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Pastor Eric Fjeldal's September 2010 Sunday Sermons
Pastor Eric's sermons are presented here in reverse chronological order...in other words, the most recent sermons are at the top of the list, working backwards through time.
Sept. 26th: "What God Sees and Hears"
Luke 16:19-31
Shortly before moving to New Canaan, I went on a Volunteer in Missions trip to Haiti. It was one of those life changing experiences. One of the things I remember from that trip was the people and their consistent message of “Remember us; please do not forget us.” While speaking with my fellow travelers who had been to Haiti before I was told, “they will not forget you. They may not remember you name, but they will know your story; how many daughters who have, that you are a pastor, things like that.” Before leaving I bought a souvenir; a wooden bell. I bought it because of what it says. “No one listens to the cry of the poor, or the sound of a wooden bell.” It sits on my desk and reminds me that we do not really hear the cries of the poor and the suffering. We see and hear the crisis, the earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes; and most of the time we respond, generously. What we do not see and hear is the day to day suffering. We are not alone in this; nor is it unique to our world today. This inability to hear and see is for me the underlying issue of this morning’s parable.
It is tempting to see this morning’s parable as rich versus poor, with the message being the rich will suffer later while the poor will be rewarded later. It is about much, much more. It is about seeing the poor and the suffering, keeping them visible before us; having their existence influence and impact the way we live, including the choices we make.
If you read all of the parables you will discover “Lazarus is the only person in any of Jesus’ parables to be given a name. (Charles B. Cousar, Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3, pg.117) What this tells us is those who are poor and suffering matter to God. Some would argue the poor are given preferential treatment, in that God loves them more. I don’t believe that is true. I do believe that if we desire to be faithful, the poor and suffering must matter to us. Lazarus does no matter to the rich man. He is of no importance. The rich man “is not disdainful of Lazarus, he simply doesn’t notice him. (Helen Montgomery Debevoise, Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3, pg. 120) This is true when Lazarus is alive sitting at the entrance of the rich man’s palace and later after he is dead.
Even after death, when the rich man gazes across the abyss to see Lazarus in Abraham’s
bosom, he speaks of the poor man in the third person – as if he were not there.
(Scott Bade- Saye, Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3, pg. 116)
What is also interesting is the rich man wants Lazarus to serve him. He sees Lazarus as an object for his own purposes. He makes two requests to Abraham involving Lazarus; send him to bring me water, send him to warn my brothers. Both of these are a reminder of how one behaves when he does not see another for who he or she is.
During all of this, Lazarus is lying in Abraham’s bosom which is another reminder of how God sees and comforts those who suffer and the challenge this creates for us. Scott Bade-Sayer says it this way.
The text presents us with the great moral challenge of seeing, and then making visible,
the invisible suffering of the world. Indeed this may be one of our most important moral challenges today. Our global network of communication allows us to be more aware of the world’s suffering than ever before, but we have become adept at ignoring suffering that is
at our doorstep. Maybe in fact, these two things are connected; the more we become voyeurs upon the faraway sufferings of others, the more impotent we feel to do anything about pain
and injustice. Despair and cynicism tempt to close our eyes to suffering and shut down our overloaded sympathies.
(Scott Bade-Sayer, Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3, pg.116)
Those of us who have done Midnight Runs know they are not the solution to the problem of homelessness. They are an opportunity to offer some hope for that night. Perhaps just as importantly Midnight Runs keep the plight of the poor before us. Time and again those doing the Run are reminded that the most important thing is interacting with those on the street, looking them in the eye and talking with them. I remember a particular incident on a Run that I participated in about ten years ago. There was this man who went on the Run because his wife thought it would be good for him. You can imagine his commitment. He was a very reluctant participant who showed little enthusiasm. This gentleman and I were bringing lunches to the people and inviting them to come to the truck for clothes, soup and other items. We were walking in front of this office building when he stopped dead in his tracks. I asked him what was wrong and eh said to me, “This is my office building. Every morning I step over this guy, grumbling about what a nuisance he is. I will never look at this man in the same way again.”
