July 16, 2017               Seed and Soil

                                                              

         I don’t know how many farmers there are in this congregation, but the farming method used in our parable this morning doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Imagine a farmer who hooks up his tractor to a planter, and then as he pulls out of the driveway turns on the planter. All the way down the road, he’s spilling seed, crossing the rocky ground to his field, he’s spilling seed, even at the edge of the field where the weeds and thorns are, he’s spilling seed, and finally he gets to the good soil of the field, where the seed actually has a chance to grow.

         And the yield Jesus describes, a hundred, sixty, and thirty fold, really doesn’t sound right either. Well it might sound right with today’s methods of farming, tilling, chemicals, genetics, and etc., but in one commentary I read, it said that in Jesus day, farmers got somewhere between a 9 to 12 fold yield on their crops. To say the farmer got a hundred, sixty, and even thirty fold is quite a stretch. 

         Of course, we know that this parable isn’t about farming, it’s about the abundance of God’s grace towards us, and the abundance it can produce in our lives, and finally about why this abundance is necessary in our lives.

         In our gospel lesson this morning we hear about four kinds of soil, the first being soil of the path, the second being the rocky soil, the third being the soil with thorns in it, and the fourth being the rich soil. And yes, Matthew can be a little confusing, because he equates our spiritual growth with the soil in which we live. So, let’s begin with our first soil, the soil of the path.

         The soil of the path is just too hard for anything to grow. some commentators say this soil represents unbelievers, who scoff at the idea of God, or believe that religion is a scam, or the opiate of the masses. But I believe Jesus speaks to us about the soil of the path, to warn us against allowing an unbelieving world to harden our hearts against the gospel message. For if we do that, even the seeds of Grace that God does sow among us, are stolen away from us.

         The second soil is the rocky soil. These are the people who receive the word with joy after a while, they have no staying power, and their faith withers. We live in a society filled with instant gratification, and many people move from one moment of excitement over something to another. This also happens in churches, at first people rejoice in finding a church that proclaims God’s love for all, but then when they are called to be this love, it’s not such an easy task. Being steadfast and faithful in our service to God and others can wear us down, if our focus is all on ourselves. Especially when the world opposes us.

         The third soil is the thorny soil. The image that we get from Jesus, is that as people grow up in their faith, the cares and desires of their life pull at them, and eventually they allow these interests to close off their lives completely.  The pastor at the United Methodist Church in Sandwich shared an image with me this past week. It seems that he has a bird feeder outside one of his windows, and every once in a while he goes out to refill it he catches his clothes on a rose bush. Now for some reason, this rosebush doesn’t produce any roses, but he hasn’t dug it out or trimmed it back, it just keeps pulling on his clothes. The thorny soil represents us when we give our lives to so many different pursuits, they begin to take precedence over the practice of our faith and so it becomes choked off.

         Some commentators have said that Matthew’s version of this parable, was written to help them understand why the gospel message didn't bear fruit in everyone. Matthew's goal was encourage them to keep sharing the message, because every once in a while, it will find someone who will bear fruit. In each of the churches I have served, I remember numerous people in each church who bore this fruit. One visited a confirmation class with a friend, then joined the class, got confirmed and brought her family to the church. One was a retired artist, who moved to town and motivated us to renovate the church. One was a retired nurse who took over as our church secretary and did an incredible job organizing the church. And the fruit they bore wasn't just about bringing new people to the church, it was about the passion, energy, talents and excitement they brought to the church. That's the good soil! 
              In conclusion, I think that Matthew's version of the sower can help us in two ways, one way  is to encourage us to continue to proclaim the gospel, and the second way is to warn us about how the world tries to steal, wither, or choke off our faith if we aren't willing to intentionally practice it.  And finally, I just like to think of that image of the farmer, scattering the seed everywhere, reminding us that no matter where we are in life, God’s seed and grace is scattered all around us! 

July 9, 2017              Lightening the Load
                                                                                                                                                                    

         About 35 years ago, I was a student at SIU-Edwardsville, and while I was there my student job was as a catering supervisor, setting up coffees and breakfasts, lunches and dinners for meetings at the university. Over six months, I got pretty good at that job, and when the old student manager left, I applied for and got the job of student catering manager.

