Rev. Jennifer Whipple
Congregational Church of Brookfield (UCC)
July 3, 2011
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
“The Journeys We Choose”
This past week I have been thinking about three words that in and of themselves seem rather normal, inconsequential, benign. But depending on how some of them are put together and upon how they are placed into sentences and with which tone they are delivered they can suddenly stop us in our tracks or make us feel quite inconsequential. These three words are “if”, “only”, and “ordinary”. I know that the first two when put together can stop me in my tracks. The amount of times in my life I have uttered the words to myself or others, “If only I had…” “If only I had done that thing…taken that chance…said yes…said no…” We all have these “if only” situations in our minds, but what good do they do us? At best they help us to make better decisions in the future and at worst they keep us from moving forward at all. And “ordinary”…well, depending on how it is said and what subject it is used to describe it too can cause issues. There is a difference between someone saying, “It was just an ordinary day today” and someone saying, “Oh, Jen, well, she’s perfectly…ordinary.” No one wants to be just ordinary, and my guess is that, although we sometimes beg for them, not many people even want to have just a perfectly ordinary day either. We crave something special, some excitement, an opportunity to make the right decisions the first time and for them to lead us into something spectacular.
And that, my friends, is what Paul is talking about in his letter to the Romans this morning. He is talking about the inner struggle to make the right decisions – to follow our beliefs and the call we have as Christians to behave and speak, to live and love in a certain way. He is talking about the inner struggle that leads to the decision we make that separates the “if only” moments from the spectacular ones. He is talking about those moments in life that have been cartooned now to include a little devil dressed in red sitting on one shoulder – “Come on you know you want to” in a little devious voice - and a little angel dressed in white sitting on the other one saying in sweet sing song voice – “What would Jesus do?” Right? And if we know anything about Paul we know that he certainly had his fair share of “if only” moments as the self-admitted greatest persecutor of Christians turned greatest Champion for Christ. And Paul was writing this as a mature Christian, someone who had been sharing the Good News with others and fighting for “The Way” for a while, and yet he struggled each and every day. I don’t know about you, but that actually makes me feel a bit better – gives me a bit of hope that even though I may struggle too, I (a) am not alone and (b) have both the guidance and forgiveness of a God who thinks that I am anything but ordinary.
In this passage we hear Paul’s personal and desperate cry to God to help him recover from his bad decisions and reform to make better ones. Because it is true that we usually really do want what is best, for us – yes, but also for our community and even for our world. But sometimes we get caught up in, “Come on, you know you want to…” for a moment or two. And Paul acknowledges that we have a guide who grants us mercy. He says, “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” And I think we can give thanks to God now, in these moments, even before we meet our maker. Because God has the ability and we the opportunity to rescue us from the will and way of this world way before our end comes.
Today, in the here and now, we face decisions, choices. Our journeys are full of them. We make thousands of them each day. (You should really google that…some interesting answers come up!) And we make the choice each day to be Christians or not – to follow God and to make decisions that guide us in God’s will and way. We make two decisions in light of this – the decision to say that we are Christians and the decision to live as Christians – those who follow the example of who God would have us be in Jesus Christ. As we gather today, even in the midst of those decisions and struggles, we have arrived at the longest season in our Christian calendar…here comes that word again…Ordinary Time. This season spans almost half of our calendar year – arriving just after Pentecost and ending as we enter Advent. In the special seasons and while we are clearly doing God’s work – like on mission trips or teaching church school, and so on – it is easier to make the “What would Jesus do?” decision. Because during the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, we are reminded daily – not just in church but seemingly out in the world – that we are to be people of God…not just say we are, but actually be them.
So here we sit in Ordinary Time – in the summer, no less, when it is hard enough to make church on Sunday due to vacations, when programs slow down, and when we get what we might consider a well-deserved break after working so hard during the “school year” – so where is our daily reminder? After all, there aren’t carols playing in Shop Rite or big bunnies peering at us around every corner in Rite Aid. Well, the truth is that during Ordinary Time we focus less on the super amazing events of Jesus’ life and have a chance to sit at Jesus’ feet for a while and really get into the nitty gritty of his teaching instead. This is the time we focus on what Jesus had to say – not on how he was born or how he died or how he stood up to the Tempter in the wilderness – but rather on his main teachings – on what he had to say about the Kingdom of God, on his call to us to participate in the social gospel – to bear the Good News to others and to live life so as to change the “ordinary” for those in our world who are struggling or hurting, who are overburdened and sinking down under a heavy load. And that is a TALL order.
So what is our reminder during Ordinary Time to make decisions in the way that God would guide us to? Believe it or not, it is our cup of coffee or tea in the morning, our bedtime rituals at night, our gathering at table with others – coworkers, family, friends. Our reminders during Ordinary Time to act as children of God, are our everyday, ordinary activities that allow us time to get into a rhythm and dream big dreams for ourselves and our world. That allow us to think and challenge ourselves to be the best we can be for God. It is in these ordinary and blessed everyday activities that we have the opportunity to sense God’s presence leading and guiding us to something spectacular – and that remind us that we can go to God any time, any day, anywhere for guidance and for rest.
As I said before, this all is a TALL order. I got tired just thinking about it, and I get tired most days trying to live it all – especially on the days when my decisions don’t lead to such spectacular outcomes, but rather those “if only” ones. Paul basically called himself every name in the book after trying to live out his life as a Christian in the everyday ordinary activities, not to mention the extraordinary ones that landed him in prison and worse. God calls us to be and do some pretty big and pretty challenging stuff as followers – as disciples who are continuing to learn and grow each day. All of these choices, all of this inner struggle, all of the back and forth moments can be tiring, lonely, overwhelming, and sometimes, thank God, even abundantly joyful, but if we listen to the words of the Matthew passage today – to Jesus’ words - we hear him say that anyone is welcome to the knowledge and guidance and strength that God imparts – revealing them even to the “infants”. He admits that neither he nor John were the most beloved characters in his time and place, and yet he graciously offers people the opportunity, despite all that was going on around him – plotting for his death even, rest for the weary and overburdened.
In one translation of this passage it is written this way, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you will recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Jesus doesn’t give us a “get out of jail free card.” He tells us that he will allow us true rest when we need it – even grant us the opportunities to get it. But he also says to work with him, and in doing so we will learn to truly live – freely and lightly – spectacularly. I take it to mean that in following Jesus, in allowing the struggles to happen, and increasingly making the right choices – they will become easier to make, despite the challenges to our own way of life. We will learn to walk and live in God’s way, which is anything but ordinary – and we will be refreshed and renewed while we do it. Once again, I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
This morning we have the opportunity to make a decision – a choice about whether or not to come and meet Jesus at this table of grace, a choice about whether or not to accept the forgiveness and mercy that God offers, a choice about whether or not to find rest, renewal, and nourishment in this feast that is offered to us. During the invitation to the table we say that we come to this table not because we must – after all no one forces us here – but because we may. It is a choice we make. But there is just something about joining together in sharing grape juice and bread – which seem pretty ordinary things – that really does become much more than ordinary – that offers the chance at spectacular.
This morning we have a choice. Each day we have a choice. May God bless the journeys we choose. Amen.
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