Mark 1:1-8
Interesting that locust and wild honey were foods eaten by poor/lower class people. Untying a sandal was something that only the lowest person would do. Why would all the images of John the Baptist be those that the people of the day would have associated with a menial laborer or a poor person? Especially since he’s announcing the coming of the Lord.
Maybe it’s because the messenger isn’t as important as the one being announced. But still it would be “better” to have a more prominent person announce the Messiah’s coming.
Does this tie to Moses not being able to enter into the Promise Land somehow? Not sure there’s a connection but it might be something to think about. Moses obviously had a special relationship with God, so much so that he couldn’t go into the Promise Land for feat that the Israelites would worship him like God. Now John the Baptist is clearly important to the story of Jesus but his prominence is downplayed by Mark in his gospel (and the other Synoptic Gospels too) and he is cast as inferior to Jesus even though there is a lot going for John - he’s the miraculous child of past their prime parents. He is a chosen prophet ordained by God to proclaim the coming of the Lord.
Maybe therein lies the issue. John could be mistaken for the Messiah if it isn’t clear that he’s not of high enough rank to be considered the messiah - either the popular (social or militaristic) messiah or the Messiah proclaimed to issue in the day of the Lord.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Sunday Sermon, Proper 28A - Nov 16, 2008
St. Anne’s Reston, VA
Proper 28A (RCL), November 16, 2008
Leslie C. Ferguson, Seminarian
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Psalm 90; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen!
I have to admit I like the Revised Standard Version better… “Well done good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your master.” How many of us want to be counted as good and faithful servants by God? How do we demonstrate our faithful service to God?
I know that I, for one want to be considered good and faithful. I think we demonstrate our faithfulness as we live out God’s plan on earth as members of a community of faith. It is our privilege and responsibility as Christians to live our lives as faithful stewards of God’s blessings both in our Church and in the world around us. But our response to that privilege is often tempered by the fact that we don’t live in wholly sacred spaces but at the intersection of the sacred and the secular and that juxtaposition frequently places us in competing circumstances. We desire to live wholly faithful lives for God but try to balance that life fixed on the eternal with the reality of living life in a society that demands our time, talents, and treasure. It is in this balancing act that we find our stewardship challenged, and if you are like me you feel compelled to find an answer to this question, “Why do I choose to give to the Church?” As I’ve embarked on my theological education and pursuit of ordination I’ve been haunted by this more difficult question, “Why do I want others to give to a Church that I’m attending?”
Scripture is foundational to me in many aspects of my life and in determining whether or not to give to the Church. As I look for answers in the Hebrew and Christian Scripture I find God’s response to the question of being a faithful steward both to the Church and as the Church, the body of believers living in community. From the beginning: God, in his covenant with the chosen people of Israel, was clear about the tenets of our relationship. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might,”[1] from Deuteronomy makes us believe it should be easy to move from that imperative to justify our giving of what we have to God - time, talent, and treasure - because those things are the few things that we have some control over. But even back then giving just to God wasn’t enough and it’s clear from God’s word through Moses in Leviticus, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy… but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord,”[2] that our action must benefit our neighbors like it does God or else it isn’t fully an act of love.
As a Christian, I find a few other examples that make me believe it is right to give to the Church. Recently we heard the writer of Matthew remind us we are supposed to do things for our neighbor when he told the disciples and the crowd that their actions towards God were reflected in their actions to others when he said, “…truly I tell you that as you did it to the least of these you did it unto me.”[3] Then in today’s gospel parable we hear the story of the faithful servants and hear Jesus say, “His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy (faithful) slave; you have been trustworthy (faithful) in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”[4]
Lastly, the writer from Matthew gives another perspective on giving and how we should give to the church when he related the following, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’”[5] Although at the extreme end of the scale, it is clear from this passage that Christians are expected to give to help the poor and in the first century they would have been giving to the Church to help the poor in their community.