Reflecting on the meaning of the great chasm that is referenced in this passage, I am reminded of the words of Mother Teresa, “if you cannot see Jesus in the eyes of the poor, you cannot see him in the Eucharist.” Roger Thurow tells a story about looking into the eyes of a five year old that is starving to death. He writes:
He weighed just 27 pounds when he arrived at the clinic – the very portrait of famine:
swollen head, bone-thin arms and legs. His eyes, remarkable in a frightening way, were
deep black holes. No hint of playfulness. No baleful beseeching. They were empty, lifeless.
He then quotes Volli Carucci of the United Nations World Food Program who said,
“Looking into the eyes of someone dying of hunger becomes a disease of the soul.
(Roger Thurow, Christian Century, August 24, 2010, pg. 22)
The chasm exists because we do not want to look into the eyes of the poor. It makes us uncomfortable and distresses us as it reminds us that no matter how much we do, it is not enough. When we talk about what we do what we are doing, we are rationalizing our lifestyle. This is a form of our trying to save ourselves. Rather than doing this, we would be better off to admit that we all can and need to do a better job of hearing and seeing those who suffer.
Our need to do a better job reminds us yet again of our need for God’s grace. The pursuit of our own salvation makes it impossible for us like the rich man to see and hear others, or receive God’s gift of grace. The pursuit of our salvation perpetuates the chasm. This is why the writer of the parable has Abraham saying, “They had Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” (Luke 16:29). “If they did not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” (Luke 16:31)
No one can make us listen or see God of the world’s suffering. Our listening or trying to listen, like our seeing or trying to see is a choice; a choice to remember and not forget. As Fredrick Buechner reminds us:
When you remember me, it means that you carry some mark of who I am with you,
that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are.
For as long as you remember me, I am never entirely lost.
(Fredrick Buechner, Listening To Your Life, pg. )
So, let us seek to remember and respond. Let us trust, not in our noble acts, but the grace God offers; that we may discover in some small way how the chasm can be lessened and the world’s suffering can be addressed. This can and will happen, once we begin to see what God sees and hear what God hears. Amen.
Sept 19th:"It's Not Always Obvious"
Luke 16: 1-13
This parable is known by many different names. Whether you call it the “Parable of the Dishonest Steward”, “The Shrewd Manager”, or “The Prudent Treasurer”, it doesn’t change the fact that it is the probably the most difficult parable to understand. On the one hand, we want to praise the steward for his decisive action. He saw a crisis and responded resourcefully. On the other hand, he was not a very respectable character. He cheats his boss to save his own skin. Add to this the verses that follow at the end of this parable and we are left with some not so obvious themes and learnings including:
the importance of being shrewd, in the sense of using what is entrusted to us
to serve a larger goal.
the importance of the riches entrusted to our care.
in order to be where you want to be in the future, how you handle today counts.
(Helen Montgomery Debevoise, Feasting On the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3 pg. 94)
One thing is clear this parable is not a statement about the morality of the steward. It is a reminder of the importance of exhibiting sharp judgment.
As I have said before it is important to remember that each Gospel writer has an agenda, in that each writer is writing at a particular time to a particular community, which means each Gospel is put together to make a point. The writer arranges the stories in a particular sequence. This morning’s parable follows immediately after “The Prodigal Son.” Both of these parables have common themes; wealth and forgiveness.
The writer of Luke regards money as a problem. The power of money to make people to make people do wrong is a constant theme throughout Luke’s Gospel. He says it plainly; “you cannot serve God and wealth.” (Luke 16:13). Verse 14 continues this theme stating; “The Pharisees who were lovers of money.” Helen Montgomery Debevoise writes this about the Pharisees.
