11th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST PROPER 15

August 16, 2009

the Rev. Ken Kroohs

(2^nd Kings 4:24-44; Ps. 145:10-19; Ephesians 3:14-21: John 6:1-12)

DO WE WANT TO BE CHANGED ?

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, High Point, NC

MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU --- OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER AMEN

Our gospel passage today causes us to consider where we are on a religious spectrum. I am going to use extremes to make the point. Few people will actually be as extreme as I will describe but it helps to set the situation.

Imagine I had put large signs on walls on either side. These represent the furthest possible extremes.

On the one extreme we uncover the word “magic” ... when we turn to the other extreme we uncover the word “reminder”. The question is whether we see communion as more “magic” or more “a reminder”. A similar question can be presented about baptism.

These two positions are VERY far apart.

On the magic end of the spectrum is NOT necessarily those who take the words “body” and “blood” literally because the original meaning of those words was spiritual – not physical. The original meaning of the words did not suggest you could take the blessed wine and use it for a transfusion for someone who needs blood! No, the original meaning was that the spiritual sense of the bread and wine had changed.

So when I suggest there is a “magic” understanding it is about communion’s impact on us. Do we believe that communion is a little like Harry Potter? If we say the right words, make the right gestures, and then drink the potion we will get the desired results? We will be changed?

Remember, I am being very extreme to make a point. That said, there are people whose beliefs are on the “magical” end of the spectrum. People who take Jesus’ words “the one who eats this bread will live forever” as meaning that is all that is necessary. To have communion ... frequently some minimum number of times or pattern is mentioned ... will bring the person to eternal life.

The ‘magical’ understanding is even more evident in when considering baptism. There are people who say all we need to do is be baptized — end of story. They say something magical happens and nothing more is needed.

Hold that thought and let’s go to the other end of the spectrum ... what I have called the “reminder” end. In this understanding NOTHING happens at communion. Nothing to the bread and wine and nothing to the person. Rather communion is, at best, like looking through our wedding album. We are reminded of what happened that day ... 2,000 years ago.

In the Episcopal church we can come in a small step from either extreme and be within the church. Notice how the Eucharistic prayer I say includes the words “this is my body - blood” AND “do this in remembrance of me. The Episcopal church says that the “real presence of Jesus” is in the communion but make no attempt to explain the “how”!

One of my favorite family stories is the time we were to attend an outdoor communion service. As the priest was preparing for it my daughter walked up and asked what the bottle of wine was for. The priest very gently explained: “we drink wine at communion”. My daughter considered that and told the priest in a very firm voice: “at our church we use real blood” ..... Her mother was raised Roman Catholic so I let her handle that one!

The weakness with both ends of the spectrum is the understanding that communion is the end of the process. The “reminder” people put the album away after looking at it and go on with their life.

The “magic” people make sure communion services are on their calendar and go on with their life.

If we take the time to read what Jesus said, not just this passage but the earlier ones in John in particular, we discover that Jesus is speaking about a transformation. The most important words in today’s passage are: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” At baptism we say something similar: “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.”

The issue before us is being transformed — first by baptism and then by communion. I tell my Baptist friends we have an altar call more often than they do! And we respond to it more often than they do. We call it “communion” and it is about abiding in Jesus and He abiding in us. It is about being transformed.

Let’s clarify something ---- God wants us to be transformed. God wants us to be more Christian, more loving, more God like. God wants to be closer to us.

So ... if God wants that and we are not being transformed — whose fault do you think it is? Do you think God failed?

Or do you think, just maybe, we are blocking the transformation? We are not cooperating with the transformation? We are preventing God from transforming us?

The issue is first, whether anything happens at baptism and communion, and second what it is. I believe both are part of a journey — part of a process. I also believe the many times the psalms speak about ‘fearing’ God – which is better translated ‘be in awe of God’ .... the many times the psalms talk about this is to stress the importance of transformation.

MAYBE God makes a mistake .... watch out for the lightening! .... MAYBE God makes a mistake by being so gentle with us. MAYBE if God was a bit more demonstrative — a bit more firm – MAYBE if God practiced a bit more ‘tough love’ on us — maybe we would be better off.

But God is a gentle, loving God who instructs us and leads us but does not force us. God is a gentle, loving God who wants us to be transformed but allows us to drift and wander and miss the boat.

