In Praise of Folly

 

In Praise of Folly

A sermon by Brent J. Eelman

 

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

 

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah,  where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him. 

 

Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, "Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours."  Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, "Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself." Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.  And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver.  I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy;  and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. In their presence I charged Baruch, saying,  Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time.  For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.

 

 

1 Corinthians 1: 18–25

 

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of the proclamation, to save those who believe.  For Jews ask for signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. 

The title of this message is not mine, but was coined by the 16^th century Dutch philosopher, Erasmus.  It was a satirical essay that he wrote attacking the superstitions and traditions that plagued Europe. These traditions were particularly present in the Catholic church.  Erasmus never intended it to be an iconic masterpiece, but it became just that, and was one of the philosophical works pointing to the Reformation.  I confess that this message is not a philosophical masterpiece, but Erasmus’ title did fit the message….. and so I borrowed it. 

 

Folly or foolishness is often seen as the realm of children, adolescents, and those who never mature.  Our puritan ancestors certainly eschewed all things foolish.   But, I believe, there is value in foolishness and the world we inhabit could benefit from some.

Foolishness was valued by previous generations. In the royal courts of many realms, there was a fool or joker who was present in the halls of power.  He had the ear of the royalty, and his antics were a reminder that those in power can take themselves too seriously…. Humor has a way of reminding us of our humanity and limitations. 

 

My wife, Karen, an elementary school teacher, used to dread April 1^st… April Fool’s Day.  The practical jokes and the silliness of the day often got old quickly.  But there is one strand of thought that believes that April Fool’s Day had theological origins.  It was a way of celebrating the teachings of Jesus that the “first shall be last.”  The prophet, Isaiah declared, “A child shall lead them….”  Consequently a child was placed upon the throne, and the king and queen became beggars.  It was a great reversal. Foolishness ruled the day.  

 

Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth made an astonishing statement.  He asserted that the Christian faith he espoused was utter foolishness to the sophisticated and knowledgeable people of the world. 

“…we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles…”.  (Greeks)

In some ways, not much has changed.  Modern sophisticates politely sneer at the foolishness of present-day followers of Jesus.  How do we respond?  We often get involved in apologetics, spending time arguing for the reasonableness of faith and our beliefs.  That is a good thing…. But I believe that we also need to recover our rich tradition of foolishness.  

 

Many of the early Christians were called “holy fools” because of their willingness to share their belongings, often divesting themselves of all wealth to help those who were in need.  Holy fools!  But this tradition of holy foolishness had its roots in the Old Testament prophets.  They made “foolish gestures” to communicate the love and faithfulness of God for God’s people. 

·      The prophet Hosea married Gomer, a harlot, to show God’s covenant love and faithfulness to an unfaithful people. 

·      Isaiah walked around naked and barefoot for about three years, predicting a forthcoming captivity in Egypt.

·      Jeremiah could be seen walking around Judah with the yoke of an ox around his neck, symbolizing the upcoming captivity at the hands of the Babylonians. 

 

This morning I would like to spend some time with the foolish prophet Jeremiah. Sometimes things are not what they seem.  Jeremiah was the prototype for the “prophet of doom.”  Yet I (with others) find him, along with Isaiah, to be one of the most hopeful of the biblical prophets.  The narrative that I read from his prophecy, on one level, is a foolish tale.  But it is also a message of hope to a world that was coming apart… a world that was divided.  

 

3 points:  First, the historic setting of Jeremiah’s land purchase.  Second, the foolishness of faith.  Third, some investment advice. 

I

 

“A fool and his money are soon parted.”   It is a well-known 16^th century proverb, first penned by Thomas Tusser, a British poet and farmer.  “A fool and his money are soon parted.”  It could well have been written about the prophet Jeremiah and the land he purchased.  Anyone who observed it would have rightfully commented that Jeremiah was acting like a fool.  Sure, God told him to do it, but maybe he didn’t hear God correctly.  He paid full price for a field while in the distance the conquering army from Babylon held the country in siege.  He received his deed for the land, but in truth, the deed was absolutely worthless, because the land was about to be conquered and taken by the Babylonians.  A fool and his money are soon parted.  Jeremiah certainly appears foolish, but let’s take a closer look.