Leaders of the chosen people, keepers of the treasurer of God, they were like the dishonest steward. They had lost their vision of who God had called them to be. They had traded their
call to be God’s people to become servant of the treasures of the present day. Controlled by wealth, by money, even by complacency, they had blended into society and lost their vision.
(Helen Montgomery Debevoise, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol.4, pg. 94)
Can the same by said of us? Kay Sylvester writes these words of warning.
“When we get anxious about money, status, power, what letters come before or
after our name, what kind of car we drive, what brand of clothes we wear; when
we get anxious about those things, we end up using our best skills for ourselves alone.”
While no hero, the dishonest steward is not unfamiliar to us; nor is the rich man who praises his manager’s shrewdness.
The message is not that it is right to model such dishonest behavior. We are not to be shrewd in the same dishonest way. Thinking we are will cause us to miss the point. The point is forgiveness; the radical nature of God’s grace. What some would call “the ridiculous nature of God’s grace, and our call to live in it.” (Kay Sylvester) The same radical grace that is present in the story of the Prodigal Son is present in this story. This grace is not tied to what the recipient does or does not do. This grace is simply offered by God whether or not we understand why.
Luke 16: 8 ends with these words: “for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” The children of light are those who begin to understand the meaning and gift of grace. They are being warned again about the dangers of wealth, of not being good stewards of what has been entrusted to them. Children of this age use what they have for self-promotion. Children of light use what they have for the larger good as they seek to glorify God. When we do the same, we will be amazed at what God’s grace can achieve when it comes to offering healing, reconciling and truth telling in the here and now.
The message is clear:
How we live right now has important consequences for God’s kingdom.
How we live includes the friends we choose, how we spend our time, and how we use our wealth. This should not be news to us. (Jennifer Copeland, Christian Century, September 7, 2004, pg. 21)
God’s love, grace, mercy and justice are far greater than anything we are capable of; which is one of the reasons why we need them so and why God offers them so freely. It is also why were called to be shrewd about recognizing God’s grace and sharing it; freely offering it to others.
This is so because it is not about whether or not we think the recipient appreciates it, or understands it, or is worthy of it. Nor is it about whether or not we will benefit from our shrewdness. It is about the quality of our responsiveness; as we struggle with trying to understand more completely how the way we handle the riches entrusted to us today impacts tomorrow, and also why it is we are to use what has been entrusted to us to serve a larger goal. The reasons why won’t always be obvious to us. That need not be our concern or focus. Remember it is not about whether or not we think others are worthy. What matters is that God thinks they and we are worth; not because of what we do, but because of the One who claims us and all people and responds offering forgiveness and healing that empowers us to sense what is needed and then respond. Amen.
Sept. 12th: "Get Found and Join the Celebration"
Luke 15: 1-10
We all know what it is like to find something we thought was lost forever. I was reminded of this during this past week. One day last week, I lost one of my “jump drives” or “travel drives”; that little stick we all store information on for our computers. I looked all over for it, in my office here at the church, the office at the parsonage and of course in my computer case. I actually wound up cleaning my desk in the process. I looked in drawers, behind things and of course all the corners of my computer case. I couldn’t find it; and while it wasn’t the end of the world, it did mean I was going to have to recreate a number of documents that I regularly use. I decided to stop looking, believing that things have a way of being found when you stop looking for them. I still didn’t find it. On Tuesday, I decided to look in my computer case again. I reached into a small pocket in the case, felt around and there it was. I found it! My search was over and the feeling of gratitude and thanksgiving overwhelmed me. I called Renee at work and told her saying, “this is going to mean a lot more to me, then you, but I found it. I found my computer stick!”
It is tempting to see these parables in the same way; to think that we are the ones doing the searching. Doing this would be a mistake; for we are not the shepherd looking for the lost sheep, nor are we the woman looking for the lost coin. Scott Bader-Says states it this way:
We might imagine that these parables encourage our searching, so that we might
find what we have lost. The parables in fact do something else.
