“Pieces of the Puzzle” (Romans 12:1-8)

I imagine the story has been told and shaped for a long time to fit the needs of the audience that is hearing it.  The story is about a child who wants some playing time with her father, but the father has other interests occupying his attention.  In order to give himself some time to focus on his interests he grabs a magazine with a picture on the cover . . . rips it off . . . tears it up into lots and lots of pieces . . . and, then tells the child that the two of them will play once she gets the picture of the world put back together.  The father figured this would give himself a couple of hours of peace and quiet.

Quite satisfied with himself, the father set out to attend to his business.  After a while though, he was surprised to see his daughter standing before him with the picture of the world put back together in one piece.  Shocked that the child had done this so quickly, he asked, “How did you do this so fast?”

“Well,” replied the little girl, “it was hard at first because there were so many pieces and I wasn’t sure how it all fit together; but then, I remembered seeing a picture of Jesus on the back side when you ripped it off the magazine.  I turned all the pieces over and put the picture of Jesus back together.  When I put the picture of Jesus back together I was able to put the world back together.”

Whether this story is true in this form or any form, I do not know.  What I do know as a follower of Jesus is that there is a whole lot of truth in the statement of that little girl.  A truth that the Apostle Paul knew and understood.  We see that understanding being expressed in our scripture reading this morning as Paul addresses the congregation in Rome.  In Paul’s letter to the Romans he lays out his understanding of the good news or gospel of Jesus.  Paul also uses this understanding in other letters that he writes to congregations, in particular the church in Corinth.

The apostle sees the “church” or fellowship of followers as being the “body of Christ”.  Each is a separate piece . . . each has a separate function, but when these pieces are put together they form the presence of Jesus and serve only one function.  That function is to do God’s will of bringing about the Kingdom . . . of restoring that intimate relationship with God.  It is a relationship that is expressed in the way that the followers relate to one another because of their relationship with God.  The picture is put together when all the pieces come together to form that picture of Jesus.

Now Paul acknowledges that this is easier said than done.  Paul understands that each and every piece of the puzzle has been created uniquely and individually by God . . . that each piece serves a particular role as given by God.  And, he acknowledges, looking at the pieces strewn across the landscape of faith, that it sure looks like a mess that might not ever be solved and pieced back together.  Yet, at the same time he knows that if the pieces are never put together to form that picture of Jesus . . . he knows that the world can never be put back together.  Thus it is that he pushes for the followers to pull together as one to be that presence of Jesus in the world.

Well, if Paul thought the situation looked difficult back in his time, he would probably be flabbergasted at what  he would see today.  What he would see today is a world that is terribly fractured and divided . . . a world in which there is very little that points to a wholeness or holiness in its present state of being . . . a world that is marked by separation, ignorance, violence, hatred, and an unwillingness to come together as one family created by God.  I do not think that I need to give to any of you examples . . . read the newspapers, listen to the radio, or watch your televisions.  On a daily basis we are reminded of the brokenness of the world in which we live . . . we are reminded of the divisions that separate us . . . reminded that we are far from the purpose of Jesus in restoring God’s creation as God intended it to be.

Right now, it looks like we are a long, long ways from being that”one body” that the Apostle Paul calls us to be.

Long ago, Aristotle said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”  

The idea of individuality is at the root of how many of us see ourselves . . . we are individuals who are unique, special, and have our own talents, gifts, and quirks.  We have our own way of being, and with that being said, we also have a desire to be accepted for who we are . . . we want to be seen as individuals.  We see that manifested in our society and the world in which we belong . . . individual this, individual that . . . that is my individual right.  There is no denying that individuality is well grounded in us as people, as a nation, as a world.

And, that is great.  All of us should come to know who we are as God created us . . . after all, we are all created in the image of God.  We should know who we are, what we are good at, what we are weak at, and how it is that we function in the world in which we live.  Yet, we need not to stop at this point and go no further.  We are individuals, but each of us is a part of the puzzle . . . a part of the bigger picture.  Remember Aristotle’s words: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”  As we claim our individuality, we must also claim the greater responsibility of seeing how each of us fits together to form the “whole”.

The apostle writes: “Just as each one of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to the others.”

