Bear Love
Sermon
Sermons On The First Readings
Series I, Cycle A
Do you remember everything your mother told you? Here's a list which sounded familiar when I first heard it. It's called
Things My MOTHER Taught Me
My Mother taught me LOGIC ...
"If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me."
My Mother taught me MEDICINE ...
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."
My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD ...
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"
My Mother taught me ESP ...
"Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"
My Mother taught me HUMOR ...
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT ...
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
My Mother taught me about GENETICS ...
"You are just like your father!"
My Mother taught me about my ROOTS ...
"Do you think you were born in a barn?"
My Mother taught me about the WISDOM OF AGE ...
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."
My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION ...
"Just wait until your father gets home."
My Mother taught me about RECEIVING ...
"You are going to get it when we get home."
And she thought no one was listening.
Well, I don't think I like that list, but I bring it here to point out that not everybody appreciates their mother, or even likes or enjoys Mother's Day. Even those who didn't have good mothers, long for a good mother, and often find someone to fill that role and want to celebrate that person's influence on their lives. What we're really celebrating is Mother Love, and what that means. What it means is, something someone does, usually at a cost to themselves, so that we know we are loved.
Here's what I mean. It's a whole different subject, but it gives us a picture to see what love is. This is from October 1990 Backpacker magazine. It's how to tell the species of bear you are looking at.
Now get the picture. You can see the bear. He's here. This is not a book exercise. It's too late to avoid him. You and the bear are right next to each other. The experts say, Go over to him, and kick him in the behind. Run up a nearby tree. If he climbs the tree and eats you, he's a black bear. If he knocks the tree down and eats you, he's a grizzly. If there are no trees around, he's a polar bear. And if he's taller than the tree, he's a kodiak.
They don't tell you how the bear looks. They tell you what the bear does. A black bear climbs trees. Other bears don't. A polar bear lives in snow and ice. A kodiak can stand up tall.
Last Thursday was the day of the Ascension of the Lord, being forty days after his resurrection.
The First Reading is Luke's version of the Ascension. Notice the difference in character between the disciples of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or even Easter Day. They are gathering strength and faith for the birth of the church, which will happen in ten days on Pentecost. Notice also that this is the first mention of Jesus' mother and brothers as being among the believers. Before this, they opposed Jesus' teaching.
In fact, once when Jesus was teaching in a house and there were crowds all around him, his family came to have him locked up. They were embarrassed by his actions or maybe concerned for his safety, or his health, and they wanted to have him committed. But the crowds were so thick they couldn't get in to see Jesus. They sent word in to him, and when he heard that they were there, Jesus said, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it" (Luke 8:21).
Faith, living the Christian life, is something you do. Parenting, mothering, is something you do.
Among the 27 books of the New Testament, just after the four gospels, we find the first book of church history. It's by the writer of Luke, who was a companion of Paul. We have called this book, the Acts of the Apostles. Acts. Actions. Deeds. Something you do.
But really the book should be named something else. To be true to the book, we should call it the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Acts is a report of the action of the Holy Spirit in the early church.
To begin his book, Dr. Luke addresses it to someone named Theophilus, lover of God. He says he wrote a report of all Jesus did and taught in his first book. During the forty days after Easter, the day of his resurrection, Jesus did things to offer proofs of it. He said he would do one more thing: He would send the Holy Spirit, and the believers would receive power to do things in the Spirit, and give witness not only in Jerusalem, but in all the world. When he had ascended, two messengers of God asked the believers what they were doing, standing around looking. Jesus would return and they shouldn't be standing around looking up when he does. You have acts to do as his witnesses.
This may sound like "works righteousness," but it's not, if we have the order of the events right. First, God blesses us with his Son. He sends his Holy Spirit. By the power of his Holy Spirit, we can do great things for God. We act out of his giving. Our acts, our deeds, our works come from grateful hearts empowered by God's grace.
Like the bear is a black bear or a kodiak by what he does.
Like a person is a mother by the mothering actions she (or he!) does.
