God Is The Hound Of Heaven
Sermon
Sermons on the First Readings
Series III, Cycle B
Object:
Students of American history have always been fascinated by the life and career of the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe, as his Kentucky and Illinois peers knew him, is the subject of history lessons from primary school through graduate school education. Lincoln was the stereotypical backwoodsman who felt the call to public service on local, state, and national levels. He became well known for his anti-slavery political and moral stance and saw his goal as president to preserve the Union. Few have ever looked carefully at the method he used to fulfill his call and meet his goal.
The historian and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Doris Kearns Goodwin, has in a recently published book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,1 demonstrated the path Lincoln used to preserve the Union, a path that could not have been easy, but the only course to best guarantee his goal of national unity, which for Lincoln was absolute. As the book clearly demonstrates, Lincoln would do anything that was possible or necessary to achieve his goals, even if it might seem odd, unlikely to succeed, or even self-deprecating.
Professor Goodwin demonstrates how Lincoln brought together for his cabinet a team that on one level was the most unlikely combination, but on a second was absolutely the perfect team for the task at hand. In the 1860 Republican presidential nomination race, Lincoln was clearly the dark horse candidate. His rivals were all better known and possessed more experience. The chief rival was the well-known senator and former governor of New York, William H. Seward. Ohio Governor Salmon P. Chase was at the forefront of the nascent Republican Party and clearly better qualified, at least on paper, than Lincoln. The distinguished elder statesman from Missouri, Edward Bates, had served his state and nation in many avenues and seemed poised for higher office. All three had studied law, were great orators, and opposed slavery. Historians, therefore, attribute Lincoln's nomination to chance and good political maneuvering at the Chicago convention.
What is most interesting about the story, however, is who Lincoln chose to be his cabinet, those who would assist him daily on his vital task of keeping national unity. Ironically, it seems, he chose his most ardent rivals, for the top spots in his cabinet: Seward was made Secretary of State, Chase was made Secretary of the Treasury, and Bates was appointed Attorney General. For the remaining top posts, Lincoln chose men from the other side of the political aisle, the Democratic camp: Gideon Welles was made Secretary of the Navy, Montgomery Blair was appointed Postmaster General, and Edwin Stanton, a man who on more than one occasion publicly repudiated Lincoln, calling him unqualified to be president of the United States, but later at his funeral referred to him as "A man for the ages," was made Secretary of War. Thus, Lincoln weaved together a team of rivals for his cabinet, all of whom were better known, better educated, and more experienced in public life. Because the goal, namely the preservation of the Union, was so critical, and completely consistent with his call, Abraham Lincoln chose the rough road, but the only one that he believed could achieve his purpose. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to get the job done, even if that meant working with a "Team of Rivals."
Abraham Lincoln's "Team of Rivals" seemed on paper to be the least likely group to serve the new president and the country well, but actually it was the only possible group to get the job done. Lincoln was not above personal pride or doing what seemed to be ridiculous, or political suicide, including discarding past political differences that might interfere in his quest to maintain national unity.
This political tale, unknown to most, is a good image of how God will do whatever is necessary to help his people. It was true for the Jews, the chosen people, and it is true for us as well. Our first lesson from the prophet Jeremiah, proclaimed to the Jews just prior to the infamous Babylonian exile, shows how God will do whatever is necessary to save his people.
The care God has shown to the Jews is related in salvation history. The story, as we recall, begins with the call of Abram, whom we call Abraham, and the covenant God made with him and his people. Abram and his descendents, who would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and would occupy the land from the great river Euphrates to the wadi of Egypt, would be God's chosen people. God would care for them; they in turn were to be loyal to God alone. The story continued in the land of Egypt when the Israelites, who had been placed in bondage by Pharaoh, called out to God seeking deliverance. Thus, God raised Moses who was charged to lead the people from slavery in Egypt back to the land promised to Abraham many generations earlier.
