Proper 6 (C, E)
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle B
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 15:34„16:13 (C)
Interesting, isnÍt it, that the Lord is reported to have been sorry he made Saul king? I guess God wasnÍt as perfect as they thought. I donÍt mean to be facetious again, but this is clearly an ancient view of God or of GodÍs will. At least, though, they were able to admit their mistakes. If I were required to use this passage for a sermon, I would emphasize verse 7: ñThe Lord does not see as mortals see....'' ItÍs easy for us to make mistakes in trusting people. I just read in the newspaper that a certain lobbyist in Washington managed to arrange for the U.S. government to rent an eleven-story office building in Washington and it is owned by a Chattanooga, Tennessee developer, one Franklin Haney. It seems we „ you and I „ are paying 1.7 million dollars per month (thatÍs per month, mind you) and itÍs interesting to note that the building has remained unoccupied for eleven months as of this writing. We have paid some fourteen million dollars for an unused building, and the developer paid the lobbyist, Peter Knight, one million dollars. ThereÍs more to it than this, but it does serve as an example of the fact that people who are chosen to serve us often end up serving themselves. Most of us arenÍt too swift when it comes to choosing some of our leaders. Neither, I guess, were some of those Jewish folks back in SamuelÍs time.
I think of God as seeing us as we really are, as knowing our inner thoughts, our hang-ups, our private little fantasies, and also our potential and our qualities. It warns us not to try to fool God, even if Saul was thought to have done so for a time. Maybe God knew Saul had faults and also potential and decided to risk making him king. Free will. ThereÍs a possible sermon. All of life confronts us with choices, with decisions. What we make of ourselves in this life depends on those decisions. Now that I think of it, thereÍs a good sermon idea for young people. Bishop Kennedy gave a good example which I include below.
Lesson 1: Ezekiel 17:22-24 (RC)
Lesson 1: Ezekiel 31:1-6, 10-14 (E)
Lesson 2: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17 (C); 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (RC); 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (E)
I think Paul is speaking for himself when he says what he says here, if I understand him correctly. He seems to say heÍd rather be dead and in the future life than here on earth, but he realizes he has a mission to perform, so he is willing to continue with that. Given the troublesome state of PaulÍs life, I can understand how he might feel that way. Most of us, however, would rather postpone that event as long as possible. IÍve told elsewhere about the English clergyman who was interviewed by a reporter who asked the man what he thought about life after death. The clergyman replied about like this: ñI expect it to be a beautiful experience, and to be reunited with my loved ones. But letÍs not talk about such a depressing subject.'' We all have some of that ambivalence about death.
Now, Paul warns of something very sobering indeed. ñFor all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. Each one will receive what he deserves, according to everything he has done, good or bad, in his bodily life.'' I think Paul is making the situation too cut-and-dried, based on JesusÍ teachings. I seriously doubt that at some future time Jesus will say to someone, ñBring me CarverÍs file.'' This warning must be held in context of JesusÍ promise of forgiveness and divine love. If we are to be judged on the basis of our deeds alone, most of us are in deep trouble. When you throw in sins of omission I donÍt think anyone can make it through life without a lot of sins to our credit. Theologian Alan Richardson writes that ñonly a certain kind of degenerate Protestant theology has attempted to contrast the wrath of God with the mercy of Christ.'' I suppose that puts me in my place as a theologian, and I do understand that without judgment, without some kind of moral backbone to the universe, there is no true moral reality in creation. But I also find myself convinced that God does understand the human dilemma. I had great parents, but many people did not, and this often issues in unruly, even antisocial, conduct. We all have needs, some as demanding as the need for food and air, which drive us to act in ways which are not entirely admirable. It also means we are frequently oblivious to the needs of others which we might have met.
I believe that God sees us as we are, ñwarts and all,'' loves us, and gives us freedom to do the best we can. I believe we will be judged, not on the basis of some arbitrary system of rights and wrongs, but on the basis of what we are, what we had to work with, whether we were growing toward the right, how repentant we are, what kind of people we became given our life situations. If IÍm wrong, weÍre in trouble. As one old lady said, ñIf that preacherÍs right and weÍre as bad as he said, then God help us.''
