Propping up or opening up
Commentary
It is never a good place to be when you feel that you are loosing it. When clearly marked
though, such times can be moments of creativity and renewal. However, there are times
when things are slipping away and falling apart and panic sets in. Jared Diamond, in his
book, Collapse, tells the tale of the Easter Islanders. The island was found
abandoned, with only the remains of the huge stone statue heads of their gods left in
place staring out to sea. The Islanders, unbeknownst to themselves, were planting the
seeds of their own destruction as they kept carving and setting in place the huge stone
heads. The different sections of the Island were in a sort of competition to carve bigger
and better heads. Of course, the problem was that as they went about propping up their
gods, they required more and more wood to transport the stone and set it into place.
Eventually, they reached a tipping point and the Island forests could no longer replenish
themselves.
The conversation between Jesus and one of his disciples as they came out of the temple suggests that this is a fate that might not just befall the South Pacific Islanders. As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." Jared Diamond's work suggests that the cracks in the cultural facade begin to show when minority voices are silenced, there is a radical indifference to the surrounding environmental realities -- a particular downfall of the islanders, and a preoccupation with war. In the face of such things, you can anticipate the kind of cracking that if undetected and uncorrected can bring down whatever gods we might prop up.
When folks say it can't happen here, look out for falling rocks and be prepared to do some duck-and-cover drills as the building blocks that we thought were in place begin to show their age and the need for some serious maintenance or significant replacement. Of course, not all will tumble down. "For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished." Of course, Jesus' words point out that heaven and earth will at some point pass away. If heaven and earth can pass away, what chance do our propped-up gods have?
Each of these texts deals with the experience of finding one's own world suddenly at risk. Perhaps by now we are a little more likely to believe that one's world might be tumbling down. Still, it does come as somewhat of a shock when there is indisputable evidence the cracks have widened to the point that familiar patterns of life are in jeopardy. It seemed that the wisdom of the world did not prevent the fissure in the environmental facade that appeared when evidence was found in the Yukon of polar bears cannibalizing each other because, due to global warming, they can no longer reach their traditional feeding ground. The crack seems to widen as one of the leading seminaries of our denomination must put its historic campus on the auction block because the support dollars are drying up. It feels like a hairline crack has seriously widened when more young couples report that they work longer hours, and have less in the bank in order to buy starter homes that are more expensive than ever before. They feel that the social net may not have enough to take care of their retirement.
In each of the texts for this Sunday, there is evidence of hairline cracks that might fissure into chasms. The text from Samuel shows a family at risk. The Hebrew text calls into question a religious system that no longer delivers. The text from Mark calls into question a national epic as nation rises up against nation. Like the disciples, we find ourselves asking when these things will happen and what the signs will be. Give us some way of handling this that will see us through the crisis.
1 Samuel 1:4-20
Allow for a bit of serious cultural diversity and this could be a family that could be living on your street. Jealousy, a sense of failure, and a husband that is cloddish in his response to the feelings of his wife seem to be indicators that folks are in over their heads. Hannah does some serious bargaining with God. When she hears, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" she knows it is time to start drawing on her faith tradition to see her through. She knows that her husband cannot meet all her needs. In this she has both psychology and some sociology on her side. After all, if Elkanah is not around, her goose is going to be cooked. It is time for some theology. Unfortunately, the authorized religious representative reads the situation thoroughly wrong as he mistakes her form of devotion and prayer for drunkenness. With a wonderful husband like Elkanah who, thinking the world of her, cuts her an extra ration of food and who clearly thinks his devotion can cover her needs, what could be the problem?
Unfortunately, this will not be the last time that an official religious representative brings some serious insensitivity to a family situation. When Eli does hear her voice, he gets it right in a very big way. He hears her out, and hears in a way that elicits a significant response. But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time." Hannah hits it right on the head: Do not regard me in the usual cultural way as a hysterical woman assuaging her pain with too many long afternoons of boozing. Eli has choices here. He can try and prop up the usual gods that would put Hannah in her place. "Go home, talk it out with you husband, try harder, be thankful to the almighty that you have what you have. Adopt the gratitude attitude. Have you considered a hysterectomy?"