After the land was settled, God continue to be present to the Hebrews, sending first judges, then kings and prophets to lead the people and to help them understand and maintain the covenant that defined the relationship between God and his people. While the people broke the covenant often and wandered far, nonetheless God remained faithful; the Lord was ever present to his people. God sent Amos and Hosea to warn the people that the Lord was dissatisfied with their rulers. Even after the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, God continued to send more prophets, such as Isaiah and, as we heard in today's first lesson, Jeremiah, to the southern kingdom of Judah with the hope that their fate would be better than their neighbors to the north.
Scripture scholars often refer to the message Jeremiah proclaims in today's first lesson as the "New Exodus." While the north had been lost to history over a hundred years earlier, nonetheless a remnant of the people remained, a remnant that sought to be purified. These people, as we hear in the reading, call out to God asking the Lord to save them. God, the ever-present one, and the one who would do anything for his people, hears their cries and answers. God says through Jeremiah that the blind and the lame, all the remnant of the northern kingdom, will be returned to Israel. God will lead the people back; the Lord will not allow his people to stumble. Like a shepherd who gathers his flock, so God will gather the people. God will ransom Jacob and will redeem Israel. In other words, God will do what is necessary to be present and to aid his people, even if that might mean, as it did for Abraham Lincoln, creating a "Team of Rivals" to get the job done.
Once God has done what is necessary to rescue the people and bring them home, then, as Jeremiah says, the glory of Israel will once again appear. God will restore the land to its great production. The lands will once again become like a watered garden; the grain, the wine, and the oil will be produced in abundance. Prosperity will return to the land and thus the people will rejoice. Young men and women, as well as the old, will be made merry for God will comfort his people. The Lord will replace sorrow with gladness; the people will be satisfied at what God has done.
Salvation history's message of the active presence of God is both a consolation and a challenge. Certainly the Jews must have taken great consolation in the fact that no matter what they did, no matter how many times they broke the covenant, God was always present to them, lending a hand, and searching diligently for them. Similarly, we in our increasingly busier and more complex society must take great consolation in the fact that God is ever present to us. We are all too busy and, therefore, do not take sufficient time to be present to God as the Lord is present to us. Nevertheless, even though the partnership, the contemporary covenant, is not a 50-50 proposition, God continues to be faithful. God will always go out of his way, do whatever is necessary, to save us.
Francis Thompson, the famous British poet, in his epic work, "The Hound of Heaven," has it right. Thompson speaks of a God who searches for us relentlessly, without rest, leaving no stone unturned in a diligent search for our souls. God will look high and low, near and far for us as he searched out the remnant of Israel and made every effort to return the people to the land. He shepherded them and so will he do for all of us.
Besides consolation, we must take serious our responsibility to do to others as God has done for us. The Christmas season is one of giving. On Christmas Day, we gave presents to members of our family, good friends, and coworkers as a gesture to show our care and love for them. Many people at this time give of their time, talent, and treasure to those who are less fortunate, especially the marginalized of our society. This "Christmas spirit" should be part of our everyday lives and not something that is put away, such as our house decorations, when the holiday season ends. Thus, our great challenge is to do for others as God does for us. We must leave no stone unturned in a diligent search to help others, especially those for whom we have responsibility in this world. Parents must seek out their children, especially those who may have gone astray or been problematic. God never gave up on us and thus we cannot give up on others. Siblings must seek each other as well. Rivalries in families and past hurts often place people in estranged positions. We must do whatever is necessary to find the brother or sister whom we have lost. Old friends as well must seek each other. We must drop the attitude that says it's not my responsibility to seek reconciliation. We need to take the initiative, to do what is necessary, to bring our relationships and friendships back to the level we want and need.
Our outreach must go beyond those we know. Those with more resources must do what they can to seek out the poor and those who have less in society. The goods of the earth are not simply for those who have the material resources to possess them. The world is for all peoples and thus all peoples must share. We must break down barriers of discrimination or hostility that keep us apart and build bridges that will bring us closer together. Yes, we must do what is necessary to be present to others.