In light of the scriptural justifications presented, I believe we are called to give to the Church, I have come up with some reasons why I choose to give to the Church, not only my treasure but also my time and my talents. This list is neither comprehensive nor static, as I come to understand my life with God through prayer and community interaction and living with people who choose to faithfully serve God my answers will change over time.
It may seem a little off for a discussion of giving to the Church but when I think about giving the first thing that comes to mind is my decision to follow a call to ordained ministry. Answering the “why” question is certainly beyond the time available for a sermon but I’ll try to summarize the key reasons that I give this gift to the Church. It is in serving the church that I find completeness and wholeness. It is in devoting my life to the Church that I feel integral and true to my self. I give my “self” to the Church because it’s the best thing I have to offer and the only thing that I really have control over, nothing else is really mine to give.
Paul was assuring the Thessalonians that Jesus would indeed return to earth and even expected Jesus to return in their lifetime. While they were disappointed in their day that doesn’t change the fact that I truly believe that God will return to earth to judge the world and those who have professed to be Christians. Because I will be called to account for my stewardship and execution of God’s mission I choose to give to the Church. However, I don’t feel that my giving is from fear or a feeling of necessity but from a sense of love and the expectation that God is coming back and I want to be ready for God’s return.
Today’s Epistle reading talks about how the Thessalonians need to be prepared for the imminent return of God and although they don’t realize Christ’s return their charge is still levied on the Church. As a faith community the church is dedicated to re-forming the world in preparation for Christ’s return. I believe the Church has as an example the highest standard to model its actions after - Jesus Christ. I believe the Church is uniquely qualified and expected to make a positive change in the world. God expects Christians to make the world ready for the day of the Lord and the Church is in the enviable position to make changes for God from the grassroots level - truly affecting change from the ground up.
Likewise, the Church gives me hope of a better place, especially in a less-than-hopeful time. The Church and its actions assure me that there can be a better place here on earth and that we will enjoy a better place in heaven in our eternal life. I give to the Church because I realize the presence of God in its actions and the things that our Church stands for. Without time, talent, and treasure from me and others in the Church I don’t think the Church would be nearly as effective in reaching out to those in need of the healing power of God’s word and deed.
One might think this last reason I give to the Church may sound a little sarcastic but I really think it has a lot of influence on the discussion. I choose to give to the Church because I am privileged to have the time, talent, and treasure available to give to something and the Church seems to be the best place. Coupled with that is the belief that I want to make a positive change in the world and the Church has a good track record in affecting positive change in the world. Also, when I give to a Church I see a more direct connection between the things I give and the ministry, mission, or cause that I support. And probably the least “sacred” reason I give to the Church is I’d give my time, talent, and treasure some place anyway so why not the Church.
As we all know, making a positive change in the world isn’t something that comes without cost, not just monetary but time and talent, thus I need to give from my God-given bounty to make that change in cooperation with others in the Church. And what does this mean to each of us as members of St. Anne’s? We hear secular society tell us to “put our money where our mouth is.” Considering that society can make and lose millions if not billions of dollars in a day based on self-centered reasons, just how much more could the Church do if it focused its attention on living out the message of the gospel on a daily basis, not only in words but also in temporal resources, personal energy, and finances?
I think it is important for each of us to reflect on and to be able to answer the two questions I posed earlier. Why do I give my time, talent, and treasure to the Church? Why do I want others to give to a Church that I’m attending? I have found my answer to those questions aren’t static and continue to be shaped by my life of prayer and reflection on God at work in my day-to-day life. I don’t think that my answers will necessarily be your answers but I think my questions and answers will provide a good jumping off point. With that, I’d like to leave you with a couple more images to ponder as you think about stewardship and its relationship to God.
We know it is unreasonable to believe that we can change the world all by ourselves yet we firmly believe we can change our little corner of it. But if positive social and political change is something that we as a Church embrace, how will we go about ensuring that we will truly be able to make that change? It starts with stewardship.