Gospel: Mark 4:26-34 (C, RC, E)
C. H. Dodd, in his classic treatise The Parables of the Kingdom, insists that the smallness of the mustard seed is beside the point, noting that Mark makes that point but neither Matthew nor Luke does. In his view, the main point here is that the Kingdom of God has already become present, if only in a dim way as yet. However, I would still be inclined to turn to the idea of the smallness of the seed, as other commentators accept that thought, and the idea of small beginnings is helpful to those of us who get off to a slow start.
A schoolteacher who was fired for incompetence went home to his room and refused to come out. A friend stopped by to console him, and the fellowÍs father informed him that ñPhillips is in his room at the moment and doesnÍt want to come out. When he does IÍll tell him you called.'' So rather inauspiciously began the professional life of Phillips Brooks, one of the ChurchÍs most celebrated preachers.
Or they tell of the time a man was traveling through Kentucky and asked a resident what life was like there. His comment was, ñOh, a baby was born over at the Lincoln place, but thatÍs about it. Nothing much ever happens here.'' The other possible emphasis is, as Dr. Dodd suggested, that the Kingdom of God is already with us in crisis form.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñItÍs Up To You, My Friend''
Text: 1 Samuel 15:34„16:13
Theme: ItÍs a bit of a stretch, but I would consider a sermon on our universal need to make choices in life, then live with them. From GodÍs sorrow at choosing Saul, we see that we all have free will. How else could God have made such a mistake? In other words, Saul had the capabilities to be a good king. But he made bad choices. Now he must suffer the consequences.
Bishop Kennedy told of a young man he knew and liked. But the young man had dropped out of high school. HeÍd had several jobs, but quit them because they were too hard, or he wasnÍt paid enough, or they just ñwerenÍt right.'' The fellow was rapidly building a history of failures. Kennedy said the day will come when that man will discover that the years have passed, and now no one will hire him. And heÍll no doubt complain bitterly that he never got the breaks. HeÍd been unlucky. HeÍll be bitter, and heÍll never understand that he did it to himself. It was up to him.
This isnÍt to say people donÍt suffer bad breaks. Of course they do. IÍve had a few myself. So have you. But thatÍs the time when you have to step up, take charge, and use your God-given energy and abilities to do something. If itÍs school, sure itÍs hard. Sure, it comes easier for some students (or thatÍs how it looks). But the world is full of people who have made themselves into splendid people by standing tall, by doing the hard work. (By the way, Albert Einstein was learning impaired.)
Same with that job. Quit beefing. Do it better than anyone else and see what happens. And this applies to us preacher types too. IÍve heard men gripe and moan about how the Bishop never gave them proper recognition. Baloney. God equipped us. Now do it. One of the truly outstanding ministers of our denomination, a man highly regarded nationwide for his work, was a terrible preacher and had to leave a couple churches before he buckled down and found what he could do.
1. Each of us will be confronted with problems and difficult work to do.
2. The healthy-minded person sees this as a challenge, and realizes there is a time in life when we have to do without some things. Stick to it. There are too many people today who want to be taken care of, who feel their plight results from injustice. Well, dig in and change things.
3. God has promised to assist. Ah, thereÍs the point. WeÍre never in this alone. Of all the people who want everyone of us to succeed with our lives, Jesus above all does. But he expects us to use that precious freedom of choice to make some hard decisions. Recall PaulÍs claim: ñI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'' But he didnÍt say Jesus will do it. He said ñI can.''
Title: ñWhat About The Last Judgment?''
Text: 2 Corinthians 5:10
Theme: Some ultra-conservative preachers argue that we will all be judged for our sins „ and punished. I find that running counter to the preaching of Jesus, the man who looked out from the cross upon the people who cold-heartedly watched his suffering and prayed, ñFather, forgive them.'' No, the overwhelming weight of the gospel is on the side of mercy and forgiveness. However, there must be a moral foundation to this world. For me it comes down to motives. I sometimes do stupid things, or impulsive things, which hurt someone. But I never intentionally hurt. No one else can know my true motivations, but God surely does.
