Fourth of July Weekend...reflecting on the nation....

 Sermon 7/2/22

Racing hotdogs

The 4th of July weekend found me once again back in Oakdale, Pennsylvania....here's my reflection for the day...

Here we are on the edge of the  4th of July.  In my aunt’s neighborhood last night  night there were periodic “unofficial” fireworks at different times throughout the night just as I'm sure back in my New York City  neighborhood there’s been fireworks all weekend..  

It’s an interesting time to celebrate our independence.  Russia is still waging war against  Ukraine, who are teaching us all something about the meaning of freedom.  Here in Pittsburgh, Russian and Ukrainian churches are neighbors, families intermarried. 

When I get home, I’ll be going to a ball game with my boys..and fireworks too. 

ballgame with the boys...

And here in Pittsburgh, well, the Pirates are……well….interesting. 

Go Buccos...raise the jolly roger...

Covid hasn’t gone away.  Some of us have gone  back to 2019. Some of us have never left peak 2020. And the rest of us are just trying to figure out what makes sense in 2022. At the PCUSA “hybrid’ General  Assembly, the newly elected co-moderator and my resource person came down with covid. We’re just  not sure….

We are ready to celebrate our independence at a time when our nation has never felt more divided since the Civil War.  The Supreme Court is radically redefining our understanding of freedom and rights and some of us are celebrating and others are grieving and people on both sides struggling to understand what democracy is. 

School shootings continue on a regular basis and in my city it’s now okay to openly  carry.   We are struggling this 4th of July. 

Meanwhile, back in the Bible land, Jesus is getting ready to send 72…why 72? We don’t really know…out on a mission.. What's clear is that he wants to get the word out. Everywhere.  Salvation is for everyone….And his instructions are worth taking a look at. 

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go on your way.  So it says….

I kind of think of this as a song for a place where laborers are few.  And don’t we know what that’s like?  And believe me you are not alone. In New York City there are about 12000 presbyterians in 88 churches. Over half of them belong to 5 churches, the rest to 83 and over 40 of those have no pastor nor no near time possibility of getting one.  

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ….

He is sending them out two by two…kind of makes me think of the ark, you know? Seems like two is the lowest acceptable unit.  No lone rangers. You can’t do this alone. Makes me think of the Mormon mission volunteers...theology aside, I have to say I admire them. 

He tells us not to greet anyone,…must be a sense of urgency…don’t dawdle, don’t get stuck along the way. I’m guessing there’s an exception made for any down on their luck Samaritans who might pass this this way?

And he tells us that if we go out and are not welcomed, shake the dust off of  your feet and keep moving  on. I’ll say that again…in a passage left out of the lectionary he says.. ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’[c] 12 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. The sin of Sodom friends, was not homosexuality, but a radical denial of hospitality. Remember Hebrews 13:2 : Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Here’s the bottom line…Jesus doesn’t want us to keep beating our head against the wall….know when to shake the dust off and move on…and remember it’s not on us to call down judgment…just move on…judgment is God’s…

We are dependent on those we are sent to. That’s about meeting them where they are. Respecting them…it’s about relationships…Eat what’s set before you…don’t worry about the cleanliness and purity laws…(in Jesus’ day, that was seriously radical…) 

I had become a vegetarian when I went to Oklahoma,  Until my black pastor friend invited me to a barbecue…that was it..

When Jesus hears what they have been able to do, he tells them he saw Satan fall from heaven..I love that…but he tells them don’t be getting all excited about all the cool things you can do…be happy that you are allies with God….

The joy that Jesus feels is being able to sense, to see the dawning of a new kingdom., a new kindom….

And here’s one thing I want you to see…this fall of Satan is not an historic event or a future prediction…it is a reality every time we venture out…regardless of results, just going out itself is defeating Satan..and when you do succeed, rejoice only in the kingdom, never triumphalism…

Okay…so what am I saying here?  These are difficult times, Critical times. Times that demand a witness. We come here to be with each other, to be renewed, refreshed, restored after whatever we’ve been doing all week long…BUT we can’t stay here…we’ve got to take it out there..

This passage raises serious questions for us…like what us evangelism for us in this day and time, in this place? What is exactly is the harvest? Look around….the harvest is plentiful…the laborers few…

…and that’s okay…no matter how small in number we may be, Jesus is calling us out there…it’s not about numbers, it’s about faithfulness…we have a word that needs to be heard…

In Jesus first sermon, (Luke 4: 18-20)Jesus announced his own job description was this:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

        to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

    and recovery of sight to the blind,

        to set free those who are oppressed,

19 

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

…and so it is with us…it is enough for us to be like pebbles tossed into a pond where then ripples go out and out beyond what we might might even imagine..

Let those with ears to hear, hear….

Amen…..

And we ended by celebrating the Lord's Supper for the first time since I was there last August...

Gospel Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

1After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' 6And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'

16"Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

17The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 18He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

"Rest Awhile"

7/19

Remembering Dan

I returned to Pittsburgh for the memorial service of a friend who died of Covid, the virus that led to this service being delayed by some 8 months. The little Oakdale Church was filled to capacity for my friend Dan’s service, maybe 2-250 people or more. And an equal number streamed through after the service to pay their respects.

The service reflected the impact this good man had in the  community in which he grew up and in which he remained. A father, husband, grandfather, teacher, musician and more. There was music from the Ukrainian Orthodox tradition, and traditional Christian music form the Americana tradition and from John Prine, another Covid casualty. And many heartfelt  testimonies.