Our stewardship and its relationship with God is not a one-time-a year thing and many are finding it easier to keep a steady-strain focus on stewardship throughout the year. In my life I find it less worrisome to think about stewardship and being in relationship with God when I focus on those things on a daily basis. With that in mind, how do we make stewardship a reflection of our relationship with God? Do our prayers and life reflect a life of stewardship? How might we include our stewardship in our vital life of prayer with God and then take the fruits from that prayer relationship to our active life in Christ?
Is your stewardship a matter of joy or drudgery? What makes your stewardship a joy? If your stewardship is drudgery, how can you transform your understanding and application of stewardship to make it more joyful?
Ultimately, God wants to be able to call all of us good and faithful servants when he returns to judge the world. We have faith that God will return and hope that we can be counted as one of the good and faithful servants. We pray that God will illuminate our hearts and minds to better see how we can continue to be fruitful stewards for God in the world, not only today but always. And at the bottom line it begins with stewardship.
Thanks be to God!
[1] Deuteronomy 6:5 (NRSV)
[2] Leviticus 19:2b, 18b (NRSV)
[3] Matthew 25:40 (NRSV)
[4] Matthew 25:21 and 23 (NRSV)
[5] Matthew 19:21 (NRSV)
Proper 28A (RCL), November 16, 2008
Leslie C. Ferguson, Seminarian
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Psalm 90; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen!
I have to admit I like the Revised Standard Version better… “Well done good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your master.” How many of us want to be counted as good and faithful servants by God? How do we demonstrate our faithful service to God?
I know that I, for one want to be considered good and faithful. I think we demonstrate our faithfulness as we live out God’s plan on earth as members of a community of faith. It is our privilege and responsibility as Christians to live our lives as faithful stewards of God’s blessings both in our Church and in the world around us. But our response to that privilege is often tempered by the fact that we don’t live in wholly sacred spaces but at the intersection of the sacred and the secular and that juxtaposition frequently places us in competing circumstances. We desire to live wholly faithful lives for God but try to balance that life fixed on the eternal with the reality of living life in a society that demands our time, talents, and treasure. It is in this balancing act that we find our stewardship challenged, and if you are like me you feel compelled to find an answer to this question, “Why do I choose to give to the Church?” As I’ve embarked on my theological education and pursuit of ordination I’ve been haunted by this more difficult question, “Why do I want others to give to a Church that I’m attending?”
Scripture is foundational to me in many aspects of my life and in determining whether or not to give to the Church. As I look for answers in the Hebrew and Christian Scripture I find God’s response to the question of being a faithful steward both to the Church and as the Church, the body of believers living in community. From the beginning: God, in his covenant with the chosen people of Israel, was clear about the tenets of our relationship. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might,”[1] from Deuteronomy makes us believe it should be easy to move from that imperative to justify our giving of what we have to God - time, talent, and treasure - because those things are the few things that we have some control over. But even back then giving just to God wasn’t enough and it’s clear from God’s word through Moses in Leviticus, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy… but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord,”[2] that our action must benefit our neighbors like it does God or else it isn’t fully an act of love.
As a Christian, I find a few other examples that make me believe it is right to give to the Church. Recently we heard the writer of Matthew remind us we are supposed to do things for our neighbor when he told the disciples and the crowd that their actions towards God were reflected in their actions to others when he said, “…truly I tell you that as you did it to the least of these you did it unto me.”[3] Then in today’s gospel parable we hear the story of the faithful servants and hear Jesus say, “His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy (faithful) slave; you have been trustworthy (faithful) in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”[4]
Lastly, the writer from Matthew gives another perspective on giving and how we should give to the church when he related the following, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’”[5] Although at the extreme end of the scale, it is clear from this passage that Christians are expected to give to help the poor and in the first century they would have been giving to the Church to help the poor in their community.