What if the punishment is, in fact, the realization we have hurt someone we love? Do you remember that story I included elsewhere, told by Weatherhead, about the man who was an alcoholic, yet loved his little girl dearly? She was a preschooler, and he carried her picture with him everywhere. He loved her. But when he was drunk, he hurt her. Then one night, sober, he went to his daughterÍs room to kiss her good night. When the child saw him, she cried out: ñMommy, donÍt let Daddy hit me.'' The man was devastated. He hadnÍt realized what he was doing to the one he loved. He told the story at an AA meeting. He was utterly and completely changed by the sudden realization of the hurt he had inflicted. What if seeing Jesus with our blinders off is like that?
1. God wants us to achieve self-realization. We are to know right from wrong, and we are to do right.
2. The basis of doing right is, at best, love for others, not just slavish obedience like some of the Pharisees.
3. There will be consequences to wrongdoing. No doubt it will be complicated, since some wrongs are inadvertent, some are dumb, some are intentional. Some wrongs are garden-variety, some are pretty bad, some are unforgivable by human standards. God will work all that out, but we need to understand that there will be consequences.
4. Yet if we try to follow Jesus, we need not fear the judgment.
Title: ñSmall Is Beautiful''
Text: Mark 4:26-34
Theme: Many years ago, my grandfather took a nickel and a dime and asked me and my brother to choose which we would like. Now that was back when you could go to the movies for a dime. We argued, both of us wanting the nickel, because it was bigger. Grampaw then explained to us that the dime was smaller, but it was worth twice as much as the nickel. We always remembered that bigger is not always better. Little things. Sometimes they are the important events in our lives.
Some years ago, I was a dissatisfied young businessman trying to decide what to do with my life. I was active in my church and Christ had begun to work in my life. But I certainly had never considered a church-related vocation. One night someone remarked that there was a good movie at the theater downtown. It was A Man Called Peter, the life of Peter Marshall, a Scottish preacher who had distinguished himself in Washington, D.C. Richard Todd, the movie star of the time, had been asked to play the role of Marshall in a movie. He had declined, saying he didnÍt think playing a preacher was quite his thing. But the producer sent him a record of MarshallÍs sermon about Elijah. After hearing that sermon, Todd replied that he definitely would like to play the role now.
I went to see that movie. Bang. I knew. Oh, the movie is dated now (if youÍve never heard Peter Marshall preach youÍve missed something). I went back and saw the movie again the next night. Of course it was a romanticized version of ministry. But suddenly, sitting in a movie theater, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Imagine that. A commercial movie turning a young manÍs life around. How can we possibly anticipate how God will work in our lives? ItÍs often in small, unexpected events.
1. Simple things are often the most important. This includes people, as we often learn from those whom we might at first think of as unimportant.
2. Keep in mind the possibility of serendipity. When and where we least expect, wonderful possibilities may be before us. Louis Pasteur was vainly trying to find a way to keep wine from turning sour. In the process he discovered pasteurization.
3. Some of our disappointments may be just what God needs to reach us. I was once fired from a job which I loved. The reason given was a reorganization of the company. As a result, I had to move to another city. There I finally found a church I liked, became friends with the pastor, found Christ, and became a minister. All because I was fired from a job which I liked.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
The great German preacher Helmut Thielicke, who distinguished himself during the Nazi regime in Germany of the 1940s, wrote this: ñWhat happens to this ïmiracleÍ of forgiveness? Every one of us who can say, ïI am a pardoned sinner,Í knows very well that this can never mean: I do not sin any more; I am holy, or better, somewhat crassly, I have been cleansed by moral chemistry. No, we know only too well the things that still lurk in our hearts; we know that the wolves still go on howling in the cellars of our life.
