It’s getting to be that time of year again. Every so often I wake up and look out
the window and in my mind, I think there’s going to be that amazing chill in
the air when I walk outside. We’ve
been really lucky recently to have some of those brilliant brisk mornings. But for the most part, summer is still
hanging in. But as the end of
August draws near, and the kids get ready to go back to school, we know that
fall is on the horizon.
At Weight Watchers, our topic for this week is, falling back
into routines. It’s always been
funny to me that so many of us think this – when we haven’t had a summer break
in a long time. I understand for families with kids, there definitely is
something to this – about getting back to school, back to activities, back into
the regular routine. Parents get
back to normal at home, with the kids back to their routines, as well as back
to normal at work.
But there is definitely a sense for all of us that things
have gotten a little crazy over the past few months, that we have fallen into a
relaxed rhythm and let our regular routine fall by the wayside, but that now
it’s time to straighten back up, and get back to normal.
Our first reading this morning comes from Jeremiah, and
reminds us that God has created each and every one of us for a purpose. God has
marked us as God’s own from before we were born. Sometimes it’s very apparent what that purpose is, other
times it’s harder to discern. But
that is why we need a regular routine of being in relationship with God – being
in worship, studying the Scriptures, being in prayer, and being attuned to the
movement of the Holy Spirit. This
routine takes work and dedication – and it is a routine that needs to be shaken
up regularly, not settled into eternally.
Sometimes God shakes up the routine for us – changing our life
situations by bringing new babies, or job transitions. Even death and disease shake us out of
our routines, but are not examples of God punishing us for getting off
course. God uses the natural
rhythms of life to help mold and shape us into the people God has made us to
be.
I have to be honest – I have a hard time with some of these
routines myself. Even though it’s
kind of my job to be deep in theological thought. Granted – I’m not a full time pastor in a congregation,
preparing weekly sermons and bible studies. And I occasionally use the excuse that I work in an
interfaith context as a reason to not be so deeply entrenched in Presbyterian
and Christian theological contexts.
But the truth is, for me, faith is personal, and the best way to build
up my personal faith and relationship with the God of the Universe, in the
person of Jesus Christ, is to be immersed in my Presbyterian heritage. And I’ll let you in on a little secret
– a lot of pastors struggle with this.
I tell you that not to tell on MaryAnn, but to let you know that it’s ok
to struggle. It’s ok to have
questions about what you read in the bible and what you hear in church on
Sunday morning. In fact, it’s
vital to not only have those questions, but to ask them. God doesn’t promise us that faith is
without question and without struggle.
God promises to be with us through it all – every step of the way. It’s up to us to recognize God’s
presence in our lives and to lean on God when we need to, and even when we
don’t.
In seminary, during our preaching class (yes, we take
classes for that), our professors invited us to find some place out of the
ordinary to read our text for the week, to try to see it in a new light. Being in Atlanta at Columbia, some
people read their passage on the MARTA, on the downtown streets, in new and
different coffee shops, or even just in different places around campus. Now, we weren’t reading the passage out
loud to other people, we were just reading it in a venue where the surroundings
may have opened up new understandings about these thousand year old words. To be honest, I can’t remember where I
did my reading that week. But what
I do remember is the idea behind this assignment. Reading scripture in new places, and even at new times in
our lives, can lead us to new understandings about what it has to say to us
today. That’s the amazing thing
about the bible. With the work of
the Holy Spirit, the bible is a living, breathing document that, even though it
was written millennia ago, speaks to us in today’s world. It gives us a way to learn more about
this God who has claimed us and created us for a purpose in the world. It also helps us better hear God
speaking to us in the still, small voice, and leading us through the Holy
Spirit to the work we have been called to do.
God calls each and every one of us to service in God’s
kingdom. And you thought the only
call was for us pastors! Not
quite! No – God has a plan for
each person’s life. So it is
important that we create routines that help us stay attuned to this plan, and
strengthen our relationship with the God who calls us to whatever work we find
ourselves doing. The great thing
about fall at church is that new bible studies are starting, new opportunities
to get involved in the life of the congregation are kicking into gear. Just like New Year’s is a great time to
set new goals for yourself, the Fall Kick Off is a great time to set new goals
in your relationship with God and with the church. Take some time this week to think about your commitment to
your faithful relationships, and consider how you might shake things up.
But that’s not the end of the story, not where we left
things this morning in our reading of scripture. Our second passage is a little wonky. I have to tell you, I wasn’t sure which
New Testament passage to use this morning, because like a crazy pastor who
decides on a theme before scripture, I knew what I wanted to talk
about this morning, but not necessarily which scriptures to use. Well, that’s not entirely true. I read through the readings for this
week, and starting with the Old Testament readings, a picture started to form
about this sermon and fall routines.
