“Setting the Angel Free” (Colossians 2:6-15)

Sculptors, carvers, and potters have always amazed me with their talent and ability to make something out of nothing.  I admire how they can take a raw material and create it into something of art.  I look at a slab of marble, wood, or clay and I see a slab of marble, wood, or clay; but these people see something and create it out of what I consider to be nothing.  The great artist Michelangelo stated: “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”  Speaking of one of his sculptures of an angel he tells the curious that “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

In Genesis 1:27 we are told “. . . God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”(New Living Translation Bible)  That is what the scriptures tell us in black and white . . . and, I believe it.  I believe that God created each one of us in God’s image.  It is our responsibility to discover that image and to set it free to be who God created us to be.  Just as Michelangelo saw that angel in the marble and set it free, it is our task to set the holy image of who God made us to be free.

In using the sculptor, craver, and potter as the example, we are nothing more than that slab of marble, block of wood, or lump of clay waiting to be revealed as who God created us to be in God’s image.  We are working on setting that “angel” free . . . and, we have been since that day we proclaimed that we would follow Jesus.  From that day we have been embarking on a journey of discovery . . . an adventure of faith . . . to fully realize who we are in following Jesus.

The Apostle Paul tells his readers in our scripture this morning that this work of art . . . this work of being . . . that we embark on is not an easy one.  No, it is filled with lots of distractions and misinformation about coming into the holiness bestowed upon us through following Jesus.  He reminds us that in Jesus God displays the fullness of holiness, and that through Jesus and our willingness to follow him, we too can embody the holiness that we have been created to be.  Paul writes: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ . . .”

All we must do is to chip away the stone . . . chip away the wood . . . or mold the clay to discover and become who we were created to be in God’s image.  But we must be careful!  Not all the advice and information that we are given from those around us, especially those who are grounded in the ways of the world and not the holy, is going to help us set the “angel” free.  No, if we are not careful, we will be led astray and away from that which is holy and good.  That is why the apostle tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus . . . not just the words that he spoke, but the actions that he took.  If we can do this then we will complete our sculpture . . . our carving . . . or our pottery of who we are in the image of God.

We must be careful.  There are a lot of prophets and preachers out there who sound good as they espouse their ministries.  But are their words the words that chip away that which keeps us from revealing the “holy” within us . . . of discovering ourselves as God created us to be?  Are their words living up to what Jesus asked each of us to live . . . to love God completely and to love others as we love ourselves?  One must wonder when these prophets and preachers live in million-dollar mansions and jet back and forth to speaking gigs in private jets.  They get rich, while their flocks struggle to support their ministries.  I cannot recall Mother Teresa ever living such a lifestyle.

Yet, it is easy to fall into the trap.  There are lots of flashy lights, loud music, and dancing going on.  People look like they are enjoying themselves.  But, are they truly following Jesus?  One must wonder.

As we chip away to discover ourselves in the image of God . . . of setting the “angel” free . . . we need to focus on Jesus, especially his actions.  In doing so, we must ask ourselves . . . is this serving God . . . is this serving others?

This is where the “holy” is revealed.  This is where people see and experience the “holy”.  It is in how one lives his or her life in loving God and others.  It is not in following a particular style of worship . . . not in reading one particular translation of the bible . . . not in singing certain songs . . . reciting certain prayers.  Those might be great tools, but what it all comes down to is how we live our lives in relation to God and others . . . are we loving?

Jesus showed us the way.  He lived it.  In our proclamation to follow Jesus we are stating that we will live as he lived . . . loving God and others.  It is an all or nothing proposition.

That is something we should think seriously about because it is hard work.  Michelangelo did not do any of his great masterpieces in a single day . . . no, it took time . . . lots of time.  It took time to chip away that stone to free the angel within.  Thus, it is for us.  It will take time as we work towards the full revealing of that person God created us to be in God’s image.  It will take a lot of prayer and discerning as we consider the witness of Jesus in our lives.  And, it won’t be easy as we will make mistakes . . . take wrong turns . . . and, utterly goof it up at times.  But God is a patient God . . . full of grace, full of love willing to wait for us.

At the same time, we need to remember, that we are not alone in this journey . . . God is with us every step of the way because God wants us to be who we are in God’s image.  God wants us to be holy.  We are about the business of “setting the angel” free.  Our prayer is a simple prayer summed up in Daniel Iverson’s 1926 hymn, Spirit of the Living God:

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Amen.

"Distractions" (Luke 10:38-42)

Chores.  Can you show me a kid who loves doing chores?  I know that as a child, I did not always appreciate the chores and jobs around the house that my parents assigned me as the oldest child.  In my mind it seemed as if I was getting the burden of the work as my siblings were getting a free pass.  I know that this is not true today, but way back then it seemed as if I was getting the short end of the stick.  Like any good child . . . I moaned and groaned . . . I whined . . . and, I complained.  What kid wouldn’t?