ñForgiveness, therefore, cannot mean to be chemically cleansed. It means rather that my sin no longer separates me from God, that it can no longer be a chasm that cuts me off from the Father.
ñIt is exactly what happens when a mother forgives her child or a wife forgives her husband a lie. When a child lies, or a husband deceives his wife, something between them is broken. And we say, quite correctly: There is something between them. (And when the mother, the wife, forgives, this does not mean ïI forget this.Í She can never forget it. Even in old age she may feel an icy chill when she thinks of that lie which her husband or child uttered long ago.) Forgiveness means: This shall not separate us. The bond of love is stronger than the separating power that would come between.''
____________
In a small town in Pennsylvania there was a Baptist church, one of whose members was a terrible trial for the pastor. The man was constantly critical of the pastor, and caused problems wherever he went. But one day the man went into the Continental Army of General George Washington. The day came when the troublemaker was found to have betrayed the army and, apprehended, was sentenced to hang. The Baptist pastor, hearing of this, walked seventy miles to WashingtonÍs headquarters. Washington received the pastor, who made an impassioned plea for the convicted manÍs life. After reviewing the circumstances, Washington said to the pastor: ñIÍm impressed that you have walked all this way to make an appeal for your friend. Nonetheless, I cannot pardon the man. His crime requires that he be executed.'' ñFriend?'' the pastor replied. ñBut, General, he is not my friend. He is my enemy.'' Washington, startled, queried the pastor, who told of his constant problems with the man. ñBut you came this far to plead for the life of your enemy? Then I will pardon him, for your sake.''
„ Told by Bishop Gerald Kennedy
____________
ñI never cut my neighborÍs throat,
My neighborÍs purse I never stole;
I never spoiled his house and land,
But God have mercy on my soul!
For I am haunted night and day
By all the deeds I have not done,
That unattempted loveliness,
Oh, costly valor, never won.''
„ Marguerite Wilkinson
____________
ñI wish there were someone
Who would hear confession.
Not a priest „ I do not want to be told of my sins;
Not a mother „ I do not want to give sorrow;
Not a friend „ she would not know enough;
Not a lover „ he would be too partial;
Not a God „ he is far away;
But someone who would be friend, lover, mother, priest, God, all in one,
And a stranger besides „ who would not condemn nor interfere;
Who, when everything is said from beginning to end,
Would show the reason of it all
And tell you to go ahead
And work it out your own way.''
„ Jeanne DÍOrge, in the New York Times
____________
Remember the old saying: For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; for want of a horse the rider was lost; for want of a rider the battle was lost; for want of a battle, the kingdom was lost? Well, I received a letter the other day from a member of St. LukeÍs Church who has been invited to go on an archaeological ñdig'' this summer in the Holy Land. HeÍs so excited he had to tell me this: ñDear Carver. ItsÍs amazing how little things can change our lives. One day Don Martin (our choir director) asked me to come to St. LukeÍs and sing a solo (heÍs a marvelous tenor). Because of that invitation, I met Don and decided to sing in the choir. Because of that I got to know you and also Linda McCoy (a pastor at St. LukeÍs). When Linda led a trip to the Holy Land, she invited me to go with the group. I decided to do so, and fell in love with that part of the world. That led me to apply for a grant to take part in the forthcoming expedition, which I received. Now my life is changed, all because of an invitation to sing a song.''
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 20 (C) „ ñThe Lord answer you in the day of trouble.''
Psalm 91 (RC) „ ñYou who live in the shelter of the most high.''
Psalm 92 (E) „ ñIt is good to give thanks to the Lord.''
Prayer Of The Day
There are times, O Lord, when our spirits falter. We sometimes grieve over lost opportunities, yearn for what we do not have, grow melancholy as we see what other people seem to have and do, while in comparison our lives can seem lonely and unfulfilled. Come to us in those moments, dear God of love, lift us up, reveal to us what we are here to do, enable us to see the joys and gifts which have come to us, to rejoice in the happiness of others, and to be grateful for what is ours. In ChristÍs name we pray. Amen.
