"Changing Our Focus" by Keith Wagner
"Surprising Grace" by Keith Wagner
"The Royal Hostage" by Sandra Herrmann
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Changing Our Focus
by Keith Wagner
Numbers 21:4-9
One afternoon I was watching the news on a cloudy day. The lead story was about the war in Iraq where another terrorist had blown up 25 people in a market place. A window was open and I noticed the sun had come out. It got my attention, so I went to the window and noticed that the grass was turning green. I saw crocuses and robins in the backyard. Since the signs of spring got my attention I turned off the television.
Rather than focus on the war I focused my attention to the signs of spring. It made me realize how easy it is to be consumed with the conflict and how something like a war makes us forget that there are still many things happening in the world. A change of focus can be very liberating, especially when we focus on the bigger picture.
Moses had a similar problem with the Israelites. They had been complaining about their journey in the wilderness. They complained because they had no water. They complained because of the “evil” they had been exposed to. There was also no place to grow crops so they complained about the lack of food.
Their journey also included some difficult obstacles. They were refused the right of way through Kadesh. The leader there, Edom, said they would have to take an alternate route. They took a bypass which led them to Mt. Hor. Unfortunately it was there where Aaron died. While they were grieving over his loss they then clashed with the Canaanites. Some of the Israelites were taken captive. In response they destroyed some of their cities.
The plight of the Israelites and the obstacles they incurred were not a whole lot different than what our coalition forces were facing in Iraq. They had been encountering far greater resistance than they anticipated. It was a long, arduous journey.
The Israelites continued on their journey which took them by the Red Sea. At that point they were becoming impatient and “spoke against God.” No food, no water and deplorable conditions made them rebel. In response to their rebelliousness, God caused fiery serpents (snakes) to bite them. The Israelites then went to Moses for help. “We have sinned,” they proclaimed and therefore asked Moses to ask God for relief.
Moses then made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. He told them to look at the snake on the poll and they would be saved. The Israelites focused on the snake on the poll and that protected them from getting bit. Instead of looking down, they looked up. They looked past their griping and focused on the bigger picture. Their suffering ended because they had directed their thoughts toward God.
Faith in God is enhanced when people turn away from their problems and turn toward God. That of course requires action. It means we must turn, look and focus.
One time there was an article from the Associated Press. It was entitled, “Sailors tune away as war news turns complicated.” Sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt had been watching the war coverage on television. Constant news from Iraq was wearing on them, especially the news of American soldiers being killed. Once the reality of the war set in and they realized it was going to last longer than expected they began turning the channel to basketball games and movies. To keep their spirits lifted up they were focusing on other things rather than the war.
Anytime we focus in an alternative direction we open ourselves to new realities and the greater realm of the creator. Whenever we are consumed by something we become narrow in our thinking and limited in our ability to see the bigger picture.
Surprising Grace
by Keith Wagner
Ephesians 2:1-10
One of the most famous phrases in the New Testament is "By grace you have been saved through faith." So, what is grace? Grace is like a surprise gift. You have no idea it is coming or when you will receive it. But, it comes, and when it comes, your life changes as a consequence of having received it.
Bill Moyer’s documentary film on the hymn "Amazing Grace" includes a scene filmed in Wembley Stadium in London. Various musical groups, mostly rock bands, had gathered together in celebration of the changes in South Africa, and for some reason the promoters scheduled an opera singer, Jessye Norman, as the closing act. The film cut back and forth between scenes of the unruly crowd in the stadium and Jessye Norman being interviewed. For twelve hours groups like Gun’s and Roses blasted the crowd through banks of speakers with loud music. The crowd yelled for more curtain calls, and the rock groups obliged.
Meanwhile, Jessye Norman sat in her dressing room discussing "Amazing Grace" with Bill Moyers. Finally, the time came for her to sing. A single circle of light followed Norman, a majestic African-American woman, wearing a flowing African dashiki, as she strolled on stage. The crowd stirred and were restless. Few knew who the opera singer was. A voice yelled for the rock bands to return and others chimed in. Alone, singing a Capella, Jessye Norman began to sing, but very slowly. A remarkable thing happened in Wembley Stadium that night. Seventy thousand rowdy fans fell silent to the song, "Amazing Grace." By the time Norman sang the second verse, she had the whole crowd in her hands. When she sang the third verse, the crowd sang along with her.
Jessye Norman later confessed she had no idea what power descended on Wembly Stadium that night. Apparently they thirsted for grace and grace they received.
Grace is all around us when we are willing to accept it. It can happen in a variety of ways. It might be some new person who appears in your life for the first time. It might be some resource that helps you through a time of struggle. Or perhaps it’s just some free time.
Gifts of grace can lift our spirit and help us in times of need. I believe, however that we have a problem with grace just as we have a problem with gifts. We don’t know how to receive a gift. When we receive something free we are usually suspicious. We are certain there is a hidden agenda or that someone just wants to get on our good side. Grace given by God is absolutely free, with no strings attached or hidden agendas.
