a gift—is discovered, nurtured, and shared; the course of a person’s life changes.  It may be communal transformation—transforming our church.              

            

                 http://enegrenbrewing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/grinch-heart.jpg

Yesterday MG, DM, and I attended “Embracing Hope,” a Presbytery leadership training event. One of my breakout sessions was titled “Transforming Your Church—Using Your Assets.”  I thought about our assets—identified in our leadership retreat in November.  This building, this debt-free building with clean, functional, inviting, beautiful spaces—this building is an asset.  Our music program—our faithful, talented, energetic singers, choir director, and organist/pianist are an asset.  Our Presbyterian Women’s group—committed, generous, mission-minded—they are an asset.  Our Pre-School, the longest-running church pre-school in Paola—directed by an experienced kindergarten teacher—our pre-school is an asset.  You—our people—your individual talents, your passions, and the relationships you have with organizations in this community (like PEO, Foster Grandparents, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, PACA, and the schools) you and your relationships are assets.  In this breakout session, I wondered, how is God calling us to use our assets to transform our church.  How is God calling us to be—like Jonah—agents of transformation in the lives of each other, of people in this community, and of people outside of Paola.

            God’s call always leads to change—transforming hearts, minds, wills, and lives; transforming families, churches, communities, and the world.  Answering God’s call, we may be transformed and we may be agents of transformation. For when God calls, transformation occurs.    

Let us pray:

Almighty God, by your love transform us and through love, use us in the transformation of this world to become what you created it to be.  Amen

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[1] Jonah 1: 1 – 3

[2] Jonah 1:10

[3] Jonah 3: 2 – 3