 

The text the picture quite well.  It was the tenth year of Zedekiah the king of Judah.  Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon was in his 18^th year of reign and was building an empire.  The Northern Kingdom of Israel was long over-run and now Nebucadrezzar’s troops were laying siege to the capital of Judah, Jerusalem.  It was only a matter of time.  Sooner or later the siege would tighten and Judah would capitulate and become part of the Babylonian Empire.  This could very well be the end of the story.  The Hebrew Bible could end with the conquest of Judah, and the subsequent captivity of the Hebrew People. 

 

Jeremiah was in jail during this time.  Why?  He was never one to bite his tongue and he said some things that offended the king.  Jeremiah challenged the values of the royal family.  In the name of God, he condemned a nation that didn’t take care of its widows and orphans.  He condemned the priests and the established religion of his day, saying that it was more concerned with externals and looking good than worshipping God and, most importantly, fostering justice. //  It was the truth, but do people really want the truth?   Paraphrasing the movie “A Few Good Men,”  “We can’t (often) handle the truth!”

 

Prophecy was a tradition in Israel and Judah.  The prophet (like the medieval fool) had the ear of the king and would speak God’s word to the king.  Often that word would be troubling. 

·      You will recall when Nathan went to David and accused him of being a murderer and an adulterer. 

·      Amos challenged the leadership of the kings who concerned themselves with luxury while the dispossessed were ignored. 

Jeremiah was part of this great prophetic tradition, but apparently the King didn’t like what he was saying, so he found a prophet (Hananiah) who preached a message that the King liked. (There are always preachers who hew the party line and pander to people, saying what they want to hear.)  Jeremiah didn’t and consequently he ended up in jail.

 

Things were coming to a head and Judah was about to be conquered.  Judah would become part of the Babylonian Empire.  The land would be owned by Babylonians and would be exploited to feed their nation.  Thousands of educated Jews would be carted off to Babylon in captivity so that they could not foment a rebellion.  It was the beginning of the end for Judah and everyone knew it. 

 

I am assuming that the people acted in typical ways:  hiding the things that were valuable to them, and making provisions so that they might possibly survive.  That is the sensible thing to do when you are about to be occupied by a foreign power….  What did Jeremiah do?  He purchased a field from his cousin: a field that in a few days would be owned by the Babylonians.  Did he get a bargain?  No.  He paid the full price.  What a fool. 

 

 It seems to me the last thing that you want to do when the world is collapsing around you is to buy a field.  What was Jeremiah thinking?  What a fool!  What motivated him to buy land that would soon be worthless?  

 

He was motivated by faith.  He was motivated by the belief that “houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.”

II

The foolishness of faith! The absurdity of hope!

On one level, this is a very silly story and might well illustrate the maxim that a fool is soon parted from his money.  But we do not perceive this story merely from the perspective of a financial investment.  We hear this story from the perspective of faith.  This foolish act was a symbol of hope built upon a foundation of belief.  

 

Here is the irony of this story.  Jeremiah was not a very positive individual.  He was one of those disturbing preachers that we sometimes complain about, always talking about sin, things that are wrong, and problems in the world.  He didn’t back down from political controversy and that is what got him in jail.  And here is the worst thing:  instead of affirming his people and telling them things that would make them feel good about themselves and the world, he had temerity to preach the message that God wanted them to change how they were living. Change??!!  Jeremiah was not a popular preacher with a positive message.  No. 

 

That was why his land purchase was so amazing.  His message of doom and gloom was exactly right.  It was the truth… but there was also another message of truth, and that was, even in the midst of all the destruction and turmoil.. God was still God.  In God’s time the land, that was about to be over-run, would once again be tilled to feed God’s people.  People would once again build homes and raise families there.  Jeremiah bought the field as a powerful message of faith to his people….