But then I got to the New Testament readings, and was a little thrown
off. There are so many other great
passages from Hebrews that could have fit in nicely with this theme, but this
was the one we were given for the day.
The gospel lesson was about Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath, and I
didn’t think that one really worked, so I went with the reading from
Hebrews. Looking back, maybe it
would have been easier to go the other route!
But something in this passage spoke to me, even about
routines. Let’s read it
again:
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”fn 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”fn
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”fn 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
What this passage is saying to me, is that God, through the
sacrificial death of Jesus, is creating a future of good for us. We are brought to Mount Zion, to the
holy mountain of Israel, not to the fiery mountain, to worship and to be
redeemed. But this passage too
challenges us to consider the path we take to get to that future. The passage closes with the statement
that God is a consuming fire.
There are other passages in the bible that speak of the refiner’s fire,
the work of being brought through fire to be molded and shaped into the vessel
of God’s work in the world. This
consuming fire can be difficult to endure, but as it is God’s fire, it is one
that is meant for good, it is meant to refine us into God’s people, doing God’s
work in the world.
I also want to draw your attention to verse 25: see to it
that you do not refuse the one who is speaking. In this case, God.
The thing that pops into my mind when I hear this is the Godfather, “I’m
gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
Let me tell you, I think it’s much harder to refuse the word and will of
God, than the godfather! But we
also need to acknowledge the last part of the phrase – the one who is speaking. If we are so caught up in our busy
lives, in making our own dreams come true, how can we hear God speaking or
notice the movement of the Holy Spirit?
We have to create a routine for ourselves that allows for silence enough
to hear God. For me, this routine
includes running. When I run, I
put everything else out of my mind, except the feeling of running, my body
experiencing the sights and sounds – and sometimes the pains – of pounding the
pavement. It is the only time my
mind is quiet enough to hear God.
But I need to add more to my routine, to put myself into the frame of
mind to hear and understand God.
I need to add more disciplined study of the scriptures, to be in
constant prayer, to find a group of faithful disciples to share my struggles
and joys with. This is what it
means to be a follower of Christ, to be in relationship with the God of the
universe.
Finally, I have to say a word about routines when it comes
to caring for creation – because you know, it’s what I do. There is lots of debate on the issue,
lots of “undecideds” when it comes to the issues of climate change. But the truth is, regardless of
science, as people of faith, we are called to be good stewards of this earth,
to care for it as the God of the universe cares for it, to leave it for future
generations to enjoy the way we have enjoyed it. We are called to be good neighbors to our brothers and
sisters across the globe. But we
have failed. Our “business as
usual” routine has left people of island nations struggling to find higher
ground as sea levels rise, has created famine through drought conditions, and
blisteringly high heat waves in Russia and even Alaska. The beauty of God’s creation withers in
these conditions, changing the way we remember the majesty of the Grand Canyon
and the mountains of Appalachia. Our
routine MUST change to stem the tide of climate change. Our routine as it has been is not so
good – it is not creating a healthy and sustainable future for all. Our routine has been selfish,
considering only our needs now, not the needs of generations to come. We must consider a new routine, one
routed in our faith, grounded in the knowledge that God has created each of us
for a purpose to further God’s kingdom and care for God’s children, a routine
that considers that we borrow the earth from our children, we don’t inherit it
from our ancestors.
All of these routines must come together to bring about the
future God has in store for all of God’s creation. We must first ground ourselves in our faith, through regular
reading and study of God’s word, both alone and through study groups. We must wrestle with the scriptures,
struggling with the questions we have with trusted friends and colleagues. We must find ways to strengthen our
faith, to guide us through the difficult times, the consuming fire that seeks
to refine us into the people God has created us to be. Our routine must be constantly
adjusted, through the movement of the Spirit, to bring us to the path God has
laid out for our lives. We must be
willing to go where the Spirit takes us – which can sometimes mean difficult
changes, and new landscapes. But
we must have faith that God goes with us.
And we must also consider our routines when it comes to the way we
relate with the world. Our faith calls
us not only to be in right relationship with God, but to be in right
relationship with God’s creation – both the people in it, and the world
itself. We should consider our
actions when interacting with other people, remembering always to consider them
as children of God, and deserving of God’s love, even when it’s hard to love
them ourselves. We must find ways
to create a sense of community with our neighbors – both near and far – and
consider what community really means.
And we must consider our impact and interaction with the natural world,
and how what we do here and now impacts our brothers and sisters through space
and time.
To be called Christians, disciples of Christ, is to follow
the one who created us to be much more than we could have ever imagined for
ourselves. To be true followers of
Jesus, is to recognize that before we were even born, God laid claim to our
lives, and set a purpose for our lives, to bring forth the kingdom of God. We must consider our routines – and not
fall blithely into them, forgetting their purpose – but refresh them regularly,
to call us back to the path God has laid out before us, and to remember that
God goes with us, every step of the way.
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