February 5, 2006
What a day to preach ....
- The readings are full of potential,
- The bishop is coming next week,
- and its Superbowl Sunday ....
The readings today give us plenty to reflect on. Especially in THIS time and place ... and in a world which is less than perfect.
The prophet Isaiah KNEW the people of his day were weary. They were in their desert exile, and were beginning to doubt. They wondered if God really DID care for them (some were even wondering if God existed at all, or if this was just some wild goose chase started by Moses).
And they DESPERATELY needed some assurance that God was still in control - and that he CARED about them
and their situation.
So the prophet ISAIAH tried to offer them some comfort.
He assured them that God was STILL with them, and in fact was all around them .was in everything they encountered on their journey. And he inspired them to keep the faith, and be patient. That God WOULD answer their prayers, and let them know the freedom and peace they wanted so badly.
And he drew their attention to the eagles, which they had all seen soaring free and majestic above them .. and said THAT >>> THAT is your reward. THAT is what it will be like for you, if only you stay true to God, and trust that he is at work.
And what Isaiah gave in this poem (Isaiah 40:21-31), was encouragement, hope and power. Not just to weary travelers in a desert exile, but all of us in all times and all ages. Isaiah assures us that God HAS the power, and in the very next verse he tells us that God GIVES that power to the faint and weary. GOD has the power, and GOD gives the power.
Those who try and live under their own power (their own devices) eventually break down, because NOBODY can make it through this life on their own. The challenges and obstacles are too great for us to carry on our own.
Paul makes a similar observation in the letter to the
Corinthians (1 Cor 9:16-23), when he says "its not all about me". And that is a message we can ALL learn from ... that its not all about us. That it is about something greater.
We who gather here week after week, KNOW that. We come together to recognize that our place in this world is
minor. And that those things which often cause us the most anxiety, are really NOT all that important.
The one thing we are called to do (which is THE most important calling any of us can hold) is to share the gospel. To use our imperfect selves and our meager resources for that one purpose. And it may sound like an impossible task ... but it is possible.
And we have comfort and encouragement from the scriptures (like the words from Isaiah, and Paul, and many others). And the stories of Jesus, and all he was able accomplish in his time with us. And we also have each other ...
Because while we are called as individuals (and share a personal relationship with God), we are also called into COMMUNITY with others. And it's the others - the people around us in this place (and in the wider Anglican church in the diocese and the country and beyond), who we look to for comfort and encouragement (giving and receiving) - and also to share the load.
Which is why NEXT Sunday is so important for us:
The bishop IS coming ... he is our spiritual leader, our chief pastor, and the one who is our link to the people and parishes around the diocese (and of us to them). And it is
important to have our bishop visit us ... because we are NOT called to do any of this alone.
All of which brings me to today .... SUPERBOWL !!!
WHY - someone once asked me.
WHY do you get so excited about the Superbowl ? Its just another football game ...
Well ... for me, Superbowl is a celebration of TEAMWORK. A group of individuals lining up together. Working together - to achieve a common goal. Each member of the team with a different responsibility (some more visible than others) ... but all responsible for the success of the team.
More than once we've heard players thank the coaches and the medical trainers, and many of those "other" members of the team we don't see on the field.
When I was a kid, I remember seeing a post-game interview, where one of the winning players thanked "the locker room staff for the fresh towels at half time ... because it helped him clean off the disappointing first half, and make a fresh start in the second half.
And THAT is what the church is all about. A group of individuals (some on the field, some not). All working together for a common goal. Only our goal is not some trophy, or a title, or bragging rights ... our goal is much more spectacular than that.
Our goal is to BE what God intended us to be as a parish. Some members (and ministries) more visible than others .... but all still PART of the team.
Its what we are called to do. And so I get excited about Superbowl because it is recognition of the best TEAM in Football. And also (in some small way) I see it as a celebration of the teamwork WE have here at St. Andrew's.
From the wonderful liturgies we share each and every Sunday, to the one-on-one visits made by members with each other during the week.
From the community building social-events
to the bedside vigils with familiy.
From the bulletins and service guides which are lovingly (and creatively) produced each week, to the football pool (and the tremendous generosity you have shown in supporting ministry in rather unique ways).
From those who care for the inside and outside of our building, to those who support this place (and our ministry) in a variety of ways.
We celebrate ALL of that ....
and (most importantly)
the one whose name we carry as we do.
