A Man For All Seasons
Sermon
Sermons on the Second Readings
Series II, Cycle B
The enigma of human relationships and how that relates to the living God is all about us. It always has been and likely will be. This is precisely what Saint Paul lifts up before us. We would like for all of this to be greatly simplified but it never is and so we continue to seek to live the Christian life as best we know how.
The history of the church is saturated with just what the apostle puts before us. In a way we are caught between two worlds and we have no choice. We live as well we can and hope for heaven. Sometimes our difficulties emerge because we fail to realize God is the God of both of them. The world may be corrupt and fallen but he has not abdicated his throne!
Our freedom, like Paul's, is one of countless dimensions and allows us to relate to precious people in ways we can hardly imagine. This is a privilege and a powerful dynamic, I dare say, many do not understand in the slightest degree. While the gospel is not for boasting, it is for proclamation and we must not fail to do so!
In a sense he is God's "secret weapon" in that he is able to stand with an unfulfilled Judaism and a promising religion evolving from it called Christianity. Perhaps no one in the ancient church was as well qualified and equipped. History bears this out in a remarkable fashion.
Focus
We are to be resilient for the sake of Christ.
Body
1. There are good politics and bad politics.
Politics -- in the general sense -- is inescapable in this life. To relate to other human beings, sooner or later, invariably becomes political. Every pastor of a local church, for example, is a politician! Does that cast doubt on the integrity of his/her leadership? I certainly hope not. As pastor and people live and work together, we know that management of time, talents, and money must take place. To think otherwise is unrealistic. To act otherwise is most likely to court disaster. Political science is an esteemed field of study, but the practical side of it takes it not only out of academia but out of the basic understanding of those connected to governmental processes.
To cast off concerns and issues as just being politics is to assume a negative aspect that is often not there. For example, every church and/or denomination has a polity. Simply stated, how else do we expect to function in this imperfect world? We can accuse others of playing politics, including Paul, but does that mean we are free and clear in our own less-than-ideal bailiwicks? This state of affairs has always been with us, regardless if we operated by episcopal, congregational, or presbyterial models. To get things done, even in the life of the churches, we frequently have to play politics in the highest and best sense of the term. This can be construed as being negative and below what Christ expects. However, do we really want to do his bidding?
Resiliency is not an option in our walk with others, yes, even in our churches. Survival in this sometimes obviously sinful world means to get the best answer or decision by the grace of God. Must we feel guilty because of this? Must we hang our heads in shame because we have failed to live up to the ideal? Frankly, and without reservation, I do not think so! Good politics means above all -- sincerely calling upon the Father for guidance and letting the chips fall where they fall. We cannot flounder in a briar patch just because we refuse to make of it the best it can be under the circumstances. Of course, all veteran pastors and lay people deep down know this, often with a certain painful joy.
As our man for all seasons weaves his way through the necessary means of winning others, we experience a genius at work. All is done for the sake of the gospel and winning others to the cause of Christ. Perhaps it is seen as a method for him and not for us. Let us not be naive! The political machinations of this world are with us and that means in the honest to goodness lives of the people called Christians. But politics can be good, which can mean sacrificing our brilliance for the betterment of all involved. But, dear friends, never be a secularized politician, which is always self-seeking and devoid of the undergirding of prayer. Always look out for the spiritual interests of others and always bathe your means and ends in humble and sincere prayer. Otherwise, we could become an anathema!
2. We are called to be adjustable in the best sense of the word.
At first, our point may sound like we must be amenable to being tossed to-and-fro by others. Nothing could be further from the truth! For in the best sense none of us has all of the answers to anything or anyone. Think about all of the answers we don't even have about ourselves. In the United Methodist system of appointments -- some would add disappointments -- adjustments continually have to be made. The moving of one pastor generally means, at least, two others are moving as well. This involves negotiation with large amounts of patience by all concerned. My experience is that district superintendents really do attempt to make good appointments.
Anyone, lay or clergy, unable to adjust to new pastors and people are in serious trouble. This is true, regardless of the polity. Our needs sometimes simply have to go unmet for awhile. But this should never discourage us. Why? Because from every situation into which we are put, we can learn something valuable. That one truth is frequently the key to maturing in the faith for all of us. So, give thanks and be adjustable under the working of the Holy Spirit that blows wherever it chooses. What we are and become is for the sake of Christ and his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Our walk with the Lord is sooner or later a learning experience. Stretching out to others and making the necessary adjustments should be -- in time -- a highly positive experience. Our spiritual muscles are always in need of growth!