”This land is still God’s promised land.”

On one level it seemed like a foolish act.  But from the perspective of history, it was an act of faith that has been proven right.

III

 Jeremiah’s purchase of the field was also bold.  It was a bold declaration of hope in the future, when the world appeared to be falling apart.  That is the nature of faith.  It is bold.  It is this boldness that is often mistaken for foolishness.   Purchasing real estate while your country is being invaded appeared foolish, but it wasn’t… it was a bold statement about the future.  Think about it, this prophet, who heretofore had nothing but doom and gloom to proclaim, was able to see beyond the momentary crisis, and by his actions he communicated that the future would be good.

 

Our world today needs foolish Christians.  It needs bold women and men of faith.   You and I read the newspapers.  We hear the news.  There are no shortage of whiners, complainers, and chicken-littles who are dominating the public discourse.   That is not what this world needs. 

·      This world needs women and men of faith, who dare to appear foolish.

·      This world needs women and men of faith who are realistic about the present, yet hopeful about the future.

·      This world needs women and men of faith who will are willing to invest in the future, because they believe that the future is ultimately in the hands of God and it is good.  

 

Jeremiah teaches us in this story that faith calls us to invest,  not merely our resources, but our whole being, believing against all belief, that this world is God’s and the future is good.  God will redeem God’s creation.  This may be folly but it is also bold faith.  History has ultimately shown us that Jeremiah’s investment bore fruit.  Houses and fields and vineyards were again bought in the land. 

 

This text challenges us. Are you willing to believe in the face of all the evidence to the contrary, that God’s future for this world is good?  Are you willing to invest in that future?  Now? Amen. 

 

Four Questions of Life 4: The How of Life

 

The “How of Life

A Sermon by Brent J. Eelman

 

This is the last in a series of four sermons which I have entitled “Four Questions of Life”.  Previously, I wrestled with the questions: Why?, What? and Where?  They are existential questions that plague humanity when it is most conscious. 

 

This week, I was trying to come up with a clever way to sum up the previous 3 sermons as an introduction to this morning’s message.  I came up with one word summaries for each question. 

1.     Why?   Because!

2.    What?   You!

3.    Where?   Here!  

 

“Why?” we ask when something goes wrong, when we are ill, when tragedy occurs. 

 

“What?” we ask… what does it mean to be a human being, made in the image of God.  What makes us any different than the millions of other species that are on this earth.  What? 

“Where?” we ask…Where do I fit in.  Where is home?  Where do I belong. 

 

This morning, the question is “How?”  How do we live as followers of Jesus Christ in this world?  How are we called to make a difference?   

 

I Thessalonians 5: 1-11

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters,^* you do not need to have anything written to you. ²For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! ⁴But you, beloved,^* are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; ⁵for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. ⁶So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; ⁷for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. ⁸But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. ¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

 

The basic ethical dilemma of being a Christian in the modern world is how we live out our lives as witnesses to the Jesus Christ who we know as the light of the world?  In the words of Paul:  how do we live as “children of light” in a world that is often a dark place?  How?

 

Ever since I could read, I have been a “news-aholic.”  We subscribe to three daily newspapers, and read a host of other journals regularly.  However, in the last decade, it has become harder and harder to read and digest the news, much less watch it on TV.  It is numbing. 

·      Shootings that seem to occur regularly. 

·      Climate change and the resultant severe weather.

·      Wildfires in Canada causing horrible health effects in the Midwest and northeast.

·      War in Europe, and armed conflicts throughout the world.

·      Political and social conflicts that are hurting communities, destroying families, and splitting churches. 

It is numbing.

 

  I need not comment further on the reality of how these events have not brought people together but rather they have exacerbated our divisions and the enmity that sets us against one another.  Suffice it to say, the reality of darkness and the reach of the power of evil should not be questioned or doubted by any of us. 