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 15:34„16:13 (C)
Interesting, isnÍt it, that the Lord is reported to have been sorry he made Saul king? I guess God wasnÍt as perfect as they thought. I donÍt mean to be facetious again, but this is clearly an ancient view of God or of GodÍs will. At least, though, they were able to admit their mistakes. If I were required to use this passage for a sermon, I would emphasize verse 7: ñThe Lord does not see as mortals see....'' ItÍs easy for us to make mistakes in trusting people. I just read in the newspaper that a certain lobbyist in Washington managed to arrange for the U.S. government to rent an eleven-story office building in Washington and it is owned by a Chattanooga, Tennessee developer, one Franklin Haney. It seems we „ you and I „ are paying 1.7 million dollars per month (thatÍs per month, mind you) and itÍs interesting to note that the building has remained unoccupied for eleven months as of this writing. We have paid some fourteen million dollars for an unused building, and the developer paid the lobbyist, Peter Knight, one million dollars. ThereÍs more to it than this, but it does serve as an example of the fact that people who are chosen to serve us often end up serving themselves. Most of us arenÍt too swift when it comes to choosing some of our leaders. Neither, I guess, were some of those Jewish folks back in SamuelÍs time.
I think of God as seeing us as we really are, as knowing our inner thoughts, our hang-ups, our private little fantasies, and also our potential and our qualities. It warns us not to try to fool God, even if Saul was thought to have done so for a time. Maybe God knew Saul had faults and also potential and decided to risk making him king. Free will. ThereÍs a possible sermon. All of life confronts us with choices, with decisions. What we make of ourselves in this life depends on those decisions. Now that I think of it, thereÍs a good sermon idea for young people. Bishop Kennedy gave a good example which I include below.
Lesson 1: Ezekiel 17:22-24 (RC)
Lesson 1: Ezekiel 31:1-6, 10-14 (E)
Lesson 2: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17 (C); 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (RC); 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (E)
I think Paul is speaking for himself when he says what he says here, if I understand him correctly. He seems to say heÍd rather be dead and in the future life than here on earth, but he realizes he has a mission to perform, so he is willing to continue with that. Given the troublesome state of PaulÍs life, I can understand how he might feel that way. Most of us, however, would rather postpone that event as long as possible. IÍve told elsewhere about the English clergyman who was interviewed by a reporter who asked the man what he thought about life after death. The clergyman replied about like this: ñI expect it to be a beautiful experience, and to be reunited with my loved ones. But letÍs not talk about such a depressing subject.'' We all have some of that ambivalence about death.
Now, Paul warns of something very sobering indeed. ñFor all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. Each one will receive what he deserves, according to everything he has done, good or bad, in his bodily life.'' I think Paul is making the situation too cut-and-dried, based on JesusÍ teachings. I seriously doubt that at some future time Jesus will say to someone, ñBring me CarverÍs file.'' This warning must be held in context of JesusÍ promise of forgiveness and divine love. If we are to be judged on the basis of our deeds alone, most of us are in deep trouble. When you throw in sins of omission I donÍt think anyone can make it through life without a lot of sins to our credit. Theologian Alan Richardson writes that ñonly a certain kind of degenerate Protestant theology has attempted to contrast the wrath of God with the mercy of Christ.'' I suppose that puts me in my place as a theologian, and I do understand that without judgment, without some kind of moral backbone to the universe, there is no true moral reality in creation. But I also find myself convinced that God does understand the human dilemma. I had great parents, but many people did not, and this often issues in unruly, even antisocial, conduct. We all have needs, some as demanding as the need for food and air, which drive us to act in ways which are not entirely admirable. It also means we are frequently oblivious to the needs of others which we might have met.
I believe that God sees us as we are, ñwarts and all,'' loves us, and gives us freedom to do the best we can. I believe we will be judged, not on the basis of some arbitrary system of rights and wrongs, but on the basis of what we are, what we had to work with, whether we were growing toward the right, how repentant we are, what kind of people we became given our life situations. If IÍm wrong, weÍre in trouble. As one old lady said, ñIf that preacherÍs right and weÍre as bad as he said, then God help us.''