         Now the first month of being the student catering manager wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. The difference between being a supervisor and being a manager is that a supervisor takes instructions, while a manager is supposed to think for themselves, see problems that arise, and solve them before they become a problem. The problem was that I kept thinking like a supervisor, and kept asking advice, and seeking instructions, which really didn’t help me to anticipate problems and keep them from happening.

         Well, after a month, I had my first review, and it wasn’t particularly good. I felt like a heavy burden had been laid upon me, that I wasn’t doing the job correctly, and that the demands of the job were overwhelming. It was at that point that one of the civil service managers told me to stop looking for advice, and simply start doing what I thought would be the best job that I could. And so I did, and I began to think more and seek advice less, and the job became easier, and I ended up spending the last two years of college in that position.

         The reason I focused on this experience this morning is because of Jesus saying in our gospel lesson this morning, “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

         When Jesus speaks about a yoke, he isn’t talking about the yoke that are placed on oxen. He is speaking about the yoke placed on the people of Israel by the law of moses. In Jesus day, that yoke had evolved from the ten commandments and the laws in the book of Leviticus, to over 600 laws that those who sought God had to follow in order to be considered righteous and holy. And so, for those who were seeking to know God in their lives, they were encouraged to always seek the advice of the Pharisees, to make sure they were living according to the law. Which of course, with some 600 laws, had become an impossible task. And when people are weighed down with impossible tasks, then life becomes a heavy burden to them. And so Jesus, sought to lift that burden from the lives of the people, to help them instead focus on what it means to love God and to love neighbor, for that in itself fulfills the law.

         Way back in Seminary, I remember reading a book about the struggles of adolescents becoming adults. Many times, adolescents, in their teens and even twenties, suffer under the heavy burden of getting things right. They have parents who have rules for them, teachers who have rules for them, and society which has rules for them. And every time they make a mistake they have their failures pointed out to them, and after a while, they feel like they are being asked to do the impossible – to grow up and live their lives perfectly in the eyes of those who have power over them. And of course, they can go through a stage of resentment, and they begin to act out, even at times in self-defeating or self-destructive ways.

         But what adolescents often don’t see at this stage in their lives, is the love that their parents have for them. Or the care that their teachers actually have to help them learn their subjects and move on. To them, everyone is out to get them, not on how people are actually working to help them. And so, the book I read focused on helping people to recognize these gift that had been given to them in life, and to seek for them to live not under the heavy burden of authority, but in the lighter burden of blessing and gratitude for what they have accomplished.

         The reason I bring this up is because heavy burdens don’t just happen to adolescents, but to all of us in different stages of our lives, in our work relationships, in our marriages, in the passing of a loved one, with our families, and friends. Many times we feel out of our depth in life, and we seek advice. Sometimes that advice is constructive and helpful, at other times it is oppressive and burdensome. But the key to escaping these heavy burdens in life, is not to focus so much on the failures, but to look always to the presence of love in our lives, and to the people who are a blessing to us.

         And I think that is what Jesus is talking to us about in our gospel lesson this morning. Because Jesus says, that only the Son knows the Father, and only those who know the Son, have the father revealed to them. For it is the Son, who is the full expression of God’s love for us, and to all who hold fast to that love in their lives, they are set free from the heavy burdens that the world places upon us. And that’s the good news of Jesus Christ!

July 2, 2017                A Cup of Cool Water
                                                                                                                          

This past week, I read a story that I hadn’t read for quite a while, the story of the star thrower. It seems there was a man who went out to the beach every morning, and for an hour, he would throw starfish that had washed up on the beach back into the ocean. Now there was another man who took a walk each morning  on the beach, and he would see the first man throwing the starfish back.

After weeks of seeing this on his morning walk, the second man came up to the man throwing the starfish back into the ocean and said, “What are you doing?”  And the first man said, “I’m throwing these starfish back into the ocean before they dry out and die.” The second man said, “But there are so many on the beach, hundreds and hundreds of them, how can you hope to make any difference? To which the first man replied, To the ones I throw back, it makes all the difference in the world.”

When I read this story, I thought of our gospel lesson this morning. At first Jesus speaks about welcoming Prophets and Righteous people, and receiving a reward for that. But then, he goes on to talk about giving a cup of cool water to one of the little one’s and that no one will lose their reward for that.