And, you know what it got me?  It got me a nickname from my mother.  My mother would smile at my complaints and say, “Martha, Martha.”  It took me years to figure out the nickname . . . but, as we heard in our reading this morning, Martha is the sister who complained about doing all the work while her sister, Mary, lounged around at the feet of Jesus.  Jesus told said: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

What is this better thing that Jesus is referring to?  In Martha’s mind there is company in the house . . . important company, at that.  The latest celebrity in the land was visiting and things had to be done in order to be good host.  Food had to be prepared.  People needed to be served.  Thus, it is that Martha sees that there is work to be done in order to make a good impression on her guests.  Because of this Martha is busting her butt and slaving away in the kitchen.  Is this what is important?

Well, it seems logical to me.  I know that whenever we have company coming to visit that our household goes into full combat mode . . . there are things to get done before the company arrives . . . the house must be cleaned, toilets scrubbed, and everything in its proper place.  I know that there are meals to prepare, time in the kitchen, piles of dishes to clean, constant messes to clean up.  It is work, work, work . . . and, in the end, both Dana and I always say that we are going to simplify things the next time company comes so that we have less work and more play.

Martha’s choice seems logical, but Jesus alludes to the fact that she has

chosen wrong.  Instead he points to the person that Martha is complaining about and says, “Mary has chosen what is better . . .”  What Mary is doing is . . . well, nothing if you ask Martha.  Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to every word that he said.  While Martha is working at being a good host, Mary is connecting.  Mary is relating.  In this Jesus affirms that it is not activities that define what is important, it is relationships . . . it is connecting, being intimate, and forming a bond with another.  This, says Jesus, is what is important.

Jesus tells Martha not to get distracted.

I know that I have mentioned C.S. Lewis’ book, The Screwtape Letters, many times in sermons over the years; but it really is a good book to read when it comes to understanding what it means to follow Jesus.  Quick recap:  Wormwood is a brand new devil who is sent to earth for his first assignment.  His assignment is a young man and the goal is to keep Jesus from getting his hooks into him and drawing him over to the Enemy’s side.  Screwtape is Wormwood’s uncle—a senior devil.  Wormwood finds in Screwtape a mentor to help guide him through his first assignment; thus, he writes to his uncle seeking advice.

In one letter Screwtape tells his nephew that an effective way of deterring the young man from hooking up with Jesus is to distract him . . . getting him busy doing other things.  For example, get the young man interested in a hobby . . . hobbies take time, time that could be used for the Enemy.  Or, get him a girlfriend . . . girlfriends demand time and attention.  Or, even get the young man involved in politics.  Distraction will keep the young man from choosing and doing the right thing.  If the young man is distracted, then he will be too busy to seek out Jesus and join the Enemy.

The simple definition of “distraction” is “a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something or someone else.”  That is what Screwtape recommends and Jesus warns about.  Avoid distractions and get to the meat of the moment . . . connect, relate.  Martha was distracted.  In her distraction she missed the opportunity to connect with Jesus, to become intimate with Jesus . . . to build a relationship.  After all, in the end, it is relationships that we remember the most.

In our distraction we forget the “other” . . . we forget the person . . . we forget the Holy.  In our distraction we become so focused on what we are doing that we forget for whom we are doing it . . . we forget the one who is right before us.  We forget that he or she needs our attention, our compassion, our listening, and our support more than anything else.  They need us to acknowledge them for who God created them to be.  They need us to be “present” to them.

I can’t answer that question for any of you, but I can answer that question for myself.  I am probably not as “present” to others as I should and need to be.  Too often I have failed others . . . and, God . . . by being distracted; and, in doing so, I have failed.  Of course, like Martha, I have an excuse . . . life is busy . . . I’m busy . . . there are things to be done . . . first things first.  In my busyness and distraction, I have failed.  In my failure, I have hurt others . . . all because I was too busy to see.  In the end, everyone loses.

Relationships are important.  Those two commandments that Jesus held up as the most important . . . well, they are about relationships.  Relationship with God, relationship with others.  Do this, says Jesus, and all the law and commandments will be fulfilled.  So, it should come as no surprise then that Jesus politely points this out to Martha.  It is Martha who is missing the point . . . missing the opportunity of connecting and coming into an intimate relationship with Jesus.

As we all journey through life and attempt to follow Jesus, let us be careful out there not to be distracted to what is important in the end.  Let us focus on relationships . . . our relationship with the Holy—God and Jesus . . . our relationship with others.  In the end, that is what matters. 