Gospel: Mark 4:26-34 (C, RC, E)
C. H. Dodd, in his classic treatise The Parables of the Kingdom, insists that the smallness of the mustard seed is beside the point, noting that Mark makes that point but neither Matthew nor Luke does. In his view, the main point here is that the Kingdom of God has already become present, if only in a dim way as yet. However, I would still be inclined to turn to the idea of the smallness of the seed, as other commentators accept that thought, and the idea of small beginnings is helpful to those of us who get off to a slow start.
A schoolteacher who was fired for incompetence went home to his room and refused to come out. A friend stopped by to console him, and the fellowÍs father informed him that ñPhillips is in his room at the moment and doesnÍt want to come out. When he does IÍll tell him you called.'' So rather inauspiciously began the professional life of Phillips Brooks, one of the ChurchÍs most celebrated preachers.
Or they tell of the time a man was traveling through Kentucky and asked a resident what life was like there. His comment was, ñOh, a baby was born over at the Lincoln place, but thatÍs about it. Nothing much ever happens here.'' The other possible emphasis is, as Dr. Dodd suggested, that the Kingdom of God is already with us in crisis form.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñItÍs Up To You, My Friend''
Text: 1 Samuel 15:34„16:13
Theme: ItÍs a bit of a stretch, but I would consider a sermon on our universal need to make choices in life, then live with them. From GodÍs sorrow at choosing Saul, we see that we all have free will. How else could God have made such a mistake? In other words, Saul had the capabilities to be a good king. But he made bad choices. Now he must suffer the consequences.
Bishop Kennedy told of a young man he knew and liked. But the young man had dropped out of high school. HeÍd had several jobs, but quit them because they were too hard, or he wasnÍt paid enough, or they just ñwerenÍt right.'' The fellow was rapidly building a history of failures. Kennedy said the day will come when that man will discover that the years have passed, and now no one will hire him. And heÍll no doubt complain bitterly that he never got the breaks. HeÍd been unlucky. HeÍll be bitter, and heÍll never understand that he did it to himself. It was up to him.
This isnÍt to say people donÍt suffer bad breaks. Of course they do. IÍve had a few myself. So have you. But thatÍs the time when you have to step up, take charge, and use your God-given energy and abilities to do something. If itÍs school, sure itÍs hard. Sure, it comes easier for some students (or thatÍs how it looks). But the world is full of people who have made themselves into splendid people by standing tall, by doing the hard work. (By the way, Albert Einstein was learning impaired.)
Same with that job. Quit beefing. Do it better than anyone else and see what happens. And this applies to us preacher types too. IÍve heard men gripe and moan about how the Bishop never gave them proper recognition. Baloney. God equipped us. Now do it. One of the truly outstanding ministers of our denomination, a man highly regarded nationwide for his work, was a terrible preacher and had to leave a couple churches before he buckled down and found what he could do.
1. Each of us will be confronted with problems and difficult work to do.
2. The healthy-minded person sees this as a challenge, and realizes there is a time in life when we have to do without some things. Stick to it. There are too many people today who want to be taken care of, who feel their plight results from injustice. Well, dig in and change things.
3. God has promised to assist. Ah, thereÍs the point. WeÍre never in this alone. Of all the people who want everyone of us to succeed with our lives, Jesus above all does. But he expects us to use that precious freedom of choice to make some hard decisions. Recall PaulÍs claim: ñI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'' But he didnÍt say Jesus will do it. He said ñI can.''
Title: ñWhat About The Last Judgment?''
Text: 2 Corinthians 5:10
Theme: Some ultra-conservative preachers argue that we will all be judged for our sins „ and punished. I find that running counter to the preaching of Jesus, the man who looked out from the cross upon the people who cold-heartedly watched his suffering and prayed, ñFather, forgive them.'' No, the overwhelming weight of the gospel is on the side of mercy and forgiveness. However, there must be a moral foundation to this world. For me it comes down to motives. I sometimes do stupid things, or impulsive things, which hurt someone. But I never intentionally hurt. No one else can know my true motivations, but God surely does.