They make us, the sinners, not the searchers but the lost object, lost not in the
subjective sense of not knowing where we are, but in the objective sense of having
become the object of another’s search. That is, we are lost to someone, who is,
we are assured, seeking us.
(Scott Bader-Saye, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol. 4, pg. 72)
This morning’s parables take on new meaning when we see ourselves as the lost sheep or coin. The reality is, there really is no ninety-nine. All of us are in one way or another among the lost. In the same way, each of us is also like the Pharisees and scribes. This is so because from time to time we have all been good at avoiding and being less than totally honest.
When asked how we are, how often do we say fine even when we are not?
Haven’t we all kept busy as a way of not looking at or addressing certain issues?
Don’t we all let people get only so close and no closer?
We have all at some time labeled people as insiders and outsiders and based our relationships on merit instead of mercy. Think about it.
We have all belittled, demeaned or mocked another.
We have all failed to defend the honor of a friend.
We have all failed to keep a confidence.
We have all failed to follow through on a promise.
We have all failed to listen to another.
We have all harbored some resentment.
We have all thought someone got what he or she deserved.
We have all smiled secretly, rejoicing over someone’s misfortune.
We only trust and rely on God to a point.
We have all obsessed about things beyond our control instead of turning them over to God.
We have failed to trust or try to fully forgive another person.
We have all almost done something to help alleviate the world’s suffering,
then didn’t do it because it would have taken us out of our comfort zone.
For these and other reasons, we are guilty of trying to save ourselves instead of allowing ourselves to be found.
I use the phrase “not allowing ourselves to be found” intentionally. While it is true that it is God who actively searches and finds us, we are not to sit passively and wait. We are called to an open and active receptivity that turns to the finder (that is repents) but does not do the finding. We need to be attentive to the voice of the one who calls. Our seeking is but our willingness to be found.
(Scott Bader-Saye, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol.4, pg. 70)
There is a freedom in admitting that we need to be found. There is also a deepening of our appreciation for community, as we come to see that we don’t need to prove we are better than. Instead we can celebrate our common bond with all God’s people. The message to the scribe and Pharisee who resides within each of us is, learn to rejoice. Rejoicing happens when the community is complete and there is no such category as the one and the ninety-nine.
(G. Penny Nixon, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol. 4, pg.73)
Jesus invites the righteous, the Pharisees and scribes, to the celebration. In order to join the celebration they and we need to repent.
Neither a sheep nor a coin can repent. Whether one will join the celebration is
all-important, because it reveals whether one’s relationships are based on merit
or mercy. Those who find God’s mercy offensive cannot celebrate. Thus they
exclude themselves from God’s grace. The Pharisees and the scribes put themselves
outside the circle of divine grace by the way they grumble at Jesus’ fellowship with
tax collectors and sinners. Though they are invited to the party they cannot bring
themselves to come.
(Charles B. Cousar, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol. 4 pg. 73)
The Pharisees and scribes don’t recognize that they are lost, so they do not put themselves in a position to be found. That does not mean God stops searching for them or us. We are all lost; sometimes it is more obvious than others. In those moments when we do recognize that we are lost, it is then that we are able to hear God’s call, “Get found!” Get found, come to the party and join the celebration. Amen.
Sept. 5th: "A Work In Progress"
Jeremiah 18: 1-11
We all remember the events of September 11, 2001. The phrase itself evokes memories and emotions. We are coming upon the ninth anniversary and the events of that day are still very much in the news. The proposed building of a Mosque and Cultural Center two blocks from the site has raised a wide range of emotions.
I wonder how many remember the remarks made by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson following the events of that day, proclaiming that America got what we deserved because of our hedonistic ways. They received a lot of flak for what they said and eventually they publically recanted their remarks. Still their beliefs which spurred the remarks continued to be reflected in their ministries. I mention this to remind us that we can all be guilty of using scripture to serve personal agendas. It is one of the things that happen when people hold on to hurtful beliefs.