Eli responds to her insistent voice of integrity with a voice of his own in a different key. Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; the God of Israel grants the petition you have made to him." The operative word here is peace -- shalom. My Bible dictionary offers these synonyms -- "completeness (in number), safety, soundness (in body), welfare, health, prosperity, peace, quiet, tranquility, contentment, peace, friendship of human relationships with God, especially in covenant relationship, peace (from war), peace (as adjective)." He does not tell her to go home and work things out. Her petition was for a male child. We assume that it was with Elkanah. We do not actually know how she felt about Elkanah. In soundness of body, in way of justice, in equality: she is a composed, competent woman. She makes the choice to begin again with Elkanah. Having come to the end of her rope she will now walk on in shalom that will lead to a new future for her and her family.
Walking in shalom has made the difference here. Shalom has made a way where it appeared that there was no way. In the midst of chaos, the breakdown of old ways, the breaking in of stress and strain into all homes: walk in shalom. Here old gods of male superiority that dismiss women and diminish their stories are not propped up for the sake of the voice of the God of shalom.
In reading this story, I find myself wondering what gods I have propped up that have caused me to diminish and not hear others? Have I propped old ways that have caused me, unlike Eli, not to hear the truth in others' experience? Comfortable in my ways, am I cruising toward an unanticipated tipping point? Replenishing my life and the world's life means a return to walking in shalom.
Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25
The text begins with the unsettling notion that the religious community has reached a dead end. "And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins." If you have taught a confirmation class that is from somewhere other than heaven and you feel like you are just going through the motions, then you can identify with this experience. No doubt many a pastor can readily point to aspects of church life that seemingly have lost the power to redeem. Preaching as taught in seminaries where I attended has in a visual age been challenged by new modes of communication. Great battles over what hymns to include in denominational hymnals are eclipsed by those who call into question the very notion of hymnals. Trained to think in terms of finding the inputs for the support of any church project, the literature now speaks of the need for all concerned to focus on outputs.
There seems to be no aspect of church life that is as it was when I began in ministry and has not come into serious question. I read the current literature and I feel like the priest in this passage, as one who may have been standing at the wrong altar all these years. I am part of a denomination that is considering alternative paths to ordination that demand far less effort than the one that was expected of me. Having just made a move that required me to pare down my library, I was astounded that there were few takers for the great classics of the Christian faith that I have managed to amass. Okay, I expected that I would reach an age when I would find myself a bit behind the curve. Nothing prepared me for this! I find the letter to the Hebrews a bit too facile in failing to take account of what the priest must feel like if he is found to be standing, perhaps through no fault of his own, at an altar that is no longer deemed to be too effective in taking away the sins of the world.
I find my experience somewhat parallel to the crisis that is taking place in journalism, as shrinking circulation and increasing competition from the internet and blogging is causing many to question their commitment to print media. One major Boston newspaper has even considered switching its operation entirely over to an internet format -- scary.
My initial response to feeling like a dinosaur is to want to prop up the old gods that I am most comfortable with. No, ministers should be professionally trained just like doctors and lawyers -- being called doctor should matter. My credentials and experience matter. Yet, I look at the state of the church and wonder whether standing at these altars and having made the sacrifice to get here has much to do with taking away the sin of the world as I think.
Ben Bradlee, former editor of the Washington Post, confronting the crises in journalism said that the answer here is "stories, good stories." It might not be the whole answer but he is onto something. It is certainly the conclusion that the letter to the Hebrews makes. "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God," and since then has been waiting until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering, he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. The letter sets before us the primary task of being able to narrate a saving experience. This past year my confirmation class came alive as they sought to narrate the saving experiences in their lives. Looking at their lives they could identify places where only something that could be named as grace had occurred.
This invites me less to consider my credentials and more to consider how I can name and communicate the saving experiences in my life. Having been raised in the mainline religious milieu I was not strongly encouraged to think this way. Yet, telling my story may help others identify their story. The letter invites one to consider how God has written the law in our minds and upon our hearts. How God will go so far as the shedding of blood not to allow my sins and foolishness to be the final word over my life.
