Sermon Transcript: February 5, 2012 The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-12, 21c; I Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39
From Mark’s Gospel, “(Jesus said,) ‘let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
This morning’s scripture readings seem to be very timely given that we are a parish in the midst of renewal with an ever increasing desire to fulfill and expand our mission and yet, we recognize the realities of our limited human and financial resources while all around us the needs of our community, our neighbors, and even our own selves are reaching a critical point that threatens to overwhelm even the most stout-hearted and faithful in our midst.
These are difficult days in our nation: From Occupy Wall Street protests continuing their barrage across the country, to the inane political rhetoric of presidential candidates, to staggering unemployment and job layoffs, to economic inequities, our people seem more divided now than ever before: Divided by race, by gender, by sexual orientation, by economic status, and even by religion. For me, what I find most disheartening is that Christians are arguing among themselves more than at any time I can remember and in the process, churches risk losing sight of the message they are called to proclaim. Noted author and poet, Charles Baudelaire, wrote that the devil’s greatest achievement is having convinced the world that he doesn’t exist. I think I would add another to those achievements: he has divided our once united nation and created such incredible need at every level of our society that churches are overwhelmed to the point of fighting among themselves. There are times when I wonder, like the people of Israel in today’s reading from Isaiah, if our ways are hidden from the Lord – can God not see what we are doing and what is happening with us? If so, why is God disregarding how much we are struggling to make ends meet?
Readings: Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-12, 21c; I Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39
From Mark’s Gospel, “(Jesus said,) ‘let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
This morning’s scripture readings seem to be very timely given that we are a parish in the midst of renewal with an ever increasing desire to fulfill and expand our mission and yet, we recognize the realities of our limited human and financial resources while all around us the needs of our community, our neighbors, and even our own selves are reaching a critical point that threatens to overwhelm even the most stout-hearted and faithful in our midst.
These are difficult days in our nation: From Occupy Wall Street protests continuing their barrage across the country, to the inane political rhetoric of presidential candidates, to staggering unemployment and job layoffs, to economic inequities, our people seem more divided now than ever before: Divided by race, by gender, by sexual orientation, by economic status, and even by religion. For me, what I find most disheartening is that Christians are arguing among themselves more than at any time I can remember and in the process, churches risk losing sight of the message they are called to proclaim. Noted author and poet, Charles Baudelaire, wrote that the devil’s greatest achievement is having convinced the world that he doesn’t exist. I think I would add another to those achievements: he has divided our once united nation and created such incredible need at every level of our society that churches are overwhelmed to the point of fighting among themselves. There are times when I wonder, like the people of Israel in today’s reading from Isaiah, if our ways are hidden from the Lord – can God not see what we are doing and what is happening with us? If so, why is God disregarding how much we are struggling to make ends meet?
In this morning’s reading from Mark’s gospel, our Lord faced a similar dilemma. Mark tells us that wherever Jesus went, the people thronged him begging him to heal their sick and relieve the suffering. The work was great, the depth of the people’s needs was astounding, and demons were abundant. Mark tells us that even going into the home of Simon, one of his newly called companions, Jesus found Simon’s mother-in-law sick with fever: another needy person to heal! We don’t think much about fevers today, but in biblical times, anyone running a fever was seriously ill and near death. Mark says that Jesus healed this woman. Just as in last week’s reading where Jesus demonstrated his authority over the demons and dark forces of this world, now, in today’s lesson, Jesus shows his power over sickness and suffering. But the story doesn’t end there. This woman is restored to health and immediately, Mark says, she began to serve them. There’s a lesson here that whatever we have received we must share and serve as Christ has with us.
And so we do try to serve. This parish offers hospitality like no other and we are appropriately proud of our gifts and abilities. And yet, there are still so many needs around us. Our weary hearts and exhausted bodies bristle when we hear of yet another corporate executive receiving a million dollar bonus while her or his employees take pay cuts, lose their benefits and the churches have to step in to help those employees survive. Why doesn’t God do something? Send us some help. Maybe our ways are hidden from God. Maybe God chooses to ignore what is going on. If you are like me, you might wonder where on earth we are headed.