And that’s exactly what most of us do. We drift and wander and miss the boat!

No? ... Are you reacting – ‘He’s not REALLY talking about me. I’m pretty OK.’ Are you thinking you are not drifting, or wandering and certainly not missing the boat?

Let me ask two questions .... first are you perfect? Are you as close to God as you can possibly get? .... If so, then OK I am not talking about you!

But if you are not perfect, not as close to God as possible then the second question is: ‘How much closer to God are you than you were the last time you took communion?’ .... In other words, how have you been transformed by communion?

If you cannot think of a way, then there are two possible explanations. First, God could have lied about what it means. Or second, you – we – could have blocked God’s desire to transform us. .... Guess which one is correct ?!

The changes during a given week or couple weeks could be small, or large. And some weeks, we might drift backwards. But the question is whether we can look back over the fairly recent past and see a change – in ourselves. A transformation.

Transformation requires us to stop blocking God ... which sounds a bit passive. “Just relax and let God do the work.” ... To which there is some truth but transformation requires active cooperation by us. It means listening for what God wants and doing it. It means trying things out that MIGHT be what God wants us to do. It means learning — and doing.

The changes can be in any part of our life — and WILL be in every part of our life. If you want a summary it is when Jesus told us to love God with all our heart and mind and soul, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Or, as I like to paraphrase it: love God with all our heart and mind and soul, by caring for other people.

Ultimately we show our transformation, we show our love of God, we show our devotion to God by how we treat other people. True, our time in prayer and especially time in praising God is also important – even essential. But ultimately that will lead to changing our behavior ... and specifically our behavior towards those God loves ... towards other people.

It can be tiny. Being courteous to the checkout person at the store. Stand nearby someday and watch how most people treat that checkout person ... that beloved child of God ... treat them as part of the machinery. Or much worse. ... Ask yourself if God wants His children treated that way.

I will always remember a sermon when the priest said the true measure of a Christian is how they treat the checkout clerk who just made a mistake.

Shirley and I try to figure the tip at a restaurant and then add a dollar. Here are some hardworking children of God for whom one dollar is fairly important. We are not wealthy by any means by a couple dollars a week to restaurant servers is not going to break us!

Or our transformation could be larger. It could mean helping at the Open Door shelter or West End ministry. It could mean working with Habitat or Hospice or here at the church.

Let’s take a moment and be serious and honest. Transformation means ‘change’. To be transformed means to change things in our lives AND to change something means — First to give something up.

Before we can notice and be nice to the checkout clerk we have to give up our self important, egotistical, superior attitude. Ouch

Before we can give money to others we have to give up our fears and our self absorbed focus on ourselves and our desires. We have to give us something we would like to have or do. ... ouch.

Before we can put time into helping others we have to give up some activity we now enjoy doing.

Let me go back to one of the questions I asked earlier about whether we need to change – to be transformed. God sometimes speaks in strange ways. A couple months back I was in the barber chair and this guy walks in who immediately seemed a bit pyscho. He was pretty muscular. He began talking about how bad various groups of people were. It may surprise you, but I never egged him on! He was standing right in front of me, acting crazy, looking dangerous and I was sitting in a chair – so I kept very quiet.

Anyway he kept going on about other people and then proudly announced he had never done anything wrong! He did not need to change in one single way! .... Fortunately for me he was speaking too loud to hear me when I said: “Pleased to meet you Jesus Christ!”

With that in mind .... and I hope next year we can increase budgets again so I can put the pages in the bulletin for you to take home as a reminder .... Please know I would enjoy having time to talk about this with you ... with this barber shop encounter with a man who needed to change nothing in mind: How have you been changed, transformed in the last couple weeks? ..... How do you want to be changed, transformed during the next couple weeks? ..... And what are you willing to commit to do – right this minute make a commitment to do so that transformation happens???

Take a moment and pray about that. Speak to God about your transformation.

We have previous sermons on our website. To read an earlier recent sermon just enter: www.st-christopher.org/sermon.html.

CLICK HERE TO RESPOND: I would enjoy reading your comments about this sermon. Please feel free to discuss content or presentation. (If you wish to use another email system send your comments to: ken@st-christopher.com)