In my defensive mode, I focus on my sacrifice. When I read the letter to the Hebrews, I focus on God's sacrifice for me. In my defensive mood I call others into question. When I focus on the sacrifice of God I realize that all in Christ have some serious blood ties. When I am standing at my altars, I focus on what I know. When I consider the letter to the Hebrews, I experience the God who has understood me.
The letter suggests what ought to be the starting point when we feel that we have come to a dead-end. "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds."
Mark 13:1-8
As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Standing downtown, in the local mall, or on the mall in Washington DC, it can sure look like it does to the disciples. It can look that way to the millions that now flock to the cities of the world in search of fame, wealth, or employment. It is quite a beguiling vision. Jesus saw another aspect to the enthralling show. If you manage to get to the top of the pile, the center ring, the corporate board room, you might find yourself at the place you are most likely to be led astray, particularly if thinking that you have finally arrived you think the journey is over. Interestingly enough, both the secular community and the religious community make the same claim. You have arrived, there is nothing more in store than this order of things -- history is over. Or, history is over, watch what God has in store.
Recently, on Pentecost, I had the opportunity on the day we confirmed some of our youth to reflect on what it might mean to find yourself at the center of culture, on top of things, and in general, in center ring. This year's confirmation class was composed of students who, in many ways, had already won the gene pool. Through their native talents and their positive upbringings, they had their tickets punched for the train ride to the top. Here in part is what I said: "As I look at this confirmation class, I have no doubt that many of you will find yourselves at the center of many things -- some center stage, some center court, some the center of attention, some at the center of controversy, some in center field or playing center.
The problem will not be getting there. Your talents and character will lead you and the Holy Spirit will push you there. But the danger in our world is that once you get there it is hard to stay centered in the right things and people can get burned. Just look at what politics seems to do to people at the center of power, or what the Hollywood headset can do to people who find themselves center stage. The Enron Corporation executives, thinking they were the center of the universe, are facing stiff prison sentences for their self-centeredness. More than a few teachers I have known face burnout after standing at the center of a classroom for years.
If you find yourself standing at the center of a sanctuary somewhere taking wedding vows, call on the name of the Lord. At that place the family name, the name of common sense, matters much less than the name of the one who will take your sorrows, your grief, and your disagreements and turn them into growth and wisdom and make more of you by teaching you how to give and receive love.
If you get to center stage, and I think some of you will, remember, in his name you are nothing without the people who are downstage or offstage. Living in his name will keep you centered as you walk through the fiery furnace. As a matter of fact, that seems to be the world's problem. We have forgotten the people who are downstage and offstage and out of sight and mind as if we are no longer all in it together. We have done it in the name of the free market, the right of some to drive gas guzzlers, you name it. But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I know some of you will one day step to the center of a classroom and all eyes will be on you. Remember, behind those eyes are human souls that fear rejection, long for their place, and who need someone to see more in them than they can see in themselves. Remember, you have those souls in your hands and you will live. Some of you will find yourselves the center of attention. You just have the knack of doing that. I have seen it. When you do find yourself at the center, call on his name that you might take this gift to heart before you let it go to your head. Jesus often found himself the center of attention and from there he could see the hurting and the wounded, the too angry and the not angry enough, as nobody else could because everyone was looking at him. What will be important here is not that all eyes are on you, any fool can get that, what will matter is what your eyes see from that privileged position.
When you are standing at the center of things looking up at all those magnificent buildings and what the world has to offer, call on the name of the Lord less you be led astray.
Application
In each of these texts there is the temptation to remain on the surface. Yet, each text causes the reader to take a second look at one's domestic arrangements, theological stance, and acceptance of the order of things. This can be particularly difficult on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. As I look back at the Thanksgivings of my youth, they were affirmations of my culture. We gave thanks for the brave triumph of the Pilgrims, thanks that we were Christians not pagans, thanks for traditional domestic arrangements that at the time did not include the strong role of women, and thanks for our shot at being center stage. Since then it seems that there has been a lot of nation rising against nation, and earthquakes on the social landscape. The theological understandings, domestic arrangements, and political certainties I began with are no longer there. The props have been knocked out from a lot of the assurances of my youth. Thanksgiving is a little tougher than I thought it would be. However, Jesus suggests that we need not put away the turkey and cranberries quite yet, for "This is but the beginning of the birth pangs."
