Sermons for the Month
Moving The Pink Elephant Along Its Way
DATE: June 12th, 2005
SERVICE: Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Matthew 9:35-10:8“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
If there was a pink elephant sitting in the middle of the aisle, don't you suppose someone would say something? I mean, something major like that would be hard to ignore. You might be able to find a way around it in order to sit down, but wouldn't the color, the snuffling and, of course, the smell, be distracting?
So, in the interest of NOT ignoring the obvious, I'd like to acknowledge our pink elephant; change is upon us. Next week we begin a new worship schedule that will impact everyone. There are exciting possibilities on the horizon due to this change BUT it's going to take some time to adjust. Letting go of what has been comfortable and significant is never easy, so it's natural that some people would feel sad, some annoyed or even angry, and some worried about this transition. And, there may even be a few who are looking forward to the positive possibilities.
This is, of course, an important shift in the life of Faith Lutheran Church, so it deserves our time and attention. Like the pink elephant in the aisle, this change cannot be ignored. BUT…neither can the sheep be ignored. There are wandering sheep all around us, and we must be mindful not to overlook them.
Jesus uses the image of sheep without a shepherd for people; he saw the crowds and, "had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless." This is a strong statement; it implies a compassion that springs from the deepest part of one's being. The word translated harassed from the Greek describes someone who is vexed by those who have no pity, and helpless means to be laid prostrate, knocked down by life's challenges. This is who Jesus sees as he looks out into the crowd, but it is not all he sees; Jesus also sees potential.
In mid-paragraph, the image switches from sheep to that of a harvest. People are like grain growing in a massive field, Jesus says, they are of value, but they need to be cultivated and harvested. So, Jesus tells his followers what to do in the face of such an abundance of harassed, helpless and yet filled-with-promise people. He tells the disciples "pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." And, the next thing you know, Jesus is sending out those same disciples, proving that sometimes those who pray a prayer are the answer to that prayer.
The point is that WE are now the answer to that prayer. So, getting back to the pink elephant, while we must acknowledge change that impacts our lives, we cannot let that change overwhelm us or have a negative impact on the reason we are here in the first place. We come together on Sundays to worship God, to praise our creator and give thanks for the blessings that are ours, and to grow in faith and commitment. Through the Word and Sacraments we are empowered by the Holy Spirit SO THAT we can bring the Good Shepherd to the sheep and harvest the promise in people's lives.
I recently was given a page from a daily devotional book that told the story of a man who visited a church while on a business trip. There were some things about the service that he did not like, and expressed this to the pastor. In response the pastor simply asked, "What was it you think that God didn't like?" The man had the good grace to reply, "I don't suppose there was anything God didn't like. I was talking about my own reaction. But, worship isn't really about me, is it?"
Well, in a way that's true, worship certainly is about us in the sense that through worship we are being empowered to be God's people in the world. However, the focus should not be so much on our preferences as on whether or not we are being transformed to be God's laborers and those who care for the sheep.
And, it's not difficult to find sheep who need a shepherd. You may recall that after the Synod Assembly I shared some of the information that was offered by Pastor David Daubert, the Assembly presenter. For example, we live in a country where 43 percent of the people belong to no religious institution and two-thirds of those who do belong do not attend regularly, which probably means that they are not being transformed by their faith. Did you know that only 20-25 percent of those living in the United States are in worship on a weekend?
Our world has changed since this congregation was established 50 years ago. Then, the church was at the center of the culture. It was considered odd if a family in a neighborhood did not participate in a church. People moving into an area automatically looked for a church home, probably one that was of the denomination in which they had been raised. As time has passed, all that has changed. The church is now at the fringes of society. Now those who participate in a religious community are the odd ones, and people no longer select a church based on the denomination. It's not like it was in 1955. The question that is raised now is this, "If I do not have to go to church to be normal, then why go?" That's the question we have to answer. And the answer to that why question must focus not on us, but on Jesus.
So, the words of Jesus continue to ring true, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." We are among the few, so we have to be intentional about what we do.
Actually, it's not as difficult as we think it is. Just think of people with whom you have something in common, surely among them are those who need to become better acquainted with the Good Shepherd, Jesus. When you get together, you talk about what's important in your life - families, jobs, hobbies. Hopefully what's important includes your faith or your relationship with God, or being a part of this faith community. However, if you are not there yet, that's OK; put your energy into continuing to cultivate the kernel of faith within you.
I would guess that some opportunity will present itself to invite someone to a church activity or to worship. Remember, you may have to offer the invitation more than once. I recently invited two families to events here four different times, and they have not yet come. But, perhaps the fifth time they will. And when they do, that's when the rest of us have a role to play - it's up to me, to Carolyn, to Sheila and the band, to Bob and the choir, and to every member to do our best to make that experience a good one. That does not mean that the person is entertained, but that he or she feel comfortable, and most importantly, that the person sees Jesus in what we are doing here and wants to see Him again. (Our hope is that the new worship schedule will enable us to do so more effectively.)
It's an amazing thing to realize that God has put so much responsibility into our hands. I'm sure that some of you have heard the story about American soldiers who, during World War II, came upon a church in France that had been damaged by shelling. Inside they found a statue of Jesus. Originally, the statue stood with arms extended in a welcoming gesture. In the shelling, however, both arms had been broken off. Before moving on, one of the soldiers made a sign and hung in around Jesus' next. The sign read, "No hands but yours."
Those words actually were written by Theresa of Avila, a 16th century Christian. She said: Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
No hands but yours; no feet but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out on a hurting world.
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now." (1)
She is talking about us. We have been called to an important task. So, let's acknowledge the elephant and gently move him along, so that we can focus our attention on the sheep who are so desperately in need of a shepherd, and make room for them. (1) SermonWriter, Proper 7A, Matthew 10:24-39, Richard Donovan, www.sermonwriter.com
AMEN