What if the punishment is, in fact, the realization we have hurt someone we love? Do you remember that story I included elsewhere, told by Weatherhead, about the man who was an alcoholic, yet loved his little girl dearly? She was a preschooler, and he carried her picture with him everywhere. He loved her. But when he was drunk, he hurt her. Then one night, sober, he went to his daughterÍs room to kiss her good night. When the child saw him, she cried out: ñMommy, donÍt let Daddy hit me.'' The man was devastated. He hadnÍt realized what he was doing to the one he loved. He told the story at an AA meeting. He was utterly and completely changed by the sudden realization of the hurt he had inflicted. What if seeing Jesus with our blinders off is like that?
1. God wants us to achieve self-realization. We are to know right from wrong, and we are to do right.
2. The basis of doing right is, at best, love for others, not just slavish obedience like some of the Pharisees.
3. There will be consequences to wrongdoing. No doubt it will be complicated, since some wrongs are inadvertent, some are dumb, some are intentional. Some wrongs are garden-variety, some are pretty bad, some are unforgivable by human standards. God will work all that out, but we need to understand that there will be consequences.
4. Yet if we try to follow Jesus, we need not fear the judgment.
Title: ñSmall Is Beautiful''
Text: Mark 4:26-34
Theme: Many years ago, my grandfather took a nickel and a dime and asked me and my brother to choose which we would like. Now that was back when you could go to the movies for a dime. We argued, both of us wanting the nickel, because it was bigger. Grampaw then explained to us that the dime was smaller, but it was worth twice as much as the nickel. We always remembered that bigger is not always better. Little things. Sometimes they are the important events in our lives.
Some years ago, I was a dissatisfied young businessman trying to decide what to do with my life. I was active in my church and Christ had begun to work in my life. But I certainly had never considered a church-related vocation. One night someone remarked that there was a good movie at the theater downtown. It was A Man Called Peter, the life of Peter Marshall, a Scottish preacher who had distinguished himself in Washington, D.C. Richard Todd, the movie star of the time, had been asked to play the role of Marshall in a movie. He had declined, saying he didnÍt think playing a preacher was quite his thing. But the producer sent him a record of MarshallÍs sermon about Elijah. After hearing that sermon, Todd replied that he definitely would like to play the role now.
I went to see that movie. Bang. I knew. Oh, the movie is dated now (if youÍve never heard Peter Marshall preach youÍve missed something). I went back and saw the movie again the next night. Of course it was a romanticized version of ministry. But suddenly, sitting in a movie theater, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Imagine that. A commercial movie turning a young manÍs life around. How can we possibly anticipate how God will work in our lives? ItÍs often in small, unexpected events.
1. Simple things are often the most important. This includes people, as we often learn from those whom we might at first think of as unimportant.
2. Keep in mind the possibility of serendipity. When and where we least expect, wonderful possibilities may be before us. Louis Pasteur was vainly trying to find a way to keep wine from turning sour. In the process he discovered pasteurization.
3. Some of our disappointments may be just what God needs to reach us. I was once fired from a job which I loved. The reason given was a reorganization of the company. As a result, I had to move to another city. There I finally found a church I liked, became friends with the pastor, found Christ, and became a minister. All because I was fired from a job which I liked.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
The great German preacher Helmut Thielicke, who distinguished himself during the Nazi regime in Germany of the 1940s, wrote this: ñWhat happens to this ïmiracleÍ of forgiveness? Every one of us who can say, ïI am a pardoned sinner,Í knows very well that this can never mean: I do not sin any more; I am holy, or better, somewhat crassly, I have been cleansed by moral chemistry. No, we know only too well the things that still lurk in our hearts; we know that the wolves still go on howling in the cellars of our life.