Alternative Application
Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25. Verse 22 of chapter 10 of the letter to the Hebrews invites us to approach the throne of grace with hearts "sprinkled clean from an evil conscience." I wonder what an evil conscience could mean in the life of most churchgoers. Can it mean more consciousness of what can go wrong than of how God can turn even our worst mistakes into something that can give glory to God and blessing to the world? Can it mean more consciousness of past certainties than future opportunities, more conscious of our differences than our commonalities?
The language of the verse suggests that one's heart does not need a power wash. The gentle sprinkle of the blood, sweat, and tears that fall from the cross might be sufficient to do a miracle wash.
Preaching The Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Comparisons are something we humans seem unable to avoid. Shakespeare, in his famed sonnet, was looking for something to compare to the fairness of his love. Of course, in the biblical texts, the Song of Solomon also seeks to compare the lover to a series of enticing images. But it's more than lovers that fall under the eye of human comparison. We compare virtually everything: from children to spouses to jobs to cars and beyond, we are always comparing.
The truth is that we need comparisons. The contrast and comparison of the things we experience in life make people find good careers if they did not compare jobs? In what ways would people choose husbands or wives if they had not dated and had some standard to compare? If someone has a favorite food, how do they know it is the favorite? By means of contrast and comparison.
At first glance, Hannah's prayer seems to have the same need of comparison when it comes to God. Who is like God? Who is seated on high? Who looks down on the heavens and the earth? Think for a moment. While we are certainly capable of choosing to go after other gods, the writer of this psalm doesn't seem to be seeking a contrast and comparison between an array of competing gods. Instead, the writer uses the guise of comparison to make a superlative statement and dares anyone to try to compare with the wonders of God.
The point is well made. Though we might chase after the gods of money, power, or control, it is clear in the end that there simply is no comparison. Though we might elevate certain leaders or ideas to god-like levels, once again we must concede that there really is no comparison when it comes to the God of Israel.
God is God -- our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, and there is none like God. The glove is on the ground. The challenge is made. "Go ahead," says our psalm, "I dare you to find anything that is like this wonderful, holy, and mighty God." And while many try, none will ever even come close enough to make comparison a thing to be taken seriously.
So we join this joyful spirit of clarity in prayer and praise to utter those words we hear so often. "Praise the Lord!"
The conversation between Jesus and one of his disciples as they came out of the temple suggests that this is a fate that might not just befall the South Pacific Islanders. As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." Jared Diamond's work suggests that the cracks in the cultural facade begin to show when minority voices are silenced, there is a radical indifference to the surrounding environmental realities -- a particular downfall of the islanders, and a preoccupation with war. In the face of such things, you can anticipate the kind of cracking that if undetected and uncorrected can bring down whatever gods we might prop up.
When folks say it can't happen here, look out for falling rocks and be prepared to do some duck-and-cover drills as the building blocks that we thought were in place begin to show their age and the need for some serious maintenance or significant replacement. Of course, not all will tumble down. "For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished." Of course, Jesus' words point out that heaven and earth will at some point pass away. If heaven and earth can pass away, what chance do our propped-up gods have?
Each of these texts deals with the experience of finding one's own world suddenly at risk. Perhaps by now we are a little more likely to believe that one's world might be tumbling down. Still, it does come as somewhat of a shock when there is indisputable evidence the cracks have widened to the point that familiar patterns of life are in jeopardy. It seemed that the wisdom of the world did not prevent the fissure in the environmental facade that appeared when evidence was found in the Yukon of polar bears cannibalizing each other because, due to global warming, they can no longer reach their traditional feeding ground. The crack seems to widen as one of the leading seminaries of our denomination must put its historic campus on the auction block because the support dollars are drying up. It feels like a hairline crack has seriously widened when more young couples report that they work longer hours, and have less in the bank in order to buy starter homes that are more expensive than ever before. They feel that the social net may not have enough to take care of their retirement.
