Roger Lynn
October 16, 2016
(click here for the audio for this sermon)
Jesus had had enough. He just couldn’t take any more. He had watched while the religious leaders in positions of power and authority presented the appearance of faithfulness without having that faithfulness reflected in the actual living of their lives. They were abusing their power and others were suffering as a result. So Jesus takes the courageous step of speaking the truth to power and warns people not to follow the path of their example. In so doing he joins his voice with the prophets of old, who had spoken similar words under similar circumstances several hundred years before. And all these hundreds and thousands of years later, such words still resonate with us because we still see this reality going on around us (and, if we are honest with ourselves, even within us). There is so much disconnection in our world and in our lives, where the values we hold dear are simply not being translated into action.
What I find attractive about these words from Jesus is not primarily the ‘someone getting what they deserve’ factor (although there is a certain satisfying thrill which I’m not altogether proud of). What I really find hopeful, and where I want to focus my attention, is the awareness which motivates and drives Jesus and all the prophets who came before him. Behind his words is the understanding that the world doesn’t have to be this way, that it is possible to live with integrity, that faith and action can be connected, and that life actually works better when we live in this reality. If the only thing we find in the words of Jesus is someone yelling at the ‘bad’ people, then we probably need to move on, because there isn’t really much enduring value in that. And, in fact, if that’s all there was to it, he likely would not have bothered in the first place. He was seeking fundamental change for the way things are, and was not prone to giving his energy to lost causes. His words have had staying power precisely because another way is possible. Life can be different.
Living with integrity also requires courage, because it means exposing who I really am to the world. I can’t live a life of integrity where my faith and my actions are connected and in sync while at the same time staying safely tucked away in a corner where no one will notice me. It means being willing to take a stand for what I believe. It means being willing to challenge the status quo when people are suffering. And it means being willing to actually engage with the very people I would really rather avoid and ignore.
So we find ourselves conflicted. On the one hand we long to live lives of integrity in a world filled with integrity, because that is who we are really created to be as human beings. And on the other hand it is a challenging and frightening and risky way to live. Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we’re scared. Sometimes we just don’t have the energy. And, when we are honest, we recognize that life simply doesn’t work very well unless and until we do. We won’t always get it right. We won’t always even remember to try. But the world simply cannot afford for us to do anything less than give it our best shot.
Singer/songwriter Jewel put it this way in her song, ‘Life Uncommon’:
And lend your voices only
To sounds of freedom
No longer lend your strength
To that which you wish
To be free from
Fill your lives
With love and bravery
And we shall lead
A life uncommon
There are plenty of people
Who pray for peace
But if praying were enough
It would’ve come to be
Let your words enslave no one
And the heavens will hush themselves
To hear our voices ring out clear
With sounds of freedom
This is a choice we make as individuals when we seek to discover ways of living that give our lives meaning and purpose. We strive to align our values and our actions in order to make a difference in the world. It is also a choice we make as a congregation when we seek to discover the particular path of mission and ministry which will give meaning and purpose to the life of Plymouth Congregational Church in Helena, Montana. We seek to be a congregation that extends radical welcome and hospitality to all of God’s children. We strive to be a congregation that works for peace and justice in our community and our world. Figuring out what it means to live that out is an ongoing process. In a few weeks we will have an opportunity to explore all of this as we come together on Saturday, October 29th for the All-Church Retreat which will conclude our Visioning Process. We must continue to find ways to allow our faith to shape and transform our ministry. Where will we get involved? How will we touch people’s lives? What are the ways in which we will seek to bring healing and wholeness to the world?
So, both personally and as a congregation, may we pay attention to our lives and our living. May we pay attention to the connection which we share with God, with the world, with each other and with ourselves. May we strive always to discover ways to match our actions with our best intentions. May we live with integrity so that we might truly be alive. May we join with Jesus and all the countless others down through the years who believed that when we connect faith and action the world really can be a better place. Amen.
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