In light of the scriptural justifications presented, I believe we are called to give to the Church, I have come up with some reasons why I choose to give to the Church, not only my treasure but also my time and my talents. This list is neither comprehensive nor static, as I come to understand my life with God through prayer and community interaction and living with people who choose to faithfully serve God my answers will change over time.
It may seem a little off for a discussion of giving to the Church but when I think about giving the first thing that comes to mind is my decision to follow a call to ordained ministry. Answering the “why” question is certainly beyond the time available for a sermon but I’ll try to summarize the key reasons that I give this gift to the Church. It is in serving the church that I find completeness and wholeness. It is in devoting my life to the Church that I feel integral and true to my self. I give my “self” to the Church because it’s the best thing I have to offer and the only thing that I really have control over, nothing else is really mine to give.
Paul was assuring the Thessalonians that Jesus would indeed return to earth and even expected Jesus to return in their lifetime. While they were disappointed in their day that doesn’t change the fact that I truly believe that God will return to earth to judge the world and those who have professed to be Christians. Because I will be called to account for my stewardship and execution of God’s mission I choose to give to the Church. However, I don’t feel that my giving is from fear or a feeling of necessity but from a sense of love and the expectation that God is coming back and I want to be ready for God’s return.
Today’s Epistle reading talks about how the Thessalonians need to be prepared for the imminent return of God and although they don’t realize Christ’s return their charge is still levied on the Church. As a faith community the church is dedicated to re-forming the world in preparation for Christ’s return. I believe the Church has as an example the highest standard to model its actions after - Jesus Christ. I believe the Church is uniquely qualified and expected to make a positive change in the world. God expects Christians to make the world ready for the day of the Lord and the Church is in the enviable position to make changes for God from the grassroots level - truly affecting change from the ground up.
Likewise, the Church gives me hope of a better place, especially in a less-than-hopeful time. The Church and its actions assure me that there can be a better place here on earth and that we will enjoy a better place in heaven in our eternal life. I give to the Church because I realize the presence of God in its actions and the things that our Church stands for. Without time, talent, and treasure from me and others in the Church I don’t think the Church would be nearly as effective in reaching out to those in need of the healing power of God’s word and deed.
One might think this last reason I give to the Church may sound a little sarcastic but I really think it has a lot of influence on the discussion. I choose to give to the Church because I am privileged to have the time, talent, and treasure available to give to something and the Church seems to be the best place. Coupled with that is the belief that I want to make a positive change in the world and the Church has a good track record in affecting positive change in the world. Also, when I give to a Church I see a more direct connection between the things I give and the ministry, mission, or cause that I support. And probably the least “sacred” reason I give to the Church is I’d give my time, talent, and treasure some place anyway so why not the Church.
As we all know, making a positive change in the world isn’t something that comes without cost, not just monetary but time and talent, thus I need to give from my God-given bounty to make that change in cooperation with others in the Church. And what does this mean to each of us as members of St. Anne’s? We hear secular society tell us to “put our money where our mouth is.” Considering that society can make and lose millions if not billions of dollars in a day based on self-centered reasons, just how much more could the Church do if it focused its attention on living out the message of the gospel on a daily basis, not only in words but also in temporal resources, personal energy, and finances?
I think it is important for each of us to reflect on and to be able to answer the two questions I posed earlier. Why do I give my time, talent, and treasure to the Church? Why do I want others to give to a Church that I’m attending? I have found my answer to those questions aren’t static and continue to be shaped by my life of prayer and reflection on God at work in my day-to-day life. I don’t think that my answers will necessarily be your answers but I think my questions and answers will provide a good jumping off point. With that, I’d like to leave you with a couple more images to ponder as you think about stewardship and its relationship to God.
We know it is unreasonable to believe that we can change the world all by ourselves yet we firmly believe we can change our little corner of it. But if positive social and political change is something that we as a Church embrace, how will we go about ensuring that we will truly be able to make that change? It starts with stewardship.
