“How Will We Use Our Power?” (Matthew 23:1-12)

Every time I pull into one of the clearly marked CLERGY PARKING signs at either of our two hospitals, I grimace.  I can hear Jesus adding to his list of horrific behaviors exhibited by the equally horrific religion scholars “the love to park in designated parking spaces.”   Can’t I hunt for parking like everyone else, right?

The truth is, by designating parking spaces for clergy the hospitals are acknowledging that clergy are a part of the healing team—that they want us there a LOT—that we actually are there a LOT.   In a crisis, they do not want us to spend an hour looking for a parking space.  On the other hand, in a crisis, do we want anyone spending an hour looking for a parking space?  However, to THAT person who is desperate for a parking space, the clergy space looks, well, special. And there are days where I feel, well, special--and special isn’t the goal.

Every other year I participate in what’s called BOUNDARY training.  It’s required by my profession.  I must constantly reflect on how I use my power.  You see, as a clergy person, I have power.  I am invited into your personal life, into the life of your family members including your children, and into the life of the community where I have more access to people.   The question is “What motivates clergy as a professional group?  Is it privilege and status, or is it service?”

Of course, Jesus is using the professional clergy to throw the conversation WIDE.  Jesus is asking every human being to reflect on their own personal power, and every congregation to reflect on their corporate power. 

“Power,” you might ask, “We have power? “ I feel so small”, you might be thinking, or “We feel so poor.”  However, every person and every group has resources.  Some resources are internal qualities—wisdom, peace, joy, kindness.  Some resources are external—material possessions including money and space, food and clothing, talents and, well, time.  Some resources are quiet, such as the ability to listen, and some resources are loud, such as a large, up-to-date facility.

According to Jesus, it’s what we DO with what we’ve got that matters.  Not what we stand FOR, but who we stand WITH; not what we think about Jesus, but that we DO JESUS ourselves.  “Let God tell YOU what to do,” says Jesus.  “Listen, and do.” 

This past week two AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers brought faith communities and service providers together at an event called  Faith Engagement; faith engaging the community.  The purpose was to find solutions for Billings’ poorest and most desperate citizens—our neighbors.    The service providers present---Tumbleweed, Montana Legal Services Association, HRDC, Billings Food Bank, to name but a few—were SO surprised by the turnout. So were the clergy and other leaders from the over one hundred churches and synagogues that dot the Billings landscape.  And why were we there?  We were all there because we love our neighbors—all of them—and have a huge heart for the poor. 

The church leaders heard from the service organizations that they couldn’t exist without the support they received from the churches in our area.  “Oh how we love the surprise gifts of hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars,” we heard.  We also heard that money was just one part of the need—these service organizations, some of which the church created in Billings, are desperate for volunteers.  For example, Friendship House needs persons to cook and serve meals.  The Crisis Center is thankful for a volunteer who loves to write, and spent time with the clients at the Crisis Center helping them write their story—which helps those persons struggling with mental illness to heal.  “Spend a day with us at the Crisis Center,” she said to the leaders present, and through whom she wanted to reach the worshippers in the sanctuaries, “And see what we do and who we love—and where you might make a difference.”

Another service director said, “You know, you don’t have to leave Billings to make a difference.  You and your youth group can make a difference HERE.  Come and see us!  We’ll teach you how to serve and love the poor.  You know, they are our friends.”  Talk about job shadowing!

In Matthew’s gospel we hear Jesus says, “Be a servant.”  By servant he means “Live to meet the needs of others--the least of these—live to bring honor to the poor.”   This isn’t one of many things Christians are called to do; it’s the main thing.  We’ve got to keep bringing honor to the poor FIRST and FOREMOST in our hearts and mind—which means we are constantly reorganizing our life together to fee up resources.  That’s what Jesus did.  He owned little so others could own much.