One direction is not being promoted or recommended and that is what is popularly known as "going with the flow." There are times that we must stand our ground. This is especially true as we come into contact with those who are not interested in the church or may even be an enemy. If we are going with the flow, we must be as certain as possible such movement has the blessing of God and is being directed by the Holy Spirit. Disciples of Christ are exactly that. They have no other to worship and follow. The enemy, the devil, also has ways of putting us in places and positions that require adjustments fraught with serious -- perhaps damning -- consequences. Remember your childlikeness before the Father!
Conforming in our lives is both obvious and subtle. This is why changes in the life of congregations are to be made above board. For the pastor to slip one over on someone is no cause for jubilation. In fact, it may be the cause of much aggravation. To arrange or rearrange something for the good of the whole church, where adjustments are necessitated, calls for open discussion and a generous spirit. You may very well say such an approach is merely common sense and, yes, we do things that way. Don't be too sure! When we are in a hurry to meet a goal, we may cut some corners. Those empowered with responsibility and authority, lay and clergy, are to be keenly sensitive. This is not to imply everyone needs to know the number of paper clips in the secretary's desk on a given day in order to trust her.
3. To stretch in different directions in the Holy Spirit benefits all.
I am a great believer in stretching with the Holy Spirit as presence and guidance. That is not said in a way to become an annoyance or to become aggressive. It is to suggest we move forward in the faith by moving into new experiences. The progressive people tend to be continually exploring and seeking new opportunities for doing good. Those who remain stagnant seem always to be in the same places, unwilling to stretch into areas of promise. The attitude is much like the farmer, who was offered a new parcel of land. He was firm in saying, "I know what is here but I don't know what is over there." He said that in the face of the fact the parcel was adjacent to his!
Stretching assumes resiliency and that may very well be why some are so hesitant and reluctant. But if we are to imitate Paul, we, too, must become men and women of all seasons for the benefit of others. It can become a dull ordeal to live in a place that has twelve months of spring or summer or winter or fall. In Indiana, we never have to face that problem because we have, at least, four seasons and once in a while it seems like a dozen or more! Likewise, our churches and constituencies can be more or less suffocated by those who cannot seem to move from point A to B. If both pastor and lay leadership fall into this category, of what use are they to bringing the gospel to those pleading for an open spirit?
Try to put yourself in the place of Paul and all that was facing him. He was surrounded by powers who were disinterested in his message and -- in some instances -- threatened by it. Yet, it was his responsibility to be among them stretching here and there to present the gospel of his blessed Lord. He is even willing to become weak in order that he might win them. Except before the Lord, it must have been quite a task for him to become weak for the purpose of trying to win others. As some of his writings indicate, he was surrounded on every side by those who wanted to compromise or destroy his message. There were some who even sought to obliterate the message of Christ by killing all who faithfully followed him, and we hold back because its either too hot or too cold outside!
The many-sided Christian is the one in today's world who is most effective. That does not mean we compromise or water down our gift from the Lord. While our anchor must be safe and secure, that does not preclude moving in waters -- deep or shallow -- to influence others for Christ and the church. There are those who would view this as a fragmented and therefore unacceptable approach to presenting the gospel. Paul did not give up the gospel he was trying to promote! We don't need to do that, either. Ideally, we are strong enough in the faith, as we move about, to provide a certain spiritual aroma that causes others to want what we have. The more we can relate to them in their patterns of living, the more apt we are to be successful in their conversion.
4. Rigidity is sometimes a means to stunt the spiritual growth of others.
Old First Church sat on the corner of High and Elm for so many years -- rigidly, as the community viewed it -- that it had to be torn down before it fell down! It didn't have to be that way. New life seemed to come and go but it could never stay long enough to make the essential changes. So, those longing to have more of the Lord's blessings mostly passed through. It was as though the Holy Spirit kept on grieving until finally it refuses to grieve any longer. It was sad and depressing, but did God take care of those who wanted to grow? Indeed, he did! They went elsewhere and found those who were open to change that Christ might be more fully glorified.
Are conservatives more rigid than liberals? That is not a simple question and there is no simple answer. We live in a world, the churches included, where name-calling is common place and frozen thought is typical. Both sides have their agendas. Some are liberals along certain lines and conservative along others. Liberals often picture conservatives as those "religious right" people who are so closed-minded that they have no clear view of what's happening in the world. Conservatives tend to measure liberals by their wayward morality and failure to interpret the constitution in a proper manner. Entire books have been written on this topic. The definition of terms and spins put on key words and ideas are there to see for the keen observer.