In forming “one body” we become more than we ever could as individuals or small groups . . . we become the body of Christ . . . we become the Kingdom restored.  But, to do this, we have to move beyond claiming our individuality as the end result and begin contemplating how we fit together to make the whole.  This is the prelude warning that Paul places before he pushes for the people to consider being the “one body”: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

It is in our coming together as one body that we fulfil God’s desire to be the presence of the Kingdom . . . to be the presence of Jesus . . . where we are.  Jesus came not to destroy, but to build . . . not to get rid of what was, but to enable what was meant to be.  Nowhere did he ever mean for it to be an individual thing . . . it was always meant to be one.  The key is putting all the pieces together to create the picture as it is meant to be.

I think that we as individual followers of Jesus, and we--as the body of Christ, the “church”, have entered into a challenging time.  A challenging time that confronts us in light of what we are witnessing in the world around us . . . what we see in the world, our nation, our state, our communities.  We are not the only community of the faithful in which the concern for how we see one another and treat one another has been raised . . . or have questioned how we got to this point.  No, we are not the only ones struggling with this dilemma of faith.  All the followers of Jesus are in the same boat, and this constant concern and question only points to this challenge we are facing.

How do we put this puzzle with its millions and millions, even billions, of pieces together?

I am not certain how we do that, but I am certain that this table that we gather around each week probably shows us the way.  This table represents a place where all of God’s children . . . all of God’s creation . . . can gather.  At this table we set aside our individuality . . . set aside our differences . . . and, we begin to listen, understand, and accept one another--not so much as individuals (even though that is part of it), but as a “whole” . . . understand how we fit together for the common good and benefit of all.  At this table we become one . . . one body in Christ Jesus.

I think that is where begin . . . at the table.  We begin to examine our lives as individuals and see who we have left out from taking their place at the table . . . and, then, we invite them to join us at the table.  Together the conversation begins in exploring how to become one.

I believe that the only picture of Jesus is the one that comes together in our unity as God’s children.  It comes together piece by piece . . . may we all discover our place in the wholeness and holiness that is Jesus and his desire for the Kingdom of God.  Amen.

“Sometimes We Just Need to be Reminded” (Matthew 15:10-28)

Sometimes we just need to be reminded . . .

. . . even Jesus.

It has been said that God uses many things and people to get a point across to the faithful . . . to teach a lesson.  All of us can probably vouch for that statement.  So then . . . why wouldn’t God do the same for Jesus?

In this church we believe and embrace Jesus’ call to be welcoming to all . . . to be inclusive.  We believe that Jesus came to save the whole world . . . to re-establish God’s Kingdom for all of God’s children.  Thus it is that each week we issue the invitation to all to come and take their rightful place at the table . . . not at our beck and call, but at Jesus’.  All are welcome.

If that is true, then what do we do with the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman?  Canaanites are not one of Jesus’ people; no, they are an enemy.  She is not considered “clean”.  Yet, she has the gumption to approach Jesus and demand that he “have mercy on” her as her “daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”

Jesus’ first response is to ignore the woman.  But she is persistent . . . persistent to the point that his disciples implore him to send her away.  Having his chain jerked from both directions he finally responds . . . responds in words that might have hinted at some frustration on the part of Jesus.  He tells the woman, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”  

I imagine that every person who heard those words, including the Canaanite woman, understood their implication.  In that brief outburst Jesus let it be known that this woman was not welcomed to the table . . . she was not wanted . . . she was not a part of the “in” crowd.

But, the woman is persistent.  She challenges Jesus . . . “Lord, help me!”  To which Jesus tells her that “it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”  Again, a reference to the “us” and “them” argument.  The woman is argumentative and throws a trump card on Jesus’ response . . . “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

Unfortunately the writer of Matthew’s gospel does not go into much detail about how those gathered reacted to the woman’s challenge of Jesus.  No, we are not given any clues at all.  We are not told if Jesus was taken aback . . . we are not told if the room fell into silence . . . if there was hesitation and tension.  We are told nothing more than Jesus telling the woman, “Woman, you have great faith!  Your request is granted.”  And, we are told that within the hour the woman’s daughter was healed.

Sometimes we need to be reminded.

In this story, Jesus is reminded.