This is our life together, too.  We are called to own little so others can own much.  Do you remember Jesus’ job description?  We need to, because his job description is our job description. It’s found in Luke 4:8: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”  Every time I read this I think “Which part of this job description can we take on as a church—and which part of this job description can I take on as an individual?”  At the end of the day Jesus wants to know what we DID and what I DID, not what we believe about Jesus or what I believe about Jesus.  It’s not good enough to worship God’s kindness, we’ve got to BE God’s kindness.  (A nod here to Mother Teresa.)

Early on in Tuesday’s presentation at the Faith Engagement seminar the director of Tumbleweed told this story:  “We had six kids sleeping outside when it was minus 20 degrees.  One was sleeping in a cave, and one had a plan of killing himself.” To help the homeless teens the director went on the Big J radio show and Big J invited her to meet his pastor Rev. Kalen Brown at City Church.  Brown asked the director what she needed.  “I need a house where youth can stay,” she told him.  He found her one.  “Literally that saved the day,” she told us.

Guess what?  Tumbleweed needs another house. And the Montana Rescue Mission needs mens socks and underwear and Family Promise needs donations of diapers.  The Crisis Center needs a larger facility and more volunteers.  Friendship House is enlarging their facility, but need more volunteers.  The need goes on.  Jesus wants to know why you and I are Christians, and why we are a church.  Are we using our power, our resources to serve people—or are we turning our resources in ourselves.  And if the answer is that we are turning our resources in our selves, how did that happen—and what are we going to do to get back on track—the servant track—the disciples of Jesus track?

Prayer:  Merciful God, May your compassion for the least of these become possible IN US.  Amen.

(This sermon was preached by Reverend Dana Keener at Central Christian Church in Billings on November 2nd.)

“Yes, But . . .” (Psalm 78:1-7)

I think that one of the deepest desires of all human beings is the desire to be trusted . . . the desire to be believed.  After several years of being a part of a committee, putting in my time, and doing miniscule tasks to prove my loyalty, I was finally given the opportunity to head up a big project.  Wanting to do my best and to prove my worth to the rest of the committee I worked diligently to research the problem and come up with the best solution . . . and, then, I presented it to the rest of the committee.  They listened intently, shook their heads in approval, and even made statements of affirmation to the solution I offered.  They all said, “Yes . . .”

“. . . but!”

What followed the “but” were questions and challenges . . . alternative solutions . . . and, then finally a whole different direction to the issue we were dealing with.  All the while my presentation and solution was flushed down the toilet despite being told “yes” . . . flushed by a single word, “but”.  After years of working and proving myself to this group of people to earn their trust . . . actually desperately wanting their approval and acceptance as being one of them . . . I was torn down to nothing.  All that hard work and nothing to show for it with no more standing or status than when I first begun.

I have never liked the phrase, “Yes . . . but . . .”  It is a falsehood giving the pretense of trust and acceptance followed by a total lack of trust or acceptance.  It is shooting ducks out of the water.  It leaves the one receiving it wondering what in the world just happened . . . one minute they love and trust me, the next they blow me out of the water.  I believe that no one appreciates relationships built on “yes, but”.

This morning our scripture reading comes from the Book of Psalms.  This psalm is what is called a “teaching song”.  The purpose of this psalm is to teach the people a truth or fact or story about God . . . to help the people understand their relationship with God.  In the few verses that we heard this morning we are only getting a glimpse of what is being shared . . . only getting a teaser.  To fully appreciate and understand the psalm you really need to read the whole thing.

The psalmist asks the people to “hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.  I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from old—things we have heard and known, things our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”  In other words, the psalmist is telling the people to “listen up” and then proceeds to recount the history of the people’s relationship with God from the beginning of their time as the “children of God.”

