ELEVENTH PENTECOST

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (SERIES A)


I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN
BY SHARING SOME OBSERVATIONS WITH YOU
AND THEN ATTEMPT
TO TIE THOSE OBSERVATIONS
TO THE SCRIPTURES
WE HAVE JUST HEARD

IN BIBLICAL TIMES
WHEN ABRAHAM LIVED
WHEN MOSES LIVED
WHEN JESUS LIVED
THE GODS WERE THOUGHT TO DWELL
IN HIGH PLACES
THESE PLACES WERE CALLED
MT OLYMPUS OR HEAVEN
OR THE FIRMAMENT OR PARADISE
SO SHRINES WERE BUILT IN HIGH PLACES
TO WORSHIP THE GODS.

CONVERSELY
SOME OF THE GODS WERE THOUGHT
TO DWELL UNDERGROUND
IN THE WORLD OF THE DEAD
IN PLACES CALLED HELL OR HADES
OR THE UNDERWORLD


THE FIRST WORDS OF JESUS
TO SIMON PETER WERE
COME BE MY DISCIPLE
HIS LAST WORDS TO PETER WERE
COME FOLLOW ME.
EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
BETWEEN THOSE TWO CHALLENGES
PETER NEVER FAILED TO FOLLOW
EVEN THOUGH HE OFTEN STUMBLED.







IN CHAPTER 26 OF MATTHEW
WE SEE PETER
IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE
BRAVE ENOUGH
TO WIELD A SWORD
AND CUT OFF
THE EAR OF THE HIGH PRIEST'S SERVANT'
BUT IN THE SAME CHAPTER
PETER
STANDING IN THE HIGH PRIEST'S COURTYARD
WITHERS UNDER THE SCORNING GAZE
OF A SERVANT GIRL
WITHERS TO THE POINT
THAT HE SWEARS
THAT HE DOES NOT KNOW THE MAN



ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO
I WAS A WITNESS
TO A CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT.

I HAD COME TO HELP MY FRIEND
AND HIS SON--IN-LAW
CONSTRUCT A GARAGE.

THE SON-IN-LAW
WAS INSTALLING A STEEL BEAM
ABOUT A THOUSAND POUNDS
AND DIDN'T WANT ANYONE AROUND
PREFERRING TO WORK ALONE
SO HE SENT HIS FATHER-IN-LAW
AND ME FOR SUPPLIES
WHEN WE CAME BACK
THE STEEL BEAM HAD FALLEN ON HIM
QUICKLY WE CALLED 911
AND THEN TRIED TO LIFT THE BEAM.
IT WAS TOO HEAVY
WE COULDN'T DO IT
SO WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE RESCUE SQUAD
I WENT AND HELD HIS HAND
AND SAID THE LORD'S PRAYER
OUT LOUD IN TO HIS EAR.
I CONTINUED HOLDING HIS HAND
AND PRAYING OUT LOUD
UNTIL THE RESCUE SQUAD CAME
WHEN THEY CAME
THEY PRONOUNCED HIM DEAD

THEN THEY ASKED ME TO LEAVE
AND AS I LEFT A GREAT NUMBNESS
AND QUIET AND EMPTINESS
DESCENDED UPON ME.
I SAID TO MY FRIEND
I FEEL NUMB.
HE SAID
SO DO I

AFTER THAT INCIDENT
I DISCUSSED THE EMPTY FEELING
WITH SEVERAL CLERGY FRIENDS OF MINE
THEY SAID IT WAS A COMMON FEELING
THAT THEY ALL HAD SHARED


LISTEN CLOSELY
AS I RE-READ
A PORTION
OF OUR FIRST READING


THE WORD OF THE LORD SAID TO ME
GO OUT
AND STAND ON THE MOUNTAIN
BEFORE THE LORD,
FOR THE LORD IS ABOUT TO PASS BY.

NOW THERE WAS A GREAT WIND,
SO STRONG THAT IT WAS SPLITTING MOUNTAINS
AND BREAKING ROCKS
IN PIECES BEFORE THE LORD,
BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE WIND;
AND AFTER THE WIND AN EARTHQUAKE,
BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE EARTHQUAKE;
AND AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE
A FIRE,
BUT THE LORD WAS NOT
IN THE FIRE;
AND AFTER THE FIRE
A SOUND OF SHEER SILENCE


WHEN ELIJAH HEARD IT,
HE WRAPPED HIS FACE IN HIS MANTLE

THE SHEER SILENCE THAT ELIJAH HEARD
AND THE NUMBING QUIET THAT I HAD FELT
WERE BOTH THE SAME THING
IN BOTH GOD WAS SPEAKING TO MAN
IN A VOICE LOUDER THAN THE WIND
LOUDER THAN THE EARTHQUAKE
LOUDER THAN THE FIRE