Is contemporary worship in its many forms rigid? A cry may be going up, of course, that has to be answered in the negative. In fact, contemporary worship is to avoid rigidity in worship. I must confess to those proponents that is not automatically the case. I
am reminded, years ago, of the church we attended when I was a child, which prided itself on never using printed orders of service because they didn't want to get in the way of the Holy Spirit. Leaders mentioned with frequency how those formal churches shut out God by their insistence on following a printed order. Years later, in retrospect, I recalled how in our little church everything moved orderly and there was little deviation but, of course, we had no bulletins. Any form of worship can become rigid and do the very thing it says it doesn't!
All in all, we are dependent both corporately and individually on being obedient to the Holy Spirit. This was Saint Paul's weapon. In whatever state he found himself he could be content because his resilient way of life in the Spirit was continually conquering evil that abounded. All is done for the sake of Christ. Can we do as well? Probably not but we can try in the strength that is promised and given to us. We are guilty of underestimating the power of our salvation and thereby stunt the growth of others. We sheepishly say -- even emphasize -- we can't do this or that. Our rigidity is held like some prize that requires constant vigil! In the meantime, events and happenings march on. Some people enter this world and others leave. Someone has need of your assistance.
Summary And Conclusion
The obligation of the apostle to proclaim the gospel is so deeply rooted he senses God will not hold him guiltless for refusing this call. His freedom and slave status are a paradox. In a way, it defies words to delineate it. Yet, towering in our New Testament is this remarkably unique man, who provides a witness for Christ and his church that never goes away. Perhaps our faith shall never again see such a positively resilient person going about doing the work of the Lord. His strength and spirit provide a model for us. We may discover ourselves far from this in practice. Nevertheless, the model is there and beckons us to come and learn from one of the geniuses of the faith.
Can we be too idealistic? Does the text suggest veering away from the purity of the gospel and making provision for an odious compromise? Of course, the answers must be yours. Humbly, I admit there may not be any crystal-clear answers. That only gently reminds me we are invariably living and ministering in an environment that contains mystery. A strictly rational approach to our salvation has always been filled with limitations. We have always, at one time or another, needed to take a leap of faith. So, dearest Paul, we thank you for your insights that enable us to have hope in the conversion of a world, sinful and in desperate need of Christ. We also thank you for the hope that is engendered and gives us a look -- imperfect and cloudy that it be -- of our real home in heaven. We promise to work on in our little ways for now.
The history of the church is saturated with just what the apostle puts before us. In a way we are caught between two worlds and we have no choice. We live as well we can and hope for heaven. Sometimes our difficulties emerge because we fail to realize God is the God of both of them. The world may be corrupt and fallen but he has not abdicated his throne!
Our freedom, like Paul's, is one of countless dimensions and allows us to relate to precious people in ways we can hardly imagine. This is a privilege and a powerful dynamic, I dare say, many do not understand in the slightest degree. While the gospel is not for boasting, it is for proclamation and we must not fail to do so!
In a sense he is God's "secret weapon" in that he is able to stand with an unfulfilled Judaism and a promising religion evolving from it called Christianity. Perhaps no one in the ancient church was as well qualified and equipped. History bears this out in a remarkable fashion.
Focus
We are to be resilient for the sake of Christ.
Body
1. There are good politics and bad politics.
Politics -- in the general sense -- is inescapable in this life. To relate to other human beings, sooner or later, invariably becomes political. Every pastor of a local church, for example, is a politician! Does that cast doubt on the integrity of his/her leadership? I certainly hope not. As pastor and people live and work together, we know that management of time, talents, and money must take place. To think otherwise is unrealistic. To act otherwise is most likely to court disaster. Political science is an esteemed field of study, but the practical side of it takes it not only out of academia but out of the basic understanding of those connected to governmental processes.
To cast off concerns and issues as just being politics is to assume a negative aspect that is often not there. For example, every church and/or denomination has a polity. Simply stated, how else do we expect to function in this imperfect world? We can accuse others of playing politics, including Paul, but does that mean we are free and clear in our own less-than-ideal bailiwicks? This state of affairs has always been with us, regardless if we operated by episcopal, congregational, or presbyterial models. To get things done, even in the life of the churches, we frequently have to play politics in the highest and best sense of the term. This can be construed as being negative and below what Christ expects. However, do we really want to do his bidding?