Our stewardship and its relationship with God is not a one-time-a year thing and many are finding it easier to keep a steady-strain focus on stewardship throughout the year. In my life I find it less worrisome to think about stewardship and being in relationship with God when I focus on those things on a daily basis. With that in mind, how do we make stewardship a reflection of our relationship with God? Do our prayers and life reflect a life of stewardship? How might we include our stewardship in our vital life of prayer with God and then take the fruits from that prayer relationship to our active life in Christ?
Is your stewardship a matter of joy or drudgery? What makes your stewardship a joy? If your stewardship is drudgery, how can you transform your understanding and application of stewardship to make it more joyful?
Ultimately, God wants to be able to call all of us good and faithful servants when he returns to judge the world. We have faith that God will return and hope that we can be counted as one of the good and faithful servants. We pray that God will illuminate our hearts and minds to better see how we can continue to be fruitful stewards for God in the world, not only today but always. And at the bottom line it begins with stewardship.
Thanks be to God!
[1] Deuteronomy 6:5 (NRSV)
[2] Leviticus 19:2b, 18b (NRSV)
[3] Matthew 25:40 (NRSV)
[4] Matthew 25:21 and 23 (NRSV)
[5] Matthew 19:21 (NRSV)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Some random reflections...
As I get thrust into situations where I have to address situations in a church (not any specific church but one that I may work at in the future - certainly none that I'm involved with today) where I have to minister with (1) people who lovingly serve the church as devoted volunteers, (2) people who have been in the church longer than I have, and (3) will be at a church long after I leave. Some of these people may have projects that are near and dear to their hearts and may take offense if they believe they are given less than equal "billing." As such I wonder...
1. What does it mean to practice equal treatment for all? Do that mean that everyone gets the same number of minutes at announcement time? That everyone gets the same amount of space in the newsletter? Does it mean that everyone gets the same level of funding for their project? I'm inclined to say tha tequal treatment for all is more about not biasing in one direction or the other - everyone gets the same opportunity for "press" or time. I can't give more time and effort to someone's project just because I like that project. But it doesn't seem to be that easy - I can be blinded by my personal bias in unexpected ways.
2. How do I know when I'm doing things in love, especially with people who have different priorities than I do? Seems easier, if I think I'm not doing something in love then I certainly am not. But just like #1, it's not that simple in my experience. I guess that having someone to critically look at what's going on is helpful.
3. How do I prevent myself from being a "people pleaser?" Good question - if I figure this out I'll be thrilled.
4. How do I ensure that I keep the "other" as a person who is made and living into the image of God in their life and our mutual life together? It starts by reminding myself that all people who faithfully live into their relationship with God are conducting vital ministry for God. If I keep that as my focus then that makes good headway into keeping the other person as being one who has the image of God.
5. How do I prevent being overrun by the distortion of importance, specifically between the eternal and temporal? I understand that we need to be fixed on the eternal part of our life but our eternal life is of little consequence if the day-to-day life isn't sustained and held up.
6. How do I discern which voice belongs to God and which voice belongs to doubt? One is laden with joy and the other with accusatory tones.
Thoughts?
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Church of the Ascension, Norfolk, VA
November 9, 2008, Proper 27A (RCL)
Leslie C. Ferguson
Joshua 24: 1-3a, 14-25; Psalm 78: 1-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13
Thank you David for inviting me to come and preach and catch up with the folks here at Ascension, it has been a wonderful weekend with our Norfolk family. Kathy and I feel blessed to have been greeted so lovingly this weekend and it’s been wonderful to worship at Ascension after all these months. It’s hard to believe just how long it’s been since Kathy and I have regularly worshiped here and yet we’ve been welcomed like it was yesterday. It is nice to come home, and this place really is home to us. It’s nice to share communion with all of you who have experienced the hope in the assurance of God’s grace as they’ve crossed its doorstep and sat in its pews. This is a hopeful place that is a beacon in a time that may not be considered all that hopeful.
But, for now, let’s return to the lessons for today. In our Hebrew Scripture text today we hear Joshua say:
“Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living…” The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.”