What happens in this story takes place in the shadow of the story that preceded it in this reading.  In that story Jesus is explaining that it is not what goes in the mouth that makes one unclean, but what comes out.  Jesus explains that it is what is in the heart that really matters, and when one speaks it reveals what is in the person’s heart.  It has often been said that words reveal intentions.  In the shadow of this knowledge Jesus is confronted with what is in his heart and what his words are portraying . . . there is an incongruence here.

Which brings us back to that original question I posed earlier:  what do we do with this passage in light of what we believe as the followers of Jesus . . . that all are welcome?  

Well, I guess we can rejoice in the fact that Jesus saw the light and responded by granting the woman her request . . . he healed his daughter.  He healed the daughter of his people’s enemy . . . the daughter of an “unclean” person.  In this way, Jesus welcomed all.  We could do this and let it be, or we could look at the bigger issue . . . that Jesus needed to be reminded.  Jesus needed to be reminded of his call to bring “all” the children of God back home . . . reminded that he was to restore God’s creation . . . to re-establish the Kingdom of God.  That kingdom included all of God’s creation . . . all of humanity . . . after all, everyone is created in the image of God as God’s children.

So it is that we see Jesus is reminded in this encounter with the Canaanite woman.  We see him reminded in her challenge as the words of his previous conversation of clean/unclean echoed in his ears.  What was coming out of his mouth . . . his actions . . . we not consistent with his message and intentions as given to him by God.  In this terse conversation we see the shift in Jesus . . . we witness the cleansing of his words . . . we see him move from the exclusive to the inclusive.  

Yes, Jesus gets reminded.

The truth of the matter is that we all need to be reminded from time to time.  We all need to be reminded of the words that we speak at the Lord’s table . . . that all are welcome.  Reminded that our actions often speak louder than our words . . . and, that sometimes our actions and words are not congruent.  Yeah, sometimes we need to be reminded of who we represent and follow.

Our actions and words reveal our hearts . . . Jesus said so.

Right now, in the world in which we exist, those actions and words that we are witnessing should be scaring us to death.  In the words and actions being witnessed in our nation and in the world, we are not seeing much that correlates to what one might consider to be a “clean” heart.  No, what we are witnessing is great hatred, violence, civil unrest, protesting, separation, and ugliness.  What we are witnessing is far from the peaceful kingdom portrayed in the prophet Isaiah’s vision of the messiah’s vision for God’ creation.

These are scary times that we are witnessing and living in . . . a lot of brokenness and division.  In the presence of this brokenness and division, how are we to respond as the followers of Jesus who believe that all are welcome?  How are we going to deal with the uncomfortableness of this moment of brokenness and division?  This is our moment of confrontation with our Canaanite woman . . . our moment of pondering whether the words of our mouths are “clean” or “unclean” . . . our moment of stepping up and living that which we proclaim.  What are we going to do?

It is a scary proposition.

I don’t know what happened in Jesus between the moment where he was denying the woman and that moment he changed his mind to heal the woman’s daughter.  All I know is that something happened that suddenly made Jesus congruent once again . . . that made his actions fit the words he truly believed in his heart.  In his willingness to heal the woman’s daughter . . . this outsider’s child . . . Jesus revealed a willingness to not only heal, but to also walk with those who have been healed and need to be healed.  From a closed table to an open table . . . Jesus welcomed.  Jesus welcomed even though it went against his religion, the mores of his culture, and the opinions of those who were closest to him.  In the end, Jesus did what God had sent him to do.

Because of that, we are in a scary time considering a scary proposition.  How are we to live our faith in the light of what we are witnessing in the world in which we live.  How are we to respond to the division and brokenness of our world as those who proclaim to be the followers of Jesus.

In this time we are being reminded.

We are being reminded that we are a broken and divided people.  We are reminded that God desires a close intimate relationship with all of God’s children . . . a restoration of the kingdom.  We are being reminded that we are to follow in the footsteps and witness of Jesus’ words, but more importantly his actions.  And, we are being reminded that this uncomfortableness is a push for us to examine our faith . . . to examine our words and our actions, whether or not they are congruent.  We are being reminded to examine our hearts . . . we are being reminded to love.

Sometimes love takes the harder, more difficult way.  But it is that effort that makes one stronger.  Sometimes love has to go through a lot of dirt to become what it is meant to be.  As the followers of Jesus we are called upon to do the “right thing” . . . and, sometimes we need to be reminded as to what the “right thing” is.  If we are going to be a people who believe and proclaim that all are welcome . . . then we need to pay attention to this reminder we face today.