I am not so certain that Mary chose to sit at the feet and listen to Jesus because she was interested in what he had to say . . . she, like a true sibling, might have done it to get out of helping her sister.  We must admit that this is a classic sibling story; but, whatever her motives, she was in the right place at the right time.  She got praised for making the right choice. 

And, how do we know that it was the right choice?  Because in choosing to relate to another person Mary entered something that could never be taken away.  She made a intimate connection with another . . . something she would have for the rest of her life.

Because of that, let us not get distracted and veered away from that which binds us to God, binds us to one another.  Let us step forward and embrace that which is placed into our lives.  The best hospitality is to welcome another into our lives for who they are as God’s children.  This is what is better, and it will not be taken away from us.  Amen.

“Eternity in the Moment” (Luke 10:25-37)

“. . . what must one do to inherit eternal life?”

I only received one phone call from my grandfather on the Keener side of the family.  It was on the day of the birth of our first son, John Andrew.  The phone rang . . . I answered it.  There were no greetings . . . no identification from the caller, just a deep southern drawl asking, “Well, what was it?”  I answered, “A boy.” 

Click.

That was it . . . the whole conversation.  It took me a minute to figure out that it was my grandfather.  My grandfather who had had three daughters and one son . . . one son who had had three sons and one daughter . . . and, only one grandson who had gotten married.  All bets were riding on me to produce . . . to produce that one child that would carry on the “Keener” name . . . that would insure the world would have to put up with us Keeners for at least one more generation.  That was all that he wanted to know. 

In a way, my grandfather was looking towards eternity . . . that the legacy would not end . . . that the “Keener” name would live on for eternity.  I guess my grandfather would be proud to know that the “Keener” name has not died.  It has survived another generation beyond my sons as our youngest has a son.  Eternity still has a chance for us Keeners!

“. . . what must I do to inherit eternal life?” asked an expert of the law to Jesus.  To which Jesus asked the lawyer to explain what was written in the Law.  The guy responded that a person must “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Jesus responded, “You got it, buddy!  Go and do it!”

But, Jesus wasn’t dealing with just any old stiff off the street . . . he was dealing with a lawyer.  It wasn’t enough that the guy got the answer right . . . that he was told what to do; no, he had to split hairs.  He wants Jesus to tell him who is a neighbor.  To which Jesus proceeds to tell him the parable of the Good Samaritan.  We all know the story of the Good Samaritan . . . we know that the most religious do nothing to help the man who is robbed, beaten, and left on the side of the road . . . not the priest, not the Levite!  Only a despised Samaritan stops, helps the man, and makes sure that the victim is taken care of. 

Jesus asks the lawyer, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

The lawyer answers, “The one who had mercy on him.”

“Go and do likewise,” says Jesus.

I want to warn you now . . . sort of a “spoiler alert” . . . that we exist in eternity.  When we proclaimed our allegiance to follow Jesus . . . we stepped into eternity.  We are in the midst of eternity as we worship this morning.  We are there.  How does it feel?

We received that “gift” when we proclaimed our willingness to follow Jesus . . . his words and example.  And, all we have to do to maintain that place in the eternal life is to love God completely and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves—love God, love others.  We are to do that in each and every moment of our lives . . . and, if we do, Jesus tells us that we have eternal life. 

Because of this, each and every moment of our lives is an opportunity to wade into the waters of eternal life.  Each and every moment provides us with an opportunity to love God and others. Jesus explains, not directly—but, indirectly, that eternity is in the moment.  The moment that is presented to us.  The question becomes whether or not we are going to take advantage of those opportunities.  Isn’t this what happens as the Samaritan stops to help the man who had been robbed and beaten?

The Samaritan easily could have avoided the man . . . he could have walked around him like the priest and Levite did.  But, he didn’t.  No, he walked over to this stranger . . . this man who saw the Samaritan as someone to despise . . . and, he helped the man.  He took care of the man.  In the moment of caring, eternity was exposed. 

Eternity is ours when we follow Jesus.  It exists in the present moment because it comes down to relationships.  Relationships between the follower and God . . . relationships with others.  In living life in this manners, we discover the gift and blessing of the eternal life.  It comes down to relationships.

Eternal life is not passed on through the birth of children . . . though I must admit, I am pretty pumped to know that the “Keener” name will last at least one more generation.  Eternal life comes to us in the moment we agree to follow in the example and footsteps of Jesus . . . to love God . . . to love others . . . to care.  In this we discover eternal life.  There is no finagling around it like the lawyer attempted to do.  Jesus told us that there was only one way to inherit the eternal life . . . only one: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Then Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.”

May we all embrace the gift of eternal life as we live each and every moment.  Eternity is in the moment.  Amen.