The psalmist regales the people with all the wonder and miracles of their relational journey with God.  How God freed them from their captivity . . . led them through the wilderness . . . provided for them in their time of need . . . constantly taking care of them and getting them to where they are now.  To the listener it feels like a roller coaster ride . . . one minute up, the next minute down.  Like a thriller in which the action builds, the end seems immanent . . . and God always rides in at the last moment to save the day.  This is the story the people listen to and they cannot help but to embrace the graciousness and power of the story . . . the graciousness and power of God.  God always comes through . . . this they can agree upon . . . BUT!

But . . . they are tired.  They are tired of the roller coaster ride . . . tired of the last minute rescues . . . tired of being brought to the brink of disaster and being whisked off to safety.  The story, God’s story and their story, is emotionally draining . . . they can see the presence of God throughout it . . . and, they want to fully embrace it . . . but, man are they tired of being put through the wringer.  Dutifully they affirmed the words of the psalmist and then non-chalantly expose their true feelings by adding the word . . . “but”.

Yes . . . but . . . with these two words the people expose the fact that they are not fully trusting of God or God’s role in their lives.  Despite the psalmist’s belief that God gives to each person a path in life to travel and that God will continually provide for that journey . . . and that he wants us to fully embrace that belief as history has proven it . . . the people still whine and complain about God and God’s actions in their lives.  Yet, the psalmist also understands that it up to the people—collectively and as individuals—to make the choice as to whether or not they are going to fully trust God or whether they are going to grumble and complain the whole way.

As the children of God we are allowed to question God . . . allowed to ask God the hard questions . . . allowed to seek clarification . . . allowed to challenge God.  Shoot, the Book of Psalms is filled with such questioning throughout it . . . laments in which the people cry out for understanding of the injustices and hardships of life they have experienced.  I think that we all feel that in our relationships with God we have the ability and the right to question God.  I think that we do it all of the time.

Yet there comes a point in all of our lives when we either have to make a decision and follow it or quit spinning our wheels.  The proverbial “either use the pot or get off of it” sort of thing.  At some point in our journeys of faith we have to fully embrace God and trust . . . learn to trust God.  History and stories have proven over and over again that God has our best interests at heart . . . that God loves us and will provide for us . . . that God always comes through.  True, it might not always be in the ways that we want or expect, but God comes through.  But, we have to remember that God’s ways are not our ways; nor is God’s wisdom our wisdom. 

So it is that the psalmist this morning throws out a challenge to the people and to us to listen . . . to listen to the stories of the journey of faith . . . to listen to the stories of God’s presence and action in the lives of the children of God.  To hear once again of God’s love and grace . . . God’s provision and direction.  To listen and to consider . . . once again . . . whether or not God deserves trust . . . complete trust. 

We know the stories . . . we know of God’s presence . . . know of God’s love and grace in our journey.  The time has come to embrace our stories, to embrace the truth, and to let go and trust God.  It is time to let go of half-affirmations of faith . . . time to let go of the “yes, but” statements.  God wants to be trusted . . . wants to be accepted . . . wants to be embraced . . . wants to belong and be a part of our lives.  Anything less is nothing but a “yes, but” . . . you either do or don’t.  God is banking on us to do the right thing.  Amen.

“I Resent That” (Matthew 23:1-12)

I think that Calvin—of Calvin and Hobbes cartoon fame—speaks for all of us when he proclaims to his stuffed tiger, Hobbes: “I RESENT THAT!”

In the comic strip Calvin with his constant companion, Hobbes—a stuffed toy tiger—are having a conversation.  Calvin poses the question: “Hobbes, do you think our morality is defined by our actions, or by what’s in our hearts?”

In response, Hobbes states: “I think our actions show what’s in our hearts.”

Calvin, stunned, sits there and stares for a moment, and then with indignant anger he proclaims loudly: “I RESENT THAT!”

As I said, I think that Calvin probably speaks for many of us in the human race when it comes to our morality . . . probably speaks for many of us who call ourselves the followers of Jesus when it comes to living up to what Jesus asked us to live up to.  We resent the fact that our actions often betray our words.