One of the great hurdles that we must negotiate in understanding God's presence among us is to let go of the past and see today and the future as our goals. God certainly did not remember the mistakes and misdeeds of the Jews, but constantly sought ways to reach out and be present to them. The attitude of God is illustrated well in a story. There once was a parish in which a very holy woman lived. Everyone knew she was very close to God and they admired her. One day, the woman announced to her fellow parishioners that she was receiving visions from the Lord Jesus. Word of this woman's stunning revelation spread rapidly and eventually reached the ears of the local bishop. The bishop went to the holy woman and said, "I understand you are receiving visions from the Lord Jesus." The holy woman replied, "Yes, bishop, I regularly converse with the Lord." The bishop was skeptical and thus to test the authenticity of the woman's revelations, he told her, "The next time you speak with the Lord, ask him this question: 'What was the bishop's great sin before he became bishop?' " A few weeks later, the bishop encountered the holy woman and asked, "Well, have you recently spoken with your friend the Lord Jesus?" "Yes," she replied. "What is the answer to my question? What was my great sin before I became bishop?" The woman replied, "I asked the Lord Jesus that question directly, but his response to me was, 'I don't remember.' "
The story illustrates an important point. The Lord is ready and open to be present to us at any moment, to forgive our sins and allow us to join him in building the kingdom of God in our world. Yes, God is ever present to us and God does not remember our transgressions. This certainly must be our great consolation.
If there should be any shred of doubt in anyone's mind that God is ever present to his people, just waiting for us to return, a poignant image describes God's faithfulness. It is a hot and beautiful summer day and a little girl stands on the edge of a large swimming pool. She looks out at the shimmering water and her eyes well up with tears. She is afraid, for she does not know how to swim. Then she raises her eyes, looks out and sees her mom, with her arms outstretched. Mom says, "Go ahead, jump in, there is nothing to fear; I will hold you up." In a similar way, my friends, Jesus has his arms outstretched on the cross and he says to all of us, "Go ahead, take a chance, I will hold you up; I will bring you to eternal life." Amen.
____________
1. Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006).
The historian and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Doris Kearns Goodwin, has in a recently published book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,1 demonstrated the path Lincoln used to preserve the Union, a path that could not have been easy, but the only course to best guarantee his goal of national unity, which for Lincoln was absolute. As the book clearly demonstrates, Lincoln would do anything that was possible or necessary to achieve his goals, even if it might seem odd, unlikely to succeed, or even self-deprecating.
Professor Goodwin demonstrates how Lincoln brought together for his cabinet a team that on one level was the most unlikely combination, but on a second was absolutely the perfect team for the task at hand. In the 1860 Republican presidential nomination race, Lincoln was clearly the dark horse candidate. His rivals were all better known and possessed more experience. The chief rival was the well-known senator and former governor of New York, William H. Seward. Ohio Governor Salmon P. Chase was at the forefront of the nascent Republican Party and clearly better qualified, at least on paper, than Lincoln. The distinguished elder statesman from Missouri, Edward Bates, had served his state and nation in many avenues and seemed poised for higher office. All three had studied law, were great orators, and opposed slavery. Historians, therefore, attribute Lincoln's nomination to chance and good political maneuvering at the Chicago convention.
What is most interesting about the story, however, is who Lincoln chose to be his cabinet, those who would assist him daily on his vital task of keeping national unity. Ironically, it seems, he chose his most ardent rivals, for the top spots in his cabinet: Seward was made Secretary of State, Chase was made Secretary of the Treasury, and Bates was appointed Attorney General. For the remaining top posts, Lincoln chose men from the other side of the political aisle, the Democratic camp: Gideon Welles was made Secretary of the Navy, Montgomery Blair was appointed Postmaster General, and Edwin Stanton, a man who on more than one occasion publicly repudiated Lincoln, calling him unqualified to be president of the United States, but later at his funeral referred to him as "A man for the ages," was made Secretary of War. Thus, Lincoln weaved together a team of rivals for his cabinet, all of whom were better known, better educated, and more experienced in public life. Because the goal, namely the preservation of the Union, was so critical, and completely consistent with his call, Abraham Lincoln chose the rough road, but the only one that he believed could achieve his purpose. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to get the job done, even if that meant working with a "Team of Rivals."