Faith, the Christian life, is something you do, and you do it by trusting in the Holy Spirit and giving witness to his power and the actions of Jesus in your life.
This story was told by Peter Marshall ...
Once upon a time, there was a village situated in a beautiful valley. High in the hills above, there was an old man who was called Keeper of the Springs. He made his rounds each day to the brown pools of water that sprang up from the ground and ran down to feed the river of life to the busy town below. When he came to a spring, he removed the leaves and debris that fowled its water. The sparkling water rushed down the hill and nourished the busy town below: mill wheels were whirled by its rush; gardens were refreshed by its waters; fountains threw it like diamonds in the air. It was a peaceful place; children played along the banks where swans floated on its limpid surface. Young couples strolled along the pathways, holding hands, and families spread blankets on its grassy slopes for Sunday afternoon picnics.
The City Council was made up of a group of hard--nosed business people, and the keeper of the treasury scanned the city budget and found in there the salary of the Keeper of the Springs. Why do we need to pay this Romance Ranger? We never see him. He isn't necessary to the life of the town. So the Council met and voted to suspend the unnecessary cost and use that money instead to build a reservoir. The Keeper of the Springs no longer visited the brown pools, but watched from high up as they built the reservoir.
It soon filled, but the water wasn't the same. It did not seem as clean, and a green scum soon befouled its surface. The mill wheels soon began to clog up. The swans went someplace else, where the water was cleaner.
At last, an epidemic raged, and the clammy, yellow fingers of sickness reached into every home, in every street and lane. The City Council met and sorrowfully faced the city's plight. They frankly acknowledged their mistake of dismissing the Keeper of the Springs.
They sought him out in his hermit hut high above the town and begged him to return to his former joyous labor. Gladly he agreed, and resumed making his rounds. Soon, clear water came lilting down under moss and fern to sparkle in the cleansed reservoir.
Mill wheels turned again as of old, stenches disappeared, and convalescent children played in the sun and laughed because the swans had returned.
For us the source, the springs, of love is whoever mothers us, loves us, nurtures us, and shows us the love of Jesus. It's something you choose, something you do, not just something you say or pretend or dream. You need a habit of keeping the springs clean.
Things My MOTHER Taught Me
My Mother taught me LOGIC ...
"If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me."
My Mother taught me MEDICINE ...
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."
My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD ...
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"
My Mother taught me ESP ...
"Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"
My Mother taught me HUMOR ...
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT ...
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
My Mother taught me about GENETICS ...
"You are just like your father!"
My Mother taught me about my ROOTS ...
"Do you think you were born in a barn?"
My Mother taught me about the WISDOM OF AGE ...
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."
My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION ...
"Just wait until your father gets home."
My Mother taught me about RECEIVING ...
"You are going to get it when we get home."
And she thought no one was listening.
Well, I don't think I like that list, but I bring it here to point out that not everybody appreciates their mother, or even likes or enjoys Mother's Day. Even those who didn't have good mothers, long for a good mother, and often find someone to fill that role and want to celebrate that person's influence on their lives. What we're really celebrating is Mother Love, and what that means. What it means is, something someone does, usually at a cost to themselves, so that we know we are loved.
Here's what I mean. It's a whole different subject, but it gives us a picture to see what love is. This is from October 1990 Backpacker magazine. It's how to tell the species of bear you are looking at.
Now get the picture. You can see the bear. He's here. This is not a book exercise. It's too late to avoid him. You and the bear are right next to each other. The experts say, Go over to him, and kick him in the behind. Run up a nearby tree. If he climbs the tree and eats you, he's a black bear. If he knocks the tree down and eats you, he's a grizzly. If there are no trees around, he's a polar bear. And if he's taller than the tree, he's a kodiak.
They don't tell you how the bear looks. They tell you what the bear does. A black bear climbs trees. Other bears don't. A polar bear lives in snow and ice. A kodiak can stand up tall.
Last Thursday was the day of the Ascension of the Lord, being forty days after his resurrection.
