DO YOU SHARE YOUR STUFF?
JEREMIAH 23: 1-6
MARK 6: 30-37
JULY 21, 2023
“[1]Just give me one thing that I can hold on to. To believe in! This livin’ is just a hard way to go.”
Yes, another series of song lyrics for the morning … this time one of John Prine’s thought provoking songs from the 1970’s that I was quickly adding to a couple of my personal playlists yesterday because I was thinking about life and faith and God.
Do you think about it? The reality friends … of life … your life not my life nor your neighbor’s life but your life in general. Are you focused on who you are and how you are living life each day? Ever considering life’s relationship to God and your faith?
Do you consider the full circle of life often? Or do you ever even think about it? You know … your place … your direction … your responsibilities. Perhaps, just those expectations associated with living as a human being out in a community with neighbors whom you know and don’t know? With strangers? Are your actions, words and social media posts aligned with your faith … your CHRISTIAN FAITH as taught by Jesus or is your faith just the occasional time spent in church and then you feel that you are set free to do whatever you want out in the world just ensuring … just making sure that you fit in with people you like or who are like you?
And do you spend moments in your Bible devotions or in your prayer life or when you are worshiping considering what you need to do so that your real-world life is reflective of your faith life? Do you seriously consider Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 28 verses 19 and 20, or in Mark’s Gospel chapter 16 verse 15? Have you spent some time contemplating Jesus’ words about eternal life in Luke chapter 10? Of course, you probably associate with what Jesus told Simon Peter in John chapter 21 directly with today’s Gospel and then also of course to your own life’s responsibilities. I frequently reference Acts chapter 1 verse 8 here on Sunday’s so I would hope that you almost know that Scripture by heart and are actively accepting Jesus’ directive because it certainly wasn’t a mere suggestion to take on during a sunny day only inside a church building.
Have you examined what life is when we become overly focused on the world around us … when we align with the world and the world’s lusting for stuff, the desires of the world community, global greed, wanting exclusive power, and energetically sorting out humans whom we call neighbors into teams identified by some humans we have given power to into the good side and the bad side of humanity … that of course is in their opinion not God’s. Websites and alignments and voices that create a deep dividing line in the human condition are destroying the opportunity for peace globally and in our nation … the truth is that kind of world really does make living a hard way to go.
GIVE ME ONE THING THAT I can HOLD ON TO!
I would hope that this body … this collective … this church called St. Paul’s … all of us … have figured it out. I pray that we are not seduced by the world’s shouting and not fooled by those attempting to sign us up to their side, which opposes any other side each and every day. I am pretty sure that we have figured it out, this is a loving and welcoming church … we are holding onto God and to Jesus Christ and calling on the Holy Spirit not some featured personality to give us hope … to bring us peace and direct us towards loving God and ALL of our neighbors with each breath we have.
We only have to turn to our opening Scripture for today from Jeremiah to sense God’s concern … “WATCH OUT watch out you shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture. You are the ones who have scattered my flock and driven them away! I will take revenge on you for the terrible things you have done to them.”
I wish I could begin to understand how we have returned to an era when the scattering of humanity seems to be the global focus of the headliners and the most amazing thing to me is that in this era of excess information that millions of people are lining up to help scatter others across the plains of the planet pushing them away as if they have the black plague loudly condemning other humans all created in God’s Holy Image just like we are … name calling, judging, mocking, and claiming to be better humans than the ones they are striving to push out of their way. There is a lack of cohesion … a refusal to work together … absolutely the clarion call is to demonstrate no love for all neighbors because the only vocal shouts that are heard these days is to only love for those who are like us. It seems that the voices who endorse love and justice. God’s message, for all are being mocked with teenage fervor rather than being joined by everyone.
Actually, we see it in our churches too … we hear it from those who are excitedly creating new places they call church because in their worlds it is all about separating out those they don’t like … tossing aside those who are not their mirror images … judging with a fervent vocal energy while denying that judging is their motive and pushing every day folks … out … scattering the sheep of God’s pasture out … driving them away from the God of love … leaving a public perception that lessens Jesus Christ’s entire Gospel message while lifting up their judgment on targeted individuals.