 

The bible is realistic about the omnipresence of evil in our lives.  It does not sugar coat the pain and suffering we human beings often visit upon others.  The significance of the cross is that darkness is real but is overcome by the light of Jesus Christ. The bible does, however, address the context in which we live, and calls us to be “children of light” in a world that seems content to dwell in darkness.

 

Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Thessalonica, ^“you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.”  Light and Darkness are metaphors for the reality with which we live daily.  This morning, 1) I want to speak about the reality of evil in the world.  2) Second, I will address how we are to live as people of faith in the world. 3) Third, I would like to address the importance of a community of faith (the church) to our life in the world. 

I

Evil is real. There is a part of each of us that would rather not acknowledge some of the realities of life. We do not like to be confronted with some of the darker events that are part of life on this earth.  I am no different.  As much as I value being informed, I often find myself turning off the radio or the TV, if the news or the topic is particularly unpleasant.  When I was parent with a child at home, I wanted to desperately shield her from the dark realities of this world.  That is part of being a parent.  Often this is rooted in our own pain and the psychological and spiritual wounds that we carry through life. 

 

One of the most difficult moments in my ministry occurred over 25 years ago.  A young woman, a member of our youth fellowship and a participant in Sunday school, was brutally murdered in a savage manner. I will never forget the funeral service.  There were nearly 500 high school students present in the sanctuary.  Amidst the tears and the sobbing, there was this hollow look of bewilderment on their faces.  This was not supposed to happen. 

 

The day after the service, I spoke with the Christian Educator at the church and asked to see the curriculum that we were using in Sunday school.  I wanted to see what it said about evil.  How did it treat the darkness that often comes over events.  Did it offer insights into the reality of evil?  It didn’t.

 

The late Rabbi, Abraham Heschel wrote: 

“We have denied our young people of the knowledge of the dark side of life.  They see a picture of ease, play, and fun.  That life includes hardships, illness, grief, even agony; that many hearts are sick with bitterness, resentfulness, envy—are facts of which young people have hardly an awareness… In our classroom we shy away from fundamental issues.  How should one deal with evil?  What shall one do about envy?  What is the meaning of honesty?  How should one face the problem of loneliness?  What has religion to say about war and violence?  About indifference and evil?”

He wrote those words in the mid 60’s.

 

There is another type of evil that is systemic.  The apostle Paul referred to this reality as the “principalities and powers.”  Systemic evil denotes diabolical structures that perpetuate misery, corruption, and wrongdoing. It’s like a machine that functions without any real control or oversight by any individual.  None of us perpetuates this evil individually or even consciously, yet it benefits some and grinds others into poverty, pain, and despair. 

 

The truth is that often our world is characterized by darkness and the power evil, and we go to great lengths to shield ourselves from this reality.  We build fences and walls, some psychological, some made from wood and stone, so that we are isolated and feel safe.  But evil and the powers of darkness still touch all aspects of our lives, and every now and then we are dramatically reminded of this.  Evil is insidious and it taints the best of us. Evil is even present in our most magnanimous and selfless actions.  (This is what the reformers meant by total depravity).

 

We ignore this reality in the world and in ourselves at our own peril. Christians, called to be children of light cannot stick their heads in the sand.  Neither should we fall into cynicism and despair, and many do.  NO!  We are people of the Good News!  As children of light, we are called to point to the true light, indeed, the hope of the world.  Jesus Christ.    

II

Living as people of faith: Paul wrote the Thessalonians and stated, “You are all children of light, not of the darkness.”  This can become a meaningless platitude.  We need to struggle with How we function as children of light in the darkness that seems to be so much a part of life on this planet? 

 

The Gospel of John begins with these words about Jesus:  in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.  Living as children of light is a call to:

a.    Affirm that the true light and hope of the world was embodied by Christ.  More often than not we favor the lesser lights of life:

·        people we admire (particularly celebrities and athletes),

·       people who are in positions of power and authority. 

Our admiration (and even worship) of these lesser lights keeps us from witnessing and Pointing to the true light of the world. 