God gives us grace because God’s wants to do something good for us that we cannot do for ourselves. When someone gives you a gift it is their choice. You are given a gift because they want to give it to you. Unfortunately, we say things like, "You shouldn’t have," or "That really wasn’t necessary." When that happens we have discounted the value of the gift and also the generosity of the giver.
Grace is something that happens beyond our control. We don’t plan for it. We can’t purchase it. It is God’s way of intervening and loving us unconditionally. According to Paul, grace is both an outpouring of God’s unconditional love and free.
Grace is all God’s doing. Faith enters in when grace is received. In other words God wants us to be open to grace, even though we have no idea how things will turn out.
When I was a young boy, people used to make fun of me because I wore glasses. It was upsetting and as a result I felt embarrassed. As time when on, through the unconditional love of parents and close friends, I learned to accept that this is who I was. Without glasses I couldn’t see. Thankfully, they enabled me to read and find my way. While some may see them as a handicap or a burden, I eventually saw them as grace. There are times when grace is upon us but we don’t always recognize it.
Grace is the gift of God that helps us to see our way more clearly. Rather than be stuck we are free to live. Sometimes grace is much easier to see when things are going bad for us, instead of when things are going good. It is during the good times that we have to look back, as did Paul, to those moments when things were dark and hopeless. It was grace and grace alone that carried him through those moments, just as grace has carried us through ours.
Grace can surprise us and come in ways we do not understand. Grace enables us to see our way more clearly.
Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He has served churches in Southwest Ohio for over three decades. He is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and has an M.Div. from Methodist Theological School, Delaware, Ohio, and a D.Min. from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He has also been an adjunct professor at Edison Community College, Piqua, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
The Royal Hostage
by Sandra Herrmann
Note: This story is fiction, but based on the reality of kings who, down through the ages from the Roman Empire to the 18th Century, gave one or more of their sons as hostages to ensure peace. For one example, look at the Encyclopedia Brittanica article “King Henry II of France.”
Henry II was 6 when he was given as a hostage to the King of Spain, 10 when he returned home.
Prince Haran of Topsin walked into the small room with the royal bearing he had been taught. Despite his youth ? he had just turned seven -- he looked around at the dozen or so men who encircled the space with no sign of fear. He bowed in the direction of the King of Ensbury. King Harald of Topsin came through the doorway right behind his son, gesturing to their guards to remain in the corridor. He also stopped to gaze around the room.
“This seems a small space for one king to greet another and his hostage,” the King commented mildly.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness,” the king of Ensbury bowed slightly to each of his guests, “please excuse the poverty of this room. The size is intended to prevent the use of swords by any who might wish to undermine our treaty. May I have your cloaks?” A page stepped forward, both hands out and palms up, and without so much as a raised eyebrow, King Harald slipped off his fur-lined royal cloak and draped it over the arms of the lad, who staggered slightly, as though he had not expected the weight. A second page approached the Prince, who likewise took off his cloak and draped it over his arms. This lad, having paid attention, was prepared. He bowed and presented the cloak to one of the King’s men standing by. The man ran his hands over the cloak, feeling for the possible presence of steel hidden in its folds.
Thus reassured, the King of Ensbury smiled and motioned them through to the next room, which was larger, more sumptuous, and warmed by a fire that nearly roared. Tapestries on every wall kept the cold at bay. There was a table laid, with a decanter of wine and leather mugs in the center. The King of Ensbury motioned for them to sit, took a place for himself and signaled toward the door for another to join them. The Prince was startled to see a priest come and sit in the fourth place.
“Good day, Your Majesties,” the priest said. “I trust your journey was not too difficult.”
“Indeed,” the King responded. “After two days of high seas, when we wished no food, we ate and drank fairly well.” He had a small smile on his face. In Topsin, mead was much preferred to the local wine, especially in winter, when spices were added to keep one healthy, and the mixture heated with a hot poker. That, the King thought to himself, goes a long way toward staying warm.
Ensbury smiled in return and nodded to the valet standing nearby. The man strode from the room and returned nearly instantly with a pitcher, which he took to the fire and, lifting a poker from among the coals, plunged it into the pitcher, from which steam and mead rose, roaring like a dragon. The valet was surprised at this, stepping back just as the suddenly hot liquid spewed to one side.
King Harald laughed. “This happens to the unwary,” he explained. “The hot poker wakes the beast in the mead, and it roars and foams. Next time, let the red fade from the poker before you plunge it in.” The consternated valet nodded vigorously. He would not have this happen again ? but he now had a plan for another who often played pranks on him.
“Are you hungry?” asked Ensbury. When the King and Prince nodded, the King Ensbury signaled toward the kitchen, and the meal began to be served. Each dish was presented first to the priest, who tasted it and drank some mead before the platter was put upon the table, proving that the food was edible and untainted with poison.
When three courses had been consumed, Ensbury pushed away from the table. “I am sure that you are tired. Let me show you to the room your son will occupy during his stay with us.”
