Due to technological issues, the sermon was not recorded, here is a transcript of Rev. Howard’s Sermon:
Good morning. may we begin with a moment of silence to quiet us. Amen. I’d like to start by congratulating Joel on a great job well done and give him thanks for all the hard work that he has done over the years in the garden with the kids the volunteers intern program with all the results that are great that he’s given to the kids who are involved and food for the people of our area and for the blessings he has brought to our church life as well. I’ve
had a chance to talk with Joel about just every just about everything in life and theology over these years and we’ve had a really good time getting to know each other. So thank you Joel. And I want to send all the garden people especially Joel off for the year with an inspirational thought from a favorite author of mine
brother victor the gardener and chef at his monastery in the Hudson River valley in his book blessings of the daily comes at the end of his reflection for the last day of August which is today. A monastic gardens primary purpose is to manifest the glory of God the magical scent of the herbs the color and the texture of the vegetables. And the radiant beauty of flowers never ceased to proclaim the wonders of their creator. A garden’s bounty is not
only a thing of joy but also a sign of God’s loving Providence over all of us God’s own creation.
But we must now turn to this sermon with a couple of important issues in our world and our lives to think about and how our Bible passages for today inform them. 1st I want to set the stage for you. In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking but now now heaven knows anything goes. With such great soloists here with us today Dutch Pinkston and Nancy Fischell I will stop singing here out of good common sense. But I want to comment on this song because it’s a great one it has fun racy lyrics. As well as serious economic commentary on its times and its robber barons For what I sang just now is true about the day in which we live that anything goes and it is beyond shocking. And the song goes on to share how we feel the world’s
gone mad today and goods bad today and blacks white today and days night today. And oops. I apologize I have slipped back into song there for just a moment our situation is just like the song begins that for us instead of us landing on Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock has landed on us.
So in this situation how are we to react and live well we can turn for our Bible readings for today. And see what they have to say to us so I looked them up and the first reading selection from the Old Testament was one in which God destroys nations obliterates peoples and kills rulers etcetera. I read that and thought to myself
too much of that is really going on in our world today you don’t need that and I thought it wouldn’t help our reflection either. So then we have our reading from proverbs. Is it the shortest reading in the entirety of our lectionary? Do any of you know another? Well it’s theme is the same as our gospel for today and so we’ll
move on. So we will take a look at the advice that we find in our reading from Hebrews and discover that we will get tons of it. And it includes some really great stuff. And it’s great because it applies both to our personal lives and also to our life here in the church.
The passage encourages us to love one another to offer hospitality to those around us to be content with the lives that we have go to go about doing good. And also sharing what we have with those who are in need. Like I said really great stuff for what we need to hear today is the truth about life and its values and reality and not lies and 1984 Orwellian speak like in anything goes. That ought to be the focus of our personal and our church life truth and reality. Not lies and fantasy. It’s hard to do in this world but if we work hard at it we will find truth and seek to live it out in our lives.
What we have discussed now in the personal dimension are things that we can directly affect hands on. But what can we do about the great issues and events of our day worldwide?? How can we affect them for good? Frankly it seems impossible. How many times in the last years have we each wished we could close our eyes and end the wars in Gaza for Ukraine? Or heal someone like Jesus did. I have tried that for 40 years but it has not happened yet. But I still want to. I’ll bet this difficulty frustrates you too huh? Well, some years ago I decided that I had to do
something the pandemic had begun as Hebrews says I decided that I ought to be remembering those in prison or tortured or in this case suffering in and dying in every prayer or reading of the day. And just remember them those who were suffering from COVID each time.. The suffering and death was just too overwhelming not to do something so I did. Thousands of times for years. Did it do any good in the world? I don’t know but I
decided that that remembrance sent love and goodness out into the world but it also reminded me of what was important in it each and every day.
Well when the pandemic was over and the war started in Gaza and then Ukraine I started all over again. As a Vietnam era guy I have hated war all my life and again like in Hebrews I have remembered the suffering and killing there thousands of times. It is a practice that I would recommend to any of us.. In church the prayers of the people are a great time to do this and practice compassion and love for our world. You can use issues that are
important to you personally. Take the sickening and horrifying shootings at the Catholic school worship in Minnesota. Again a place where this practice of compassion and love could be very relevant and meaningful.. Or it might seem so impractical and inconsequential in the enormity and horror of our situation as to be foolish and irrelevant.
And so at last we come to our reading from the gospel of Luke. At first it seems like we would find good stuff for how we should live in this anything goes good is bad up is down world. After all, Jesus was talking about meals and invitations to celebrations. And we certainly have those here in Joel’s reception today I’ve heard there’s a potluck lunch next week. And of course the meal of the Eucharist at all times. There should be no problem finding good material here right? But then look at Jesus’ advice and teaching here and I think you might find that at first glance you’re not so sure. Look at your reading if you want. Jesus says if you are invited to a wedding don’t go up to the head table and sit down because you then might be sent down and humiliated. Go sit lower in the back and then you might just get sent back up. So what is this a strategy to social self glorification? At first hand that
doesn’t seem like Jesus to me.
Well then what happens next? Jesus goes to the host. And he tells them when you’re having a dinner party don’t invite your family or your friends. But instead invite the poor the crippled the lame the blind. The crippled?. I’ll be over for lunch at 1:00. Again would this ever really happen?. Let’s be serious here. The theme of all this seems to be the virtue of humility and the like. and that is so. But these two stories don’t at first glance give us much good
advice in how to live in this anything goes world of ours. But do not fear for here it is that biblical scholars Come to our rescue. For they remind us that Jesus was not really giving us advice on proper etiquette. Or party planning here.. For Jesus was a man on a mission a religious and spiritual mission. For like John the Baptist he was convinced that the reign of God was coming in his lifetime and that when God came that would change the world in catastrophic ways. And that his people God’s people had to be ready and make their choice for God and for God’s reign.. So he went about preaching this message everywhere that he could both in Word and indeed indeed. And his words were most often parables and stories like these. A place where the proud will be humbled and the low will be exalted. Who are the poor and the needy and those suffering and in pain will be given what they need. and all this will not be decided by the wealthy powerful arrogant but by the true host the loving and saving and healing creator God. The freely given overwhelming love and compassion of God that heals and saves
that is God’s grace. and these parables are given here to tell and remind us the kind of behavior and character of those who are followers of God’s reign rain. Being loving and compassionate humble and kind. and this life with God and others is available to all. No matter who and what you are because of God’s grace. Something true and real that you can hold on to and have a real life in God’s ways ways.
While deciding what I would say today I wondered what the context of our gospel lesson was. maybe something right before it or after it would help me decide what to say and talk about. so I looked around and the only Bible on the 1st floor was on Nancy’s desk so I grabbed it. I looked up the context of this passage in Luke and didn’t find anything helpful. but as I closed it I noticed a bookmark in it that looked interesting. turns out it had a picture of Nancy’s much beloved mother Virginia who went by Ginnie in the last times of her life that had a saying on it that I would like to share with you as a inspiration to us all as we live in these up and down anything goes time. And also to give a blessing for our world for all of us here and all of the garden people especially Jack and Joel. life is short break the rules forgive quickly kiss slowly laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile
Amen.