 

b.    Living as children of light is a call to shine the light of truth in the darkest places of life’s existence.  Evil has a way of preferring the shadows and the dark corners of existence. Children of light are called:

·      to illumine the dark places;

·      We are called to speak the truth in love to the world;  Evil by its very nature creates confusion.  We are in the midst of an epistemic crisis where the very nature truth is obscured. 

·      We are called to acknowledge the darkness is that is often in our lives and our hearts. 

 

I am intrigued by mystery stories and the role of the detective in those stories.  Those who study literature have suggested that the mystery story is the last Christian archetype in fiction.  The mystery begins with an evil act.  The characters are surrounded by darkness.  The detective solves the mystery by shining the light of truth upon the events, and illuminating those events that occurred, hidden in the shadows.  In the end, the truth prevails and goodness triumphs over evil. 

Living as children of light is a call: to illumine the dark places of human life with the brightness of truth.   It also means bringing:

·      the light of hope to the hopeless;

·      the light of love to the unloved;

·      the light of shelter to the homeless;

·      the light of healing to ill;

·      the light of peace to those who victimized by violence.

·      the light of condemnation to those who foment violence and to the merchants of death.

 

c.     Living as children of light is a call to confession of our own sinfulness and the presence of darkness in our own lives. Darkness dwells in each of us.  Allow me continue with the metaphor of the detective.    In order for a detective to solve the mystery, she or he must be able to think like the perpetrator of the crime.  In other words a detective cannot be naïve about her own capacity for evil. She often depends upon her own intimacy with the powers of darkness and evil in order to bring the truth into the light.  Self-knowledge of our own shortcomings and our own propensity for sinful behavior is also integral to being children of light.

III

This is not something that we can do on our own.  It takes tremendous moral courage to live as a child of light in this world.  It takes the support and the love of others in order to shine the light of truth and the hope of the gospel in the darker places of human existence.  It requires a community of faith and support.  That is why we gather together to worship, study and pray.  That is how we find strength to live with hope and expectation…. Hope—even in this moment! 

 

There is a price that is often paid by those who tell the truth in a culture where darkness and secrecy abide.  All of us need a safe place, a safe community, a collection of people who will love and support us as we rise to Paul’s challenge to be the children of light.    

 

Finally, as a community of faith we need to educate our children about the reality of evil in the world.  We cannot shield them from this reality and they need to know and understand it. Our youth need to also recognize this inclination within their own behavior.  

 

In dealing with the question, “how are we to live in this world,” I have endeavored to be realistic about the world we inhabit.  Realism tends to acknowledge the darkness.  I am, however, hopeful about the life and the future.  Christian hope is grounded in realism, not wishful thinking.  I am hopeful

·      Because I see people giving of their time and resources to help assist others in the name of Christ. 

·      Because I am part of a church that is not content to be a Sunday’s only place, but endeavors to live out the commission of Matthew 25 in its life and mission. 

·      Because I hear others finding the courage to speak the truth in love to me, to others, and to this world.

·      I am hopeful because I know that God so loved this world… that he gave is son for you and for me.. and for this world… indeed God’s world.

I am hopeful For we are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.

 

So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.  This is a call to let the light of Christ shine within us and illumine this world.  Amen.

Four Questions of LIfe 3: The Where of Life

 

“The Where of Life”

A Sermon by Brent J. Eelman

 

This morning’s sermon is the 3^rd in a series that I have entitled the “Four Questions of Life.”  Previously, I wrestled with the questions, “why?” and “what”.  These questions are at the foundation of most of our inquiry into the world around us.  They are basic questions that we ask in scientific research, historical studies, and both social and psychological inquiry.  They are also existential and theological questions.  They are the questions that we ask regarding our relationship with God, with God’s creation and with other human beings. 

 

This morning, I want to speak to the question “Where?”.  This is a question that is geographical in nature, meaning: it is about place.  

 

Around our house, we ask the “Where?” question a lot.  

• “Karen, where did I put my keys?” 
• “Where is my wallet?”
• “Where is the TV remote?” 