Now every time, I have worked on this passage, I have stumbled a bit over the Prophets and Righteous people part of this teaching. But over time, I have come to realize that the writer of Matthew’s gospel is speaking about the early church. Prophets are those wandering Evangelists that inspire congregations with their preaching. The Righteous people are the leaders of the church, the deacons and trustees and council members who do the work of the church – all good stuff. And the little ones are the members of the church who serve and are served by each other, as well as those non-members who are served by the church in their community.

And I think the reason Jesus says this, is because people can become caught up in thinking, that it’s only the Prophets an the Righteous people that make a difference. When all it’s really about is making a difference in people’s lives, which each and every one of us can do by giving someone thirsty a cup of cool water, by visiting in a hospital or nursing home, going to a funeral visitation for a grieving friend, being there to listen when someone needs a friend, lending a car someone whose car is in the shop, donating or working in a food pantry, sending a mission gift to people in need, making something for a community feast, or giving of one’s time and talents to work on a community project.  

You see, the last few weeks, I have emphasized stories about disciples of Jesus, who lived their faith by doing simple things, and making a difference in people’s lives – that’s because, I read to the end of Matthew’s narrative, and read this line, about giving cool cups of water to little one’s – making a difference in their lives, in that moment of need, that’s what it’s all about! And you don’t have to be a Prophet or Righteous person to do that, all you have to be is a disciple of Jesus Christ!

Now, about that reward. Friday, I went to the Sandwich Opera House and saw the Great Moon Time Caper!  Here were some 75 little ones, some 25 teachers and helpers who did something special! The kids danced and sang and laughed and you could see how wonderfully happy they were! And the opera house was packed with family and friends, clapping and cheering every scene, and laughing at all the jokes, and the witty rewritten lyrics to popular tunes –my personal favorite was the new take on Sinatra’s fly me to the moon. You know, you can’t put on a production like this without those gifts of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, charity, and self control. I bet a hundred or more cups of cool water went into that production, moments when people had to be there for each other, and the reward will be thousands of wonderful memories, that these children will share with others, throughout their lifetimes, and their children, and their children.

You see, we gather in worship to hear the gospel message, and then we go forth and practice the gospel in our lives. We don’t need to be preachers, we don’t have to be in charge, all we have to be is disciples, and believe that God will let no act of love or faithfulness be lost, because it won’t be! And that’s the good news of Jesus Christ! 

June 25, 2017           His Eye is on the Sparrow
                                                                                                                                                      “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.                                                                          Matthew 10:29-31

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

                                                                     Civilla D. Martin

          This past week, as I worked on my sermon, I read two wonderful stories connected to the hymn, “His eye is on the Sparrow” and thought I would share them with you.

          The first story is about the author of the hymn, Civilla D. Martin. She wrote this hymn as she was visiting friends, Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle.  Mr. Doolittle was an incurable cripple, who had lived most of his life in a wheel chair. His wife had been bed ridden for some 20 years. Despite this, they were members in their local church, and wrote cards to cheer all who were sick and shut in. Civilla was amazed at their cheerfulness and Christian spirit, despite their afflictions. When Civilla asked Mrs. Doolittle the secret for enduring such hardships with joy, she replied, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.” Inspired by this simple faith, Civilla wrote this great hymn.

          The second story is about Ethel Waters. Ethel Waters was a soloist on the Billy Graham Crusade, and “His Eye is on the Sparrow” became one of her signature pieces. Ethel Waters began life in poverty, and without a father. At thirteen she married an abusive man, who she left, and became a maid in a Philadelphia Hotel. As Ethel recalls, “I was never a child, I never was cuddled or liked or understood by my family.” Throughout her singing career, she was often cheated and treated poorly, until she found the work with the Billy Graham crusade. When it came time to write her autobiography, she testified to the power of this scripture and the power of this song, for the living of her life.

          The readings for this week’s sermon include both the scripture quoted above, and the story of Hagar and Ishmael being cast out into the wilderness. Hagar and Ishmael represent all of us, who are not chosen, not included, not loved, not wanted. They represent all of us who have bad things happen to them, for no good reason. And yet, God’s eye is upon them, God sees them in the midst of their sufferings, and God is there for them.

          So the next time, life doesn’t go your way, the next time you have a burden to heavy to bear, the next time you face trial and trouble in your life remember, “God’s eye is on the sparrow, and I know God’s watching me.” And through that faith, God will be there for you as well.