Joshua 24:15, 24
We hear Joshua’s question ring out by implication throughout today’s readings and we hear the practical response of the people of Israel to his question. We hear Joshua’s question and Israel’s response as Matthew recounts Jesus’ parable about the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins. We hear the 5 wise virgins chose to serve God by being prepared for the bridegroom’s return. We hear its contrasting story when we hear the comments about the 5 foolish virgins who chose to serve their own god. To me, it would have been nice to hear that all 10 virgins chose wisely and chose to serve the Lord but alas that wasn’t the case. But it annoyed me that there is no way to understand exactly why the 5 foolish virgins chose to serve the wrong god or even what their wrong god looked like - all we know is they ended up being excluded from the heavenly banquet because they chose poorly.
And yet, Joshua still rings out, “Choose this day, whom you will serve…”
In welcome contrast we hear Paul tell us that many in Thessalonica chose, and continued to choose wisely. He told the Christians in that strife-filled city that they had assurance of eternal life because they chose God and that even when things were difficult to start with, they could believe that they made the right choice in the long run and that any of their current strife and persecution was of little import when compared with the blessing of God’s calling them home. Many in their time would rejoice that they made the right decision, even in the face of overwhelming odds. That’s great news for the steadfastly faithful in Christ.
Even in the Hebrew Scripture we hear a story of good choices amidst tales of woe in the Psalms. We hear that Israel ultimately made the right choice and served God - YAHWEH albeit after they were nearly decimated in the exile. After the Israelite’s see the error of their ways, they re-establish the covenant relationship with God, and remember God’s faithfulness even in spite of their unfaith. Good news for the Jews and a great story of faith and wisdom.
Yet, we are still haunted again by Joshua, “Choose this day, whom you will serve…”
But there’s that passage from Joshua that troubled me and one that we may be tempted to ignore because it doesn’t resonate with our image of life with God. I’m unsettled by the exchange: why did the writer of Joshua choose to repeat the question three times? Why did Joshua doubt Israel’s fidelity and ability to choose the right path? In any case, you’d figure it would only take Joshua asking the question once to cement the community’s fate. Once should have been sufficient - especially since he had somehow received God’s insight before posing the question. What point is Joshua driving home to the Israelites? What point might Joshua be trying to drive home to us more than 2,500 years later?
I am struck that even though Israel appears to be sure of themselves their responses seem to exhibit a little bit more self-doubt each time. I know that I make my response more emphatic when I’m less sure of the response I’m giving. And it is readily apparent that Israel is getting more and more emphatic with each response to Joshua - so much so that they add details he never asked for.
As I was reflecting on today’s readings, my impression of Israel’s response hit close to home with me. I kept trying to avoid a nagging feeling that resonated in the Joshua passage. Like Israel, I was struggling with some internal questions about all kinds of disassociated things; questions about what I was doing at school, that I wasn’t measuring up to my self-imposed standard for performance, that I may have made the wrong choice in going to Seminary and that I would wake up and realize that it was all a dream and I was left with nothing…
In my life I hear a slightly different question coming from Joshua besides: “who do you choose to serve?” I admit that I hear Joshua’s question quite frequently, yet I believe I hear it amplified by:
Do you choose to serve the heavenly assurance that frees you from fear? Or do you choose to serve personal doubt that binds you?
And that is what I think Joshua is asking us today. That is the god Joshua is querying us about. Whom will you serve? Joshua is pointing out that we have a choice of which god/God we will serve. On the other hand, I see these options are easy to choose from: we can choose to serve the god that binds us, the god of fear and doubt or we can choose to serve the God of heaven who assures us of our life.
But in my experience it’s not that easy - my human nature doesn’t let me see simple answers to who the god or God in my life is. I sense that when we think we are prepared for an assault of self-doubt and personal questioning, somehow an internal attack from any number of unhelpful voices that are spawned by the devil pops up when we least expect them. But I know that while it is something other than God our Savior that derails us; yet we still adamantly choose to respond, “…you are my God.”