You get the idea.  This morning, we will be looking at this question in terms of human geography and, most importantly, place.  “Where do I belong?”  

 

Ephesians 4: 1-16

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

⁷ But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it is said,

“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;

he gave gifts to his people.”

⁹ (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. ¹⁴ We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

 

 

One of the nagging questions that occurs at many stages in life is “where do I fit in?”  We are social creatures.  We are created to interact with each other.  We are made for society and life in community, and yet one of the questions that vex us is:

• “Where do I fit in within this society?” 
• “Where do I belong in this world?”  
• “Where is home?” 
• “Where am I safe?”
• “Where?”

 

I ponder these questions, even now in my 70’s.   I think about the paths that I have taken and how they have led to this place, and to this moment.

 

I remember when I was 14 years old.  Like many adolescents, it was a difficult time for me.  I felt “out of it.”  A stranger in a strange land…. That is often the experience of adolescence.  This feeling of alienation even carried over to church.  I came from a devout family.  We were in church every Sunday.  My father was a professor at a seminary, teaching would-be clergy the craft of preaching.  I had just finished confirmation class and was taking my place in the church.  I sang in the choir.  I attended youth fellowship regularly.  I was always at worship.  I went to Sunday School faithfully.  Yet I felt alienated.  I felt that I was not a part of things.  I wondered if I belonged there, and if not there…. Where? 

 

Sometimes we can be in the midst of an organization or community and still feel as though we do not belong. It is like a party or social event, where you know nobody, and no one speaks to you.  This was my experience.  Perhaps you have experienced this also, wondering "Is this where I should be?”

 

That all changed one Saturday in early spring in 1965.  The church youth group decided to do a service project.  We were going to clean the cemetery that circled the church.  This was an inner-city church in New Brunswick, NJ.  They church was old, founded in 1717.  The cemetery surrounded the sanctuary and contained the remains of many important figures in colonial America including the first president of Rutgers University and many other notables.  There were markers indicating men who fought in the revolutionary war, and subsequent conflicts.  Sadly, the cemetery was also a convenient dumping ground for cans, needles and drug paraphernalia, and other trash as people walked by.  It was also a bit overgrown in areas. 

 

The church youth group was going to clean it up, with the help of some of the adults.  It was just before lunch time.  I was raking a particular area, and if the truth be known, I was enjoying myself.  One of the adults who was helping, Mr. Pierce, came over and spoke to me.  He said: “You work really hard.  We appreciate your help.”   I am not sure he knew name… but I will never forget those eight words. 

 

Why do I remember such an event?  Why is it burned into my consciousness as important?  Because that was the moment when I suddenly felt that I belonged somewhere.  I was where I was supposed to be.  The “where of life;” the question that often perplexes was given a preliminary answer.  Where did I belong?  In the community of Christians.  I was a part of the group. I belonged.

I

The human soul longs to belong someplace. The human spirit desires to be a part of a community, to be appreciated, to be loved, to be nurtured, to be accepted. Where is that place?  This is the “where” question.  It is not merely a question of adolescence, but one that occurs at different times during life. 

 

It occurs on graduation day, as women and men leave school to take their place in the world.  They may have a particular type of training.  They may have a good idea of what they want to do or be, and yet, they are about to confront this question “where” in a most intense fashion. 

 

It occurs when we go through some type of great change: when a relationship ends; or the death of a spouse; retirement; the loss of a job.   We are currently experiencing this struggle intensely in our rapidly changing world.  People are losing their place.

• Toll collectors have been replaced by EZ Pass. 
• Store cashiers are replaced by Self-checkouts. 
• This past week I needed to call an online retail company to deal with a matter and ended up talking to a computerized voice for nearly 5 minutes. 

 

People used to do these jobs…. Where are they now?  Where is their place? Where?   

 

The advent of Artificial Intelligence, or AI is challenging the place of many individuals.  I recently read an article that told of a number of jobs that will soon be fully staffed, not by people, but by computers and AI, including translators, proofreaders, clerical jobs, and even legal researchers.   Two weeks ago, I showed an article from the Denver newspaper about a worship service in Germany that was completely the work of Artificial Intelligence: AI.  The thing that bothered me about this article were the comments by a number of people in attendance…. To the effect that the sermon was pretty good. 

