Rebooting: My 4th Sermon @ Trinity Chapel
Matthew 13: 44-46 - “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it."
Rebooting
Whenever I hear these parables, I cannot help but think of when I lose my keys. This unfortunate event usually comes to my attention just as I am ready to go out the door to start a new day or to tackle an important task. I tend to get rather belligerent when this happens, asking my wife, “Honey where did you put my keys?!” More often then not she says, “Well they didn’t just walk away, and I didn’t move ‘em.” It’s a frustrating experience altogether, but one of the unavoidable awkward hurdles that happen as I try to go new places, and being new phases in life.
Last week we began our new phase in life, this semester, with the traditional opening convocation. Various speakers offered forth kind words that spoke of a new beginning this year, one with a spirit of eagerness and hope. They acknowledged prior accomplishments of students and faculty, and spoke of the potential yet to manifest itself among us.
As I listened to these motivational words, I could not help but think back 8 years ago, to my High School English class, when we viewed the movie “Dead Poets Society” starring Robin Williams. At the beginning of the movie, Professor Keating, Williams' character, leads his students out into the main entrance way of Welton Academy. There he instructs them to gaze into the pictures of old students and alumni, listening for their words of wisdom. As they gaze intently, he whispers into their waiting ears, "They're not that different than any of you, are they? There's hope in their eyes, just like in yours. They believe themselves destined for wonderful things, just like many of you. Well, where are those smiles now, boys? What of that hope? Did most of them not wait until it was too late before making their lives into even one iota of what they were capable? In chasing the almighty deity of success did they not squander their boyhood dreams? Most of those gentlemen are fertilizing daffodils! However, if you get very close, boys, you can hear them whisper. Go ahead, lean in. hear it? … Carpe Diem, lads. Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary."
The sentiment of Carpe Diem is echoed here this morning in these two short parables. Like the landowner and the merchant, we each have dreams and goals we’re trying to acquire. Most of us are pursuing our various degrees. Some are working hard to build or advance careers. We are seeking to build safe, fulfilling friendships or possibly even romantic relationships. Maybe we're just trying hard to maintain a GPA above zero. Regardless of what we are seeking, there are often things we must be willing to sacrifice in pursuit of our goals. We spend great amounts of time on homework or other commitments. We spend money on tuition, fees, and the dreaded textbooks. We put ourselves out there, seeking new bonds with new people.
But beyond these obvious sacrifices, sometimes there are things more intrinsic to our identity which we must sacrifice in the hunt for our dreams. Early this past summer, Pastor Andrea and I went together to the ELCA Nebraska Synod Assembly in Fremont. For those unfamiliar with what a Synod Assembly is, I'll do my best to explain. Basically the various ELCA churches in Nebraska send their pastors and representative members to join in fellowship, worship, and discernment, as they strive together as a whole to maintain a positive productive Christian community amidst the turbulent changes of our world. A current issue facing the church, the primary one under discussion at this assembly, is the question regarding the ordination of homosexuals. Before the pastors and representatives began their discussions surrounding this issue, Bishop deFreese shared his hope that the members of the gathering could, in their discussion, ‘agree to disagree without being disagreeable’. In order to maintain open channels with those whom we agree or disagree, we are required to sacrifice our ideological comfort and safety, and more importantly, our pride. Respect and Christ-like love are aspects of our faith with which we are called to purposefully color every part of our lives.
As we pursue our dreams and our goals we find ourselves entering into conversations as students, as families and as communities; conversations with our friends, with loved ones, and even with our enemies. It is in these conversations, where we find it vitally important to assess who we are, who we are to become, and where we are called to go together. While we converse with one another, we often come across topics in which we feel urgently compelled to convey our point of view. This urgency, for us who have been influenced by the love of Christ, is not one that dwells on acquisition, selfishness, or pride. But it is actually the love of Christ straining against our human nature as it tries to shine throughout our lives. The love of Christ calls to us; compelling us to let go of our tendencies toward selfishness, generalization, and marginalization; our prejudices and stereotypes. It calls us to make our sacrifices, to give seemingly ‘all we have’, so that communities become one and people are made whole.
These sacrifices are painful. We often fight them desperately; feeling as if we are giving away a vitally important piece of ourselves. But as hard as they are, they are necessary for the end goals of peace, mercy, and reconciliation to which we are called. Sometimes it is easy to forget, but it is God who has shown us the hardship, promise, and inherent value in these sacrifices. In Christ Jesus, God has sacrificed himself for us. God has given and continues to give all that he has, to seek after us when, like my keys, we have ‘walked off’ in our pride and the blindness of our sin. He hunts for us endlessly; seeking after our companionship, our well-being, and our hearts. It is in this hunt that he sent his Son … for us … for our sake.
For some of us, when we witness the pain of the cross … the cost of the crucifixion … finally realize what God was willing to pay to reach us in our darkness. This is a powerful realization for us; one we may feel unworthy to accept but ultimately one we must grow to rejoice in. It is a realization, a gift, and a grace that speaks to us throughout our lives; showing us His glory and enlightening us with what His sacrifice says about our value and the value of others. It is with this new truth burning in our hearts, that we proceed earnestly for the companionship, well-being, and hearts of others who also share in this value and in this benefit of Christ’s sacrifice. And so we go on, entering a new semester, marked with the cross of Christ … in hope, in truth and in peace … to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Rebooting
Whenever I hear these parables, I cannot help but think of when I lose my keys. This unfortunate event usually comes to my attention just as I am ready to go out the door to start a new day or to tackle an important task. I tend to get rather belligerent when this happens, asking my wife, “Honey where did you put my keys?!” More often then not she says, “Well they didn’t just walk away, and I didn’t move ‘em.” It’s a frustrating experience altogether, but one of the unavoidable awkward hurdles that happen as I try to go new places, and being new phases in life.