In each of the texts for this Sunday, there is evidence of hairline cracks that might fissure into chasms. The text from Samuel shows a family at risk. The Hebrew text calls into question a religious system that no longer delivers. The text from Mark calls into question a national epic as nation rises up against nation. Like the disciples, we find ourselves asking when these things will happen and what the signs will be. Give us some way of handling this that will see us through the crisis.
1 Samuel 1:4-20
Allow for a bit of serious cultural diversity and this could be a family that could be living on your street. Jealousy, a sense of failure, and a husband that is cloddish in his response to the feelings of his wife seem to be indicators that folks are in over their heads. Hannah does some serious bargaining with God. When she hears, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" she knows it is time to start drawing on her faith tradition to see her through. She knows that her husband cannot meet all her needs. In this she has both psychology and some sociology on her side. After all, if Elkanah is not around, her goose is going to be cooked. It is time for some theology. Unfortunately, the authorized religious representative reads the situation thoroughly wrong as he mistakes her form of devotion and prayer for drunkenness. With a wonderful husband like Elkanah who, thinking the world of her, cuts her an extra ration of food and who clearly thinks his devotion can cover her needs, what could be the problem?
Unfortunately, this will not be the last time that an official religious representative brings some serious insensitivity to a family situation. When Eli does hear her voice, he gets it right in a very big way. He hears her out, and hears in a way that elicits a significant response. But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time." Hannah hits it right on the head: Do not regard me in the usual cultural way as a hysterical woman assuaging her pain with too many long afternoons of boozing. Eli has choices here. He can try and prop up the usual gods that would put Hannah in her place. "Go home, talk it out with you husband, try harder, be thankful to the almighty that you have what you have. Adopt the gratitude attitude. Have you considered a hysterectomy?"
Eli responds to her insistent voice of integrity with a voice of his own in a different key. Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; the God of Israel grants the petition you have made to him." The operative word here is peace -- shalom. My Bible dictionary offers these synonyms -- "completeness (in number), safety, soundness (in body), welfare, health, prosperity, peace, quiet, tranquility, contentment, peace, friendship of human relationships with God, especially in covenant relationship, peace (from war), peace (as adjective)." He does not tell her to go home and work things out. Her petition was for a male child. We assume that it was with Elkanah. We do not actually know how she felt about Elkanah. In soundness of body, in way of justice, in equality: she is a composed, competent woman. She makes the choice to begin again with Elkanah. Having come to the end of her rope she will now walk on in shalom that will lead to a new future for her and her family.
Walking in shalom has made the difference here. Shalom has made a way where it appeared that there was no way. In the midst of chaos, the breakdown of old ways, the breaking in of stress and strain into all homes: walk in shalom. Here old gods of male superiority that dismiss women and diminish their stories are not propped up for the sake of the voice of the God of shalom.
In reading this story, I find myself wondering what gods I have propped up that have caused me to diminish and not hear others? Have I propped old ways that have caused me, unlike Eli, not to hear the truth in others' experience? Comfortable in my ways, am I cruising toward an unanticipated tipping point? Replenishing my life and the world's life means a return to walking in shalom.
Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25
The text begins with the unsettling notion that the religious community has reached a dead end. "And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins." If you have taught a confirmation class that is from somewhere other than heaven and you feel like you are just going through the motions, then you can identify with this experience. No doubt many a pastor can readily point to aspects of church life that seemingly have lost the power to redeem. Preaching as taught in seminaries where I attended has in a visual age been challenged by new modes of communication. Great battles over what hymns to include in denominational hymnals are eclipsed by those who call into question the very notion of hymnals. Trained to think in terms of finding the inputs for the support of any church project, the literature now speaks of the need for all concerned to focus on outputs.
There seems to be no aspect of church life that is as it was when I began in ministry and has not come into serious question. I read the current literature and I feel like the priest in this passage, as one who may have been standing at the wrong altar all these years. I am part of a denomination that is considering alternative paths to ordination that demand far less effort than the one that was expected of me. Having just made a move that required me to pare down my library, I was astounded that there were few takers for the great classics of the Christian faith that I have managed to amass. Okay, I expected that I would reach an age when I would find myself a bit behind the curve. Nothing prepared me for this! I find the letter to the Hebrews a bit too facile in failing to take account of what the priest must feel like if he is found to be standing, perhaps through no fault of his own, at an altar that is no longer deemed to be too effective in taking away the sins of the world.