St. Paul, in today’s letter to the Corinthians shares how he has tried to become everything to everyone: that is a sure path to burnout if there ever was one. Paul strove to meet not just everyone’s needs, but their demands as well. I am sure he was exhausted. And yet, Paul tells us he continues in his ministry striving to be all things not so that he can boast or brag, but rather, in order to preach the gospel; to proclaim the message of redemption and wholeness offered in Jesus Christ. In the midst of everything he was doing, Paul remembered that ministry is never about us: It is about proclaiming the good news of God in Christ.
Returning to this morning’s gospel, we find that Jesus was able to cope with the demands and needs of the people by rising early each morning to get away for some quiet time to commune with his Father and our Father, in prayer: to wait upon the Lord in quiet with no distractions. A careful reading of Mark’s gospel shows that Jesus took this time for prayer and communion with God every day. It was his way of remembering for which purpose he came. When the disciples found Jesus in a deserted place, Mark tells us they told him, “Everyone is searching for you!” In other words, "What the heck are you doing out here? There’s work to be done!" Jesus responds saying, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” It’s not about meeting everyone’s needs, but rather, it is about proclaiming the message of Christ: Proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand. We choose to live our faith in ways that try to meet the needs of our community. But our work is never about social programs. It is about proclaiming the life-changing good news of God in Christ through our words, our thoughts and through our deeds. If we are ministering for any other reason than to proclaim that message, then we will, for certain, burnout and fall from exhaustion. Our Lord demonstrates that the only way to keep focused on the message before us is to seek to commune with God in prayer every day.
I am sure that some of you are thinking,“Oh, great! (Father Allan) has something more for us to do. My plate is already full and I’m tired and there just aren’t enough of us to go around.” We might say, “If we had more young people I might be able to find time to pray” or “if we had more funding we could hire people to handle our ministries and free up time for prayer. Besides, why doesn’t God pay attention and do something.” My friends, God tells us that we have all we need. The Psalmist says that God is not impressed by our deeds or our stamina. God takes pleasure in those who will wait for the Lord. In communing with God, in prayer, we will find direction and strength for the journey before us so that we can proclaim the good news of God.
The Prophet Isaiah brought God’s message to the despondent and broken people of Israel. In the midst of the devastating Babylonian captivity when their cities lay in ruin, their resources shattered, their lives uprooted, and people dying all around them from abuse and sickness, the people of Israel wondered if God was simply blind to their needs. God sends Isaiah to stand in the midst of God’s tired, worried and disheartened people, and proclaim the message we heard in our Old Testament reading this morning. Hear these words again as paraphrased by the New Living Bible:
“O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who wait for the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah says God knows how hard we labor. God knows our worries and limitations. God does not ignore us but seeks to commune with us as we open our hearts and minds to God in prayer. God promises that those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength and, my beloved, God always keeps God’s promises.
As this Season of the Epiphany begins to draw to its close, let us remember that our life together is not about what we do or how we do it, but rather, it is about coming together to wait for the Lord in prayer. Then, having waited as one united people, God’s Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen us for our ministry as Christ’s light in this community, and we will remember why we are here.
Our Lord said, “Let us go on … so that I may proclaim the message…for that is what I came to do.” We go forth to proclaim the message of God’s kingdom: God’s message of redemption, of God’s unconditional love, God’s welcome, and God’s abundant grace: for that is what we have received. And proclaiming it to our community doesn’t depend upon our strength, our money, or even our buildings because it comes from God’s love that has been grafted into our hearts. God’s love is what we have received and what we have been called to proclaim. “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength.” Now, “Let us go on … so that we may proclaim the message … for that is what WE have come to do.” Amen.