Last week we began our new phase in life, this semester, with the traditional opening convocation. Various speakers offered forth kind words that spoke of a new beginning this year, one with a spirit of eagerness and hope. They acknowledged prior accomplishments of students and faculty, and spoke of the potential yet to manifest itself among us.
As I listened to these motivational words, I could not help but think back 8 years ago, to my High School English class, when we viewed the movie “Dead Poets Society” starring Robin Williams. At the beginning of the movie, Professor Keating, Williams' character, leads his students out into the main entrance way of Welton Academy. There he instructs them to gaze into the pictures of old students and alumni, listening for their words of wisdom. As they gaze intently, he whispers into their waiting ears, "They're not that different than any of you, are they? There's hope in their eyes, just like in yours. They believe themselves destined for wonderful things, just like many of you. Well, where are those smiles now, boys? What of that hope? Did most of them not wait until it was too late before making their lives into even one iota of what they were capable? In chasing the almighty deity of success did they not squander their boyhood dreams? Most of those gentlemen are fertilizing daffodils! However, if you get very close, boys, you can hear them whisper. Go ahead, lean in. hear it? … Carpe Diem, lads. Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary."
The sentiment of Carpe Diem is echoed here this morning in these two short parables. Like the landowner and the merchant, we each have dreams and goals we’re trying to acquire. Most of us are pursuing our various degrees. Some are working hard to build or advance careers. We are seeking to build safe, fulfilling friendships or possibly even romantic relationships. Maybe we're just trying hard to maintain a GPA above zero. Regardless of what we are seeking, there are often things we must be willing to sacrifice in pursuit of our goals. We spend great amounts of time on homework or other commitments. We spend money on tuition, fees, and the dreaded textbooks. We put ourselves out there, seeking new bonds with new people.
But beyond these obvious sacrifices, sometimes there are things more intrinsic to our identity which we must sacrifice in the hunt for our dreams. Early this past summer, Pastor Andrea and I went together to the ELCA Nebraska Synod Assembly in Fremont. For those unfamiliar with what a Synod Assembly is, I'll do my best to explain. Basically the various ELCA churches in Nebraska send their pastors and representative members to join in fellowship, worship, and discernment, as they strive together as a whole to maintain a positive productive Christian community amidst the turbulent changes of our world. A current issue facing the church, the primary one under discussion at this assembly, is the question regarding the ordination of homosexuals. Before the pastors and representatives began their discussions surrounding this issue, Bishop deFreese shared his hope that the members of the gathering could, in their discussion, ‘agree to disagree without being disagreeable’. In order to maintain open channels with those whom we agree or disagree, we are required to sacrifice our ideological comfort and safety, and more importantly, our pride. Respect and Christ-like love are aspects of our faith with which we are called to purposefully color every part of our lives.
As we pursue our dreams and our goals we find ourselves entering into conversations as students, as families and as communities; conversations with our friends, with loved ones, and even with our enemies. It is in these conversations, where we find it vitally important to assess who we are, who we are to become, and where we are called to go together. While we converse with one another, we often come across topics in which we feel urgently compelled to convey our point of view. This urgency, for us who have been influenced by the love of Christ, is not one that dwells on acquisition, selfishness, or pride. But it is actually the love of Christ straining against our human nature as it tries to shine throughout our lives. The love of Christ calls to us; compelling us to let go of our tendencies toward selfishness, generalization, and marginalization; our prejudices and stereotypes. It calls us to make our sacrifices, to give seemingly ‘all we have’, so that communities become one and people are made whole.
These sacrifices are painful. We often fight them desperately; feeling as if we are giving away a vitally important piece of ourselves. But as hard as they are, they are necessary for the end goals of peace, mercy, and reconciliation to which we are called. Sometimes it is easy to forget, but it is God who has shown us the hardship, promise, and inherent value in these sacrifices. In Christ Jesus, God has sacrificed himself for us. God has given and continues to give all that he has, to seek after us when, like my keys, we have ‘walked off’ in our pride and the blindness of our sin. He hunts for us endlessly; seeking after our companionship, our well-being, and our hearts. It is in this hunt that he sent his Son … for us … for our sake.
For some of us, when we witness the pain of the cross … the cost of the crucifixion … finally realize what God was willing to pay to reach us in our darkness. This is a powerful realization for us; one we may feel unworthy to accept but ultimately one we must grow to rejoice in. It is a realization, a gift, and a grace that speaks to us throughout our lives; showing us His glory and enlightening us with what His sacrifice says about our value and the value of others. It is with this new truth burning in our hearts, that we proceed earnestly for the companionship, well-being, and hearts of others who also share in this value and in this benefit of Christ’s sacrifice. And so we go on, entering a new semester, marked with the cross of Christ … in hope, in truth and in peace … to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.