I find my experience somewhat parallel to the crisis that is taking place in journalism, as shrinking circulation and increasing competition from the internet and blogging is causing many to question their commitment to print media. One major Boston newspaper has even considered switching its operation entirely over to an internet format -- scary.
My initial response to feeling like a dinosaur is to want to prop up the old gods that I am most comfortable with. No, ministers should be professionally trained just like doctors and lawyers -- being called doctor should matter. My credentials and experience matter. Yet, I look at the state of the church and wonder whether standing at these altars and having made the sacrifice to get here has much to do with taking away the sin of the world as I think.
Ben Bradlee, former editor of the Washington Post, confronting the crises in journalism said that the answer here is "stories, good stories." It might not be the whole answer but he is onto something. It is certainly the conclusion that the letter to the Hebrews makes. "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God," and since then has been waiting until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering, he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. The letter sets before us the primary task of being able to narrate a saving experience. This past year my confirmation class came alive as they sought to narrate the saving experiences in their lives. Looking at their lives they could identify places where only something that could be named as grace had occurred.
This invites me less to consider my credentials and more to consider how I can name and communicate the saving experiences in my life. Having been raised in the mainline religious milieu I was not strongly encouraged to think this way. Yet, telling my story may help others identify their story. The letter invites one to consider how God has written the law in our minds and upon our hearts. How God will go so far as the shedding of blood not to allow my sins and foolishness to be the final word over my life.
In my defensive mode, I focus on my sacrifice. When I read the letter to the Hebrews, I focus on God's sacrifice for me. In my defensive mood I call others into question. When I focus on the sacrifice of God I realize that all in Christ have some serious blood ties. When I am standing at my altars, I focus on what I know. When I consider the letter to the Hebrews, I experience the God who has understood me.
The letter suggests what ought to be the starting point when we feel that we have come to a dead-end. "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds."
Mark 13:1-8
As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Standing downtown, in the local mall, or on the mall in Washington DC, it can sure look like it does to the disciples. It can look that way to the millions that now flock to the cities of the world in search of fame, wealth, or employment. It is quite a beguiling vision. Jesus saw another aspect to the enthralling show. If you manage to get to the top of the pile, the center ring, the corporate board room, you might find yourself at the place you are most likely to be led astray, particularly if thinking that you have finally arrived you think the journey is over. Interestingly enough, both the secular community and the religious community make the same claim. You have arrived, there is nothing more in store than this order of things -- history is over. Or, history is over, watch what God has in store.
Recently, on Pentecost, I had the opportunity on the day we confirmed some of our youth to reflect on what it might mean to find yourself at the center of culture, on top of things, and in general, in center ring. This year's confirmation class was composed of students who, in many ways, had already won the gene pool. Through their native talents and their positive upbringings, they had their tickets punched for the train ride to the top. Here in part is what I said: "As I look at this confirmation class, I have no doubt that many of you will find yourselves at the center of many things -- some center stage, some center court, some the center of attention, some at the center of controversy, some in center field or playing center.
The problem will not be getting there. Your talents and character will lead you and the Holy Spirit will push you there. But the danger in our world is that once you get there it is hard to stay centered in the right things and people can get burned. Just look at what politics seems to do to people at the center of power, or what the Hollywood headset can do to people who find themselves center stage. The Enron Corporation executives, thinking they were the center of the universe, are facing stiff prison sentences for their self-centeredness. More than a few teachers I have known face burnout after standing at the center of a classroom for years.
If you find yourself standing at the center of a sanctuary somewhere taking wedding vows, call on the name of the Lord. At that place the family name, the name of common sense, matters much less than the name of the one who will take your sorrows, your grief, and your disagreements and turn them into growth and wisdom and make more of you by teaching you how to give and receive love.