And so we do try to serve. This parish offers hospitality like no other and we are appropriately proud of our gifts and abilities. And yet, there are still so many needs around us. Our weary hearts and exhausted bodies bristle when we hear of yet another corporate executive receiving a million dollar bonus while her or his employees take pay cuts, lose their benefits and the churches have to step in to help those employees survive. Why doesn’t God do something? Send us some help. Maybe our ways are hidden from God. Maybe God chooses to ignore what is going on. If you are like me, you might wonder where on earth we are headed.
St. Paul, in today’s letter to the Corinthians shares how he has tried to become everything to everyone: that is a sure path to burnout if there ever was one. Paul strove to meet not just everyone’s needs, but their demands as well. I am sure he was exhausted. And yet, Paul tells us he continues in his ministry striving to be all things not so that he can boast or brag, but rather, in order to preach the gospel; to proclaim the message of redemption and wholeness offered in Jesus Christ. In the midst of everything he was doing, Paul remembered that ministry is never about us: It is about proclaiming the good news of God in Christ.
Returning to this morning’s gospel, we find that Jesus was able to cope with the demands and needs of the people by rising early each morning to get away for some quiet time to commune with his Father and our Father, in prayer: to wait upon the Lord in quiet with no distractions. A careful reading of Mark’s gospel shows that Jesus took this time for prayer and communion with God every day. It was his way of remembering for which purpose he came. When the disciples found Jesus in a deserted place, Mark tells us they told him, “Everyone is searching for you!” In other words, "What the heck are you doing out here? There’s work to be done!" Jesus responds saying, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” It’s not about meeting everyone’s needs, but rather, it is about proclaiming the message of Christ: Proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand. We choose to live our faith in ways that try to meet the needs of our community. But our work is never about social programs. It is about proclaiming the life-changing good news of God in Christ through our words, our thoughts and through our deeds. If we are ministering for any other reason than to proclaim that message, then we will, for certain, burnout and fall from exhaustion. Our Lord demonstrates that the only way to keep focused on the message before us is to seek to commune with God in prayer every day.
I am sure that some of you are thinking,“Oh, great! (Father Allan) has something more for us to do. My plate is already full and I’m tired and there just aren’t enough of us to go around.” We might say, “If we had more young people I might be able to find time to pray” or “if we had more funding we could hire people to handle our ministries and free up time for prayer. Besides, why doesn’t God pay attention and do something.” My friends, God tells us that we have all we need. The Psalmist says that God is not impressed by our deeds or our stamina. God takes pleasure in those who will wait for the Lord. In communing with God, in prayer, we will find direction and strength for the journey before us so that we can proclaim the good news of God.
The Prophet Isaiah brought God’s message to the despondent and broken people of Israel. In the midst of the devastating Babylonian captivity when their cities lay in ruin, their resources shattered, their lives uprooted, and people dying all around them from abuse and sickness, the people of Israel wondered if God was simply blind to their needs. God sends Isaiah to stand in the midst of God’s tired, worried and disheartened people, and proclaim the message we heard in our Old Testament reading this morning. Hear these words again as paraphrased by the New Living Bible:
“O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who wait for the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah says God knows how hard we labor. God knows our worries and limitations. God does not ignore us but seeks to commune with us as we open our hearts and minds to God in prayer. God promises that those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength and, my beloved, God always keeps God’s promises.
As this Season of the Epiphany begins to draw to its close, let us remember that our life together is not about what we do or how we do it, but rather, it is about coming together to wait for the Lord in prayer. Then, having waited as one united people, God’s Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen us for our ministry as Christ’s light in this community, and we will remember why we are here.
Our Lord said, “Let us go on … so that I may proclaim the message…for that is what I came to do.” We go forth to proclaim the message of God’s kingdom: God’s message of redemption, of God’s unconditional love, God’s welcome, and God’s abundant grace: for that is what we have received. And proclaiming it to our community doesn’t depend upon our strength, our money, or even our buildings because it comes from God’s love that has been grafted into our hearts. God’s love is what we have received and what we have been called to proclaim. “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength.” Now, “Let us go on … so that we may proclaim the message … for that is what WE have come to do.” Amen.
RSS Feed