Later in the afternoon, the family hosted a celebration at their old barn complete with barbecue, beer and a steady flow of music by people of all ages. Goo people. Solid people. With roots in the farms and mines and mills that filled this area. They believe in work lek they believe in Jesus but work his so much harder now.  This is the ethos I grew up with. This is where I feel “home.”

Reflecting on the  turnout to remember my friend Dan, I recall what Oz said to the Tin Man, “A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others”

On Sunday, I preached at the Oakdale Church.  Here’s what I had to say…

Sermon

7/18

Text: MARK 6: 30-34, 53-56

Good morning.  First …historic note..since March 1st 2020 until today, the only place I have preached a live in person sermon is right here at Oakdale Presbyterian Church, last August. The very special hand made mask I received is on the collage inside my cd from last year. So it’s good to be back. 

A lot has happened since last we’ve been together. We’re opening up again.  And seem to have covid on the run. At least in places that have gone in for vaccinations. And I’m here this weekend because our brother, our companion, our friend, Dan Hanczar died from Covid. Listen …for what it’s worth, last fall I lost three friends in two weeks,  two of them guys more or  less my own age. Believe me, I have NO time for anyone  who says this is a hoax or who wants to  politicize personal responsibility  and public health. 

Oh…And we’ve got a new President!….and the Pirates may be in last place, but somehow they manage to come back from 6 down in the last two innings and win!  (That’s why we watch!)

We have lived through a year of Coronavirus world and we are still here. Oakdale Church is still here. You are still here.  Let yourselves feel that.

Now what’s up with Jesus today? 

I have to say this is one of my favorite passages…it’s perfect for summer time, vacation time, it’s the inspiration for a song I wrote for a friend’s memorial.  It’s a passage I’ve preached  on at least a dozen times in my years as a pastor.

What’s going on?

Jesus is greeting his disciples. They have come back from the journey he sent them on preaching repentance.  He knows they need a break. They need to come away and go  to a “lonely place,” a place where they can be away for awhile and catch their breath.  

And, I might add, they need to mourn the loss of their friend John the Baptist.

This is important because it recognizes that Jesus wants us to care for  ourselves. Just like he wants us to shake the dust off our feet  and leave when we are not received, not beating your head again the wall, he wants us to know when we need to take a break and catch our breath if we’re going to be any good to ourselves let alone anyone else. 

But here’s what happens..somehow word gets out and a big crowd gathers before they even get there.  And here’s what I love …Jesus could look at this crowd and say, “Oh man, all I wanted is just one day, just one day…is that too much to ask? Oh man…” But he doesn’t.  He looks on them with compassion because they seem like sheep without a shepherd. SO he begins to respond to their needs. 

This has been a rough time…NPR, in a story entitled “The Great Resignation” recently reported on the number of people who after a year of Covid are leaving their jobs. Questioning  when, how and for whom thy work.  Worn out deacons and elders and even pastors leaving their churches and people, in what we might call the great reassessment, leaving their marriages.  It’s been a hard year, and everyone of us knows that. 

Maybe we need to take minute and ask ourselves what we have left.  Or what we need to leave. 

And Jesus gets it.  We have permission to care for ourselves..BUT..human need is so great…only getting greater..as one commentator said, now even the wildness is congested with human need. Every time I go into Penn Station, I immediately encounter 2 to 3 people, as the kids say, buggin’…cursing God, the government, the cosmos  in mainly incoherent fits of rage… 

Listen…Jesus is not here to make us feel better. Jesus is here to welcome us into the kingdom, the kindom and get us living in it now…

Let’s think about compassion a minute. That great Kentucky poet Wendell Berry has said our system is an economy of the one night stand….consumption without responsibility let alone relationship…

In Jesus ‘ day,  extension of compassion under Roman Imperial Rule…was revolutionary action…compassion has concrete content in the real world…

For years, a voluntary medical tent in the US side of the border provided emergency help to people found in the most dangerous,  life threatening part of the Sonora desert.. The US Border Patrol had a working agreement not to arrest anyone receiving medical treatment. Until a new regime raided the medical facility and arrested those receiving aid and those offering it.  New border personnel made a point to empty plastic water bottles despite a prestatehood Arizona tradition that forbade denying people water in the desert.  Volunteer medical worker Scott Warren was arrested for  water. Thankfully an Arizona court found him not guilty. And with a change, border guards are now working with medical volunteers again. 

All I’m saying is compassion, simple compassion, can be seen to have content  beyond  its simple  humane reality.

So what do I want you to take away today?

One, Jesus wants you to care for yourself. Figure out what that means. Rest awhile.  One time I preached this sermon wanting to make a point about God. I asked the kids, who never takes a vacation, intending to answer it with God. And one kid answers, “My Dad.” No good. I learned  that lesson much too late. This  been a hard stretch.

Two…acknowledge that this has been a hard year for everyone., And so treat each other with compassion. 

I flat out love the the billboard banner that Dan's kids had made for their mother's birthday…”TAKE LOVING CARE OF EACH OTHER…” Do that friends and we'll keep  Dan near…

And oh yeah, Thank God for Music. Amen.

My friends, let those  with ears to hear, hear…REST AWHILE……

AMEN

                                              " Rest Awhile"