IT WAS GOD'S VOICE
YELLING IN MY EAR
LEAN ON ME
LEARN OF ME
I AM ALL YOU NEED RIGHT NOW
AND MY SILENCE AND MY LOVE SURROUND YOU
LEAN ON ME
LEARN OF ME
YOU ARE MY BELOVED



BUT GOD
IS TOO CLOSE TO US
THAT WAY
SO WE LOOK FOR GOD
IN OTHER PLACES
HIGH AND LOW
WE WANT TO BLAME GOD
FOR THE DEATH
WE ENVISION A GOD
WHO PLAYS DICE WITH HIS CREATIONS
WE ENVISION A GOD
WHO IF HE WERE A REAL FATHER
WE WOULD HAVE HIM ARRESTED
FOR CHILD ABUSE
WE FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE IN A GOD
WHO LOVES US
WE WANT A GOD
WHO LOOKS,
ACTS
AND THINKS LIKE US.
WE FORGET
THAT WE ARE MADE IN HIS IMAGE
NOT HE IN OURS
SO WE LOOK PAST GOD TO TRY TO FIND GOD
WE ARE NOT THE KIND OF PEOPLE
THAT PAUL WRITES ABOUT IN ROMANS
COUNTERING THE BELIEF
THAT GOD DWELT EXCLUSIVELY
IN HEAVEN
OR IN THE UNDERWORLD
WHEN HE SAYS



PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAITH
WILL NEVER ASK, “
WHO WILL GO UP TO HEAVEN
TO BRING CHRIST DOWN?”
NEITHER WILL THEY ASK, “
WHO WILL GO DOWN
INTO THE WORLD OF THE DEAD
TO RAISE HIM TO LIFE?”
ALL WHO ARE ACCEPTABLE
BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH
SIMPLY SAY, “
THE MESSAGE IS AS NEAR AS YOUR MOUTH
OR YOUR HEART.
THE MESSAGE THAT GOD WALKS AMONG US
LAUGHS WITH US
CRIES WITH US
TRIES TO INSPIRE US
SO THAT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
MIGHT BE BETTER


THIS PETER KNEW
SIMPLE IMPULSIVE PETER
WHO AT THE VOICE OF JESUS
LEAPED FROM THE BOAT
TO WALK ON WATER
WHO WALKED ON WATER
UNTIL HE THOUGHT
HE WAS DOING IT HIMSELF
THEN HE SANK
AND CRIED
LORD SAVE ME
BUT JESUS REACHED DOWN
AS HE DID SO MANY TIMES WITH PETER
AS HE DOES SO MANY TIMES WITH US
AND SAVES US

AND WHEN HE SAVES US
HE SAYS TO US
WHAT I HAVE DONE
YOU MUST DO
I GIVE YOU A WORLD TO SAVE.
TO MAKE BETTER
TO ROOT OUT EVIL

EARLY MAN DISCOVERED FIRE.
IT MADE LIFE BETTER FOR HIM
I GIVE YOU LOVE
AND I ASK YOU TO SHARE IT WITH ALL

BUT AS PAUL SAYS IN OUR READING
BUT HOW ARE THEY TO CALL ON ONE
IN WHOM THEY HAVE NOT BELIEVED?
AND HOW ARE THEY TO BELIEVE
IN ONE OF WHOM THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD?
AND HOW ARE THEY TO HEAR
WITHOUT SOMEONE TO PROCLAIM HIM? 15
AND HOW ARE THEY TO PROCLAIM HIM
UNLESS THEY ARE SENT?
AS IT IS WRITTEN, “
HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET
OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS!

BUT I SAY
HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET
OF THOSE
WHO DARE TO LEAP FROM THE BOAT
AND WALK ON WATER FOLLOWING JESUS


WE ARE CHALLENGED
TO REMEMBER
THAT GOD DOES NOT LIVE
REMOTELY IN THE SKY
OR UNDER THE EARTH
BUT HERE WITH US.
WE ARE CHALLENGED TO REMEMBER
THAT GOD SPEAKS TO US
IN THE SILENCE OF OUR HEARTS
AND WE NEED TO BE QUIET AND LISTEN
WHICH IS TO SAY THAT WE MUST PRAY

AND FINALLY WE ARE CHALLENGED
TO REMEMBER
THAT IF WE BRING LOVE
INTO THE WORLD
AND INTO OUR LIVES .
WE WILL ONCE MORE HAVE GIVEN MAN FIRE

AND WE ARE ASKED
TO BE WILLING
TO LEAP FROM THE BOAT IN FAITH
KNOWING GOD WILL SUSTAIN US
AND BRING US SAFELY HOME