And yet a third time we hear these words “Choose this day, whom you will serve…” ring out in our life.
So how do we decide who to serve and once we make that decision to stay the course? We decide who to serve by listening to the voice of joy inside and around us and not the voice of doubt. As Paul reminds us, it is only in faithful obedience with encouragement from faithful believers, friends, spiritual directors, mentors, and parish families that we can truly answer that we will serve the Lord. We stay the course by being in relationship with a community that founds itself on love and prayer.
Another way is to respond to God, in spite of our self-doubt. As we hear the prophet respond to God by saying, “Here I am, send me.” The reality that I’m coming to understand is a response is the only thing we can give. We must respond to God positively, regardless of our doubt, each time that we are asked to choose. When all is said and done, we must listen to those who are with us. We must listen to those who challenge us to clear our mind and fight our self-doubt. We must listen to that prophetic voice that speaks to us that will drown out that nasty voice of doubt.
We need to be assured that our life is normal when we live the cycle of doubt: We listen to the call, respond to the call, stumble with regularity, fall down often, get up, and do it all over again because we understand that the goal is to be admitted to the banquet with the Lord, lamp burning brightly, the door shuttered tightly against the voice of doubt and living forever with God.
And it all starts with our response to the questions: Who do you choose to serve today? Do you choose to serve the things that bind you? Or do you choose to serve the God that sets you free to live?
I choose to serve the Lord! Here I am, send me!
Amen!
November 9, 2008, Proper 27A (RCL)
Leslie C. Ferguson
Joshua 24: 1-3a, 14-25; Psalm 78: 1-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13
Thank you David for inviting me to come and preach and catch up with the folks here at Ascension, it has been a wonderful weekend with our Norfolk family. Kathy and I feel blessed to have been greeted so lovingly this weekend and it’s been wonderful to worship at Ascension after all these months. It’s hard to believe just how long it’s been since Kathy and I have regularly worshiped here and yet we’ve been welcomed like it was yesterday. It is nice to come home, and this place really is home to us. It’s nice to share communion with all of you who have experienced the hope in the assurance of God’s grace as they’ve crossed its doorstep and sat in its pews. This is a hopeful place that is a beacon in a time that may not be considered all that hopeful.
But, for now, let’s return to the lessons for today. In our Hebrew Scripture text today we hear Joshua say:
“Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living…” The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.”
Joshua 24:15, 24
We hear Joshua’s question ring out by implication throughout today’s readings and we hear the practical response of the people of Israel to his question. We hear Joshua’s question and Israel’s response as Matthew recounts Jesus’ parable about the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins. We hear the 5 wise virgins chose to serve God by being prepared for the bridegroom’s return. We hear its contrasting story when we hear the comments about the 5 foolish virgins who chose to serve their own god. To me, it would have been nice to hear that all 10 virgins chose wisely and chose to serve the Lord but alas that wasn’t the case. But it annoyed me that there is no way to understand exactly why the 5 foolish virgins chose to serve the wrong god or even what their wrong god looked like - all we know is they ended up being excluded from the heavenly banquet because they chose poorly.
And yet, Joshua still rings out, “Choose this day, whom you will serve…”
In welcome contrast we hear Paul tell us that many in Thessalonica chose, and continued to choose wisely. He told the Christians in that strife-filled city that they had assurance of eternal life because they chose God and that even when things were difficult to start with, they could believe that they made the right choice in the long run and that any of their current strife and persecution was of little import when compared with the blessing of God’s calling them home. Many in their time would rejoice that they made the right decision, even in the face of overwhelming odds. That’s great news for the steadfastly faithful in Christ.
Even in the Hebrew Scripture we hear a story of good choices amidst tales of woe in the Psalms. We hear that Israel ultimately made the right choice and served God - YAHWEH albeit after they were nearly decimated in the exile. After the Israelite’s see the error of their ways, they re-establish the covenant relationship with God, and remember God’s faithfulness even in spite of their unfaith. Good news for the Jews and a great story of faith and wisdom.