Is it any wonder that church attendance is down … that the latest statistics are these friends …. [2]FIFTY SEVEN PERCENT of AMERICANS seldom or NEVER attend any religious services … only TWENTY PERCENT attend a worship service every week. FORTY PERCENT of MILLENNIALS are RELIGIOUSLY UNAFFILIATED, which means they don’t call themselves Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu or anything … 40 PERCENT but of course 57% of the entire group of Americans seldom or NEVER attend any religious service.
And, the song calls out … “Make me an angel.”
I debated mentioning Megan today. It’s a Megan Pretzel Sunday because Megan heard that the individual who previously funded our Pretzel Sunday wasn’t going to buy the pretzels for St. Paul’s any longer so she turned to us and said “I want to buy the pretzels for St. Paul’s so that we can have pretzel Sunday.” So, using her limited SSI funds Megan gave the money and we continue to purchase them in her name.
Megan who would have turned 39 in a few weeks understood God’s call to love ALL of our neighbors better than anyone I have ever met. She didn’t care who you were … she would hug you with love and energy. Some may say it was her ‘dis-ABILITY’ but I proclaim that Megan had an ability to understand that God’s message of love … that Jesus Christ’s teaching to cross over to the other side to help anyone … that the clear and concise teaching of the Torah or Micah and of the Gospels to not judge but to love was reflected in her hugs, her selflessness, and in living as a Christian should live.
“Make me an angel …” so the song goes. I had one in her.
How many of you received Meg’s hugs? She hugged AIDS ravaged prostitutes on the streets of Atlantic City … she hugged homeless alcoholics whose stench could be noticed for blocks … she hugged United States’ Senators and had a special hugging relationship with one New Jersey Governor! She hugged the superstar and the never had a chance. She did not care what your politics were … what your race was … where you came from … whether you had money … she had compassion for all and never judged anyone. She merely tried to showcase God’s love through her cerebral palsied body’s warm hugs.
Are you showing that same kind of love for all of your neighbors? Are you focused on being invitational to all of your neighbors? What are you sharing from your faith walk …
Or are you trying to find a place to separate out those you disagree with or those you have been told to dislike or to judge keeping them far away from your precious secluded space? Do others notice your easily shared love for all or are they hearing your judgment on those you disagree with seeing that you are trying to align with one side versus the other?
In today’s Gospel lesson we heard the disciples attempting to diminish the teaching of Jesus by doing what so many church goers do … judging. “Send them away they said and let them buy something for themselves!” Those disciples were focused on scattering the flock and driving them away for their own benefit. They then complained how much it would cost to feed the crowd. Some refuse to take on church missions saying the people served should care for thsemselves. Let the poor figure it out.
Jesus proclaimed … “YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT!”
If we had read further into this story we would have heard the familiar miracle of the loaves and fishes. The disciples were not willing to share … they were worried about the costs from their wallets … JESUS PROCLAIMED “YOU … and YOU and YOU … GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT!!”
Today and tomorrow and the next day … Jesus is calling on those of us with faith to live our lives as those who love God … love our neighbors … and who give others something to EAT rather than to condemn them for who they are because think about that … if you are condemned or mocked or put down for who you are either directly or indirectly why would you want to align with those who are judging or mocking or belittling you …
A quick question … how many of you have a favorite Bible verse? Ok, how about a favorite Bible story? After church today … I would like you to share it with someone either here in church or on your Facebook page or with a neighbor. Share the story that carries the most meaning … the verse that matters … start the habit of living your life by sharing your faith. Become invitational … invite others to come to this loving church with you … invite kids to VBS and drive them … volunteer to help Elaine and Mary Ann at VBS … HOLD ONTO GOD and in doing so you will sense God’s love and then you will understand why God from the beginning of Scriptures until the end was consistent in teaching us to reject the world … to love God and to love all of our neighbors showcasing our faith in all that we do.
Jeremiah shared God’s message … “I will raise up a righteous descendant from David’s line and He will do what is just and right in the land.” Friends his name is Jesus … he showed love for all … fed the hungry and taught us to love as He did. AMEN