Resiliency is not an option in our walk with others, yes, even in our churches. Survival in this sometimes obviously sinful world means to get the best answer or decision by the grace of God. Must we feel guilty because of this? Must we hang our heads in shame because we have failed to live up to the ideal? Frankly, and without reservation, I do not think so! Good politics means above all -- sincerely calling upon the Father for guidance and letting the chips fall where they fall. We cannot flounder in a briar patch just because we refuse to make of it the best it can be under the circumstances. Of course, all veteran pastors and lay people deep down know this, often with a certain painful joy.
As our man for all seasons weaves his way through the necessary means of winning others, we experience a genius at work. All is done for the sake of the gospel and winning others to the cause of Christ. Perhaps it is seen as a method for him and not for us. Let us not be naive! The political machinations of this world are with us and that means in the honest to goodness lives of the people called Christians. But politics can be good, which can mean sacrificing our brilliance for the betterment of all involved. But, dear friends, never be a secularized politician, which is always self-seeking and devoid of the undergirding of prayer. Always look out for the spiritual interests of others and always bathe your means and ends in humble and sincere prayer. Otherwise, we could become an anathema!
2. We are called to be adjustable in the best sense of the word.
At first, our point may sound like we must be amenable to being tossed to-and-fro by others. Nothing could be further from the truth! For in the best sense none of us has all of the answers to anything or anyone. Think about all of the answers we don't even have about ourselves. In the United Methodist system of appointments -- some would add disappointments -- adjustments continually have to be made. The moving of one pastor generally means, at least, two others are moving as well. This involves negotiation with large amounts of patience by all concerned. My experience is that district superintendents really do attempt to make good appointments.
Anyone, lay or clergy, unable to adjust to new pastors and people are in serious trouble. This is true, regardless of the polity. Our needs sometimes simply have to go unmet for awhile. But this should never discourage us. Why? Because from every situation into which we are put, we can learn something valuable. That one truth is frequently the key to maturing in the faith for all of us. So, give thanks and be adjustable under the working of the Holy Spirit that blows wherever it chooses. What we are and become is for the sake of Christ and his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Our walk with the Lord is sooner or later a learning experience. Stretching out to others and making the necessary adjustments should be -- in time -- a highly positive experience. Our spiritual muscles are always in need of growth!
One direction is not being promoted or recommended and that is what is popularly known as "going with the flow." There are times that we must stand our ground. This is especially true as we come into contact with those who are not interested in the church or may even be an enemy. If we are going with the flow, we must be as certain as possible such movement has the blessing of God and is being directed by the Holy Spirit. Disciples of Christ are exactly that. They have no other to worship and follow. The enemy, the devil, also has ways of putting us in places and positions that require adjustments fraught with serious -- perhaps damning -- consequences. Remember your childlikeness before the Father!
Conforming in our lives is both obvious and subtle. This is why changes in the life of congregations are to be made above board. For the pastor to slip one over on someone is no cause for jubilation. In fact, it may be the cause of much aggravation. To arrange or rearrange something for the good of the whole church, where adjustments are necessitated, calls for open discussion and a generous spirit. You may very well say such an approach is merely common sense and, yes, we do things that way. Don't be too sure! When we are in a hurry to meet a goal, we may cut some corners. Those empowered with responsibility and authority, lay and clergy, are to be keenly sensitive. This is not to imply everyone needs to know the number of paper clips in the secretary's desk on a given day in order to trust her.
3. To stretch in different directions in the Holy Spirit benefits all.
I am a great believer in stretching with the Holy Spirit as presence and guidance. That is not said in a way to become an annoyance or to become aggressive. It is to suggest we move forward in the faith by moving into new experiences. The progressive people tend to be continually exploring and seeking new opportunities for doing good. Those who remain stagnant seem always to be in the same places, unwilling to stretch into areas of promise. The attitude is much like the farmer, who was offered a new parcel of land. He was firm in saying, "I know what is here but I don't know what is over there." He said that in the face of the fact the parcel was adjacent to his!
Stretching assumes resiliency and that may very well be why some are so hesitant and reluctant. But if we are to imitate Paul, we, too, must become men and women of all seasons for the benefit of others. It can become a dull ordeal to live in a place that has twelve months of spring or summer or winter or fall. In Indiana, we never have to face that problem because we have, at least, four seasons and once in a while it seems like a dozen or more! Likewise, our churches and constituencies can be more or less suffocated by those who cannot seem to move from point A to B. If both pastor and lay leadership fall into this category, of what use are they to bringing the gospel to those pleading for an open spirit?