Yet, we are still haunted again by Joshua, “Choose this day, whom you will serve…”
But there’s that passage from Joshua that troubled me and one that we may be tempted to ignore because it doesn’t resonate with our image of life with God. I’m unsettled by the exchange: why did the writer of Joshua choose to repeat the question three times? Why did Joshua doubt Israel’s fidelity and ability to choose the right path? In any case, you’d figure it would only take Joshua asking the question once to cement the community’s fate. Once should have been sufficient - especially since he had somehow received God’s insight before posing the question. What point is Joshua driving home to the Israelites? What point might Joshua be trying to drive home to us more than 2,500 years later?
I am struck that even though Israel appears to be sure of themselves their responses seem to exhibit a little bit more self-doubt each time. I know that I make my response more emphatic when I’m less sure of the response I’m giving. And it is readily apparent that Israel is getting more and more emphatic with each response to Joshua - so much so that they add details he never asked for.
As I was reflecting on today’s readings, my impression of Israel’s response hit close to home with me. I kept trying to avoid a nagging feeling that resonated in the Joshua passage. Like Israel, I was struggling with some internal questions about all kinds of disassociated things; questions about what I was doing at school, that I wasn’t measuring up to my self-imposed standard for performance, that I may have made the wrong choice in going to Seminary and that I would wake up and realize that it was all a dream and I was left with nothing…
In my life I hear a slightly different question coming from Joshua besides: “who do you choose to serve?” I admit that I hear Joshua’s question quite frequently, yet I believe I hear it amplified by:
Do you choose to serve the heavenly assurance that frees you from fear? Or do you choose to serve personal doubt that binds you?
And that is what I think Joshua is asking us today. That is the god Joshua is querying us about. Whom will you serve? Joshua is pointing out that we have a choice of which god/God we will serve. On the other hand, I see these options are easy to choose from: we can choose to serve the god that binds us, the god of fear and doubt or we can choose to serve the God of heaven who assures us of our life.
But in my experience it’s not that easy - my human nature doesn’t let me see simple answers to who the god or God in my life is. I sense that when we think we are prepared for an assault of self-doubt and personal questioning, somehow an internal attack from any number of unhelpful voices that are spawned by the devil pops up when we least expect them. But I know that while it is something other than God our Savior that derails us; yet we still adamantly choose to respond, “…you are my God.”
And yet a third time we hear these words “Choose this day, whom you will serve…” ring out in our life.
So how do we decide who to serve and once we make that decision to stay the course? We decide who to serve by listening to the voice of joy inside and around us and not the voice of doubt. As Paul reminds us, it is only in faithful obedience with encouragement from faithful believers, friends, spiritual directors, mentors, and parish families that we can truly answer that we will serve the Lord. We stay the course by being in relationship with a community that founds itself on love and prayer.
Another way is to respond to God, in spite of our self-doubt. As we hear the prophet respond to God by saying, “Here I am, send me.” The reality that I’m coming to understand is a response is the only thing we can give. We must respond to God positively, regardless of our doubt, each time that we are asked to choose. When all is said and done, we must listen to those who are with us. We must listen to those who challenge us to clear our mind and fight our self-doubt. We must listen to that prophetic voice that speaks to us that will drown out that nasty voice of doubt.
We need to be assured that our life is normal when we live the cycle of doubt: We listen to the call, respond to the call, stumble with regularity, fall down often, get up, and do it all over again because we understand that the goal is to be admitted to the banquet with the Lord, lamp burning brightly, the door shuttered tightly against the voice of doubt and living forever with God.
And it all starts with our response to the questions: Who do you choose to serve today? Do you choose to serve the things that bind you? Or do you choose to serve the God that sets you free to live?
I choose to serve the Lord! Here I am, send me!
Amen!
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