That old phrase . . . “Do as I say, not as I do” . . . has come back throughout our lives to bite us in the rear . . . and, we do not like it.  We do not like it because it reveals our incongruency between our words and our actions.  We do not like it because it reveals our propensity and weakness to use the “easy way out” when our words are more difficult than we imagined them to be when living up to them.  And, it reveals that we haven’t quite gotten it “right” yet when it comes to being a true follower and faithful servant to Jesus.  Thus, we resent whenever we are reminded that we have fallen short of our goal of being a “faithful” person.

But . . . hey!  We are in good company!  We aren’t the only ones who seem to stumbled upon this incongruency.  In our scripture reading we hear Jesus teaching the crowds and disciples to “do as I say, not as I do” by using the example of the Pharisees.  In the Pharisees, Jesus hears all the right things being said . . . he hears them teaching the law and commandments . . . uttering the correct prayers . . . offering the prefect examples.  Jesus hears and sees it all . . . and, he has to admit, in what he first sees and hears he can find no fault . . . the Pharisees have the routine down and pat.

But . . . not everything that is seen with the naked eye is what is truly there.  Jesus watches the Pharisees beyond the temple, beyond the courtyards, beyond the public eye . . . he watches them as they live their lives.  What he sees does not jive with what he is hearing . . . the actions reveal the true heart . . . the true beliefs . . . the true faith.  What the Pharisees teach and preach—God’s word, is not what they are living.  No, it is a far cry from what God desires in action.  Thus Jesus tells those who are gathered that they should “obey them and do everything they tell you.  But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.  They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”

Of course, just like us, the Pharisees resented what Jesus said.

It is okay to resent being caught in our incongruency of word and action . . . in our incongruency of faith.  It is okay because it shows us that we care . . . that we care about our faith and being faithful to Jesus and what he wants us to do.  It reveals to us that we understand that we have stumbled and fallen short of what we have been created and called to do as the followers of Jesus.  It shows that we care about our relationship with God through Jesus . . . shows that we care about our relationship with one another.  I shows that we care.

I would be disappointed if we did not show resentment towards that statement.  Disappointed because that would mean that we have moved beyond the realm of caring about God . . . about others . . . about ourselves in relationship to the world around us.  It would mean that we have moved beyond caring.  At least when there is resentment expressed, there is still a chance . . . a chance to get it right.

The truth of the matter is that the Pharisee’s did not resent the fact that they were caught in an incongruency of faith.  They were resentful because Jesus was exposing them as the frauds they had become, and because he was ruining a good thing that they had going on.  They did not really “care” whether or not their actions were congruent with their words; no, they were resentful because Jesus was exposing them to the people as frauds.

For most of us, our resentment to the knowledge that our actions reveal our hearts . . . that our actions reveal our faith . . . exposes us to the fact that we are still trying to get it right.  That we are still trying to be a faithful people.  And, that is a part of faith.  Thankfully we have a loving and patient God who waits . . . and, waits . . . for us to get it right.

Faith is never a “once and done” sort of thing.  Faith is a living and evolving entity within us that is constantly growing and changing, just as we are constantly growing and changing in our everyday lives.  To think that once we proclaim our love and faith to God through Jesus that we are done, is to fall into the category of the Pharisees.  None of us wants that.  Thus it is good that we recognize our resentment about such statements for what it really is . . . our disappointment in not quite having it right.  It is good that it makes us feel . . . yes, faith is just as much about feeling as it is about anything else . . . feel that we can do better.

Jesus’ words were important to listen to . . . and, he wanted us to listen closely to what he was teaching and preaching; but, what he did—his actions, were what he wanted us to live.  He wanted us to live lives of love . . . . loving God completely . . . loving others . . . allowing love to dictate our lives and actions.  Jesus did not want lip service . . . he wanted us to live love . . . to live faithfully.  He wanted our actions to reveal our true hearts.  Amen.