Abraham Lincoln's "Team of Rivals" seemed on paper to be the least likely group to serve the new president and the country well, but actually it was the only possible group to get the job done. Lincoln was not above personal pride or doing what seemed to be ridiculous, or political suicide, including discarding past political differences that might interfere in his quest to maintain national unity.
This political tale, unknown to most, is a good image of how God will do whatever is necessary to help his people. It was true for the Jews, the chosen people, and it is true for us as well. Our first lesson from the prophet Jeremiah, proclaimed to the Jews just prior to the infamous Babylonian exile, shows how God will do whatever is necessary to save his people.
The care God has shown to the Jews is related in salvation history. The story, as we recall, begins with the call of Abram, whom we call Abraham, and the covenant God made with him and his people. Abram and his descendents, who would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and would occupy the land from the great river Euphrates to the wadi of Egypt, would be God's chosen people. God would care for them; they in turn were to be loyal to God alone. The story continued in the land of Egypt when the Israelites, who had been placed in bondage by Pharaoh, called out to God seeking deliverance. Thus, God raised Moses who was charged to lead the people from slavery in Egypt back to the land promised to Abraham many generations earlier.
After the land was settled, God continue to be present to the Hebrews, sending first judges, then kings and prophets to lead the people and to help them understand and maintain the covenant that defined the relationship between God and his people. While the people broke the covenant often and wandered far, nonetheless God remained faithful; the Lord was ever present to his people. God sent Amos and Hosea to warn the people that the Lord was dissatisfied with their rulers. Even after the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, God continued to send more prophets, such as Isaiah and, as we heard in today's first lesson, Jeremiah, to the southern kingdom of Judah with the hope that their fate would be better than their neighbors to the north.
Scripture scholars often refer to the message Jeremiah proclaims in today's first lesson as the "New Exodus." While the north had been lost to history over a hundred years earlier, nonetheless a remnant of the people remained, a remnant that sought to be purified. These people, as we hear in the reading, call out to God asking the Lord to save them. God, the ever-present one, and the one who would do anything for his people, hears their cries and answers. God says through Jeremiah that the blind and the lame, all the remnant of the northern kingdom, will be returned to Israel. God will lead the people back; the Lord will not allow his people to stumble. Like a shepherd who gathers his flock, so God will gather the people. God will ransom Jacob and will redeem Israel. In other words, God will do what is necessary to be present and to aid his people, even if that might mean, as it did for Abraham Lincoln, creating a "Team of Rivals" to get the job done.
Once God has done what is necessary to rescue the people and bring them home, then, as Jeremiah says, the glory of Israel will once again appear. God will restore the land to its great production. The lands will once again become like a watered garden; the grain, the wine, and the oil will be produced in abundance. Prosperity will return to the land and thus the people will rejoice. Young men and women, as well as the old, will be made merry for God will comfort his people. The Lord will replace sorrow with gladness; the people will be satisfied at what God has done.
Salvation history's message of the active presence of God is both a consolation and a challenge. Certainly the Jews must have taken great consolation in the fact that no matter what they did, no matter how many times they broke the covenant, God was always present to them, lending a hand, and searching diligently for them. Similarly, we in our increasingly busier and more complex society must take great consolation in the fact that God is ever present to us. We are all too busy and, therefore, do not take sufficient time to be present to God as the Lord is present to us. Nevertheless, even though the partnership, the contemporary covenant, is not a 50-50 proposition, God continues to be faithful. God will always go out of his way, do whatever is necessary, to save us.