ñForgiveness, therefore, cannot mean to be chemically cleansed. It means rather that my sin no longer separates me from God, that it can no longer be a chasm that cuts me off from the Father.
ñIt is exactly what happens when a mother forgives her child or a wife forgives her husband a lie. When a child lies, or a husband deceives his wife, something between them is broken. And we say, quite correctly: There is something between them. (And when the mother, the wife, forgives, this does not mean ïI forget this.Í She can never forget it. Even in old age she may feel an icy chill when she thinks of that lie which her husband or child uttered long ago.) Forgiveness means: This shall not separate us. The bond of love is stronger than the separating power that would come between.''
____________
In a small town in Pennsylvania there was a Baptist church, one of whose members was a terrible trial for the pastor. The man was constantly critical of the pastor, and caused problems wherever he went. But one day the man went into the Continental Army of General George Washington. The day came when the troublemaker was found to have betrayed the army and, apprehended, was sentenced to hang. The Baptist pastor, hearing of this, walked seventy miles to WashingtonÍs headquarters. Washington received the pastor, who made an impassioned plea for the convicted manÍs life. After reviewing the circumstances, Washington said to the pastor: ñIÍm impressed that you have walked all this way to make an appeal for your friend. Nonetheless, I cannot pardon the man. His crime requires that he be executed.'' ñFriend?'' the pastor replied. ñBut, General, he is not my friend. He is my enemy.'' Washington, startled, queried the pastor, who told of his constant problems with the man. ñBut you came this far to plead for the life of your enemy? Then I will pardon him, for your sake.''
„ Told by Bishop Gerald Kennedy
____________
ñI never cut my neighborÍs throat,
My neighborÍs purse I never stole;
I never spoiled his house and land,
But God have mercy on my soul!
For I am haunted night and day
By all the deeds I have not done,
That unattempted loveliness,
Oh, costly valor, never won.''
„ Marguerite Wilkinson
____________
ñI wish there were someone
Who would hear confession.
Not a priest „ I do not want to be told of my sins;
Not a mother „ I do not want to give sorrow;
Not a friend „ she would not know enough;
Not a lover „ he would be too partial;
Not a God „ he is far away;
But someone who would be friend, lover, mother, priest, God, all in one,
And a stranger besides „ who would not condemn nor interfere;
Who, when everything is said from beginning to end,
Would show the reason of it all
And tell you to go ahead
And work it out your own way.''
„ Jeanne DÍOrge, in the New York Times
____________
Remember the old saying: For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; for want of a horse the rider was lost; for want of a rider the battle was lost; for want of a battle, the kingdom was lost? Well, I received a letter the other day from a member of St. LukeÍs Church who has been invited to go on an archaeological ñdig'' this summer in the Holy Land. HeÍs so excited he had to tell me this: ñDear Carver. ItsÍs amazing how little things can change our lives. One day Don Martin (our choir director) asked me to come to St. LukeÍs and sing a solo (heÍs a marvelous tenor). Because of that invitation, I met Don and decided to sing in the choir. Because of that I got to know you and also Linda McCoy (a pastor at St. LukeÍs). When Linda led a trip to the Holy Land, she invited me to go with the group. I decided to do so, and fell in love with that part of the world. That led me to apply for a grant to take part in the forthcoming expedition, which I received. Now my life is changed, all because of an invitation to sing a song.''
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 20 (C) „ ñThe Lord answer you in the day of trouble.''
Psalm 91 (RC) „ ñYou who live in the shelter of the most high.''
Psalm 92 (E) „ ñIt is good to give thanks to the Lord.''
Prayer Of The Day
There are times, O Lord, when our spirits falter. We sometimes grieve over lost opportunities, yearn for what we do not have, grow melancholy as we see what other people seem to have and do, while in comparison our lives can seem lonely and unfulfilled. Come to us in those moments, dear God of love, lift us up, reveal to us what we are here to do, enable us to see the joys and gifts which have come to us, to rejoice in the happiness of others, and to be grateful for what is ours. In ChristÍs name we pray. Amen.