The First Reading is Luke's version of the Ascension. Notice the difference in character between the disciples of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or even Easter Day. They are gathering strength and faith for the birth of the church, which will happen in ten days on Pentecost. Notice also that this is the first mention of Jesus' mother and brothers as being among the believers. Before this, they opposed Jesus' teaching.
In fact, once when Jesus was teaching in a house and there were crowds all around him, his family came to have him locked up. They were embarrassed by his actions or maybe concerned for his safety, or his health, and they wanted to have him committed. But the crowds were so thick they couldn't get in to see Jesus. They sent word in to him, and when he heard that they were there, Jesus said, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it" (Luke 8:21).
Faith, living the Christian life, is something you do. Parenting, mothering, is something you do.
Among the 27 books of the New Testament, just after the four gospels, we find the first book of church history. It's by the writer of Luke, who was a companion of Paul. We have called this book, the Acts of the Apostles. Acts. Actions. Deeds. Something you do.
But really the book should be named something else. To be true to the book, we should call it the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Acts is a report of the action of the Holy Spirit in the early church.
To begin his book, Dr. Luke addresses it to someone named Theophilus, lover of God. He says he wrote a report of all Jesus did and taught in his first book. During the forty days after Easter, the day of his resurrection, Jesus did things to offer proofs of it. He said he would do one more thing: He would send the Holy Spirit, and the believers would receive power to do things in the Spirit, and give witness not only in Jerusalem, but in all the world. When he had ascended, two messengers of God asked the believers what they were doing, standing around looking. Jesus would return and they shouldn't be standing around looking up when he does. You have acts to do as his witnesses.
This may sound like "works righteousness," but it's not, if we have the order of the events right. First, God blesses us with his Son. He sends his Holy Spirit. By the power of his Holy Spirit, we can do great things for God. We act out of his giving. Our acts, our deeds, our works come from grateful hearts empowered by God's grace.
Like the bear is a black bear or a kodiak by what he does.
Like a person is a mother by the mothering actions she (or he!) does.
Faith, the Christian life, is something you do, and you do it by trusting in the Holy Spirit and giving witness to his power and the actions of Jesus in your life.
This story was told by Peter Marshall ...
Once upon a time, there was a village situated in a beautiful valley. High in the hills above, there was an old man who was called Keeper of the Springs. He made his rounds each day to the brown pools of water that sprang up from the ground and ran down to feed the river of life to the busy town below. When he came to a spring, he removed the leaves and debris that fowled its water. The sparkling water rushed down the hill and nourished the busy town below: mill wheels were whirled by its rush; gardens were refreshed by its waters; fountains threw it like diamonds in the air. It was a peaceful place; children played along the banks where swans floated on its limpid surface. Young couples strolled along the pathways, holding hands, and families spread blankets on its grassy slopes for Sunday afternoon picnics.
The City Council was made up of a group of hard--nosed business people, and the keeper of the treasury scanned the city budget and found in there the salary of the Keeper of the Springs. Why do we need to pay this Romance Ranger? We never see him. He isn't necessary to the life of the town. So the Council met and voted to suspend the unnecessary cost and use that money instead to build a reservoir. The Keeper of the Springs no longer visited the brown pools, but watched from high up as they built the reservoir.
It soon filled, but the water wasn't the same. It did not seem as clean, and a green scum soon befouled its surface. The mill wheels soon began to clog up. The swans went someplace else, where the water was cleaner.
At last, an epidemic raged, and the clammy, yellow fingers of sickness reached into every home, in every street and lane. The City Council met and sorrowfully faced the city's plight. They frankly acknowledged their mistake of dismissing the Keeper of the Springs.
They sought him out in his hermit hut high above the town and begged him to return to his former joyous labor. Gladly he agreed, and resumed making his rounds. Soon, clear water came lilting down under moss and fern to sparkle in the cleansed reservoir.
Mill wheels turned again as of old, stenches disappeared, and convalescent children played in the sun and laughed because the swans had returned.
For us the source, the springs, of love is whoever mothers us, loves us, nurtures us, and shows us the love of Jesus. It's something you choose, something you do, not just something you say or pretend or dream. You need a habit of keeping the springs clean.