If you get to center stage, and I think some of you will, remember, in his name you are nothing without the people who are downstage or offstage. Living in his name will keep you centered as you walk through the fiery furnace. As a matter of fact, that seems to be the world's problem. We have forgotten the people who are downstage and offstage and out of sight and mind as if we are no longer all in it together. We have done it in the name of the free market, the right of some to drive gas guzzlers, you name it. But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I know some of you will one day step to the center of a classroom and all eyes will be on you. Remember, behind those eyes are human souls that fear rejection, long for their place, and who need someone to see more in them than they can see in themselves. Remember, you have those souls in your hands and you will live. Some of you will find yourselves the center of attention. You just have the knack of doing that. I have seen it. When you do find yourself at the center, call on his name that you might take this gift to heart before you let it go to your head. Jesus often found himself the center of attention and from there he could see the hurting and the wounded, the too angry and the not angry enough, as nobody else could because everyone was looking at him. What will be important here is not that all eyes are on you, any fool can get that, what will matter is what your eyes see from that privileged position.
When you are standing at the center of things looking up at all those magnificent buildings and what the world has to offer, call on the name of the Lord less you be led astray.
Application
In each of these texts there is the temptation to remain on the surface. Yet, each text causes the reader to take a second look at one's domestic arrangements, theological stance, and acceptance of the order of things. This can be particularly difficult on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. As I look back at the Thanksgivings of my youth, they were affirmations of my culture. We gave thanks for the brave triumph of the Pilgrims, thanks that we were Christians not pagans, thanks for traditional domestic arrangements that at the time did not include the strong role of women, and thanks for our shot at being center stage. Since then it seems that there has been a lot of nation rising against nation, and earthquakes on the social landscape. The theological understandings, domestic arrangements, and political certainties I began with are no longer there. The props have been knocked out from a lot of the assurances of my youth. Thanksgiving is a little tougher than I thought it would be. However, Jesus suggests that we need not put away the turkey and cranberries quite yet, for "This is but the beginning of the birth pangs."
Alternative Application
Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25. Verse 22 of chapter 10 of the letter to the Hebrews invites us to approach the throne of grace with hearts "sprinkled clean from an evil conscience." I wonder what an evil conscience could mean in the life of most churchgoers. Can it mean more consciousness of what can go wrong than of how God can turn even our worst mistakes into something that can give glory to God and blessing to the world? Can it mean more consciousness of past certainties than future opportunities, more conscious of our differences than our commonalities?
The language of the verse suggests that one's heart does not need a power wash. The gentle sprinkle of the blood, sweat, and tears that fall from the cross might be sufficient to do a miracle wash.
Preaching The Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Comparisons are something we humans seem unable to avoid. Shakespeare, in his famed sonnet, was looking for something to compare to the fairness of his love. Of course, in the biblical texts, the Song of Solomon also seeks to compare the lover to a series of enticing images. But it's more than lovers that fall under the eye of human comparison. We compare virtually everything: from children to spouses to jobs to cars and beyond, we are always comparing.
The truth is that we need comparisons. The contrast and comparison of the things we experience in life make people find good careers if they did not compare jobs? In what ways would people choose husbands or wives if they had not dated and had some standard to compare? If someone has a favorite food, how do they know it is the favorite? By means of contrast and comparison.
At first glance, Hannah's prayer seems to have the same need of comparison when it comes to God. Who is like God? Who is seated on high? Who looks down on the heavens and the earth? Think for a moment. While we are certainly capable of choosing to go after other gods, the writer of this psalm doesn't seem to be seeking a contrast and comparison between an array of competing gods. Instead, the writer uses the guise of comparison to make a superlative statement and dares anyone to try to compare with the wonders of God.
The point is well made. Though we might chase after the gods of money, power, or control, it is clear in the end that there simply is no comparison. Though we might elevate certain leaders or ideas to god-like levels, once again we must concede that there really is no comparison when it comes to the God of Israel.
God is God -- our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, and there is none like God. The glove is on the ground. The challenge is made. "Go ahead," says our psalm, "I dare you to find anything that is like this wonderful, holy, and mighty God." And while many try, none will ever even come close enough to make comparison a thing to be taken seriously.
So we join this joyful spirit of clarity in prayer and praise to utter those words we hear so often. "Praise the Lord!"