 

This experience of social displacement raises the anxiety around the question, “Where?”  Where do I fit in? 

 

The question “Where?” is one that focuses not only on place, but community.  It is a question of social location.  When the world changes as rapidly as it is now, social location and community are uprooted.  The question “Where?” is intensified.  It is a question that belongs to Christian community.  Are we a place that provides an open response to the question “Where” for others who are searching? 

II

Paul, writing to the Ephesians, used the image of the body, but not an ordinary body, the body of Christ.  He often told the churches: “you are the body of Christ.”  These letters were addressed to particular congregations, but they could be First Presbyterian Church of Fort Collins.  He told his readers that they belong together.   Think about it.  The body is made of so many different parts.  Each of those parts has different functions, but all are necessary to the whole.  But we are not all the same. Thank God! 

 

We have different gifts:

• teaching,
• bookkeeping,
• speaking,
• praying,
• hospitality,
• administration.    

We see things differently.  We experience things differently, but that doesn’t mean that some don’t belong together.  All do.  We are part of a corporate entity, the Body of Christ.  This is our place.    There is even a place for critics to keep us honest!

 

Today, we will ordain and install deacons and elders.  They will affirm in the questions we ask that they are called to this place.  We, as a congregation, will affirm that they bring gifts (gifts of the spirit) that build up this body.  We will affirm as a congregation that they are called to minister… here among us and in this community.  In the words of Paul:

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. 

They will minister where they belong. 

III

I have the advantage of some years and have reflected on life in the church and in the world.  One of the things that I believe is so important and so vital is enabling our adolescents (but also others) to struggle and understand the “where” question.  Where do they belong?  Where can they use the gifts that they have been given by God?   Sometimes when they are moody, out of sorts, acting out… they might be struggling with the question, “where do I belong?”  where?

 

• I remember my confirmation experience. They told me that I was my becoming an adult and assuming my place in the church.  
• I learned church history. 
• I learned about the sacraments.
• I learned about worship. 
• I learned what we believed about God.  
• And I passed. 

I wished they helped me learn “where” I fit in.  I suspect that does not make for a “neat curriculum”.  And yet I believe that it is one with which the Christian community needs to struggle… and not just for young adults. (although it is an intense struggle for them.).  

 

I believe that as we discover our place within the community of faith… we begin to know where we belong in the world. When life changes, we will know the experience of that struggle and will be able to adapt to change. We will know that we belong.   How many people in this world have no idea “where” they belong? 

 

When I recall the events of my life, my mind soon goes to younger people who are growing up these days.  We are seeing less of them in the community of faith.  We have tried all types of things to attract them and keep them… We have changed the music.  We dress differently for worship, (Jacket and tie???).  We have changed styles of education.  We have changed time, trying to schedule around their schedules….   

 

But I wonder… have we tried to be a welcoming community… a place.  A place that responds to the question “Where?”  Are we a place where they feel invited, embraced… given a sense of importance and need?  Do we affirm their value to the community of faith, to God, to the Body of Christ?  Is this a place where they feel safe… safe to confess their deepest fears and anxious hopes?   

 

But these questions are not only pertinent to youth.. they are important for you and me, regardless of age and stage in life.  Do we hear the invitation of Christ, calling us home. Telling us that this is where we belong? 

 

I got the beginning of an answer that morning as I was raking the cemetery.  It did not map out my education, nor my vocation, nor the jobs I would take, nor my future family, but I discovered, through the words of Mr Pierce, that I was where I belonged.  I began to discover one of the powerful lessons of the meaning of life. In the words of the catechism,  “I belong to God.”  When I work and serve faithfully, I am where I am supposed to be.   My wish for you is that this will be your experience. You belong to God and I pray that you will find, “where” you belong.  Amen.