May the words of our mouths and the actions of our hands be acceptable in the eyes and heart of God.  Amen.

“Dreamcatcher” (Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28)

Based on Earl Hammer, Jr.’s book, Spencer’s Mountain, it was the story about a family in the mountains of rural Virginia between the years of 1933 to 1946.  From 1972 through 1981 we witness this family’s life as it unfolded before our eyes.  The Waltons graced our lives and entertained us on a weekly basis for nine years.  There was John and Olivia Walton, the patriarch and matriarch of the family; Grandpa and Grandma Walton; there was John-Boy, the eldest son and narrator, and his six siblings . . . all living on Walton Mountain.  On a weekly basis we gathered around the television and looked in on the lives and adventures of the Walton family.  

I loved the show!  I couldn’t wait to see what was going in the lives of the Walton family each week.  I loved the stories . . . the lessons taught . . . and, being fourteen, I loved the character of John-Boy’s oldest sister, Mary Ellen.  Yet, at the same time, it really wasn’t the sort of show a young teenage male of the mid-1970s was supposed to be watching . . . it just wasn’t macho enough . . . not tough enough.  It was something my sister was supposed to like, not her older brother.  It was a show that made an impression upon me . . . made me long to be a writer.  And, it gave me a nickname that I did not get rid of until I was out of college . . . John-Boy.  I heard that nickname forever!

Imagine living in a house with your parents, your grandparents, and six other siblings.  It would be pretty crowded and tough to be an individual.  In one of the episodes, Erin--the fourth of the Walton children, and the second of the daughters, pretty much smack-dab in the middle of the family--is moping around acting all sort of depressed.  Makes it pretty difficult to stand out in a family eleven.  When she is confronted by her grandmother about what is eating at her, Erin replies, “It’s hard to dream in a crowd.”  Especially when you are a middle child trying to compete against your older siblings who seem to have it all together, and your younger siblings who are cute and can do no wrong.  

Erin wants to stand out . . . she wants to be an individual . . . she wants to be somebody.  She dreams of being somebody.  And, don’t we all?

I imagine that Erin is not the only person to have ever felt that way . . . that she is not the only person who dreamed.  I think that Joseph, the central character in our scripture reading this morning, could tell Erin a thing or two about dreams.  Joseph is the youngest of Jacob twelve sons.  Jacob, who last week was renamed Israel after wrestling with God, loved all of his sons, but he especially loved Joseph . . . loved him “more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age.”  He loved Joseph so much that he gifted him with a richly ornamented robe . . . what we like to call his coat of many colors.  This did not make Joseph real popular with his brothers . . . nope, they hated him and treated him poorly.

Add into that mix the fact that Joseph was a dreamer.  He had vivid dreams . . . and, he was not afraid to share them with his father and brothers.  In particular he has two dreams in which the symbolism of the dreams has his father and brothers bowing down to him.  Again, probably not something a person wants to share with a group that already hates him; but, he does.  The dreams only make matters worse between Joseph and his eleven brothers.

While his brothers are out with the flocks, Joseph is sent by his father to check on his brothers and to bring them back home.  So off Joseph went.  Upon seeing their brother approach, the brothers plot to kill him . . . but, they couldn’t do it.  Instead they sell him off to a band of Ishmaelites.  Upon returning home they tell their father that Joseph has been attacked by ferocious animals . . . torn to shreds . . . and all that is left is the blood-stained coat of many colors.

Sometimes your dreams will get you killed . . . especially if they are dreams that no one else cares for.

One of the main themes of the Book of Genesis is this promise of God to create a great nation . . . from Abram to Isaac to Jacob this narrative runs through their lives.  As the Jacob saga of the story is ending, and the Joseph saga is beginning . . . there is still no great nation.  No, there is only Jacob, whose name has been changed by God to Israel, and his twelve sons.  Now, stop and think about this . . . Jacob, now Israel, has twelve sons . . . each of the sons becomes one of the twelve tribes of Israel.  That is the dream.  And, thanks to Joseph and his ability to dream, the story ebbs ever closer to the reality of the dream.