This is one of the reasons why our understanding of God and faith need to evolve for us personally and as a community of faith. While it is very tempting to interpret this passage as an individual call, Jeremiah is addressing the life of the community and how God is actively involved in shaping the community. Commenting on this passage, Sally Brown writes: God means to shape the community of faith in its collective social, religious, and political life to serve divine purposes. (Sally Brown; Feasting On the Word, Year C, Vol. 4 pg. 27)
The image of a potter reminds us just how invested God is. Despite what some like to profess, God is not detached or indifferent. God is involved, often times more than we realize. Like the potter, God gets dirty, as God touches and is touched by creation simply because God is interactive with humanity and all of creation.
This is not the same as saying and believing that God is the grand puppeteer. We have free will and choice which means:
God does not dictate the day to day actions of our lives.
God does not determine what happens to us and creation.
nor does God punish or reward us for the choices we make.
It is not that God will bless us if we do such and so; it is that we are called to bless God. It is not about whether or not God is on our side. Rather it is about whether or not we are on God’s side. Being on God’s side is a choice; a by-product of having free will.
Being on God’s side means allowing God’s will to mold us and living with the creative tension that is a part of being molded. It means embracing the notion of our being imperfect while in the words of John Wesley, “moving on toward perfection.” Embracing our imperfections leads to our evolving relationship with God. Macrina Wiederheher commenting on our condition says, “All too often we bemoan our imperfections rather than embrace them as part of the process by which we are brought to God.”
Looking at it this way we can embrace this creative tension as a gift.
Tension is God’s gift to us, a gift that sometimes will not permit us to escape its presence.
I believe that our creative energies are activated by just that kind of upsetting tension.
It is in responding to this gnawing discomfort that we have the possibility of giving shape
to dreams that are at once faithful to who we are and who we can become.
(Paula Ripple, Growing Strong at Broken Places)
Again, we need to remember that we are talking about the community and the individual. Our faith is not an individualistic faith. It is a corporate or communal faith; so there is accountability toward each other that our culture minimizes. In this spirit, it is important for us to ask questions such as:
Are we open to allowing God to mold us as a faith community?
What do we need to do differently to open ourselves to God?
What ways and doing do we need to amend?
These are not easy questions to answer. They bring an anxiety and tension that comes with the call to change. It is one thing to sing, “Have thy own way, Lord”; another to truly invite God in. We are more likely to let God in if we remember this morning’s prayer.
O God in mystery and silence you are present in our lives,
bringing new life out of destruction, hope out of despair and growth out of difficulty.
We thank you that you do not leave us alone, but labor to make us whole.
Help us to perceive your unseen hand in the unfolding of our lives,
and to attend to the gentle guidance of your Spirit
that we may know the joy you give all your people. Amen.
In this morning’s passage we find these interesting words uttered by God, “I will change my mind.” The thought that God changes God’s mind can be unsettling. It is the kind of talk that can rock the foundation upon which our faith is built. This phrase does not refer to whether or not mean God punishes or rewards based on our behavior. It means something deeper; for while the basic building blocks of our relationship with God remain the same, I believe the way God interacts with the world is constantly changing and evolving. In much the same way the potter reworks the clay, God is ever reworking in the world, laboring to make humanity whole.
There is a hope in this; a healing and restoration that we only partly see and experience. But where we dare to open ourselves to it, where we dare to think of ourselves as “a work in progress”, we can and will be amazed at the ways God molds and restores humanity. This is so because they are happening all the time and they happen as a gift.
It is God’s nature to continue to remold that which God has created, and we are invited to be a part of this new creation. We can’t really be a part of this new creation until or unless we own that we are a work in progress. By owning this, we can come to know more fully who we are and seek to discover who we can become, simply by opening ourselves to God’s remolding love, grace and mercy. We are called to do this in our personal lives and also in our life together that together we may become an even more faithful community of healing, hope and love. Amen.