Try to put yourself in the place of Paul and all that was facing him. He was surrounded by powers who were disinterested in his message and -- in some instances -- threatened by it. Yet, it was his responsibility to be among them stretching here and there to present the gospel of his blessed Lord. He is even willing to become weak in order that he might win them. Except before the Lord, it must have been quite a task for him to become weak for the purpose of trying to win others. As some of his writings indicate, he was surrounded on every side by those who wanted to compromise or destroy his message. There were some who even sought to obliterate the message of Christ by killing all who faithfully followed him, and we hold back because its either too hot or too cold outside!
The many-sided Christian is the one in today's world who is most effective. That does not mean we compromise or water down our gift from the Lord. While our anchor must be safe and secure, that does not preclude moving in waters -- deep or shallow -- to influence others for Christ and the church. There are those who would view this as a fragmented and therefore unacceptable approach to presenting the gospel. Paul did not give up the gospel he was trying to promote! We don't need to do that, either. Ideally, we are strong enough in the faith, as we move about, to provide a certain spiritual aroma that causes others to want what we have. The more we can relate to them in their patterns of living, the more apt we are to be successful in their conversion.
4. Rigidity is sometimes a means to stunt the spiritual growth of others.
Old First Church sat on the corner of High and Elm for so many years -- rigidly, as the community viewed it -- that it had to be torn down before it fell down! It didn't have to be that way. New life seemed to come and go but it could never stay long enough to make the essential changes. So, those longing to have more of the Lord's blessings mostly passed through. It was as though the Holy Spirit kept on grieving until finally it refuses to grieve any longer. It was sad and depressing, but did God take care of those who wanted to grow? Indeed, he did! They went elsewhere and found those who were open to change that Christ might be more fully glorified.
Are conservatives more rigid than liberals? That is not a simple question and there is no simple answer. We live in a world, the churches included, where name-calling is common place and frozen thought is typical. Both sides have their agendas. Some are liberals along certain lines and conservative along others. Liberals often picture conservatives as those "religious right" people who are so closed-minded that they have no clear view of what's happening in the world. Conservatives tend to measure liberals by their wayward morality and failure to interpret the constitution in a proper manner. Entire books have been written on this topic. The definition of terms and spins put on key words and ideas are there to see for the keen observer.
Is contemporary worship in its many forms rigid? A cry may be going up, of course, that has to be answered in the negative. In fact, contemporary worship is to avoid rigidity in worship. I must confess to those proponents that is not automatically the case. I
am reminded, years ago, of the church we attended when I was a child, which prided itself on never using printed orders of service because they didn't want to get in the way of the Holy Spirit. Leaders mentioned with frequency how those formal churches shut out God by their insistence on following a printed order. Years later, in retrospect, I recalled how in our little church everything moved orderly and there was little deviation but, of course, we had no bulletins. Any form of worship can become rigid and do the very thing it says it doesn't!
All in all, we are dependent both corporately and individually on being obedient to the Holy Spirit. This was Saint Paul's weapon. In whatever state he found himself he could be content because his resilient way of life in the Spirit was continually conquering evil that abounded. All is done for the sake of Christ. Can we do as well? Probably not but we can try in the strength that is promised and given to us. We are guilty of underestimating the power of our salvation and thereby stunt the growth of others. We sheepishly say -- even emphasize -- we can't do this or that. Our rigidity is held like some prize that requires constant vigil! In the meantime, events and happenings march on. Some people enter this world and others leave. Someone has need of your assistance.
Summary And Conclusion
The obligation of the apostle to proclaim the gospel is so deeply rooted he senses God will not hold him guiltless for refusing this call. His freedom and slave status are a paradox. In a way, it defies words to delineate it. Yet, towering in our New Testament is this remarkably unique man, who provides a witness for Christ and his church that never goes away. Perhaps our faith shall never again see such a positively resilient person going about doing the work of the Lord. His strength and spirit provide a model for us. We may discover ourselves far from this in practice. Nevertheless, the model is there and beckons us to come and learn from one of the geniuses of the faith.
Can we be too idealistic? Does the text suggest veering away from the purity of the gospel and making provision for an odious compromise? Of course, the answers must be yours. Humbly, I admit there may not be any crystal-clear answers. That only gently reminds me we are invariably living and ministering in an environment that contains mystery. A strictly rational approach to our salvation has always been filled with limitations. We have always, at one time or another, needed to take a leap of faith. So, dearest Paul, we thank you for your insights that enable us to have hope in the conversion of a world, sinful and in desperate need of Christ. We also thank you for the hope that is engendered and gives us a look -- imperfect and cloudy that it be -- of our real home in heaven. We promise to work on in our little ways for now.