It turns out, years later, that the dreams that he shared with his father and brothers do come true.  The Ishmaelites end up selling Joseph to the Egyptians as a slave.  Joseph works his way up from being a slave to being Number Two, just below the Pharaoh himself in power.  All because he dreams and he can interpret dreams.  Through his dreams he creates an intricate storage system to prepare for Egypt’s survival if there should ever come a drought . . . and, there does come a drought.  A drought that touches the lives of many in Egypt and beyond . . . including Jacob and his remaining sons.

Seeking any aid possible to survive, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to ask for help.  Unknown to them the person they must speak to is none other than Joseph.  In the end they fulfill the dreams that Joseph had told them long ago . . . they bow down to him.  Of course, brothers will be brothers, and Joseph has his fun with them . . . makes them quite nervous for awhile before he invited them to bring the whole family up to live in Egypt.  This gets Israel and the twelve brothers . . . or tribes . . . into Egypt.  From there you know the rest of the story . . . population explosion among the Israelites, slavery, Moses, plagues, the Red Sea, wandering around the wilderness . . . until they eventually do become a great nation among the nations.

Joseph follows his dreams . . . and, God’s story moves further down the line towards reality.  And, Joseph would probably tell folks that it was not easy to hang on to those dreams . . . especially when those dreams did not make everyone happy.  But, he held on . . . he held on because he was a dreamcatcher.  

To me Joseph is what I call a “dreamcatcher”.  Now I know that when many of us hear that term . . . “dreamcatcher” . . . that we think of those hoops on which an intricate net or web is woven, and there are feathers and beads that adorn it.  The purpose of these is a sacred one.  They are placed over the bed as a sort of protection . . . in particular for children.  This is a part of some Native American cultures--especially the Ojibwe and Lakota tribes.  The idea is that dreams and thoughts pass through the hoop and its web . . . the bad dreams and thoughts get hung up in the web, the good dreams and thoughts pass through.  And, the “dreamcatcher” is also seen as a symbol for unity among the greater Native American culture.

Through Joseph . . . as with his father . . . as with Isaac . . . as with Abraham . . . the dream continues on to the children of God.  And, there would be others who would catch and carry that dream . . . there would be Moses . . . David . . . Samson . . . the prophets.  These were the “dreamcatchers” . . . these were the one striving to bring into being God’s desire.  And, that dream passes on up to and through Jesus . . . the apostles . . . Peter and Paul.

The dream is simple.  God desires an intimate and personal relationship with all of God’s creation . . . God desires the kingdom restored.  The dreamcatchers all strived to fulfill God’s dream . . . to re-establish that relationship between God and humanity.  And, ultimately we are shown the way to realizing that dream through the life, words, and actions of Jesus himself.  That is the dream of everyone who is a follower of Jesus.  His dream should be our dream as his followers.  

That is our goal as the followers of Jesus . . . we are to catch his dream and make it our own.  We are to be about kingdom building.  But, remember what Erin Walton said when it came to dreaming . . . it is hard to do in a crowd.  Also, remember Joseph when he tried to share his dreams.  Remember Jesus who expressed and lived his desire to fulfill that dream.

None of them had an easy time.  Yet, the dream lived on and lives on in those who hear and embrace it.

To be a dreamer can be dangerous business.

God’s dream . . . all the great saints before us caught it, attempted to live it . . . because they believed in it.  Jesus caught the dream . . . shared the dream . . . lived the dream.  We have heard his words about the dream.  We have heard the words of the great saints concerning the dream.  And, now it is our turn to catch the dream . . . our turn to live and share it.  We are to become the “dreamcatchers”.

The rest of the world might not understand it . . . but, that is okay, because we do and God does.  When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming from afar, they mockingly said, “Here comes the dreamer!”  We, too, might hear those words as we dream God’s dream of the unity . . . or the kingdom.  But it will never happen if we don’t allow ourselves to dream.  

John Lennon sang in his song Imagine: “You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.  I hope someday you’ll join us.  And the world will live as one.”

We are not the first to dream, nor will be the last . . . but, Jesus has called upon us as his followers to share the dream . . . to go forth and share the “good news”.  May we all realize our potential to be the catchers of dreams . . . dreamcatchers.  We are not alone for it is God’s dream that we catch.  Amen.