Francis Thompson, the famous British poet, in his epic work, "The Hound of Heaven," has it right. Thompson speaks of a God who searches for us relentlessly, without rest, leaving no stone unturned in a diligent search for our souls. God will look high and low, near and far for us as he searched out the remnant of Israel and made every effort to return the people to the land. He shepherded them and so will he do for all of us.
Besides consolation, we must take serious our responsibility to do to others as God has done for us. The Christmas season is one of giving. On Christmas Day, we gave presents to members of our family, good friends, and coworkers as a gesture to show our care and love for them. Many people at this time give of their time, talent, and treasure to those who are less fortunate, especially the marginalized of our society. This "Christmas spirit" should be part of our everyday lives and not something that is put away, such as our house decorations, when the holiday season ends. Thus, our great challenge is to do for others as God does for us. We must leave no stone unturned in a diligent search to help others, especially those for whom we have responsibility in this world. Parents must seek out their children, especially those who may have gone astray or been problematic. God never gave up on us and thus we cannot give up on others. Siblings must seek each other as well. Rivalries in families and past hurts often place people in estranged positions. We must do whatever is necessary to find the brother or sister whom we have lost. Old friends as well must seek each other. We must drop the attitude that says it's not my responsibility to seek reconciliation. We need to take the initiative, to do what is necessary, to bring our relationships and friendships back to the level we want and need.
Our outreach must go beyond those we know. Those with more resources must do what they can to seek out the poor and those who have less in society. The goods of the earth are not simply for those who have the material resources to possess them. The world is for all peoples and thus all peoples must share. We must break down barriers of discrimination or hostility that keep us apart and build bridges that will bring us closer together. Yes, we must do what is necessary to be present to others.
One of the great hurdles that we must negotiate in understanding God's presence among us is to let go of the past and see today and the future as our goals. God certainly did not remember the mistakes and misdeeds of the Jews, but constantly sought ways to reach out and be present to them. The attitude of God is illustrated well in a story. There once was a parish in which a very holy woman lived. Everyone knew she was very close to God and they admired her. One day, the woman announced to her fellow parishioners that she was receiving visions from the Lord Jesus. Word of this woman's stunning revelation spread rapidly and eventually reached the ears of the local bishop. The bishop went to the holy woman and said, "I understand you are receiving visions from the Lord Jesus." The holy woman replied, "Yes, bishop, I regularly converse with the Lord." The bishop was skeptical and thus to test the authenticity of the woman's revelations, he told her, "The next time you speak with the Lord, ask him this question: 'What was the bishop's great sin before he became bishop?' " A few weeks later, the bishop encountered the holy woman and asked, "Well, have you recently spoken with your friend the Lord Jesus?" "Yes," she replied. "What is the answer to my question? What was my great sin before I became bishop?" The woman replied, "I asked the Lord Jesus that question directly, but his response to me was, 'I don't remember.' "
The story illustrates an important point. The Lord is ready and open to be present to us at any moment, to forgive our sins and allow us to join him in building the kingdom of God in our world. Yes, God is ever present to us and God does not remember our transgressions. This certainly must be our great consolation.
If there should be any shred of doubt in anyone's mind that God is ever present to his people, just waiting for us to return, a poignant image describes God's faithfulness. It is a hot and beautiful summer day and a little girl stands on the edge of a large swimming pool. She looks out at the shimmering water and her eyes well up with tears. She is afraid, for she does not know how to swim. Then she raises her eyes, looks out and sees her mom, with her arms outstretched. Mom says, "Go ahead, jump in, there is nothing to fear; I will hold you up." In a similar way, my friends, Jesus has his arms outstretched on the cross and he says to all of us, "Go ahead, take a chance, I will hold you up; I will bring you to eternal life." Amen.
____________
1. Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006).