The King and Prince of Topsin rose and followed him as he led them up a staircase to the well-appointed chamber. A featherbed topped with an eiderdown and velvet coverlet sat on a high bedstead, with a velvet curtain that could be pulled around the bed, ensuring warmth through the night. A large chest offered storage and a small cabinet with pitcher and bowl provided a place to wash near to the fireplace. There was also a desk and chair with a shelf fixed to the wall next to it for the few books the Prince might want. And, there were two small windows, one to each side of the room, covered with oiled skins to keep the wind out but the light in. There was a four-branched candle stand in the middle of the room, plus a candlestick on the desk and another by the bed. Two benches were against the walls for guests or valets to sit, as well as a chair with cushions near the bed.
“A very pleasant room!” exclaimed the Prince.
The King of Ensbury smiled and excused himself, taking the valet with him.
Prince Harald stood and listened for their footsteps to fade away, went to the door to be sure no one was listening, then lowered the latch into place. He walked around the room once more, and, satisfied, sat in the desk chair.
“Are you sure that this is safe?” he asked his father. It was the first sign of worry he had allowed to show since his father had offered him as a hostage.
King Harald pulled the cushioned chair forward. He didn’t want his voice overheard, and the stairs outside were too sturdy to squeak underfoot. “Ensbury would be a fool to let any harm come to you. Your value as a hostage depends on his good care of you. If anything should happen to you, he knows he will pay dearly. No, that is not what most concerns me. Listen: he will try to convert you, to turn you to his way of thinking, and to bend you to being more his ally han my son. You must not let this happen. We have known hostages to come back to live with us, but no longer being one of us, if you take my meaning.”
The Prince frowned. He did understand. They themselves had held hostages, offered by a neighboring king when a treaty had been signed, and his father had managed quite well to make them into his allies. He had treated them like his own sons, sitting them to learn together, engaging them in wrestling and archery contests, and praising their acumen and good looks. In fact, he had done so well, his own sons had become irritated and jealous. It was only when he finally complained to his father that he was favoring the hostages over his own, that his father showed him the meaning of his behavior.
“Our neighbor has had it in his mind that I am not entitled to these lands we hold. He was constantly sending his men to harass our people just as the harvest needed to be brought in. He even sent his own people into our fields to harvest for themselves what they had not planted and tended. So, we began to raid his lands and burn his barns. Soon we had a full-fledged war on our hands. Neither of us was as keen on war as he had been on small raids, so he was persuaded to come to a treaty with us. I pointed out that he had been the aggressor, and he reluctantly agreed. So, to insure that he would live up to the terms of this treaty, he sent us both of his sons. He understands that they are safe and being brought up properly as long as he keeps his part of the treaty. Meanwhile, I have been teaching them the error of their father’s ways!” The King smiled broadly, “You see how this works?”
Harand had nodded reluctantly. But as he watched over the next several days, he began to understand what his father was doing. One day, the elder brother would be king of the neighboring lands. But he would be slow to wage war on the family he had come to love. They had become like brothers to Harand, and respected him. They even deferred to him many times when deciding what they should do for an afternoon, despite the fact that he was the smallest. This hostage business could be a very good way to keep the peace, and it was worth the effort to keep his jealousy in check, for they had not had trouble for as long as the Prince could remember.
But now his turn had come. The King of Ensbury had secretly been building coalitions to plot war against his father. He understood the need to keep Ensbury in check. But that need meant that he would be sent away from home to live among those who had been enemies of his father. It made him uneasy, on guard. How could he live like that for months and years? He didn’t have the confidence his father had that the King of Ensbury would protect him if he thought that by treachery he could get power for himself.
But the King shook his head. “It is true, they will have you for the next five years, and this man does love power. But no hostage has been killed in hundreds of years. I would never send you to live here if I thought he would be so stupid. Listen to me: keep your eyes and ears open to learn what you can of this king’s way of thinking, but remind yourself each night before sleep that you are here to learn his ways, not to follow them. Hold firm to this: you are my son, and I love you. I send you here out of that love, to form a treaty that may keep us from war as long as you live. As soon as we have that, you will come back home.”
The Prince nodded, though he found it hard to look his father in the eye as he did so. Suddenly, the King grabbed him by the shoulders and clasped his son to his chest. He held him for several seconds, then thumped him on the back and let him go.
“Do not be afraid. I have spies. They will tell me if the King of Ensbury is quitting his pledge. And I will leave your dog here with you, to keep watch over you.”
Haran shouted with joy at this news. And with that, the King turned on his heel and stomped out of the room. Prince Harand stood and listened to his father’s heavy steps until he could hear them no more. Then he lowered himself into the chair his father had been occupying and cradled his face in his hands. He would do his best to be his father’s son in this foreign place.
Sandra Herrmann is pastor of Memorial United Methodist Church in Greenfield, Wisconsin. In 1980, she was in the first class ordained by Bishop Marjorie Matthews (the first female United Methodist bishop). Herrmann is the author of Ambassadors of Hope (CSS); her articles and sermons have also appeared in Emphasis and The Circuit Rider, and her poetry has been published in Alive Now and So's Your Old Lady. She has trained lay speakers and led workshops and Bible studies throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana. Sandra's favorite pastime is reading with her two dogs piled on her.
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StoryShare, March 15, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
